A look back at The Legend of Zelda
by David Hinkle 
{ Dec 18th 2008 at 8:10PM }
If you're a big enough fan of Nintendo to be here, then you probably know the history of the green-clad hero pretty well. But, that doesn't mean you shouldn't read this and think back on all of those great times you had in Hyrule. If anything, it should inspire you to play at least one of the previous games again. And that's not a bad thing now, is it?
What's your favorite Legend of Zelda game? Ocarina of Time? Link to the Past? Twilight Princess?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Adam @ Dec 19th 2008 9:53PM
Majora's mask FTW.
Ultima @ Dec 18th 2008 8:31PM
I know there'll probably be people that'll hate me for this, but here's my top three:
1-Twilight Princess
2-WindWaker
3-Ocarina of Time
Sorry, OOT. You're a great game, just a tad short to be considered "BEST GAME EVAR!!!" Sorry folks. Don't hurt me O_o
Drahken @ Dec 18th 2008 8:43PM
People will hate me for my top three as well:
1) Wind Waker
2) Majora's Mask
3) Ocarina of Time
nighttime__ @ Dec 18th 2008 9:28PM
people will think we're bat shit crazy.
but,
1) Wind Waker
2) A Link To The Past
3) Ocarina Of Time.
bearmedal @ Dec 18th 2008 9:40PM
1) Twilight Princess
2)Link's Awakening
3) Wind Waker
Honorable mention to Majora's Mask and Minish Cap.
iofthestorm @ Dec 19th 2008 12:48AM
I'm going to be completely indicisive and say I can't choose a favorite between WW, TP, ALttP, and OoT. Zelda games are just too good. I have to say though, I really liked Wind Waker's art style and music, I felt like it had the most lively music of the series to date. TP was more epic but a bit more generic Zeldaish in my opinion. Still a great game, but I can't wait to see what they've got in the works for the next Zelda.
water.and.sand @ Dec 19th 2008 1:07AM
1) The Legend of Zelda (sic) (Yes- N.E.S.)
2) Ocarina of Time
3) A Link to the Past
At least that's in order of how much they once captured my imagination...
Lately though, I've found the fetch-quests present in Wind Waker and Twilight Princess annoy me too much to put them on a top list. I also found I wasn't really enjoying the "no idea what to do- better go look up a guide" aspects of The Minish Cap either. I have to say that I loved Shadow of the Colossus and Okami far more than any recent Zelda title.
Hopefully Miyamoto really pushes the next Zelda game into very new territory and emerges with the kind of awe and wonder you can really only get from something fresh.
duckd @ Dec 19th 2008 3:30PM
I hate you all...
DaisukeKiriyama @ Dec 19th 2008 7:33AM
Personally, I think Majora's Mask is better than OoT.
In any case:
1. Majora's Mask
2. Windwaker
3. A Link To The Past
samfish @ Dec 19th 2008 11:30AM
Mine would have to be:
1) A Link to the Past
2) Ocarina
3) Twilight Princess
I would concievably have put Wind Waker at #1, but that fucking fetch quest at the end literally killed all the game's momentum.
Ultima @ Dec 18th 2008 8:38PM
Oh. Uh, and... FIRST!
... Sorry, just had to do that once. :-D
-.- @ Dec 18th 2008 9:47PM
Unfortunently you wasnt lol
Drahken @ Dec 19th 2008 1:02AM
Actually he was. He posted first, then immediately followed up with "first". So.... yeah.
RossGough @ Dec 18th 2008 8:47PM
Well, fair enough son.
Mine has to be Ocarina Of Time by far.
Perfect amount of side quests, most perfect and in some way straight forward storyline, not to mention the amazing transition into 3d with brilliant gameplay and epic moments.
My second is probably A Link To The Past.
It's been a while, but that game is soo deeply involving it's unreal.
Then for third, i'd say it's difficult, but windwaker get's it.
