Best Zelda Games?

[midnight1001]

Ok so quite simply... Which Zelda games do you recommend playing?
I've already played Ocarina of Time 3d and now I'm looking for another great zelda game! What would u recommend ?
Thanks guys

 

[WiiUBricker]

All zelda games are worth playing except Zelda 2 for NES.

 

[XiTaU]

if u liked oot chances are u will like majoras mask

 

[RodrigoDavy]

There are many types of Zelda, I'll separate them in categories:

Traditional 3D: Ocarina of Time(N64), Majora's Mask(N64), Wind Waker(Gamecube) and Twilight Princess(Gamecube/Wii)
New-school 2D: A Link Between Worlds(3DS)
Motion-based: Skyward Sword(Wii)
Touch-based: Phantom Hourglass(DS) and Spirit Tracks(DS)
Old-school 2D: A Link to the Past(Snes), Link's Awakening(GB/GBC), Oracle of Ages(GBC), Oracle of Seasons(GBC) and Minish Cap(GBA)
Hardcore 2D: The Legend of Zelda(NES/FDS)
RPG-like: Zelda II: The adventure of Link(NES/FDS)

I'd recomment staying away from Zelda II, I also didn't find Oracle of Ages and Seasons explendid but they are good.

Now about the best Zelda, I would have to say Skyward Sword. But if you want a more familiar OoT-like game Twilight Princess is the way to go.
A Link Between Worlds is also pretty good and a great way to get into the 2D Zeldas

 

[Vanth88]

Majora's Mask.

I think when choosing Zelda games (or any game in a series) it really comes down to which game do you actually like replaying over and over? What I mean is you already know what happens, you know the story and how it unfolds, but can you actually sit through and complete the same adventure over and over while doing the same repetitive tasks?

I don't see myself replaying the newer Zelda games nearly as much as the older ones and that's probably because the newer ones just don't seem as simple or easy to get in to. What I mean is in the original Zelda game you picked up a sword and that was that, in Skyward Sword you have a whole story and as such you can't just go finish a dungeon, you gotta wait, and wait, backtrack, that gets annoying.

My favorite of all time is Majora's Mask and I replay it yearly so I'd obviously recommend that. I would also recommend Ocarina of Time and even Link to the Past and Link's Awakening. Everyone's opinion will be different though because they might enjoy the other adventures more.

 

[GHANMI]

I'll throw in this quote of mine here, it's a bit off-topic but there are some quite interesting clones here

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[Dinomite]

All zelda games are worth playing except Zelda 2 for NES.

Don't forget the Zelda games for the CD-i. Man they are awful.

 

[RodrigoDavy]

I don't see myself replaying the newer Zelda games nearly as much as the older ones and that's probably because the newer ones just don't seem as simple or easy to get in to. What I mean is in the original Zelda game you picked up a sword and that was that, in Skyward Sword you have a whole story and as such you can't just go finish a dungeon, you gotta wait, and wait, backtrack, that gets annoying.

I agree that the older Zelda are really good but they're also really hard. Took me years to finish A Link to the past and the original Zelda. The newer Zeldas although not having as much replay value they are easier to beginners in the series.

 

[Veho]

I second Link's Awakening and Minish Cap.

 

[orcid]

All zelda games are worth playing except Zelda 2 for NES and Majora's Mask.

FYP!
I tried to play Majora's Mask several times and always hated it because of its time mechanics.

 

[RodrigoDavy]

I'll throw in this quote of mine here, it's a bit off-topic but there are some quite interesting clones here

You forgot Goof and Troop (snes). It's probably the first 2-player Zelda clone and if you play it you will find it very similar to Zelda: Four Swords. Coincidence or not, Goof and Troop was developed by Capcom and TLoZ: Four Swords was co-developed by Capcom and Nintendo.

 

[WiiUBricker]

FYP!
I tried to play Majora's Mask several times and always hated it because of its time mechanics.

Well, personally I didn't like MM much either but I know for a fact that people exist who would bully you out of this forum for your post.

 

[GHANMI]

And the Valkyria no Bouken series by Namco on the NES/PC-Engine, and a handful of decent PS1 clones...
I tried not too long ago Goof Troop and wasn't disappointed
It's a far-from complete list: any feedback would be welcome. I'm trying to put together lists for Smash Bros-like games, Dragon Quest-like games, and possibly more..

I realize I didn't answer the question.
My first experience with the series was the epic Zelda III (and it has a semi-sequel for the BS-X, "Ancient Stone Tablets", too!) and then Minish Cap and all three Gameboy Color offerings, my judgement may be blinded with nostalgia, but they're all good.
At the time I played the hell out of the DS games and used to be drolling over Wind Waker until I got it in 2009, but I wouldn't go so far to say they're the best Zelda games out there.
The 3D ones... I'd say a tie between Ocarina of Time/Majora Mask (a mission pack that manages to one-up the original, like with Tengai Makyou Kabuki Den) and Twilight Princess. Loved Skyward Sword, but it was too linear/short.
Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, and Four Swords (both GBA and GC games) were disappointing though. Zelda II is a whole different thing. Didn't play the 3DS game yet, so I can't say anything about it.

