Zelda is my favourite game franchise of all time. Simple as that. The game series has given me so much these past 15 years of playing it that I can't really not talk about it here. I will try to make each segment brief as there are 20 points on this list. I'm sorry for the low quality on some of the pictures, but thats what you get for trusting google images. So without further pish posh, here is my personal top 20 items in the Legend of Zelda:
20: The Eye of Truth
This is a classic Zelda item from back in the nintendo 64 days of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. It lets you see through illusions like fake doors or hidden platforms, which is essential in the plot-line of both said games. There is just something really fun about discovering secrets and hidden wonders in the Zelda series that this item captures perfectly, and that's why it makes it on this list. I also have to give credits to the design of this item, which is really nice. You might notice over time that design really gets to me. Anyways, moving on.
19: The Hover Boots
The hoverboots entered the Zelda arena in the 1998 blast Ocarina of Time. This unique item lets link cross pitch black holes of otherwise absolute doom. The design on these oh so nice boots is done really well, and you feel really cool when you use them. A downside though is that you can't really use them for regular use, as the make you slower and your steps slippery. Aside from that this item is fun to use, nicely placed into the puzzles of the shadow temple, and it total a really cool item. This was also one of the most memorable items of OoT in my opinion.
18: The Magic Hammer and the Skull Hammer
The feeling of just destroying everything you see. That's about all you need to know about this item. I'm talking specifically about the Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass versions of the hammer. Both are really gigantic, and you really get the sensation of power when wielding them. The Skull Hammer definitely looks better than the Magic Hammer, but the latter is more fun to use. In Phantom Hourglass there is a boss that is basically a huge stone golem that looks like it was made by the same guys who made pyramids. By using the giant hammer, you totally wreck this building of a monster (or monster of a building if you like), and it just feels great. Ahh... I miss Phantom Hourglass now... Excuse me a minute...
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... Oh, yeah right, i was in the middle of something here! Kay, moving on!
17: Fierce Deity Mask
Try to get this mask on your own! No seriously, it's insanely hard to get this mask. You literarily have to unlock every little secret this game (Majora's Mask) has to offer... And son, that ain't easy. However, if you do get around to it, it makes the effort worth it. By wielding the mask, you transform into a godlike version of Link that wields dark power comparable to Majora's Mask itself! Now that is some epic stuff right there. Link also gets the power to shoot lasers out of his sword, which this time around looks a lot better that back in the 80's. So why is this mask so poorly ranked? It can only be worn during boss battles, and can only be obtained just before battling the final boss... It's still awesome, though!
16: Bomb Arrows
YEY TWILIGHT PRINCESS! This is just the first of many entries from this game, so you might understand that... i cinda like this game. The Bomb Arrows is quite self explanatory: By adding bombs to your arrow-tips, you can explode objects, enemies, random countryside, anything, from afar. And yes, it is as cool as it seems! Although it is far from my favourite item from this game, it still made riding around Hyrule field really fun and explosive.
15: Iron Boots (Twilight Princess)
Yeah, the Iron Boots in OoT was kind of a pain, and in Wind Waker it had only a small role. In Twilight Princess, however, this item kicked ass! Avoiding heavy wind? Equip Iron Boots! Pulling a switch in the roof? Equip Iron Boots! Walking across the roof on a magnetic field? Equip Iron Boots! Wrestle a huge freaking GORON!? Equip Iron Boots! Needless to say, i love this item, and it was utilised throughout the plot-line. I seriously had it bound to my d-pad for 80 % of the game, and i used if all the time. And also, the look just great, don't they?
14: Linebeck's Ship
Yes, i know, this isn't technically an item per say, but while playing through this game you really get attached to this beauty! You get add-ons like a canon and a salvage arm, and you get to customise the ship down to the last detail. The king of red lions was cool, but nowhere during the Wind Waker did I feel this freedom on my sea vehicle.
13: The Dominion Rod
More Twilight Princess! Surprised? Why not??? Anyways, this item is really cool and really creative. With this piece of ancient godly technology you get to take dominion over statues in the Temple of Time, and use them to proceed through the dungeon. The entire dungeon is based on a door that requires two identical statues on two pedestals in order to be opened. One is already there, and the other is located at the top of a very tall tower. You must then get to the top and then steer the statue all the way back. Yes, it is definitely as awesome and epic as it sounds, and it only gets better as the dungeon progresses. I won't go too far into detail, but i will say this: The dungeon boss uses this technique beautifully! Also a big shout-out to the design in this item! Damn nice!
12: The Goddess Shield
My favourite shield from my favourite game of all time, the Goddess Shield truly deserves a spot on my list. I really like all the legendary shields (the ones that regenerate) in Skyward Sword, but this one takes the grand prize. With it being the ultimate evolution and with the extremely well designed artwork, it truly is the ultimate shield in the Zelda series to this date (in my opinion). I love how the shield matches all the other parts of the Skyward Sword game, and how good Link looks with it on his back. It also matches the Master Sword better than the original Hylian Shield and the other shields in SS.