Twilight was good, but there seemed to be something missing from it to make it as amazing as the other games in my opinion.
I have to put a word in for Link's Awakening as well.
I loved that game.. all there is to say...
iofthestorm @ Dec 19th 2008 12:50AM
Oh shoot, Link's Awakening was what got me hooked on Zelda. On second thought, I'm going to have to say that was my favorite just because it was my first one, and it was a very good game, too. Man, back in those days I used to play through those games 3 times at least, for all the GB/GBC Zeldas.
RossGough @ Dec 19th 2008 7:28AM
definately man.
Link's Awakening was my first hook too :)
My uncle was gettig in the car one day, when he seen the cardtridge on the road, and he picked it up and recconed i'd enjoy summin like that, so he gave me the game next time i saw him.
it was like fate..
the triforce of courage was being cheeky :P
RossGough @ Dec 18th 2008 8:49PM
oh, also forgot to mention how well done the likes of Majora's Mask and Phantom Hourglass was.
Majora's Mask was just so obscure it was amazing.
Despite how insanely depressing it is on Link's part, the game was a completely different, and amazing, take on the series.
Phantom was just such an nicely done and well presentated game.
Mon the LoZ.
manyquestions @ Dec 18th 2008 9:05PM
Call me ignorant, but what's so wrong with IGN?
samfish @ Dec 19th 2008 11:28AM
They suck?
Actually, I like Matt and Bozon, but they're too emotionally invested in their work. Right on schedule, just like with the GC and N64, they (Matt in particular) has begun a relentless, unending fanboy bitch-fest about how he is mad at Nintendo and blah blah blah.
IGN's Nintendo team also has a bad habit of hyping up a game in previews and then giving it a lower score than you'd expect. Granted, all of IGN seems to do that, but the Nintendo team, to their credit, does tend grade games with a more critical eye than the rest of their counterparts.
It's just annoying when they tell us how AWESOME Game X is shaping up to be and then they give it a 7.5 or something.
iambob98 @ Dec 18th 2008 9:13PM
i would have to say that twilight princess is my favorite. followed by link to the past. i tried to play ocarina but found that i lost intrest for some reason while trying to get all the spirts. maybe its b/c i have a ton of other games to play...
mauroh @ Dec 18th 2008 9:25PM
Oddly enough [to some people I reckon] my favorite is Majora's Mask, followed closely by A Link to the Past...
Then it comes down as follows:
3 - Ocarina of Time
4 - Link's Awakening
5 - the Oracles
6 - Twilight Princess
7 - Phantom Hourglas
8 - Minish Cap
Never played the first iterations, so can't rank 'em...
mauroh @ Dec 18th 2008 9:32PM
Forgot the Wind Waker!! It goes right after Ocarina of Time!!
Eternityx @ Dec 18th 2008 9:44PM
I remember the excitement I had when I first beat Ocarina of Time..
As a kid me and my dad used to swap the good ole gameboy around playing Links awakening..some of my fav memories are in that game.
-.- @ Dec 18th 2008 9:47PM
Ocorina
Twiglight
Link to the past/majoras Mask
GatorSax2010 @ Dec 18th 2008 10:04PM
I can't say enough about how much I love Wind Waker. My favorite Zelda game, one of my top 5 games of all time. The art, the story, the music... It's all so great. I started up a new game in it a couple days ago. I keep hoping they'll put it on Wii with the dungeons that were allegedly cut.
Michael @ Dec 18th 2008 10:09PM
This 6-part retrospective almost made me cry...
http://www.gametrailers.com/game/5269.html
Eric @ Dec 18th 2008 10:45PM
I tried to do there video quiz, but after waiting for it to load for fifteen minutes, I just assumed I knew a lot about Zelda.
Matt @ Dec 18th 2008 11:12PM
A Link to the Past, for sure. Probably one of my favorite games of all time. Followed by a 3 way tie of Windwaker, Ocarina, and Twilight.
