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Spoiler Zelda Game with the Best...

MW7

Joined
Jun 22, 2011
Location
Ohio
Graphics- Wind Waker- Perfect style for Zelda games IMO

Controls- Skyward Sword- I don't think I have to explain this one (I love the traditional controls of all the other games as well- I just hope Nintendo never does only touch controls again like the DS games, a mix would be great)

Story- Link's Awakening- Really out there in terms of story so it wins on the basis of being very unique and cool for me

Music- Too many good ones for me to choose, maybe Skyward Sword wins by default of being orchestrated

Combat- Adventure of Link and Skyward Sword- These are the only ones in which how you swing the sword really matters so that's why I think they're the best

Characters- Phantom Hourglass- Just for Linebeck it wins my vote.

Gimmick- Majora's Mask for the three day cycle and masks as a gameplay element- Three day cycle opens up worlds of possibilities and masks give you so many different ways to interact with characters and enemies.

Items- A Link to the Past- Link was practically a walking tank in this game with his wide arsenal of goodies.

Bosses- A Link to the Past- It helps that this game had tons of bosses, but what puts it over the top is that there weren't any duds.

Exploration- Legend of Zelda- Only game in which you can go from edge to edge of the map right from the beginning; if that's not exploration-friendly I don't know what is.

Overworld- A Link to the Past- Everything seemed perfectly spaced to me, and you get to fast travel pretty early on in the game. Each area is interesting with secrets and there aren't pointless boundaries as are the norm in the modern games.

Second Quest- Legend of Zelda- Well first of all most of the games don't even have a second quest, and secondly this is the only one in which pretty much everything changes so it's practically a whole new game.

Dungeons- A Link to the Past- Two reasons: there's a ton of them (most in the series) and they're challenging. Some of the dungeons have concepts that completely confused me the first time I played through the game.

Sidequests- Majora's Mask- The game is practically built around sidequests and they are all excellent.

Puzzles- Oracle of Ages- This game was designed with an emphasis on puzzles and it showed with some real head scratchers around every corner.

Best Sidekick- Minish Cap- I just loved Ezlo's personality and functionality as well.

Sense of Epicness- Twilight Princess- This game went out of its way to feel epic and it shows.

Best Method of Transport- Epona from various games- I love riding a horse through a field; traditional transport all the way for me.

Nontraditional Method of Transport- Phantom Hourglass and Skyward Sword- PH utilized the boat better than Wind Waker IMO, flying is just awesome, and I think trains are out of place within the Zelda universe.

Difficulty- A Link to the Past and Majora's Mask- Hard but very beatable for anyone; the way it always should be IMO.

Replay Value- Majora's Mask- Not a contest IMO. This is the only 3d game that allows you to replay through any part of the game again without having to start a new file thanks to the 3 day cycle. So you can skip anything you don't like to play the parts you do like, and also with additional items from later on in the game you can redo earlier segments in different ways.


So what do you think? If you want to add in even more categories or take some out feel free to do so.
 
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Link8150

The 8150th Link
Joined
Jul 26, 2010
Location
Skyloft
Graphics - Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask for nostalgic reasons.

Controls - Skyward Sword, just amazing motion controls, they feel nice to use and work very well (with the exception of the thrusting)

Story - Majora's Mask or Skyward Sword, MM had a really unique story (Link's Awakening had a pretty cool story too) and it was so dark, as far as Zelda games go. Skyward Sword is the backstory for some major events and items, the characters were awesome, and Groose and Ghirahim, in my opinion, are the most well developed characters in the series.

Music - Tie between all the 3D console Zelda games and A Link to the Past.

Combat - Skyward Sword's controls are amazing, the bosses are hard but fun to fight (with the exception of the Imprisoned) and the enemies are interesting and also fun to fight.

Characters - Majora's Mask and Skyward Sword's characters went through the most character development in the entire series.

Gimmick - Majora's Mask 3-Day cycle was a make rather than a break. It was interesting, unique, and added a lot to how the game and side quests played out, it was just very well done.

Items - Majora's Mask and Skyward Sword's items were actually useful and unique (Not counting the masks in MM, many of them were fairly useless), A Link to the Past had too many items, even if they were all cool.

Bosses - Skyward Sword's bosses are cool, they are hard to beat, and they are fun, but Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess still have my two favorite boss fights, which are Goht and Stallord.

Exploration - The Legend of Zelda is the most open Zelda game, and you never know where you can bomb a wall or burn a tree to reveal a secret, plus you don't know where anything is the first time you play it, so this is really the ultimate exploration game.

Second Quest - Skyward Sword and Master Quest because of their difficulty.

Dungeons - Majora's Mask has 2 of my top 3 favorite dungeons, Stone Tower Temple and Great Bay Temple. Like they always say, quality over quantity.

Sidequest - Majora's Mask with Skyward Sword in second. There were just so many side quests in both games, even if not all of them were that useful, and they also gave to the back story and characters.

Puzzles - Oracle of Ages, Ages may have not lived up to what I thought it would, but only half way through the game and I cannot deny that it has clever and unique puzzles that I have never seen before in another Zelda game.

Best Sidekick - Twilight Princess with Midna, she was the most well developed sidekick and I felt that her back story was the most well explained, with Fi, Ezlo, and Tatl all following behind.

