3D Zelda Games vs 2D Zelda Games. Which do you Prefer?

[JayWood2010]

For me the Zelda experience has always been vastly different with the 2D games, and 3D games, and with Link's Awakening re-releasing it once again reminds me why I love the 2D isometric franchise so much. While both 2D and 3D shares some similarities such as open world, dungeons, and puzzles, the 2D installments seem to be much more puzzle driven, and because of this, I do think the puzzles tend to be much more clever in both the dungeons and the overworld.

However, the 3D installments in the franchise offers a greater sense of immersion and freedom. The dungeons are also well designed, and of course the combat is much more in-depth than the simplistic 2D combat. Because the aesthetics and visuals I do think the 3D version of Zelda appeals to the mass market more, and in return is the more popular of the two, but my question to you is which do you prefer?

For me personally, I do prefer the 2D Zelda games, but I won't go too in-depth with the reasons to why, but rather I want to hear your reasons to why you prefer one or the other.

 

[ggdeku]

Both for sure. When they hit that balance between the meaty puzzle solving of dungeons and fantastic world design, nothing is better.

My top 3 is Majora and the Oracles for that reason.

 

[@TheFriendlyBro]

3D for me.

Breath of the Wild is the closest I ever got to feeling like I was playing a big, Lord of the Rings esque adventure across a huge map. I loved it and I want more of it.

 

[PlayBee]

Both, but I prefer 3D Zelda aside from Twilight Princess.

 

[Hayama Akito]

It's funny: ALTTP is my favorite Zelda game of all time yet poligonal worlds and third person camera was the perfect evolution on the franchise for me, so... as always it all depends on the quality of the game.

 

[sir_crocodile]

2D by far

My top five zelda games are:

LTTP
LA
Zelda 2
ABLW
Wind Waker

Only one of those is 3D. I have enjoyed all the 3D ones to some extent or another though. The ice and sky dungeons in twilight princess are an absolute joy.

 

[Deleted member 10737]

i love both, and it looks like both have a bright future which makes me happy.

 

[lightning16]

I prefer 3D but I do love both.

 

[andymcc]

the only 3D Zelda I "love" is BOTW.

i love Link's Awakening, ALBW, LoZ and Zelda 2.

 

[Berordn]

Differentiating between 2D and 3D almost feels arbitrary. Outside of BoTW, you can still see how everything is rooted in ALttP's formula. I love them both as a result, since they really just feel like different ways to dress up the same kind of game.

 

[Lant_War]

Haven't played BOTW, so maybe it'll change, but 2D by far.

 

[VonGreckler]

Both for sure.
I hope we get more new 2D Zelda games

 

[rzmunch]

I prefer 2D Zelda.

 

[inner-G]

2D by a mile.

BotW and Wind Waker are like the only 3D Zeldas I've really liked, but most of the 2D ones were good.

 

[Ifrit]

I love that I can pretty much enjoy both equally and I wouldn't like if nintendo stops making 2d or 3d zeldas

 

[WestEgg]

3D Zeldas would probably average higher if I ranked my favorites, but I love the series as a whole.

 

[Inugami]

I used to prefer 2d Zelda, botw went a long way to equalizing that equation.

 

[Deleted member 8860]

OG The Legend of Zelda is by far the best LoZ game. LttP is a distant second, followed by ALBW and LA.

The rest don't really feel like "Zelda games" to me, regardless of their respective merits. People make the claim that Breath of the Wild returns to the series's roots, but it's not much like TLoZ at all, where the world was compact but packed full of content and every encounter/room was tight and fast. BotW is very slow and "cinematic" by comparison

 

[balgajo]

Oot, MM and TP are my favorite Zelda games. So I have this 3d bias. Though I really like 2d ones too.

 

[Professor Beef]

I don't have a preference, I just care if the games are fun or not.

 

[Geobros]

Both but I have a small preference to 2D Zelda's!!!

 

[Thatguy]

I like the 3D ones to be open world like BotW, and 2D ones to be metroidvania like. I see them as being practically different franchises after a few games just as 2D Mario games are totally different from Sandbox Mario games.

 

[I Wanna Be The Guy]

3D without question. Give me a 3D Zelda and there's a high chance I'll enjoy it, perhaps even enough to finish it maybe more than once. Give me a 2D Zelda? Chances of me enjoying it are low. Chances of actually finishing it are VERY low.

Link Between Worlds is the only one I've enjoyed enough to bother finishing, and Phantom Hourglass is the only other one I enjoyed enough to come close to finishing. Link's Awakening has sadly been added to the list of 2D Zelda's I'll be dropping, and in fairness this one I've given a good go at even getting to the fifth dungeon.

 

[BeaconofTruth]

2d Zelda. The 3D zelda games are wack outside of breath of the Wild. Some of the most tedious wasteful games I've played.

OG Zelda, link to the past, Link Awakening, oracle of seasons n ages, and link between worlds tho? That's some kino shit.