Slick @ Dec 18th 2008 11:32PM
1) Wind Waker
2) Wind Waker
3) Wind Waker
4) Majora's Mask
srsly.
charek @ Dec 19th 2008 1:22AM
1: Ocarina of Time
2: A link to the Past
3: The Adventure of Link
I think I may be one of the few people who played zelda 2 when it originally came out and liked it. It still feels to be one of the larger zelda worlds and the combat against ordinary enemies was some of the best and most difficult in any zelda series.
esposch @ Dec 19th 2008 1:32AM
Ocarina isn't the best, but without it we wouldn't have the modern Zelda. And before you say "but we wouldn't have OoT w/o the original one" the newer games all copy Ocarina. Personally, I'm really looking forward to the groundbreaking new Zelda that's "unlike any Zelda I've played before" - Due out in 2010 based on the Zelda cycle.
Drahken @ Dec 19th 2008 2:03AM
This is going to be long, so I apologize if your eyes start to bleed.
Wow. It seems every single one of our small number who aren't completely gaga over OoT have congregated here. I listed OoT as my number 3, but now that I think about it I think that was prolly just me subconsciously trying to appease the Majora-ty (ugh. that old gem) who are rabbid over OoT and avoid a mauling. I think my number three might have to be Link's Awakening. Or maybe LttP. I once played LttP straight through in six hours and got the "0 Total Games" at the end. I really would like to rank Phantom Hourglass higher, seeing as how much I love WW. I literally cannot say enough how much I love WW. And it WAS good. Then again what Zelda isn't? Seriously, the list is linked right up the page. Go look. And you know CD-i don't count. But it wasn't as good as some of those earlier ones. Speaking of which, did anyone else get a Link's Awakening-like vibe from PH, like it was the offspring of WW and LA? It had the atmosphere, but was kind of forgettable. And that's what WW has going for it to make me adore it so much. For games, of course, the gameplay is king. But as I said, in a Zelda game, quality is assure there. So what it comes down to is story and atmosphere. The flavor, if you will. OoT has some flavor to be sure. But WW is just dripping with it. The art style is beautiful and immensely pleasing to look at. The game has a little bit of a Celtic vibe to it, especially in the music; which is some of the best in the series by the way. In fact, off the top off my head, I can only think of one or two of my top Zelda tracks that doesn't come from WW. (The immortal Gerudo Valley ftw.) And the characterization is second to none in the series. Character focus was Majora's Mask's main deal as well. The story there, while interesting, and a nice departure from the standard "Gannon kidnaps Zelda", was kind of weak. That, combined with the focus on learning about and helping the NPCs, made characterization a strength. In fact, that's one of the reasons, MM is my number 2. Also, I'm a sucker for time travel. Anyway, back to WW. The way they characterize Gannondorf is fantastic. He's a real person. He's got real dreams, and desires, and faults. The fact that he never changes into his beast form emphasizes this. His reaction to Link is quite interesting. Link is yet another new Hero; another plucky, fresh-faced boy determined to save the world. Gannon is this tired old man who's played this game too long and had enough. His first line is also one of my favorites, "It's a been a while boy." They've never met, but Gannon knows Link better than he knows himself. And Gannon is almost- almost- detached from the whole situation. He's done this world domination thing and been burned too many times. He KNOWS he's going to fail. But he carries on because he knows that it's his destiny to do it. Like Captain Hook at the end of Hook, "After all, what would the world be like with Captain Hook?" It's kind of ironic that the fight before him is a puppet, because that's what Gannon is himself. He's trapped as a player in this endless charade that he's doomed to never gain from. And he's worn down for it. I like to think that had he actually succeeded in getting his wish from the Triforce, well, obviously it would be for the power to rule all; but it wouldn't be for the power's sake. I like to think it's only to break the cycle. There's always a new Link and Zelda to oppose him, but he's cursed to live untold centuries, enduring incredible pains and hardships, unable to even die. So like I said, WW's characterization of Gannondorf is amazing. To me at least. But I also may just be reading way, WAY too much into it.