Sense of Epicness - I can't decide here, most Zelda games are all epic in their own way, but if I had to name 3 in no particular order, I would choose Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword.

Method of Transportation - Epona in all the games she appears, she is effective and acts as a companion unlike the boat and train.

Nontraditional Transportation - The boat from Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass, as you could still go wherever you want unlike the train which is on set rails.

Difficulty - Adventure of Link, while it may not be the ideal difficulty, it is very hard, which means when you kill a tough enemy or beat the game you feel like the coolest person ever.

Replay Value - I don't know, I've beaten Ocarina of Time more times than I can count, Majora's Mask is fun every time you play it, and Skyward Sword is loaded with content (in comparison to other games).
 
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Joined
Nov 28, 2011
Location
the Netherlands
Graphics- TP, is the perfect LoZ artstyle

Controls- SS, really putting controls to another level

-Story- SS + Oot, Oot just has the epicness and SS has really emotional moments in it.

Music- Tp + SS, great moodsetters

Combat- SS, like mentioned before the controls are great, so the fighting is even better

Characters- Tp + MM For me SS has some really memorable characters, and MM for its character develepmont

Gimmick- MM 3 day cycle

Items- Oot Just for having great items, also love the Beetle from SS

Bosses- Tp + SS Even though Tp's bosses are easy they are great, and SS's bosses are luckily (a bit) more difficult

Exploration- LoZ + Tp LoZ is sometimes confusing because of its big overworld and big overworld = exploration. Tp's overworld is huge...I rest my case.

Overworld- Oot + Tp Oot's overworld is just really memorable and easy accessible and Tp's overworld is beautifull and huge.

Second Quest- Master Quest For its difficulty level

Dungeons- Oot Nostalgia

Sidequests- MM Most and best sidequests

Puzzles- MM + SS Had some real headscratchers

Best Sidekick- Mida, great personality and she mostly doesnt show the obvious

Sense of Epicness- TP + Oot Their wide overworld and epic story

Best Method of Transport- Epona 'Cause she's a horse, of course, of course

Nontraditional Method of Transport- King of Red Lions Something different for a change

Difficulty- MM Really difficult sometimes

Replay Value- Oot Even after 100 times it doesnt get old

So what do you think? If you want to add in even more categories or take some out feel free to do so.[/QUOTE]
 
Joined
Nov 28, 2011
Graphics - Wind Waker. The cel shaded cartoon style is by far my favorite to look at.

Controls - Skyward Sword. This was really the only time the controls have mattered.

Story - Again, Skyward Sword. More than anything the latest storyline gave me a feeling that I am legendary, which is neat-o.

Music - Wind Waker. Way too many great tracks in this game to count. I could listen to Wind Waker's soundtrack for days on end.

Combat - Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. I found the combat system in the N64 titles just about near perfect and loads of fun.

Characters - Majora's Mask. The characters were creepy and memorable.

Gimmick - Skyward Sword. If you consider the 1:1 sword control a gimmick, then I'd say it takes it. It added a lot to the game.

Items - A Link to the Past. This is mostly due to the amount of items in the game, and the fact that a good deal of them are upgradable.

Bosses - Adventure of Link. There isn't a single boss in this game who isn't awesome and I think that the difficulty of the boss fights was perfect.

Exploration - A Link to the Past. ALttP was the only game with two full overworlds and I loved finding secrets in the light world by finding suspicious areas in the dark world.

Overworld - A Link to the Past. The reasons are basically the same as what is stated above.

Second Quest - N/A. I have never actually played any of the three second quests. I am ashamed.

Dungeons - Link's Awakening. Something about the dungeons in this game makes them memorable, and that is probably the most important thing to strive for.

Sidequests - Majora's Mask. There really isn't any contest on this one. MM had by far the most involving sidequests.

Puzzles - Phantom Hourglass. I think the puzzles in the Temple of the Ocean King, while occasionally frustrating, are rather fun and quite well designed.

Sidekick - Wind Waker. The King of Red Lions is the only sidekick that I don't despise, so he takes it easy.

Sense of Epicness - Skyward Sword. When you obtain all three Triforce and battle the lord of demons in a different dimension, you feel pretty epic.

Method of Transport - Phantom Hourglass. Making the boat customizable was a great touch that made getting from A to B feel like less of a chore.

Nontraditional Transport - Lots of them. Warping. It is in lots of the games and it makes life much easier.

Difficulty - Majora's Mask. It was hard, but not to the soul crushing extent of Zelda II.

Replay Value - Wind Waker. I always feel an urge to start this game from the beginning. The fact that it actually rewards you with alternate outfits for replaying is a pretty sweet bonus.
 

Deeds

no text
Joined
Dec 16, 2011
Graphics- SS Those water-coloured style graphics really suit a Legend of Zelda game.

Controls- SS I loved everything about SS' controls, to the wiimotion+ and running.

Story- OoT I would've said SS, but it just drags on for ages. Ocarina of Time is pure geniousity.

Music- OoT+SS Masterpieces in both: Goddess Main Theme and Lost woods.

Combat- SS Wii Motion+ makes sword-play truly amazing.

