Which Zelda game did the series Justice?

[Jirohnagi]

For me it'll be ALTTP i first got hooked on that game years ago and to be honest i may love MM but when i think of the zelda series and it's success i always think ALTTP was there and in a big way made the series what it is, most of the dungeon mechanics became inlaid from that game onwards such as big keys and the overworld itself is the most relateable.

So hows about you? What Zelda game did the entire franchise Justice?

 

[Soul]

People are going to disagree with me here, but in many ways, Spirit Tracks did. Appropriate difficulty level? Check. Inventive puzzle design? Check. Creative ideas? Check. Large overworld full of secrets to explore? Debateable, but check in my eyes.

 

[Jirohnagi]

People are going to disagree with me here, but in many ways, Spirit Tracks did. Appropriate difficulty level? Check. Inventive puzzle design? Check. Creative ideas? Check. Large overworld full of secrets to explore? Debateable, but check in my eyes.

I won't disagree with you there because in many ways ST did personify that golden formula that the series has been using since hell since the first game ^^, i may not have been a fan of the flute but bar that the game was a smooth ride many of the puzzles felt to me intuitive alot of the time, which in this case was great and i had great fun doing the sidequests and hunting rabbits.

 

[Soul]

I can see your point with the flutes, though I personally didn't mind them. The train mechanic is probably the most controversial part of that game, another thing I actually enjoy, but I feel many people overlook how much Spirit Tracks does right even when they might hate the train.

 

[Dan]

For me it would have to be the CD-I titles. It had in my opinion the most identifiable Link the series has ever had. As you all know Link is depicted as a cheeky rapscallion and he's not low on personality either, he's dripping with it. I identify with this version of Link most, I'm appalled Nintendo didn't carry on using this version of Links persona in further titles.

 

[DeactivatedUser2]

aLttP is my favorite Zelda game and in my opinion is what perfected the Zelda formula.
However,

I truly think either MM or WW did justice to the franchise' namesake. The difficulty was decent and the puzzles and side quests were down right fun to do. Not to mention that, even for a Zelda game, the stories were top notch.

 

[Jirohnagi]

I can see your point with the flutes, though I personally didn't mind them. The train mechanic is probably the most controversial part of that game, another thing I actually enjoy, but I feel many people overlook how much Spirit Tracks does right even when they might hate the train.

I loved the train ^^ after two games with the boat and ship it felt nice to have a bit of speed on in it ^^, granted you had only 3 modes it was still a hell of a lot faster that the boat ^^, i did love personally the spirit gates on the tracks ^^

 

[CrimsonCavalier]

I think a few of them have, but I think that the [generic and obvious] choice for me is Ocarina of Time. Perhaps it's because I remember the game with such fondness, but to me Ocarina is the pinnacle of game design. It's not only my favorite Zelda game, it's my favorite game of all time. It had the tried-and-true formula that A Link to the Past established, with two separate collection quests, a very fun and interesting trading sequence, memorable characters, excellent combat system (for its time), a good story, and a phenomenal soundtrack.

It's the game every other 3D Zelda game has tried to replicate, but has yet to do so.

 

[TheHerbivoreWaffle]

A Link to the Past does the best job at being a Zelda game, since it is what created the modern formula. It's also damn fun for the early 90s.

 

[Vanessa28]

I have to go with OoT too. It had a good story, it had decent graphics for it's time and it was tons of fun to play. It's not my most fav game of the series but it definitely did the series justice.

 

[Dio]

OOT embodies the series the best. It has all the elements commonly associated with Zelda. The triforce, the master sword, Link, Zelda, Ganon. It's set in Hyrule. It has an atmospheric soundtrack. Its actually got a decent difficulty to it unlike WW and everything that has followed.

TP is probably the other one that embodies the series well along with ALTTP.

There are other great games in the series MM for instance, but it is different to standard Zelda, different land, no master sword no triforce e.t.c

 

[Mellow Ezlo]

Well A Link to the Past is the game that truly created what we expect from Zelda, so I'd probably say that one. It's hard, it has lots of dungeons, tons of cool NPCs, lots of neat locations, and it's the first game that included an alternate version of the regular world (which has been mimic'd in several games since).

The game that did justice to ALttP, though, since that's the game that really created the modern formula, would be Ocarina of Time. Like A Link to the Past, it is a genuinely difficult game at first, it's got a good number of dungeons, lots of interesting characters, cool locations, and you could also say it has alternate versions of the same world (the past and future). It's the game most people look to as to define what Zelda is. It basically took everything ALttP did and produced its own version, in 3D. I'd say this game, more than any, really does the series justice.

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

the adventure of link

without this game,none of ya'll would even be alive

 

[Lozjam]

Wind Waker.
It truly became a successor of OoT/MM that actually tried something, and, it gave players the freedom of the 2D Zelda games as well. It made characters more fleshed out, while providing something completely new. Unlike OoT and TP, Wind Waker featured an amazing, completely original story. It allowed amazing progression, amazing items. If angsty teens would have shut their mouths about "Celda", then WW would have been an amazing launching point for the Zelda series. This was the first Zelda game where you truly felt you were on an adventure over a quest. It has the best mix of something new, and something borrowed. No 3D Zelda truly reaches this equivalent, except for OoT and WW. TP was OoT rehashed, MM literally used all of the models of OoT, and SS took out exploration and strayed into OoT territory mechanically, a bit too much.

 

[Dio]

I'd say the WW did the series the least justice. Deviating so far from what the fans wanted and believed Zelda to be that the negative repercussions still plague the franchise and its fanbase to this day.

I liked the game but it really wasn't the smartest move to pull.