What Game Defines Zelda?

[masterSword2]

which game do u think defines zelda? i personally would say oot.

 

[General Onox]

A Link to the Past, in my opinion, defines Zelda. It has everything every other Zelda game has and more. It has plenty of exploration, tons of creative dungeons, sidequests peices of heart and tons of items. Sure, it doesn't have a transportation animal, but it does have the pegasus boots which are fast enough to replace that. For these reasons I think ALttP defines Zelda.

 

[TheGreen]

I think this question is highly subjective: One might think that Zelda, at it's most basic level, is a game about cel-shaded graphics and that 10+ games have not contributed to the series. That would of course, be wrong, but you can see how beliefs/definitions can vary.

My answer: I think A Link to the Past as well.

The game has a lot of the themes and gameplay that I think are very representative of the series. The dark world, the items, the scope/scale of the overworld etc.
It's great and the themes are great. You fight bosses and ya. Bosses are some the best in the series. (Moldorm D=<)It's p cool.

 

[Water-Is-Evil]

A Link to the Past because it started the "3 Things - Master Sword - More Dungeons - Final Boss" Thing and it has the most exploration, two secret items hidden in the overworld etc... It revolutionized the zelda franchise. First Game = Good - Seconde Game = Good - Third Game = HOLY COW THIS GAME IS AMAZING

 

[Lex]

I would have to say links awakening, just because it was the first game that I ever played.
(IT's probably my favorite zelda game ever(this is based purley on nostalgia))
And any time hear zelda I think back to when I was a kid having to steal my brothers gameboy just to play it!

 

[masterSword2]

i guess now i will have to learn more about alttp considering almost everyone picked it and i hardly know anything about it.

 

[Michael Heide]

Seriously?


The Legend of Zelda, NES.

It had the exploration factor. It had items. It had dungeons. It had puzzles. It had hidden secrets like heart containers. It had awesome music. All other Zelda games owe their existence to this little masterpiece on the NES. Sure, other games perfected the formula, but no other game defined the series as much as this one. If you asked for my favorite game, I'd give a different answer, though.

 

[athenian200]

I would say that hitherto, ALttP has defined 2D Zelda, and OoT has defined 3D Zelda. Play only those two games, and you'll grasp what Zelda is all about.

Whether or not SS will redefine Zelda, or follow in the footsteps of OoT, remains to be seen.

 

[Dr3W21]

I would say Twilight Princess. It has all the fantasy, all of the epic story, all of the fun and challenging gameplay, and all of the just plain awesomeness. Ocarina of time was revolutionary and great for it's time, but it does not have all of the epicness that TP has.

@mastersword2 I think it somewhat defines the 2d zeldas, but it is too unforgiving and insanely hard so that only people who are already into Zelda would get a good impression of it.

 

[Steve]

I don't believe any game has, or could define Zelda, because the series can be anything it wants to be. If the developers wanted to make a futuristic title, it would still be Zelda, because it shares that name. The great thing about this, is it leaves the doors open to countless possibilities. Take Metroid, for example. You compare the classic 2D games, the Prime series, and Other M; all of them are quite different from each other in numerous aspects, yet they are still Metroid.

 

[Turo602]

A few games do. The first Zelda due to starting it all, then there's A Link to the Past because it started most things that we know about the Legend of Zelda and what makes Zelda, ZELDA! After that I'm gonna have to go with Ocarina of Time. Every Zelda since that follows the same formula of Ocarina of Time. Then I'm gonna have to go with Wind Waker, it added the cel-shaded style for the first time and still lives today.

 

[masterSword2]

i agree with all your points, but it had some things that a lot of other games did not. one of them being link turning into the wolf. i know this has apeared in at least one other zelda game and that game being alttp. but i would still say oot defines the series. but maybe not. it had one thing that no other zelda game has had. adult link and young link. then again every zelda game brings something new with it. so maybe there should not be a true game to define the series.

the post above is a reply to Dr3W. idk why it went down here. oh well. all of your replys are making me stop and consider whether my opinion is correct or not. but that is a good thing

the post above is a reply to Dr3W. idk why it went down here. oh well. all of your replys are making me stop and consider whether my opinion is correct or not. but that is a good thing

 

[The Skull Kid]

I agree with Micheal Heide, the original 8-bit LOZ defines zelda in the best way, simply because it was first

 

[Random Person]

I gotta say, when someone says "Zelda" I immediately think of Ocarina of Time. If someone says Link, I immediately think of the Hero of Time. In truth, ALttP probably does do the best job defining overall the Zelda games, but I think the concept of Ocarina of Time does the best job overall defining the Legend of Zelda in a literal sense. To me, Personally, the Hero of Time is the Legend of Zelda.

 

[43ForceGems]

OoT definitely. It has all the classic elements, Zelda, Ganon, forest, fire, water, Gorons, Zoras. Everything. Next would probably be TP, because it was basically a revamped OoT.