Characters- SS For me SS showed character emotion a lot well than other LoZ games.

Gimmick- SS A bird.

Items- TP So many inventive items.

Bosses- SS It uses the Wii Motion+ and creates clever bosses that require precision.

Exploration- TP Twilight princess wins this hands down, such a vast world to explore.

Overworld- Oot Ocarina of Time's overworld was the best in my opinion.

Second Quest- Master Quest For mirrored gameplay and damage being doubled, this is fun.

Dungeons- OoT The water temple is a masterpiece.

Sidequests- MM A lot of sidequests which really builds up other characters personalities.

Puzzles- SS Although there weren't enough puzzles, they were all very well made.

Best Sidekick - Midna No annoyance value, thank god.

Sense of Epicness- OoT Nostalgia.

Best Method of Transport- Epona Far better then a bird.

Difficulty- MM All timed games can be very difficult, this is one of them.

Replay Value- SS Hero mode, Boss Challenge and replayable Silent Realms.
 

JuicieJ

SHOW ME YA MOVES!
Joined
Jan 10, 2011
Location
On the midnight Spirit Train going anywhere
Graphics: Skyward Sword - No Zelda game has come close to perfecting a visual style such as Skyward Sword's. The WW/TP style to it fits the balance of light and dark in the story, and the painting feature of it makes it plain jaw-dropping.

Controls: Skyward Sword - Honestly, there's no way any other Zelda game tops Skyward Sword's MotionPlus. The accuracy is perfect and the movements feel beyond natural. I've never had so much fun playing a Zelda game. In fact, I've never had so much fun playing a game in general. I'm not saying it's impossible to top these controls, but I will say this: Zelda Wii U has its work cut out for it.

Story: Skyward Sword & Majora's Mask - This one's at a tie for me, and for very good reasons. As I said in my review, Skyward Sword has the most emotional story Zelda's had yet, and it's full of constant twists and surprises that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Majora's Mask, on the other hand, has the best sense of being part of the story. Interacting with all the different characters made me feel connected to them more and more throughout the game, especially since I had to keep helping them without them remembering me. Most of the characters don't have an extreme amount of emotion and involvement with the story, but there's so much contact with them that it all felt natural and almost real. Both SS and MM's stories are so vast and moving in different ways that I don't think it's fair to say one is better than the other. That's why I choose both of them.

Music: Skyward Sword - While Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess have my favorite tracks in the series, none of them compare to the grand and intense tracks in Skyward Sword. They're some of the most epic recordings I've ever heard in any video game and fit the tone of each area harmoniously (yes, that's a pun). I really don't think there's any question on this one.

Combat: Skyward Sword - Skyward Sword's 1:1 combat is simply amazing. The Wii MotionPlus controls, as mentioned before, are perfect. The combat flows smoother than ever before with it, and the fact that enemies read and react to the sword's movements only makes it better. Zelda II definitely has the most intensity in the combat, but Skyward Sword's beats it more than just a little bit (in my opinon).

Characters: Skyward Sword and Majora's Mask - Once again, it's a tie between Skyward Sword and Majora's Mask. While SS definitely has far more character development than MM does, the amount of interaction with the characters combined with their memorable personalities makes them a fair tie with SS's.

Gimmick: Skyward Sword - Let's face it. No game has had a larger amount of gimmicks than Skyward Sword. The motion controls are enough of one, but add in each area having specific gimmicks designed around the terrain and previously received items, there's no larger combination. Thankfully, the gimmicks in Skyward Sword are all enjoyable and don't have the feel of what most people think of when they hear the word "gimmick" (meaning the negative connotation of the word).

Items: Twilight Princess - I kinda feel like an idiot for saying this, but I actually do think this category goes to Twilight Princess. While numerous items were pretty much only used in the dungeons they were found in, 75% of the items received were some of the coolest and most unique items in the series, and each was used to perfection in their respective dungeons. It's a shame some of them didn't get used much, but how they were used when they got their chance to shine was magnificent.

Bosses: Ocarina of Time - Really, is it any surprise that I said this? Ocarina of Time hosts some of the most memorable bosses in not just Zelda, but in gaming as a whole. Bosses like Gohma (despite how simple she was) and Phantom Ganon: these were amazing cap-offs to marvelous dungeons that took full advantage of the switch to the new 3D format. There is no Zelda game that has the amount of bosses that will make it onto any Top 10 Best list than Ocarina of Time. It's just that simple.

Exploration: The Legend of Zelda - Despite the fact that it's frustrating to navigate the land with no map, no Zelda game has the sense of freedom in exploration as the original Legend of Zelda. The game is extremely limited in design due to the limited hardware of the NES, but it still stands as the most freelance Zelda game in history. Not even Majora's Mask is as open as the Zelda game that started it all.

Overworld: Skyward Sword - Yes, I'm serious. I don't care that each province isn't very large and that they're disconnected. The vast and open sky in-between them gives the overall feel of travel the best sense of freedom in Zelda since Majora's Mask. The fact that each province is riddled with secrets and puzzles also makes them far more fun to explore, since there are no barren fields with a few enemies here-and-there. That job was left up to The Sky, and since about 60% of the time is spent on the land, the game has a constant balance of open-range and filled with secrets. Oh, and hunting down the Goddess Cubes doesn't hurt, either.