 

[Deleted member 426]

2D. Obviously the best 3D and 2D Zelda games are classics. But at the other end of the spectrum there are a couple of 3D Zeldas that I personally find boring (Twilight Princess) or straight up bad (Skyward Sword). Whereas I haven't played a single one of the traditional 2D Zeldas that isn't incredible. Zelda 2 is bad too but whilst it is 2D, it doesn't follow the same format as most 2D Zeldas.

I'd also count BotW as a third genre of Zelda games in addition to traditional 2D and 3D. 'Open air' was always a nice way to describe it.

 

[ItsOKAY]

With BOTW, even if there were 3D Zeldas before, it feels, like they just opened the 3D Zelda world for me.

 

[Duane]

I liked OoT, WW, TP etc. But a little over two years ago, I would have said that 3D Zelda had never quite replicated the crazy sense of immersive exploration the 2D Zeldas had for me. But then BotW came out, and it finally did. Now I can no longer definitively say that 2D is my answer, now I just want a good Zelda (which, they're pretty much all fantastic anyway).

 

[Deleted member 8593]

I ever so slightly prefer 3D Zelda. Breath of the Wild and Majora's Mask are the most engrossing games in the entire series for very different reasons, Ocarina of Time deserves its status as a classic, Twilight Princess was the culmination of the old formula and Skyward Sword was an interesting, if flawed, step in a new direction. The only one that I don't like, aside from its aesthetics, is Wind Waker.

2D Zelda is great as well, Link's Awakening and Minish Cap in particular but the DS games are both really bad which drags this group down. I also like the various experiments they've made with multiplayer and hope we see this live on in a Zelda Maker game.

 

[Bradbury]

I love both but I tend to like more the world and exploration in 3D and dugeons in 2D

 

[Chucker]

Grew up on 2D. Never had a 64 when it was current so I missed OOT/MM. Got them all on 3DS again and always end up burning out on them. Did like Skyward Sword though, and completed BoTW.

 

[Arta]

Top down. Never got into the 3D Zeldas.

 

[aett]

2D, by far.

My top five Zeldas:
* LttP
* Link's Awakening
* Link Between Worlds
* Oracle of Seasons
* Breath of the Wild

Minish Cap is a very close sixth. The lack of dungeons and the occasional tedium of Kinstones knock it down a little.

To me, Wind Waker has so many great qualities but its flaws are too big to be ignored. Ocarina is pretty good, but it'll always be an uglier, slower version of LttP in my eyes.

 

[lvl 99 Pixel]

3D Zelda until BOTW. That game should have just been a new IP.

 

[babyzelda]

2D has better puzzles. In 3D the biggest puzzle is using the camera imo.

 

[AfropunkNyc]

Zelda.. I like Zelda.

 

[Deleted member 13645]

Breath of the Wild is the only 3d Zelda i've ever enjoyed, but have enjoyed many 2D Zelda games. So 2D > 3D unless it's in the BotW format.

 

[Big G]

I like both a lot, but 3D is better in general. For Zelda, for Mario, for Metroid...for most things, really.

 

[dasu]

Honestly, I think I prefer 3d zelda games.

Outside of the NES original, I generally don't think the combat of zelda games is very fun, and the 3d ones have more interesting exploration mechanics and puzzles.

 

[tenderbrew]

In general 2D but I like BOTW best.

 

[Falchion]

3D because Breath of the Wild is miles ahead of any other Zelda game I've ever played.

 

[shuno]

I would go with 2D, since the best 2D-entries outclass the 3D-entries. Overall both are mostly good to great.

 

[Sky Walker]

I think I prefer 3D ones even though I like Zelda as a whole. There is way more room for creativity in terms of level design and Ideas in 3D environment.

 

[hikarutilmitt]

Definite preference to 2D. The only 3D ones I can honestly say I've enjoyed are Wind Waker, Skyward Sword and uh... hm. I guess Hyrule Warriors counts, but I consider ALBW to be 2D despite its graphics.

 

[Ishaan]

I prefer the 3D ones, but the 2D ones are, in a lot of ways, equally important. I recently wrote a piece on how they've helped keep the brand alive over the years.

 

[Richietto]

I just like both. No preference. A new Zelda is a good time for me.

 

[Deleted member 48813]

I prefer 3D by far, but only the pre-BotW ones. It's my favorite "genre" of games in fact. Nowadays I'm getting more into 2D though since they still have the traditional Zelda formula.

 

[Deleted member 3017]

In general, I prefer 2D Zelda.

However, Breath of the Wild is better than any 2D Zelda entry.

 

[BennyWhatever]

Both. My favorites are OG Link's Awakening and BotW. A good game is a good game.

 

[Deleted member 3040]

I like both, but as a whole the 2D games shine over 3D in terms of quality.

 

[Acidote]

2D, and I feel the same about Mario games. And if it can't be 2D I'll take cenital view / side scroll.