Marvelous on the Super Famicom was Eiji's Aonuma first game. It ran on the Zelda III engine. And it has now a fan-translation for the main game (but not the two episodic spin-offs). By all means, go and try that one out!

 

[midnight1001]

So I notice no ones mentioned skyward sword for wii... I thought seeing that it had pretty good reviews that it would be worth playing but am I wrong??

 

[CompassNorth]

The oracle duology are the best handheld games bar none.

 

[WiiUBricker]

So I notice no ones mentioned skyward sword for wii... I thought seeing that it had pretty good reviews that it would be worth playing but am I wrong??

Actually there was a mention of sykward sword for wii.

 

[RodrigoDavy]

So I notice no ones mentioned skyward sword for wii... I thought seeing that it had pretty good reviews that it would be worth playing but am I wrong??

Loved Skyward Sword, but it was too linear/short.

Skyward Sword has great story and great gameplay. It is indeed too linear and I wouldn't say it is short but the world they created is small. Nevertheless, I think motion controllers made the game very challeging and tricky to play. I like it because it makes fighting more rewarding than in any other zelda game, but sometimes it also makes it frustating since the wii motion plus is not very precise with fast movements. Nevertheless, I consider it the best Zelda in my opinion But guess I think like this because the Ocarina of Time formula was too old and SS was a welcome renew

 

[Wisenheimer]

I am on a quest to play them all, and now that I have a 3DS, I can at least play all the portable ones I missed over the years.

Ocarina of Time is considered by many to be the best game of all time, and with good reason. But there were also a lot of flaws, and I think Zelda has only improved with time as those flaws were fixed.

So, my suggestion would be to play them in reverse order. Since order does not really matter, you should start with the newest ones with the best production values and the fewest flaws and if you really get into the series, you might manage to get back to the revolutionary (for the time) but rather primitive NES games.

Skyward Sword: The only bad thing about playing this game is it will set your expectations too high, especially since it is the only Zelda game with a 1:1 motion control theme.

Twilight Princess: Skyward Sword was not much better because Twilight Princess did such a great job fixing flaws in previous Zelda titles. You might want to play this on the gamecube, since other than the EDTV feature which gives you a little higher resolution, and the tacked-on motion controls, the Wii version brings nothing to the table. It is a Gamecube game.

The Wind Waker: Like Skyward Sword, this has a timeless art style (even though I am not a fan of Japanimation) and is just a really well-done game. While the final fight is underwhelming, the ending is possibly even better than Skyward Sword. I just sat there listening to the haunting piano score of Hyrule Castle for a while before letting the King finish his speech.

Majora's Mask: This is basically a quest pack for Ocarina of Time. It is a good game in its own right, and one of the most unusual Zelda titles.

Link to the Past: This is probably the best of the 2D Zeldas.

4 Swords: This is Zelda done like Super Mario World. If you have friends with a GBA and a gamecube (or Wii) with a link cable, this is probably worth playing. If you are a big Zelda fanatic, you should try it, but playing it solo is not exactly awe-inspiring. It is a good, solid game done in the style of Link to the Past. It is not of the normal Zelda quality though.

NES Games; Start with the first one, play the second one if you feel like it. Don't use a walkthrough or a map if you are a sadomasochist.


As for portable games, you can play them simultaneously if you want, I would suggest the following order:


1. Link Between Worlds (You might want to save this one for after you play Link to the Past so you can appreciate the transition to 3D. It is not necessary to weight though).

2. Minish Cap on GBA (I suggest playing this before 4 Swords and 4 Swords Adventure).

3. Link's Awakening on GB or GBC (I suggest playing this after Link to the Past as it is a sequel, but it is not necessary).

4. Oracle Series (I suggest playing this after Link's Awakening and starting with Oracle of Seasons first. It is not really necessary though, but it is suggested to play the two one after another).

5. Phantom Hourglass DS (do not start this one until after you finish The Wind Waker).

6. Spirit Tracks DS (play this after Phantom Hourglass)

7. 4 Swords (for GBA from eshop or with Link to the Past on real GBA): It's free now on the eshop. You should play with a friend if you can. If not, it is decent, but not spectacular.

8. The Wand of Gamelon on CD-I: I put this last because you should always save the best for last.

 

[Patxinco]

Majora's Mask.

Epic game, and for me, better than OoT Master Quest included. Run for save the World in just 3 days, just amaizing.

 

[Wisenheimer]

Majora's Mask.

Epic game, and for me, better than OoT Master Quest included. Run for save the World in just 3 days, just amaizing.

Two words, Water Temple. That was the most frustrating experience ever, especially going back and playing it on an emulator, where it crashes a lot, even on Nintendo's official emulator.