Dungeons: A Link to the Past - This one was a tough choice for me, but, in the end, I don't think any Zelda game has taken advantage of what can be done with dungeon designs and the hardware it was given than ALttP. OoT and SS come pretty close (at least in my opinion), but I'm afraid I have to say they fall just short.

Sidequests: Skyward Sword and Majora's Mask - Yet another tie between these two games. (This is beginning to seem like a pattern, no?) Anyway, half of the point of Majora's Mask is to do the sidequests. They're practically part of the story. But Skyward Sword's vast amount of unique and entertaining sidequests, most involved in the Batreaux sidequest, brings it up there alongside of MM for me.

Puzzles: N/A - After hearing about how puzzle-based Oracle of Ages is, I feel I need to play the game in its entirety before I say anything on this one. As of now, my pick would be Skyward Sword since the whole game is pretty much a puzzle, but I don't want to take the chance of speaking out of turn.

Sense of Epicness: Ocarina of Time and Skyward Sword - Both of these games are filled with intensity throughout and are almost equals to each other. I legitimately believe that Skyward Sword has better overall "sense of epicness" than Ocarina of Time does, but they're both so close that I don't think it's fair to put one over the other. Especially since the way they feel epic is quite a bit different in many ways.

Best Method of Transport: Midna, Twilight Princess - I don't think there has been any more efficiently-placed warp positions in Zelda than those of Twilight Princess. Skyward Sword had far more to choose from when dropping down to the surface, but the fact that the sky had to be returned to in order to do this puts it just below TP's easy access style for me.

Nontraditional Method of Transport: Skyward Sword - Come on, really. Link's crimson Loftwing is ridiculously fast and easy to maneuver (once you get used to the controls). Flying from place to place is quick and efficient, and dropping down on the numerous save statues provides easy access to the entire landscape of each province. The travel in Skyward Sword was bold, beyond bold, but it worked out tremendously. A+.

Difficulty: Zelda II and A Link to the Past - No Zelda game is as frustrating to defeat as Zelda II. We all know that. The enemies are completely ruthless and seem to gang up on Link at the most inopportune times. But that's just the combat. The puzzles in The Adventure of Link aren't really that challenging since it's mainly a side-scrolling game. The dungeons combined with the powerful enemies in A Link to the Past brought a whole new level of difficulty to the series. It's not as frustrating as Zelda II's, but the two different styles of difficulty can't begin to be compared to each other, so it's once again not fair to say one has better difficulty over the other. Zelda II is the toughest to defeat. ALttP is the most balanced in all aspects of difficulty. They both win in my view.

Replay Value: Skyward Sword and Majora's Mask - It almost seems like cheating how much I've put these two together. But I'm not doing it because of any sort of bias. The two games are just so similar in so many ways that they execute many of the same values at the exact same level, even if the reasons aren't exactly the same. Skyward Sword has an enormous amount of content that is so entertaining and irresistible to do all over again. But Majora's Mask has such a heavy focus on side-content that it's the major part of its identity. When people think of Majora's Mask, their first thoughts are always the sidequests, then story. Story is almost never the first topic that's brought up in a conversation about Majora's Mask. The 3-day cycle is mentioned, but it's right off to the sidequests after that. And that's what makes it so enjoyable. Without them, the game wouldn't be half as fun and would have almost zero replay value. Both SS and MM have vast content that serve as a major drive to replay the two over and over again. The stories are a big factor, too, but the side-content, namely in MM, are what keep players hooked on them. (SS's story is worth reliving just as much as the side-content, as well.)
 
