Nintendo's Legend of Zelda is one of the most long-running and storied franchises in video game history.

The Legend of Zelda (1987)

Zelda II: The Adventures of Link (1988)

A Link to the Past (1991)

Links's Awakening (1993)

Ocarina of Time (1998)

Link's Awakening DX (1998)

Majora's Mask (2000)

Oracle of Ages and Seasons (2001)

The Wind Waker (2003)

Four Swords Adventures (2004)

The Minish Cap (2005)

Twilight Princess (2006)

Phantom Hourglass (2007)

Spirit Tracks (2009)

Skyward Sword (2011)

A Link Between Worlds (2013)

And while that longevity is impressive on its own, Zelda is especially notable thanks to Nintendo's ceaseless dedication to quality. Although some entries shine brighter than others, there's simply never been a bad main-line Zelda game - in almost 30 years. Pretty incredible.Visually, Nintendo seems to have no interest in changing some of Zelda's most iconic elements. Link is still Link, green tunic and all. But besides of a few key icons, the company largely seems willing to reinvent Zelda's visual identity time and time again. From 2D to 3D and back, from pixels to 3D, to toon Link and back to realism, almost every Zelda game is instantly recognizable thanks to its visuals alone. Let's take a look: The Legend of Zelda on the NES might not look like much today, but many of the enemy designs, and of course Link himself, are still being drawn from to this day.Zelda II added an experimental 2D side-scrolling viewpoint for exploring dungeons and towns. Whether it worked effectively or not depends on who you ask.A Link to the Past returned to the classic overhead Zelda perspective, but with far more personality and detail thanks to the power of the still-new SNES. Gamers are still questioning why Nintendo gave Link pink hair, though. Or is it the brim of his hat? The debate rages.Link's Awakening had to go monochrome to appear on the Game Boy, but don't be fooled by the lack of color - this was another deeply enjoyable Zelda adventure with an especially memorable final moment.Ocarina of Time's chunky 3D visuals might look quaint by today's standards, but at the time they were jaw-dropping. Ocarina also represents a major turning point for Zelda visuals, setting a new standard for console Zelda games.The same year Ocarina came out, Nintendo launched the Game Boy Color with Link's Awakening DX - a colorful remake of the monochrome original. In an especially nice touch, DX includes a new color-based dungeon.Majora's Mask differentiated itself from Ocarina with a considerably more sinister art style. Nintendo took advantage of the N64's 4MB Expansion Pak to cram in a bit more 3D detail, as well.Despite being developed by Capcom, The Game Boy Color's Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons kept the 2D Zelda charm alive and well.Arguably the visual high point of a franchise full of high points, Wind Waker's toon shading was initially met with a mixed reception. Over time, gamers have increasingly grown to appreciate the timeless nature of the style, and how expressive it allowed Nintendo to make Link's facial features.Nintendo's under-appreciated co-op multiplayer Zelda mostly aped A Link to the Past's style, while incorporating plenty of graphical flourishes that wouldn't have been possible on the 16-bit hardware.Just as Zelda's 3D console adventures continued getting more and more detailed, so did the 2D handheld releases.With Twilight Princess Nintendo ran away from Wind Waker's stylized "toon" visuals towards a much more realistic look. Some loved the more adult style, while others missed Wind Waker's charm.Thankfully for Toon Link fans, Nintendo would bring back the art style on the Nintendo DS's Phantom Hourglass a year later.Spirit Tracks once again sent cel-shaded link on an adventure, but oddly, it dropped the sailing premise.Visually, 2011's Skyward Sword strikes a balance between Wind Waker's whimsy and Twilight Princess's darker, more realistic style.Nintendo's upcoming Zelda adventure A Link Between Worlds specifically harkens back to A Link to the Past's style, while updating it with 3D visuals that make smart use of the 3DS.

Which era of Zelda visuals to you find the most appealing? Is there one Zelda game's art you think rises above the rest? Let us know in the comments below! And be sure to check out all of our Zelda Week content, running all-week-long.

Justin Davis is the second or third best-looking Editor at IGN. You can follow him on Twitter at @ErrorJustin and on IGN