Which is the best Zelda of them all - rate your favourite!

[Frederik]

You guys are all wrong. It's all about the CDi Zelda games.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Deblwv3vq_c

-ud

MAAAH BOOOI

Faces of Evil indeed.

[benstylus]

Where's Four Swords Adventures? I think it's the best Zelda to come out since the original just because it's so decidedly different.

I was just wondering about this game the other day because I would like a co-op game that I can play with my daughter (not too violent), and I was wondering if this is co-op as opposed to competitive. I will have to look into that.

It's sort of both.

It's co-op in that you both work towards the same goal, but at the end of each segment it counts up the rupees and declares a winner.

[Skykid]

Majora's mask was too short, and the whole time thing only made it frustrating. And the story was retarded.

Sin in its purest form.

You certainly didn't properly finish the game either, or you would've found it easily as long as OOT.

[Zebra Airforce]

I've been meaning to play majora's mask for a long time. Maybe I'll finally get around to it...

Picked Link's Awakening, btw. Like many others I've played through LttP five or six times, but Link's Awakening was just amazing.

[Andi]

I actually like Zelda 2 the best. Getting to level-up via experience points makes a game for me.

[JusteZero]

Also picked Zelda 2: Adventures of Link


The sword fighting was spectacular fun, one of the coolest side scrollers around if you give it a chance. Got Zelda 1 and 2 the same day as my NES, Zelda1 was ok but i always felt #2 blew it out of the water. I was disappointed in LttP because it wasn't more like Adventures of Link.

Serious.

[Skykid]

Interesting choices here!

I have to admit, Links Awakening is an incredible game - as I stated first off, my number one choice is by a tiny margin, and all the others behind it are also in a tiny margin together (bar Wind Waker, which probably sits at the bottom of the list.)

Sorry about Four Swords too guys, Poll space on here is limited and I was forced to drop it as it strays from the basic Zelda theme. If I could've, I would've put the CD-i ones in too to make Jpj happy. I always knew he had shit taste in games.

[Skykid]

Personally, Majora's Mask pips the others by so slim a margin its barely visible. Most will probably think that I'm picking it to be argumentative because not many people 'get it' - which couldn't be further from the truth. Majora demanded time that not many people wanted to give it, because of its immediate bizareness. In reality, it's genius is so mis-understood I feel a private gratitude that I'm part of a few who did 'get it.'

Yeah.

That was very interesting LGB (did you write it?)

I believe Majora is the only game I can remember that spilled over the boundaries of 'game' into more psychological depths so successfully, and for those willing to give it the time, more adult themes and content.
Reading the essay you've linked affirms my decision, and reminds me why I stuck by my guns on it all these years. I've said to many, I think its the greatest game of all time, and I still think I'm there on that.
Dark and foreboding it may be, but boy, what a blinding piece of work. So much so, it clearly went beyond commercialism, owing to its comparatively poor reception.
But I think that in some way, Eiji Aonuma will be happy with that - he could never have expected a mass market to really relate to something so deep and twisted.

Genius I tell thee, genius.

[szycag]

Not requiring the Memory Expansion could have helped it sell a lot more copies.

[bakaichi]

My favorite is the first NES release, it's the genuine Zelda idea although well adopted in more recent releases there's just something about The Legend of Zelda. Majoras Mask and Links Awakening aren't less good really.

[RGC]

.

[Skykid]

I believe Majora is the only game I can remember that spilled over the boundaries of 'game' into more psychological depths so successfully, and for those willing to give it the time, more adult themes and content.
Reading the essay you've linked affirms my decision, and reminds me why I stuck by my guns on it all these years. I've said to many, I think its the greatest game of all time, and I still think I'm there on that.
Dark and foreboding it may be, but boy, what a blinding piece of work. So much so, it clearly went beyond commercialism, owing to its comparatively poor reception.
But I think that in some way, Eiji Aonuma will be happy with that - he could never have expected a mass market to really relate to something so deep and twisted.

Genius I tell thee, genius.

Your delirious ramblings almost inspire me to go back and take another look at Majora. Back in the day, I thoroughly enjoyed OoT, but found Majora tedious by comparison. I quit the latter after only a few hours of play. So, how well does it emulate these days?

There's nothing like an N64 pad RGC, and yes, you owe it to yourself to go back to it and just quit all other games while you play through it (no distractions). I'm sure if you give it time, it'll be an adventure you could never have predicted.

A wise word from someone who 100%'d the game though - do not attempt to collect all the masks the first time around (it's an incredibly difficult task anyway). Best when the opportunity arises (around 85% masks collected) to finish it then, when the final encounter is a bit more challenging.

You can always revisit your save file and sweep everything up for perhaps the Zelda series coolest collectable of all time.

Not requiring the Memory Expansion could have helped it sell a lot more copies.

A small price to pay.

[Turrican]

Link's Awakening is by far the best one.

[Shalashaska]

I voted for A Link to the Past. It was the first Zelda game I really got into (I was too busy playing Mega Man and Punch-Out on my NES to give Zelda I & II any proper love) and still play through it on occasion.

Somehow I missed out on OoT and Majora's Mask when they were first released. I finally played through OoT when Wind Waker was released (there was a bonus disc or some promotional thing that had the whole game and also a re-worked version on a gamecube disc) and didn't enjoy it as much as everyone else seemingly had. I'm guessing I had just heard too much hype over the years.