Joined
Feb 23, 2011
  1. Graphics: Skyward Sword: The graphics are amazing in every aspect. They combine visual elements from The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess with Impressionist artistry the likes of Cezanne. The settings and locales were all reminiscent of a beautiful painting drawn to life. The character designs was also well-done in my opinion. Link and Zelda are the best examples of this.
  2. Controls: Skyward Sword: The motion controls were spot on. I was quite surprised that they worked well with my lazy, sedentary playstyle. They added to the immersion, as well, in my opinion. lol
  3. Story: (tie) Link's Awakening and Majora's Mask both featured stories that I've never experienced before in any video game at the time, save for Final Fantasy series. LA took place in a imaginative dream world, in which Link's [my] actions throughout the story had a direct effect on said world. This reminded me very much of a lucid dream, as there was full control over the course of the dream - in a way. I also liked how the story became a nightmare at some point; that was pretty neat.
    Majora's Mask had an incredible story. It featured a broad menagerie of dark elements such as death, black magic, spirits, etc. Nintendo took a very unorthodox approach with its plot, given what the Zelda series is known for. It was also cool to assume the roles of four souls, and live out their stories. The various emotions it invoked in were also the most effective in the series, in my opinion.
  4. Music: The entire series features great music.
  5. Combat: The Adventure of Link: AoL for it's unorthodox inclusion of RPG and Platform elements. To me, it seems more like a spiritual successor to the original Zelda series.
  6. Characters: Link's Awakening|Majora's Mask: LA featured arthropomorphic alligators, rabbits, and Crazy Tracy. This all ties to the fact that Koholint Island is the product of Wind Fish 's slumber - a dream world. Despite Majora Mask's lack of main characters, was very NPC driven. I easily became attached to them. Their emotional appeal was also very effective on me. I even became attached to MM's antagonist.
  7. Gimmick: Majora's Mask: 3-Day Cycle
  8. Items: Oracle Series: I've never played the Oracle games, but a huge part of me wanted to play them for the item selection. lol
  9. Bosses: A Link to the Past: Seeing as ALttP was my first Zelda game, and I played at the age of four, the bosses really provided a challenge for. Difficulty with bosses is a rare trait in more recent titles.
  10. Exploration|Overworld: Ocarina of Time: So far, it's the only game in the series - that I've played - that's done everything right. Every other Zelda title fell short by making sacrifices that enhanced their respective games, but removed a beloved quality in the process (non-linearity, locales, etc.)
  11. Second Quest: Ocarina of Time: Master Quest: It sticks to the generic format in terms of physical places and such, but mixes things up by adding and rearranging puzzle elements in dungeons. It wasn't excessive.
  12. Dungeons: A Link to the Past: There are not only many of them, but ALttP features the largest amount of dungeons that I really like.
  13. Sidequests: Majora's Mask
  14. Puzzles: Master Quest: Remixed dungeons.
  15. Best Sidekick: Skyward Sword: Fi is my waifu. 'Nuff said.
  16. Sense of Epicness: The Wind Waker: Fighting a dual-wielding Ganondorf atop of the tower with the aid of Zelda trumps the entire series, in my opinion.
  17. Best Method of Transport: (tie) Epona|Loftwing
  18. Difficulty: A Link to the Past: Ice Palace :mad:
  19. Replay Value: Majora's Mask: Simply put, the 3-Day Cycle combined with the fact that every other game in the series lacked it, in my opinion.
 

MW7

Joined
Jun 22, 2011
Location
Ohio
Gimmick: Skyward Sword - Let's face it. No game has had a larger amount of gimmicks than Skyward Sword. The motion controls are enough of one, but add in each area having specific gimmicks designed around the terrain and previously received items, there's no larger combination. Thankfully, the gimmicks in Skyward Sword are all enjoyable and don't have the feel of what most people think of when they hear the word "gimmick" (meaning the negative connotation of the word).

The thing about Skyward Sword's gimmicks is that some of them are almost universally popular such as the timeshift stones and the motion controls. A decent amount of people genuinely despise the 3 day cycle of Majora's Mask, sailing in Wind Waker, or wolf link in Twilight Princess. The general appeal of these "gimmicks" basically guarantees that we will see at least some of them again in future installments (motion controls are almost a certainty), and when that happens they cease to be gimmicks and just become part of the Zelda formula.
 

Ventus

Mad haters lmao
Joined
May 26, 2010
Location
Akkala
Gender
Hylian Champion
Graphics- OoT, TP or Skyward Sword, talking artstyle. I love the realism.

Controls- Skyward Sword; 1.5:1 swordplay is beautiful and needs to stay in the series, no matter how much I may love traditional controls.

Story- Ocarina of Time; pulled off almost close to flawlessly as everything made sense.

Music- OoT and MM, leaning on MM but both.

Combat- OoT + MM; the N64 range as known by coders was just perfect, every action felt justified and enemies retaliated in a meaningful manner. Best combat the series has ever seen.

Characters- MM. Realistic characters? I think yes. Cremia? Win by default. MM had the best characters I have ever seen in Zelda series.

Gimmick- N/A

Items- A Link to the Past- Link was practically a walking tank in this game with his wide arsenal of goodies. I agree with MW7's perspective, but also I enjoyed OoT and MM's items. Loved the elemental arrows. Loved the spells. Loved the masks. Those three games win this category IMO.

Bosses- A Link to the Past- It helps that this game had tons of bosses, but what puts it over the top is that there weren't any duds. Again I agree with MW7's perspective, but at the same time I was fulfilled by OoT's bosses as well as MM's. OoS' bosses also proved worthy, IMO.

Exploration- OoT; it was a small world. It was a meaningless world. But still, something ringed throughout the land.

Overworld- OoT, loved every bit of its presentation.

Second Quest- OoTMQ; while it is no Second Quest in terms of remixed overworld, I felt the dungeons were better edited to prove its name of a Master's quest. MQ screwed me over more times than I can count. SQ did the same, however I didn't quite enjoy the mixed overworlds (though it needs to return in a 3D installment).

Dungeons- OoT, MM, ALttP, TWW. The first three had hard dungeons. The first three had BIG dungeons. The fourth? Well, it had particularly serene in a sortakindaway dungeons.

Sidequests- Majora's Mask; the game was a Gaiden, a sidequest by default. Every single sidequest felt fulfilling. Every sidequest felt beautiful. Every sidequest felt REAL.

Puzzles- Oracle of Ages; it's essentially a puzzle in and of itself.

Best Sidekick- N/A, leaning on MM for Tatl however.

Sense of Epicness- OoT, closely followed by TP. Ocarina was epic. Ocarina is epic. Ocarina will always be epic. TP didn't feel quite as much because the colors contrasted with my feelings and thus detracted from them, however ignoring the colors the game screamed epic.

