Officially it was ALttP (#4, GB[C?]); technically it’s the same game as #3 but with slight changes. But in my heart I’ll always feel the most fondness for OoT (#5,N64).
Other notes:
- I hated #6; the ‘gimmick’ is still “time” and it’s implemented in a much more unforgiving way. This is a complete shame; as I think this game could’ve told a much better story without the ‘gimmick’ being so tough.
- #8 is half identical to #3 & #4; and half identical to #10
- I don’t care for #12 or #13 either; I really hated the direction(s) the stories went in both cases and the gameplay ‘gimmicks’ once again interfered with the nature of the game mechanics that I do enjoy.
- Several Major Zelda games are completely missing from this list; including the titles featured on the Nintendo DS family of system(s) (NDS/DSi/3DS)
Those missing titles are:
- Spirit Tracks [NDS/DSi]
- A Link Between Worlds [3DS]
- Phantom Hourglass [NDS/DSi]
- Oracle of Ages [GBA] (This is the other half of the Oracle set)
- Wind Waker HD [WiiU]
#5, I was a wee lad and I was in the n64 isle at walmart looking for a game to buy with dad. Bought it on a whim because the box art looked interesting. Now Zelda is one of my favourite series and I’ve played most of them. Thanks Dad :)
4, since Gameboy was the first system we were allowed to play in our home. Stole my sister’s copy to play it and got in to a fight when I stole from the store under her save file.
I also remember burning through an insane number of AA batteries when I was attempting a less-than-smart solution to one of the room puzzles in Eagle’s Tower.
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Fantastic music, too. Here’s a great article about the musical motifs in the game.
Very much a #1. Gold cartridge and all.
I loved #10. With a full crew of four with GBA SP’s and cables that game was a rocking time for you and your buddies. The ability for that game to cause swearing, shoulder punching, and evil strategic voting at the end of each level was absolutely wonderful.
Number 1. The original. I was so happy when BOTW gave the the open exploration based feel from that very first game again. The other 3d games we just so linear and hand holding in comparison.
Unrelated, but what Zelda should i play, I’ve retired on link to the past, and minish cap
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I agree.
I love Ocarina of Time, but it’s quite dated. Link to the Past is a timeless classic.
You got it
Ocarina of Time is rated exactly where it should be, as one of the best games of all time. It’s a masterpiece. It has its reputation for a reason and I think everybody who doesn’t hate that style of game should play it.
Thanks for the tip, I’m going to play oot then
Number 1, but it was really Ocarina of Time that defined my childhood
#1. Had to go to a distant friend’s house to play it because no one else had a Nintendo yet.
God I’m old…
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#1 for me. That gold cartridge really stood out amidst my collection of other NES games, for more reasons than one. Naturally, I needed a guide to get through my first playthrough, but I kept coming back to it and eventually had the whole game damn near memorized.
Same with the gold cart. My mom was the game guide for me though, she beat it first and then helped me through :D
- It was a weird learning experience for a kid that couldn’t read English and had never played anything with rpg’ish elements.
I think i just wanted to play the first one because of the theme song. Somehow expected that the second one would have it too.
7, then 9 and 12. My parents bought me ages and my sister seasons. I remember waiting on her to finish her playthrough so I could swap over to seasons. After twilight princess I made the switch over to PC and caught up on missed games with emulators starting with the original. Played everything including TOTK
To be fair, 2 isn’t that much easier to understand even if you do know English.
True.
I’ve been recently playing Tunic. It almost mirrors my experience except that i didn’t have a manual at all. Tunic uses weird language with random english words, i only had a small dictionary for zelda 2 that would accomplish just that.
Just googled the Zelda 2 manual. I can see where the Tunic inspiration comes from https://i.imgur.com/OzVTVkK.png
https://archive.org/details/Zelda-II-The-Adventure-of-Link-Manual-NES-US-1988
#10 and actually with the GBA cables and friends to do multiplayer. (#11) Minish Cap as well, but my first owned Zelda was Four Swords Adventure.
#3. A class mate of my sister lent it to us and we didn’t put it down for at least 1-2 months.
Although I can say my favorite game is Oracle of Seasons.
#1! I used to play it with my mom, way back before I was old enough to actually make any progress. Mom made giant, beautiful hand-drawn maps of the overworld and all of the dungeons for both quests on large sheets of graph paper, and one of my biggest regrets from childhood is not keeping those maps safe.
The original LoZ is still one of my favorite games of all time, and I still spend a few hours every year or so playing through it again.
Link’s Awakening DX was the first game I picked up on my Gameboy color. Didn’t know anything about it, it just looked cool. Didn’t learn it was part of a series until I saw advertisements for OoT.
Phantom Hourglass. I was maybe 7 years old, and an extended family member got me a limited edition Nintendo DS with the triforce on it and a golden color to it.
I don’t have the original any more, but I now have the same model DS and play it from time to time. The music from PH is instant nostalgia for me.
