Please Recommend Which Zelda Game to Play First ?

[13ubba]

Hi all. Can someone please recommend one of the Zelda titles for me to play with my 6 year old son ? I know the Zelda games are rated 12 plus so that is why I ask the question really. His current favourite game is Super Smash Bros Brawl which I don't mind him playing as its only a bit of fantasy violence and not gory in the slightest. I'm hoping the Zelda series would be similar ?
I'm very sorry but I have never played any of the Zelda games even though a am a big gamer myself. Thus I have no idea if any of the games should be played in order ? My son seems to think you play all the games as Link,is this true ? My son is bored with mario and donkey kong and a very good gamer for his age so I would love to hear off as many "Zelda experts" as possible !
I appologise for the long post and thanks for reading.

 

[Kupsacker]

Well, the timeline of games is pretty screwed up, I guess the best thing to start with would be Ocarina of Time for the N64. You can get a gamecube version or download it from the wii shop channel as well. It's an older game, about 12 year's old now, but it's the heart of the timeline of games in a sense. It's also considered the best game in the series by many.

Hope I helped.

 

[Vanessa28]

Hmmm if you want to go according to the Timeline you could start with SS but I think a great way to get into the magical world called Zelda is to play Ocarina of Time. It is very epical and it sure will leave behind a big impression.

 

[PhantomTriforce]

If you want to play Zelda in order of the timeline, I suggest you Google the Official Zelda Timeline, and use that as a reference to play the games. That would mean playing Skyward Sword first. However, if you want to casually get into Zelda, I suggest either Ocarina of Time or The Wind Waker. Ocarina of Time really shows you what Zelda is all about, while The Wind Waker is a simpler game and would be great as a transition for simple Mario and Donkey Kong games into puzzle-solving Zelda.

And there is only one Zelda game rated T, and that is Twilight Princess. I don't recommend that he plays that first anyways.

 

[Koosholts]

If you want to go in order of the timeline (which I don't reccomend) play Skyward Sword first. I don't reccomend this game for a 6 year old boy because it involves motion controls which might be a bit difficult for your sons age. If you're there with him though then you can help him out with some of the trickier parts I suppose, but I think that if he wants to get into the series he should play by himself to really get a grasp on what these games are all about.

If he wants to play on a console, then I suggest Wind Waker. It's the most light-hearted out of all the games introducing comical dialogue and funny AI/animations. It isn't severely diffucult making it kid friendly and I'm sure your son will appreciate the graphics as well. You sail around in the game giving a sence of adventure with I think your son would enjoy, although, I'll admit it can get tedious at times so if your son doesn't have a long attention span that might be a problem. There is no more gore/violence in this game then SSBB so you don't have to worry about that either. Overall, I personally reccomend this for your son as his first Zelda game.

If you're looking into a handheld version, then I suggest The Minish Cap. It's a cheap Gameboy Advance game that is similar to Wind Waker. Easy in terms of difficulty, funny dialogue, light-hearted appeal, etc. This game is again, my personal reccomendation for your son to play.

Other people have suggested Ocarina of Time for your son to play. This is considered by many the best game out of the series, although I personally disagree with this being your sons first game. Considering its diffucilty and its free-roaming non-linear feel, it might not be best suited for your sons age. It's a really mature game and does have some blood in it nearing the very end. Its combat is pretty intensive as well during some parts and the puzzles in some of the dungeons still confuse me to this day and I'm almost 17. If you think your son can handle it then go for it, although I wouldn't reccomend it as your sons first game.

This is going back to the following the "timeline" idea. I really don't reccomend you getting all worryed about following the games in order. How the timeline works is very complex and I doubt a 6 year old or even you would care about following it. This game doesn't follow a series. The newest release of the series (Skyward Sword) is placed at the very beginning of the timeline. What I'm trying to say is the games weren't made to follow a specific order so I don't really think you should worry about it at all. If anything, make your son play direct known sequels in the series. For example, after Wind Waker (the game I reccomended) let him play Phantom Hourglass. This is the direct sequel to Wind Waker and would let him better understand the story of both games. If you want to go broader, you could let him play Ocarina of Time first and then let him play Wind Waker. Wind Wakers story deals heavily with the events in Ocarina of Time so he might appreciate and understand Wind Waker a bit more if he has knowledge of Ocarina of Time. Accordingly, you can let him play Majora's Mask after Ocarina of Time because those two are direct sequels, however I strongly urge you not to do it this way because Majora's Mask is one of the hardest games in the entire series.

I tryed to make this as descriptive as possible and I hope I helped!

 

[LinkLover]

I recommend Ocarina of Time. The timeline is pretty...messed up, I guess you could say. This is a lot of peoples first Zelda, and one of the best. It's a good experience. If he is younger, Minish Cap is also a good game.

 

[TheRationalDove]

Hello there! I'm a Super Samsh Bros. Brawl fan too!

Ayway, I am glad to see you and your son wish to dive in to the world of Zelda. it's a great series for anyone wishing for fighting, adventure, puzzling and a few luaghs and tears along the way. considering your son's age, I would recommend The Wind Waker if you wish for a platform game and Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Track, or The Minish Cap for a handheld game.