Best Method of Transport- Epona because she's always quick, trusty and gets us where we need to go. Who seriously traveled on foot in TP? Who, barring those who never knew how to get her, traveled on foto in OoT? Who traveled on foot in MM?

Nontraditional Method of Transport- N/A

Difficulty- OoT and MM. Ocarina wasn't too hard nor was it too easy. The difficult felt just right. MM leaned on the "too hard" side, however it wasn't "OMFGIMPOSSIBLE" like AoL generally is considered to be.

Replay Value- Majora's Mask by strict ability, Ocarina by enjoyment out of replaying. I don't think any game in the series allows you to replay on the same game file besides Majora's, though.
 
M

MajorasWrath2.0

Guest
Graphics- Skyward Sword- I love the cel-shaded graphics, plus a more mature Link.

Controls- Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask- I'm not into the whole swinging the controller thing, I much rather like classic button-pushing.

Story- Skyward Sword- A big change from the recent disappointment. Plus, who doesn't like an origin story?

Music- Skyward Sword- FULLY ORCHESTRATED!

Combat- Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask- Again, I like button-pushing, and for the reasons VanitasXII stated.

Characters- Majora's Mask- Pretty much every NPC had a back story, and you fell in love with each one.

Gimmick- Ocarina of Time- Time travel. Enough said.

Items- A Link to the Past- The only thing missing was the kitchen sink.

Bosses- Ocarina of Time- Just enough difficulty, just enough build-up (for most), and each one was a whole new experience.

Exploration- The Wind Waker- I know I'm outnumbered on this one, but I always found sailing across a vast sea was an adventure in its own.

Overworld- Majora's Mask- Four great worlds, bound by one huge field, with a "home base" right in the middle; that's what I call an Overworld.

Second Quest- Master Quest (Ocarina of Time)- I love a challenge...

Dungeons- Skyward Sword- Each one brought their own little gimmick.

Sidequests- Majora's Mask- Anju/Kafeil actually made me cry...

Puzzles- Skyward Sword- Very unique given the Wii Motion Plus (Note: I have not played Oracle of Ages yet).

Sidekick- Twilight Princes- Midna = Tatl + Ezlo - Navi, it's basic math.

Sense of Epicness- Majora's Mask- Nostalgia.

Method of Transport- Twilight Princess- Epona is great in all games, but something about the rugged TP graphics makes riding horseback with bow at the ready even cooler.

Nontraditional Method of Transport- The Wind Waker- I never found sailing as tedious as people say.

Difficulty- Adventure of Link- If you've ever lost all of your lives, you know where I'm getting at.

Replay Value- Majora's Mask- My dad and I have played it almost annually since its release in 2000, and it never gets old.
 
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MW7

Joined
Jun 22, 2011
Location
Ohio
Exploration- The Wind Waker- I know I'm outnumbered on this one, but I always found sailing across a vast sea was an adventure in its own.

Overworld- Majora's Mask- Four great worlds, bound by one huge field, with a "home base" right in the middle; that's what I call an Overworld.

I thought Wind Waker would be a very popular pick for exploration. I found sailing tedious because of how far apart everything was, but the overworld of the Wind Waker reminded me very much of the original Legend of Zelda in that you weren't limited in where you could go (meaning you could go from end to end of the map). The thing that puts Legend of Zelda ahead of Wind Waker for me was the design decision to force the player to beat Dragon Roost Cavern and the Forbidden Woods before setting you free. Basically at the beginning of the game you're forced to go straight from Windfall to Dragon Roost, and then straight from Dragon Roost to the Forest Haven. Still once you get past that point, the game is much more wide open for exploration than most other games in the series.

For overworld I picked ALTTP, but among the 3d games I'd say Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask are easily my preference. I think Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword are overthinking things. Simple overworlds are the best in my perspective.
 
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Joined
Jan 1, 2012
Location
Colorado
Graphics- Twilight Princess- I thought it was a very epic and suitable style for Zelda to pull off an epic adventure.

Controls- Skyward Sword-I hope you know the answer

Story- Skyward Sword-I found this one the best cause you actually feel like an adventurer. Being one of the first people to ever to see the surface and actually feel like your getting stronger throughout the journey.

Music- Ocarina of Time- Way too many classics in this one.

Combat- Skyward Sword- It's not a button mashing frenzy, you actually have to think.

Characters- Wind Waker- I like how most of the characters have something to do with sidequests and story.

Gimmick- Majora's Mask Mask's- I just love the thought of being able to change forms and use various other masks to succed.

Items- Twilight Princess-It had the most diverise items to ever use in a zelda game, tragic that they weren't used enough.

Bosses- Skyward Sword- Every boss had a diffrent strategy that requieres you to think and precise.

Exploration- Wind Waker- You actually feel like a pirate sailing around, charting the dangerous sea.

Overworld- A Link to the Past- There were two different overworlds, and each one was huge.

Second Quest- Legend of Zelda- Well first of all most of the games don't even have a second quest, and secondly this is the only one in which pretty much everything changes so it's practically a whole new game.

Dungeons- Ocarina of Time- Each dungeon had a huge problem surrounding it, and you would fix those problems with the completion of each adult temple.

