Topic: Never played Zelda game before

Yeah, i never played a Zelda game before, but I want to. I was thinking about getting Ocarina of Time or Majora's Mask since those are apparently the best ones. Should I play them in a specific order or does it not matter?

@Pazmaz Out of those two, Ocarina of Time is the best game to start out with. You don't really need to play all the Zelda games in a particular order since they are basically their own thing. I also highly recommend A Link to the Past - that was the first Zelda game I played and got into, plus it's my favorite one.

Most Zelda games stand on their own, but a few are chronologically related in some way. Besides Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask (which are both excellent games btw), the following games are either directly or indirectly related in some way. I'll list them in chronological order:

The Wind Waker >> Phantom Hourglass >> Spirit Tracks
The Legend of Zelda >> Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
A Link to the Past >> A Link Between Worlds
Oracle of Seasons >> Oracle of Ages (These are companion games and can be played in any order. After completing one, you can play a "linked" game in the other, which will change some events/characters in the game.)

Link's Awakening may also be connected to either A Link to the Past and/or to the Oracle games, but there's still some debate on that; I'd go into more detail, but one of those interpretations involves an ending and, thus, spoilers.

My personal opinion if youve never played a zelda game is to play a link between worlds if you have the ability to play that. That to me is one of the easiest titles in the series and it's also the most enjoyable. Its possibly my favorite zelda game and favorite game in general. I truly think it's more user friendly than the two you listed.

Very hard to go wrong with Zelda. But Ocarina of Time is a true classic and a great introduction to the series, perhaps the holotype for 3D Zeldas (if there is such a thing). Majora’s Mask is also a great game, but it’s a direct sequel to Ocarina (both storyline wise and in terms of gameplay, as it’s run on the same game engine). It introduces some more difficult mechanics (most notably the 3 day cycle) and would be best played after you finish Ocarina. But fans of both games have compelling arguments as to which one is truly better, so you owe it to yourself to play both.

As far as 2D Zeldas (quite a different beast, and again some people prefer them to the 3D games), A Link to the Past and A Link Between Worlds are both masterpieces and fairly easy to get right now. Link’s Awakening is also available for dirt cheap on the 3DS, with a remastered version coming out on Switch this fall. Any of these could be considered a “typical” 2D Zelda and would be a good introduction to that sub-series. But again, you can’t really go wrong.

Also - with few exceptions, don’t worry about “playing them in order”. Sane people have long given up on the timeline thing.

imo Ocarina of Time is the best option because for mechanics, length and content, it is a middle ground. So you won't "waste time" in a very simple game, but you will not spoil yourself going for the more technically advanced games first (more beautiful ones, or ones with more polished mechanics).
Also it is really awesome to play it as your first Zelda game. It is the original experience Miyamoto wanted to create from the very beginning too.

Good starter games IMO:

-Link to the Past: still one of the best top-down Zeldas and prequel to upcoming remake Link's Awakening.
-Ocarina of Time. First 3D Zelda and holds up pretty well. Tons of references to this game in other games.
-Twilight Princess/Skyward Sword - both great games with good dungeon design (while not being too frustrating). Also earlier in the convoluted timeline.

Not the best Start Games IMO:
-Oracle of Ages/Seasons/Spirit Tracks/Phantom Hourglass/Minish Cap: A little different take on the top down formula. Not bad, but play Link to the Past, Link Between Worlds, and Link's Awakening first.
-Wind Waker- nothing wrong with this game per se, but Ocarina of Time should really be played first as there are a lot of references that'll go unnoticed.
-Majora's Mask- I'll try not to hate on this because it's still a good game (the subquests/atmosphere are really cool), but the tedious time mechanic and the two worst dungeons in the series IMO (Great Bay/Snow Fall Temples) could give the wrong impression of the series. Not everyone agrees with my opinion but keep in mind this IS the hipster game of the series.

Breath of the Wild can fit anywhere, but I'd play a few others first because it'll do one of two things: Spoil you with its interconnected world, or deter you because it's a bit of a departure from older games.

@Pazmaz Majora's Mask is AMAZING, but not only is it a direct sequel to Ocarina of Time, it's also a bit more out there in terms of the game design.

I'd recommend starting with A Link Between Worlds, honestly. The game design is more modern, the pacing is amazing, the difficulty balancing is great, and, with the 3D pumped up, it's a really beautiful looking game.

If you insist on starting with a 3D one, then The Wind Waker is a good place to start as well. It's a gorgeous and charming adventure, and one of the easier games in the series.

Ocarina of Time isn't a bad place to start, though. While it wasn't my first Zelda game (that'd be Link's Awakening), it is the first one I played from start to finish, and it'll give you a good feel for the classic 3D Zelda formula. It's also, of course, a classic game in its own right.

It doesn't really matter when you play Breath of the Wild, but keep in mind that it's radically different from other games in the series. Play it, by all means, and appreciate its beautiful open world and expertly crafted suite of systems, but keep in mind that it's not representative of the series in general.

I completely agree with this. I can't think of a better game to start with.

If you're new to Zelda the best way to start is with Zelda the Animated Series. It's by far the easiest entry because it doesn't involve any thinking at all. After finishing that you should play the cdi games, it makes the transition to videogames easier because of the quality cutscenes. Then if you're feeling ambitious try Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. It has side scrolling action almost as good as the cdi games. Everyone agrees side scrolling Zelda is the best. Hence why Super Smash Bros Every Link is Here (AKA Ultimate) is the best selling entry. The rest isn't really worth your time.