Now, assuming that you have a Wii, The wind waker is most likely the better choice. The game has a whimsical feel to it, with a good amount of humor and cartoon-y graphics that will probably appeal to your son. If your son has a Game Biy Advanced or a DS. The three other games I mentioned are also good choices with the similar animation (except for The Minish Cap, which is a 2 Dimentional animation.

now, The only Zelda game that is "mature" is Twilight Princess, which is rated T. The reason why the series would be rated 12+ as a whole iss most likely due to the amount of in-game puzzles and backstory given in each game. In each Zelda game, there is the "overworld", which is the overall setting where sidequests and extras are normally found. A good chunck of the game is played in seperate area within the Overworld called sdungeons. Dungeons have a certain item gained that helps you solve problems within the area as wellas defeat the final boss of the temple. The temples/dungeons can get really confusing at times, especially in games like Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword. Not to say that a 6 year old wouldn't be able to figure temples out, but it is just a forewarning so you are prepared for the time of gameplay usually found in these games.

Another unique thing about the Zelda series is that each game is its own experience- even direct sequels. My first Zleda game was Phantom Hourglass, which directly followed The Wind Waker chronologically. Even so, I got the full experience of playing that game without any knowlegde about Wind Waker's plot. So, chronology definetly does not matter in the Zelda series.

And your son is right, you play as Link in every game, although there are some instances were you play as different characters to solve different puzzles.

In conclusion, I would suggest the Wind waker as your son's first game in the series or the Minish Cap if you have a Game Boy Advanced or a Ds lite with Dual_Pack abilities. The Wind Waker is for the Gamecube, but the Wii can play Gamecube games. If you have any furthur questions, ofr if you would even like a recommendation on a Zelda game yourself, feel free to ask
~TheRationalDove

 

[Dark Hero]

I would have to say, Wind Waker is more of a Child-like game. Not saying that it's only for kids. I've played it myself, and considering the fact that it still has SOME violence in it, (after all, it IS an adventure game...), I'd say it's a pretty good game for a younger generation. I hope you have luck in deciding the game!

 

[Teron]

I wouldn't go with OoT first, cos it is often too dark and even somehow frightening. For the same reason the worst games to start with for a little kid are Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess.
And, like some already said earlier here, I strongly recommend you and your son to play Wind Waker first

 

[Awesome]

While the Wind Waker would be good for a child, I would still recommend Ocarina of Time first. Ocarina of Time is in my opinion the first Zelda game any gamer should play if they have never played Zelda before. While mine was Majora's Mask, it was a bit too difficult for me at the time and might turn your son off from Zelda. Ocarina of Time is difficult, but not nearly so. Besides, it is such a classic game and really captures what it means to be Zelda. If I had to choose one game to represent the series it would be Ocarina of Time. It is just such an amazing experience that I wish the entire world could experience. I know that I will keep my N64 till the day I die just for Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Donkey Kong 64, Mario 64, and Starfox 64. Those and a few for SNES really capture my childhood in a nutshell. I know that I will introduce my children to video games with Zelda and will have their first game be Ocarina of Time.

 

[ForbiddenKatana]

I have to say Wind Waker

I would say Ocarina of Time but he's 6 and the Dead Hand's and ReDead's might scare him

I would say Majora's Mask but Im 14 and that games still scares me.

Wind Waker is an amazing game filled with secrets and cool stuff you and your son can enjoy finding, also the characters are really cute in design.

 

[Night Owl]

Yes all games are played as Link.
I'd recommend Wind Waker (if you have a gamecube or your wii plays it),
Link's Awakening (the one I started with about that age, You can download it on the 3ds)
Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks are good handhelds to start with.
Skyward Sword might be a little bit creepy in some places and may be slightly on the difficult side. but its a good one.
The Oracle series shouldn't be that bad( you need a way to play them as they are game boy games and aren't on the eshop yet)
Minish Cap is good one (3ds ambassador program is the latest way to get it. It is a gba game.)

I think I've named all of the good light-hearted games in the series.

OoT and majora's mask might be ok if he doesn't scare easily. (There are things in both that still scare me)

Playing them in order doesn't matter as screwy as the time line is and you may not enjoy them going off of release chronology.

The games are usually rated E-T for fantasy violence not worse then brawl.

 

[toonlink]

Maybe the Minish Cap or The WindWaker. Ocarina of Time has pretty scary monsters, like DeadHand or Redeads. Majora's Mask has the ability to scare adults.

 

[TwilightWolf22]

I'd say Wind Waker is the best option. It has a lighthearted feel to it and several funny moments, as well as probably the least scary stuff.

 

[skywardsword13]

I say play Ocarina of Time first. I started that game when I was 4 and beat it 6 years later, at the age of 10(but I sucked at video games through my childhood, if he's good and you're helping him a bit, it won't take you nearly as long).Otherwise, you won't appreciate it as much, because it was the best game of its time. People still consider it the best. But if he gets scared easy I recommend Wind Waker. It was still awesome and has Toon Link in it from Super Smash Bros Brawl. He'll like it. And its toon violence.

Here's the order I recommend you do

Wind Waker or Ocarina of Time-> And if he likes those, have him play Skyward Sword, but you'll need to help him a bit because my 9 year old brother still has a bit of control troubles, because younger ones will have trouble with them even though they are the best control mechanics ever.

And if he keeps liking it after that, have him play the rest! Majora's Mask is not necessarily scary at all, but its actually kind of dark and depressing.He probably wont understand that though. Twilight Princess shouldn't be played first if he's only 6. And I named the console Zelda's because they are easier to play with two people because you're on a TV as opposed to a gameboy or something where you can't see on a 4 inch screen.