Sidequests- Majora's Mask- The game is practically built around sidequests and they are all excellent.

Puzzles- Majoras Mask- I got stuck a lot in the temples, more than any other game. Also, finding the stray faires was tough.

Best Sidekick- Minish Cap- I just loved Ezlo's personality and functionality as well.

Sense of Epicness- Twilight Princess- This game went out of its way to feel epic and it shows.

Best Method of Transport- Wind Waker- Sure it was slow, but It was fun to sail around on the open seas.

Nontraditional Method of Transport- Skyward Sword- Bird Flying is awesome.

Difficulty- A Link to the Past- this game is very hard, but very fun at the same time.

Replay Value- Majora's Mask- Not a contest IMO. This is the only 3d game that allows you to replay through any part of the game again without having to start a new file thanks to the 3 day cycle. So you can skip anything you don't like to play the parts you do like, and also with additional items from later on in the game you can redo earlier segments in different ways.
 
Joined
Apr 10, 2010
Location
CA
Graphics: Wind Waker. It holds up really well even today. It says a lot when this game looks better than Skyward Sword.

Controls: This is tough. Even with all of its flaws, I will still give it to Skyward Sword

Story: Ocarina of Time - Zelda is not known for its story, and none of the games stories are amazing, but OoT is best imo. The introduction of all the different races, time travel to adulthood when the Master Sword is pulled, a great villain.

Music: Wind Waker - This one is easy. Has a ton of memorable tracks and some of the best ever heard in the series.

Combat: A Link to the Past - ALttP has the most satisfying combat. With a huge arsenal of items and many types of enemies combat is always fun.

Characters: Wind Waker - Characters had a lot of personality and humor / Majora's Mask

Gimmick: A Link to the Past: Light World & Dark World / Majora's Mask 3Day cycle.

Items: The Minish Cap - Added a lot of items never before seen, and they were all fun to use. Honorable mention: ALttP

Bosses: A Link to the Past - Even after going through the game a dozen times, the bosses are always fun and challenging

Exploration: Wind Waker- Great Sea / A Link to the Past - ALttP has a ton of hidden things on every screen of both overworlds

Overworld: A Link to the Past - This one is easy. Most of the overworld is accessible right from the start and nonlinear, and as you get more items you unlock more. Not to mention there are two entirely different unique overworlds in the game.

Second Quest: Legend of Zelda

Dungeons: Majora's Mask / A Link to the Past - Although MM only has 4 dungeons, it makes up for it with its dungeon design.

Sidequests: Majora's Mask

Puzzles: Oracle of Ages - had a lot of cool puzzles that were fun to figure out

Best Sidekick: Navi (Ocarina of Time), Midna (Twilight Princess)

Sense of Epicness: Twilight Princess in general / Wind Waker exploring the Great Sea

Best Method of Transport: Pegasus Boots/Seed (LA, ALttP, OoS, OoA)

Difficulty: Adventure of Link

Replay Value: A Link to the Past - There is always discoveries to be made and new ways of defeating enemies/bosses
 

r2d93

Hero of the Stars
Joined
Nov 10, 2011
Location
Lost Woods
Graphics- Wind Waker- the cel-shading is just timeless and gives a great feel while playing the game

Controls- Skyward Sword- pretty self explanatory. The one to one motion controls are really a keeper idea

Story- Majora's Mask- FANTASTIC idea for the story. Very creative

Music- Definitely Wind Waker. I LOVED the Wind Waker soundtrack and constantly find myself listening to the songs. When I hear the main theme play nostalgia just flows through me. Ocarina of Time comes in second

Combat- Skyward Sword- again, pretty self-explanatory

Characters- Majora's Mask- when day 3 comes around, you really find yourself emotionally attached to all the characters expecting their deaths. Also you get connected to them when helping with their individual problems. Plus I love skull kid

Gimmick- The Minish Cap- Shrinking down to Minish Size is so new to the Zelda series and very very creative

Items- OoX- a few items in these games are very kool and i wish they were in other games more often (ex. switch hook, magnet gloves, magic boomerang, seed satchel, etc.)

Bosses- Skyward Sword- By far i think. They gave the feeling of peril while also having the creativity of weaknesses due to skyward sword's controls

Exploration- Wind Waker- a no brainer for me. You have a whole sea at your sights and nothing makes me more curious than that feeling of seeing a brand new tiny dark speck of an island way off in the distance

Overworld- I want to say Twilight Princess. I did enjoy exploring the Great Sea, yet I like the Idea of big open fields with beautiful scenery and the Huge Hyrule Castle in the background

Second Quest- Wind Waker- only because I havent played the LoZ second quest, and I like being able to play in Link's pajamas (I bought a sweatshirt with the pajama design :) )

Dungeons- Minish Cap- Though there weren't many dungeons, They all were very well designed with their own clever gimmicks to really give a better feel rather than just going through another dungeon

Sidequests- Majora's Mask- helping everyone out and getting rewarded for each quest is always good. Though I do like trading quests which this didn't have much of

Puzzles- Oracle of Ages- After my play sessions of this game, my brain would hurt everytime.