11: Hawk-eye
Sniping with a bow and arrows. How can one not like that!? The Hawk-eye lets Link zoom in his vision while shooting with his bow, allowing precise marksmanship and deadly aim to enter the battle field (or should i say the Hyrule field?). Needless to mention, the Hawk-eye looks awesome, and it comes in really handy when playing sequences like the courtyard of Hyrule Castle or the Desert region.
10: Grappling Hook
My favourite incarnation of this item is of course the Wind Waker version, but the Phantom Hourglass version is really cool too. This awesome device kicks the original hook-shot off the stage, and when i got the WW hook-shot for the first time i actually got a little disappointed. This was simply because i loved to swing around with my Grappling Hook so much i would rather do that for the whole game than to switch over to the hook-shot. Nevertheless, it was awesome while it lasted, and i Phantom i got to use it throughout the game, and ever got to use it as a line to walk across hills. The whip, which is somewhat related to this, was also amazing, and i really want to see a new incarnation in a future game.
9: The Goddess Harp
Am i the only one who hears the intro from Ballad of the Goddess when i see this picture? This is my favourite instrument in the Zelda series to date, probably because harp is my favourite instrument in real life. It is so much fun just running around playing it, and i give a huge thumbs up to the fact that the scale automatically syncs to the scale the background music plays in. Also, it's position in the story-line is really well made, and that makes this item deserve this spot on my list.
8: The Gilded Sword
The one thing i think is the most important in any Zelda game is the swordplay. Therefore, the swords play an essential part in the game experience. The Gilded Sword is awesome. Simple as that. Its long, it's twice as dangerous as the previous sword, and it looks amazing. It's innovative and unique, and it made Majora's Mask into one of the "sword-games" in my mind. Another really cool point to mention is the way you get this. I won't go into detail as it might spoil some of the puzzle-solving fun, but i really loved the progress of getting this item!
7: The Beetle
Skyward Sword was a really innovative game, with its precise swordplay and its perfectly detailed environment. Another thing that SS did really right was the addition of unique items, such as the Beetle. The Beetle is controlled in real-time much like the seagulls in Wind Waker, and can be used to collect rupees, snap threads, or even carry bombs to open paths or damage enemies. The Beetle was fun, efficient and good looking, and with all its evolutions it truly deserves this spot on this list.
6: Scattershot
More Skyward Sword! This time we're looking at the item in Zelda games i feel disappears the fastest, and that i cinda miss the most; the slingshot. But oh no, not just the slingshot! The Scattershot. When you get this upgrade, you can charge you shot to shoot 8 deku-seeds at once, making such things as hitting switches or killing spiders much easier and a lot more fun. Oh, did i mention that all those 8 seeds still only costs you one from your pouch? Yeah, awesome right?
5: The Double Clawshots
The Clawshot is awesome. Just very very awesome. You get to hook onto things and get to previously unreachable areas. You can even use it to pull switches that are in the ceiling in order to proceed in the game. And then you get another Clawshot... So you can hook yourself to one destination, and the hook further while on the wall/ ceiling! How freaking awesome is that!? I was sceptical when i got the 2nd Clawshot in Twilight Princess, but now... Now i just love this baby with all i've got!!!
4: Hero's Bow (Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword)
I cinda hated bows in Zelda. Please don't kill me, I just didn't like the joystick aiming. I always liked bows as a weapon, but i felt like Zelda simply did it wrong. But then Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword came along with pointer-aim, and it changed everything! Sniping enemies from afar was just so endlessly fun in these games, and the designs on the bows immensely good that this item almost could have gone all the way to the top (if it weren't for the next three to come).
3: The Fused Shadow
Ok, so here is the deal. You collect this item by defeating bosses, and you unlock its powers by defeating Zant. Even though you don't use it yourself, i still thing the Fused Shadow deserves this spot simply because it is so epic. The final scenes of Twilight Princess are really amazing, and that is much thanks to the Fused Shadow. Also, by being the one who obtains these items, you feel like you can take some of the credit for Midna's badassness while fused. Altogether i know this is a different and unusual thing to mention in such a list, but hey! I am not like everyone else!
2: The Zora Armor
The Zora Armor is just so damn good looking. Like holy cow look at that! It just looks so freaking awesome i just want to jump around! I really loved this piece of equipment from the moment i got it in-game, and to date it is the coolest garment Link has ever worn! Another important thing to mention is the purpose of the Zora Armor. With it equipped, you get to swim around like a zora and breathe under water. You can even put on Iron Boots and use your Sword or Clawshot while submerged. Well done, Nintendo. Well done.
1: The Goddess Sword and all its evolutions in Skyward Sword
As i said, swordplay is what i find most important in a Zelda game. How the mechanics are put together to make you feel like Link is essential in the experience of the game. Thats why my grand price goes to the Swords and the swordplay in Skyward Sword. Not only is the controls in SS really amazing, but the blades look really cool too. I also love that you evolve your sword rather that getting new ones. And hey, Fi is in that sword, isn't she? And Fi is awesome! Therefore, the swords in Skyward Sword is my favourite Zelda item to date