If you've just read this whole monster thing, kudos. Here's a cookie.
Ultima @ Dec 19th 2008 10:21AM
... Should I expect it to come out of the disc tray or what? :-D
ziggystar @ Dec 19th 2008 2:25AM
1:Wind Waker
2:Majora's Mask
3:Twilight Princess
4:The Legend of Zelda (NES)
5:A Link to the Past
I Hate Ocarina Of Time!. Don't Kill Me.
Garst @ Dec 19th 2008 2:34AM
1) Wind Waker, and my favorite memory of the game was when I thought I had to play the second time through naked.
2) Twilight Princess
3) Majora's Mask, I wasted a lot of time just dancing and leading chickens around doing nothing. I really annoyed my roommates doing that for countless hours.
esposch @ Dec 19th 2008 3:37AM
So if we all come together, we know what to do
We all come together just to sing we love you
And if we all come together, we know what to do
We all come together just for you
Racing all around the seven seas
Chasing all the girls and making robberies
Causing panic everywhere they go
Party-hardy on Titanic
Sailing, sailing, jumping off the railing
Drinking, drinking, 'till the ship is sinking
Gambling, stealing, lots of sex-appealing
Come, let us sing the sailor-song
...(see above)
Sailorman, you really turn me on
Now the guys are gone, come let us get it on
Girls like me are pretty hard to find
So if you go, I'll kick your heine
...(see above)
...(see above)
Now, let's fight
Ha, that's not a knife, this is a knife
...(see above)
...(see above)
I'm king of the world
Wow, this was great
Yeah baby, you can sail my ship
So if we all come together, we know what to do
We all come together just for you
randomflashbang @ Dec 19th 2008 4:00AM
oh Links Awakening was by far the most pure fun. I remember spending car rides wandering around bashing Tektikes with the piece of power long after I finished playing through the actual story. The fishing was perfect too. And I miss the crazy residents of the Animal Village
Drahken @ Dec 19th 2008 4:16AM
Another crazy resident from that game? Mr. Write AKA Dr. Wright from Sim City (and now Brawl).
kyle @ Dec 19th 2008 4:25AM
1. links awakening dx that was my first loz game it had a fair share of interacting with npcs in the game world and really good dungeouns, and from skimming over this whole thing i am surprised no one said a comment about music, well, what hooked me the most was music from la, all of the music fit all of the situations of the game,
2. majoras mask - this game required you to react more to npcs, then dungeouns, which fine wish there was more dungeouns, but the game was still really well made. Creepy music was great as well
3. Ocarina of time, the game revolutionized zelda in a 3-d way, once again had a balance of talking to npcs and, dungeouns, innovative puzzles,
4. alltp+windwaker
5. nes loz
6. minish cap.
7. twilight princess.
sparkster @ Dec 19th 2008 8:37AM
LA did have the best music indeed. The mountain theme is my favourite!
Crazylink @ Dec 19th 2008 5:47AM
My tier for 3D Zeldas goes as so:
Majora's Mask
Windwaker
Ocarina
Twilight Princess
For 2D games it goes
Link's Awakening DX
Oracle Series
Everything else (that's right, I don't like aLttP)
harvest_god @ Dec 19th 2008 5:53AM
1. Wind Waker
2. Ocarina of Time
3. Link to the Past
Runner-ups: Link's Awakening, Minish Cap
I'm still pretty early in Twilight Princess though, and I never played Majora's Mask.
Oh and... woah, theres a lot of people who like Wind Waker... I thought I was the only one...
bukizzle715 @ Dec 19th 2008 8:04AM
Zelda II all day. I wish they'd bring back the leveling system.
sparkster @ Dec 19th 2008 8:12AM
1. A Link to The Past - Just a great game, alot of unique dungeons, huge world.
2. Link's Awakening - Loved how unique and funny the game felt. Also remember how sad I was when I learned about the Islands destiny in the face shrine and what bosses (the hookshot temple worm for instance) said, made me think about who was the evil guy in the story, because all they wanted was to exist.