Best Sidekick- Twilight Princess- Midna is just so charming and humorous. Plus I think she has the most character development out of all the sidekicks

Sense of Epicness- I simply cannot choose one. Tie between A Link to the Past and Twilight Princess. Twilight Princess because you are always going somewhere new, and during the game you feel a sense of openness while also feeling so determined to get through the plot. I also like the whole idea of link going on this quest for personal reasons, but then discovering something much, much bigger. For A Link to the Past you (I atleast) have the constant feeling of yourself being the final hope to save Hyrule. The player should get this feeling in most of the games, but I got it the most in this one. Plus there are so many tough obstacles to finally get to Ganon. Not only did ALttP have the most dungeons of any zelda game, but they were also all very challenging

Best Method of Transport- TP + OoT/MM. You can't beat Epona

Nontraditional Method of Transport- Skyward Sword- As much as i like sailing, I will admit when you aren't in the exploring mood but want to get from point A to point B, it could get boring. So I like the flying method as it's freer than the sailing, thought it could've been spped up a bit more. Also something that i don't think many people point out, I loved the minecart (rollercoaster) traveling and the sailing in the Lanayru area

Difficulty- Adventure of Link- from when i've started it, i've played like 3 or 4 separate times and still cant get through the first dungeon

Replay Value- Minish Cap- Minish Cap is one of those games where you can just pick it up and go (i've beaten it in like 6 hours before). It is a rather casual Zelda game as it is fairly easy and fairly short, yet it is still a fantastic play and you can have a very satisfying time playing it without feeling like you're diving into another session of frustrating epic puzzles
 
Joined
Apr 12, 2011
Graphics: Wind Waker - The art style they chose leaves it aging well. For instance, Twilight Princess' graphics by today's standards seem lackluster. Wind Waker still seems bright and refreshing.

Controls- Ocarina Of Time - While SS does have great controls, there were some flaws. I really don't mind them at all, but Ocarina Of Time's seem almost perfect.

Story- Majora's Mask - It's not just a hero's tale like most Zelda games. It's about loneliness, how the Skull Kid was driven to such terrible things because he just wanted friends, etc.

Music- Skyward Sword seems to have the most mature soundtrack, in terms of its composition. I think it has good diversity, with a lot of unique and unusual choices of instruments, plus it does a great job of putting the player in the emotion of the game (See: the music when you follow Fi at night early in the game, as well as the music for the Sealed Temple)

Combat- Twilight Princess - The horseback combat, boss battles, etc. were all fantastic. The combat was more epic, like the horseback duel on the bridge of Eldin, not to mention the Dark Nuts were awesome.

Characters- Skyward Sword - They put the most effort in characters in this game, and they aren't all one dimensional. Zelda has more personality in this game than in TP or OoT, Link has a personality of being kind of lazy at first, etc.

Gimmick- Spirit Tracks - A lot of people didn't like blowing in the DS to play the spirit flute. I thought it was kind of cool.

Items- Twilight Princess - Although a lot of items are seldom used, there's just a ton of cool ones in this game.

Bosses- Twilight Princess by FAR. Some like Argorok (City In The Sky boss) has this epic Beowulf quality. I mean, clawshooting on a dragon's back, hundreds of feet up in the air, while in a thunderstorm, and then stabbing him repeatedly in the back while flying in the sky was awesome. Then I really like the horseback fight with Ganondorf.

Exploration- Twilight Princess - This is one area where I'm always disappointed with Zelda. I always feel like there could be so much more to explore with sidequests and minigames. I guess I choose TP because the overworld of hyrule is so huge.

Overworld- Twilight Princess - Definitely the best Hyrule, with beautiful scenery, and awesome overworld music.

Second Quest- Ocarina Of Time 3DS Master Quest: I've only just started this.

Dungeons- Skyward Sword by far. While SS doesn't have the most difficult dungeon, they aren't so headache inducing, and they're really just more about having fun. It's not like the Water Temple where I'm just getting frustrated the whole time. The dungeons in SS are enjoyable all the way through, plus they're very pretty. I will say that my favorite dungeon in all of Zelda is the Forest Temple in OoT. Great boss, great dungeon, great music, and it's a beautiful looking place. Especially on the 3DS.

Sidequests- Majora's Mask- Since almost half the game is sidequests, this one definitely wins it.

Puzzles- Spirit Tracks - The dungeons had great puzzles, as well as the puzzles with Zelda in the tower.

Best Sidekick- Twilight Princess - Midna had a really cool personality, and she wasn't annoying.

Sense of Epicness- Twilight Princess- Boss Battles, combat, cutscenes, final battles, Zant, etc. Skyward Sword had a better story imo, but it was more emotional and mysterious.

Best Method of Transport- Twilight Princess - Epona is the easiest and most fun to ride in this game. Plus you can actually have sword combat whilst riding.

Nontraditional Method of Transport- Majora's Mask - Those bunny ears made running from point a to b so much easier. Can't imagine playing without them.

Difficulty- Ocarina Of Time - Honestly, I know it's not that hard compared to the 2D zelda games like Zelda II or ALttP, but I just don't really care much for a ton of difficulty. I've never had a strong desire for that in Zelda.

Replay Value- Majora's Mask- Pretty much for the reasons in OP
 

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