I thoroughly enjoyed TP and that's actually the only game I've played through on my Wii since I bought it over a year ago.... >_>

I've never played any of the portable Zelda games but, coincidentally, just started through The Minish Cap while I was at sea last week. It's fun so far. Is The Phantom Hourglass worth picking up? I heard it's good but I'm not too sure I'd like the stylus only control scheme.

[szycag]

Phantom Hourglass is largely forgettable. Yeah they pulled off the stylus controls well, and the game looks great, but there's no charm to the level design, dungeons are way too easy for seasoned Zelda players, and the timed Hourglass Temple, which you keep coming back to throughout the game, is just a joke. I liked it while I was playing it, and it's much better than Minish Cap, but it seems like the tradeoff for innovative controls was boring scenarios and dodgy excuses for puzzles which are more odd than clever.

The final boss fight was pretty epic though.

[BrianC]

I've never played any of the portable Zelda games but, coincidentally, just started through The Minish Cap while I was at sea last week. It's fun so far. Is The Phantom Hourglass worth picking up? I heard it's good but I'm not too sure I'd like the stylus only control scheme.

I liked Phantom Hourglass better than Twilight Princess. The stylus control works for the most part, but rolling is odd (not needed much, though). The puzzles aren't hard, but I found them to be fun, well designed, and less straightforward than the ones in Twilight Princess. I also liked the lack of fetch quests.

I liked the temple part. It's timed and has to be visited multiple times, but I liked how it was set up. Unlike previous stealth sections, you don't get sent back as soon as you are spotted. The wider view of the area and the safe points from the guys you are hiding from added to the game for me too.

It's disappointing that the newer Zeldas never went back to the exploration of the original and made things more linear. TP and PH streamlined this further, especially the dungeons. No more multiple keys for dungeons. TP has the keys being for a nearby room and PH has the keys only being for the same room.

My favorites remain the original, LttP, and Link's Awakening.

I'm surprised the GBC Oracle games aren't on the poll. They use the Link's Awakening engine, but are both unique games. I found them both to be very good, though they aren't my favorites in the series. They are my favorites out of the Flagship developed Zeldas, though.

[Impervious]

it was hard choosing between link's awakening and a link to the past. i play both to this day, occasionally.

however, i do remember beating a link to the past when i was six. and my dad asked me for help beating the game

[Impervious]

with that said, happy father's day, everyone.

[Skykid]

Shit thanks for reminding me!



On a Zelda note, Turrican, that's a bit of an overarching statement - a lot of the Zelda games are so brilliant its hard to choose a best one (even for me and my love of Majora!).

However, I do agree that Links Awakening blew my socks off when I first played it. I was near to considering it better than a Link to the Past (although now I'd say they're on par.)

Twilight Princess has fantastic dungeon design - very creative considering the length of the series. The problem with the game was firstly: too long for a Zelda game (and yes, I believe this is possible), and secondly, as it was too long it didn't gel as well as it could have. I was starting to lose interest toward the end, but enjoyed finishing it nonetheless.

It was like a Zelda 'best of' compilation.

Playing Phantom Hourglass as we speak. It does seem a little linear so far in terms of dungeons, and it lacks the charm of the 2D versions somehow. Better than Wind Waker already though (despite being a cut-down version) and the stylus control works well.

[Ed Oscuro]

sumbody forgotted the three CD-i Zeldas

[Impervious]

lawl, nobody voted for the minish crap

[gavin19]

Shit thanks for reminding me!



On a Zelda note, Turrican, that's a bit of an overarching statement - a lot of the Zelda games are so brilliant its hard to choose a best one (even for me and my love of Majora!).

I honestly believe if you made Link's Awakening put on A Link to the Past's graphical trousers it would win out. As it should! Ocarina/Majora I didn't play enough or at all to make any comparisons.

[Super Laydock]

damn, skykid almost makes me want to open my sealed copy of Majora's mask....

Maybe I should get another copy just to play this.

on another note: Zeldas I enjoyed the most are LTTP, Link's awakening and Wind Waker (severely underrated by the public).

[Skykid]

damn, skykid almost makes me want to open my sealed copy of Majora's mask....

There are so many things wrong with this sentence Laydock, it ain't funny.

One of the most genius games of all time, right there on your shelf, begging to be played, locked in shrinkwrap!

Liberate the fucking thing!

[Super Laydock]

Liberate the fucking thing!

oh no... not in my life time.

I am a shrinkwrap whore and I admit it.

Only get opened copies for stuff I think I want to play.
So I might have to purchase one in this case...

[Skykid]

Here you go Laydock, see you in a few months

[Super Laydock]

Here you go Laydock, see you in a few months

will keep an ye on it.

A Dutch shop I frequent online has a mint & complete copy for about 30 euros though.... and I trust them.

decisions, decisions...

[szycag]

The fact that Link's Awakening was just as good as Link to the Past, but on a monochrome 8-bit system, doesn't make something click in your head?

[Super Laydock]

The fact that Link's Awakening was just as good as Link to the Past, but on a monochrome 8-bit system, doesn't make something click in your head?

Enlighten me... (ignores clicks in the head).

They got the formula for this game right!?

[gavin19]

I think he means that the gameplay transcends the gfx. Just what I was saying, if Link to the Past had have been on the Snes and vice versa, it'd be Awakening on top. Awakening is to me a better, longer version of Link to the Past, with worse gfx.