3. OOT and MM - That's right, a tie! I enjoyed MM's generally tweaked gameplay a bit more and the whole apocalypse aspect made it feel unique although I liked OOT's dungeons a whole lot better. Spirit Temple and Water Temple are easily my favourites of all Zeldas.
4. The Legend of Zelda - Still grab that golden cartridge from time to time when I feel a little nostalgic. A "second quest" should be included in every Zelda!
5. Seasons/Ages - Ages had some cool new puzzle ideas and I sort of liked the Zelda 1 references in Seasons.
6. Minish Cap - Not enough dungeons but I liked how the city changed with the progression of the game and how beautiful the whole thing was in general. Oh, and Mole Mitts were awesome!
7. Wind Waker - The game was fun and I actually learned to like the cel shading. Alot. Though, I gotta say: The whole Triforce Map finding >>> Pay for decryption >>> Triforce Piece finding part to the end of the game stretched it too much and almost made me lose interest.
8. Twilight Princess - Don't get me wrong, I liked the game. It just didn't feel as "free" as the other games. The two hooks were nice but it really annoyed me, that they wouldn't stick to torches, chests or trees. And I didn't like the generic, exchangable NPCs that would run around in Hyrule Town. Kinda felt unpersonal to me, I don't know...
9. Adventure of Link - It was a nice idea to include leveling and stuff, but in the end, I'm glad they didn't go that way with future games. The overall controls felt weird as well...
10. Phantom Hourglass - The only Zelda, I managed to hate. I really wanted to like it... I tried, but it wouldn't let me. Whenever I thought "oh well, but at least the graphics, though pixelly, look nice, some stupid NPC would require me to shout at him or I was sent back to that damn Ocean King Temple. Oh yeah, controlls were inaccurate as well.
I had no chance to play the CDi games, so I don't know about them.
George @ Dec 19th 2008 7:18PM
What about the Four Swords game(s)? Where does it fall?
sparkster @ Dec 20th 2008 8:20AM
Oh how could I forget about those. I had alot of fun with the GBA one, so I guess I'd place it just in front of Wind Waker. The Gamecube one was a nice idea, though I never got enough people with the cables and their GBA together to enjoy it to its full extend I guess. So this one goes unrated or maybe shares a rank with its sibling.
Antonio @ Dec 19th 2008 9:16AM
I'm interested to know what's so wrong with IGN too. I mean, everyone seems to have been mad at the site at one point or another, but they haven't had any major dustups lately AFAIK.
1) Ocarina of Time
2) Majora's Mask
3) A Link to the Past
Twilight Princess played it too safe. It lacks the visual pizzaz of Wind Waker (which would rank if it weren't for all the sailing), the foreboding mood of MM, and the revolutionary control scheme of OoT.
N @ Dec 19th 2008 9:20AM
Twilight Princess then Minish Cap then Link to the Past.
Thanatos @ Dec 19th 2008 10:56AM
My top 3
1) Ocarina of Time (Tied for best game of all time with Half-Life in my book)
2)Link to the Past (Snes kicked ass)
3) Twilight Princess (Couldve been so much better with a little different direction)
Now Wind Waker was crap because it was simple it was easy and i thought the story sucked. Also I hated having to sail everywhere sure the world was huge but almost all of the world was water. Im sure if you took away the water and connected all the islands together it would be smaller that the overworld in Zelda1. Was almost a chore for me to finish it and still one of the few Zelda games where i didnt get all heart pieces and all the other stuff before fighting Ganon.
Scotty @ Dec 19th 2008 11:35AM
I would actually go:
1. Ocarina of Time
2. Link to the Past
3. Phantom Hourglass