I love the Zelda series, it probably is my favourite series of video games.
My first game was Link's Awakening on the original GameBoy, an amazing world to get lost in, challenging dungeons, quite a few secrets and (what was surprising to me back then) a gripping story.
Later I got an N64 for Christmas (cue "Nintendo SIXTY FOUUUUUR" video) and lend Ocarina of Time over a weekend. Holy shit, the graphics, the beginning, the gameplay, the story, it was amazing and I was gripped. I never bought the game, but I did a 100% playthrough on a friend's cartridge (took me several weeks IIRC, the current fastest time for this is just below 5 hours...). The graphics have not aged well, but the level design and overall atmosphere of the game is still amazing today.
I later got Majora's Mask and loved it, too. Many people don't like the time constraints, but I love it. It was the first (known to me) game to have NPCs with actual schedules, jobs and somewhat of a virtual life. Also so many little details and secrets are hidden in this game.
Also played all of the GB, GBC and GBA Zeldas, and B-Zar is right, they don't get mentioned often enough. Great games all around (each with an individual twist).
I have started playing Wind Waker and love it as well, the cell shade look ages much better and the story and gameplay is great. Not a big fan of the sailing, but the score and rest of the game make more than up for it.
I never owned a more recent console than my N64, so I have not tried the latest additions to the series.
However I don't like how they have gotten more and more linear and patronizing (remember when you had to actually search for bomb-able walls, now each is covered with cracks so they might as well open it right from the start).
Having played the very first Zelda on my Pandora (get
Zelda classic and try it out for yourself, there even is a getting started guide somewhere on this forum), I have to say I love how it just drops it in this open world with little guidance and lets your figure stuff out by yourself. No handholding, no patronizing, it's an actual _adventure_ and you feel so much more as a hero since you actually have to do stuff. There are actual secrets there, you may enter any dungeon at any time, the world is dangerous (you will die much more often than in later Zeldas). Sure it's cruel and frustrating, but it's a prime example of expressing something and generating feelings/atmosphere without much story.
I would love to see it remade with some up-to-date graphics and maybe a tiny bit more guidance.
It's a different game compared to the rest of the series (and it's not the best one in my eyes), but it's very interesting from a game development point of view.
Oh also, you guys should watch a speedrun of a Zelda game some time. Ocarina of Time just recently got finished
in under 20 minutes (with major glitches of course, there are
annotated versions around which help understand what is going on, it's pretty crazy). If you have a little more time, go watch Cosmo play, destroy and explain Wind Waker, it's pretty interesting.
TL;DR: Zelda rocks! Now we just need some Metroid, Warioland, FinalFantasy, etc. appreciation threads
