Last Monday marked the 35th Anniversary of Metroid's release in North America for the NES, and we celebrated by compiling our "origins" stories for the franchise. This time, it's The Legend of Zelda's turn, with the debut title also celebrating its 35th Anniversary in North America tomorrow (22nd August). It's kind of crazy to think that Metroid and The Legend of Zelda came out so close to one another!
The Legend of Zelda is arguably Nintendo's most important franchise, garnering critical acclaim amongst both media and the public for its vast scale, charming cast of characters, and awesome gear-based gameplay. Despite remaining consistently excellent for most of its lifetime, Nintendo gave the franchise an extra boost in 2017 with the launch of Breath of the Wild, undoubtedly one of the most influential games of the last decade - if not all time.
So a few members of the Nintendo Life team have put together how they were introduced to The Legend of Zelda, and we'd love to hear from you, too! What was your first game in the series? How did you find it? Give us all the deets!
Ollie Reynolds, Staff Writer
Having an older brother who was very much into Sega and PlayStation over Nintendo, I didn't get my hands on a home console from the Big N until the GameCube launched in 2002, so I unfortunately missed the likes of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask when they first came out.
The Wind Waker was undoubtedly my first Zelda game on a home console, but I actually played A Link to the Past beforehand via the GBA port, released just a few months prior to The Wind Waker. Honestly, it wasn't the best introduction to the series for me at the time. Although I've come to appreciate A Link to the Past a lot more in the years since, my first experience with the title was ladened with frustration, because I just wasn't used to that kind of game, and trying to work out where to go and what to do proved a bit too much for me. It didn't help, of course, that I tried playing it whilst on a school trip to Spain, so my concentration was severely tested at every turn.
If it weren't for The Wind Waker, I might not have touched the Zelda series ever again. Nevertheless, the art style and 3D world appealed to me greatly, and it's one of few GameCube games I actually managed to pick up on day one (by happy chance, I managed to grab the copy that came with Ocarina of Time and Master Quest on a bonus disc!). I fell in love with it and it's still one of my favourite entries in the franchise to this day, constantly battling it out for the number one spot with a certain game called Breath of the Wild.
Zion Grassl, Video Producer
My cousin will always fight me on this, but I swear the first time I ever donned a green tunic was in The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening on Nintendo’s first chunky handheld. I remember sitting in my Grandparents living room on their massively comfy couch, wrapped up in blankets watching my cousin Marcel waltz through Koholint in search of the Wind Fish instruments.
I was mesmerized by the world itself, the adventurous music, and the fact so much could happen on that tiny lemon-lime screen! I’m so thankful the game was eventually re-released on Game Boy Color with the DX version, as it was one of the first games I bought with my own money once I had a system of my own!
A fantastic first Zelda and a game I still find myself going back to time and time again.
Alana Hagues, Staff Writer
The Legend of Zelda has been one of the most constant video game presences in my life thanks to having an older brother who played a lot of video games growing up. Like a lot of ‘90s kids, Ocarina of Time was the starting point for me. I’d sit on the floor next to my brother and watch, all eagle-eyed as he strolled across the Hyrule fields and went head-first into dungeons.
But the first time I actually sat down and played it, I was with a friend. We were only about 6 years old, and I vividly remember walking around Kakariko Village as Link, happily bopping away to the music. Eventually, we had to make our way to the Deku Tree – what do you think of when people say Ocarina of Time Is scary? ReDeads? Likelikes? The Shadow Temple? Well, to me and my best friend, it was the Deku Tree. The minute the tree started talking, we screamed and turned the game off!
We got over our fears eventually and revisited the game – separately – in our own time. Well, it took me until the 3DS remake to actually beat the game, but that first viscerally scary moment piqued my interest in the series, and as a result, A Link to the Past and Breath of the Wild stand as two of my favourite Nintendo games ever.
Kate Gray, Staff Writer
I skipped out on the NES and SNES by being a literal baby, so my first Zelda was Ocarina of Time — and, like everyone else, I imagine, it was extremely formative for me. And not always in a good way...
I was pretty young, so most of the game-playing was done by my dad, who had the required motor skills to actually fight the monsters and navigate the world, but he would occasionally let me explore, too. I spent many hours roaming around Hyrule Field and Kakariko Village, memorising their layout and getting to know every single NPC like the back of my hand.
The parts I didn't like were the parts that had anything to do with Ganondorf. I hated Hyrule Castle Town, with all its horrible, screaming zombie husks. I didn't like any of the temples, which were all filled with things that would run at me and hit me. But most of all, I was terrified of Ganondorf's Castle — the huge tower, separated from the land by a lake of lava, set in this strange, desolate wasteland with nothing but the howling wind for company. For whatever reason, that wind sound alone gave me nightmares for years.
But despite the nightmares and my latent lifelong anxiety disorder being awakened by ReDeads, I kept crawling back to that N64 and trying to make peace with it... because I just couldn't get enough. I wanted more. I wanted a way to be able to stay in that world without fear. I wouldn't actually complete Ocarina of Time until wayyyyy later in life, when it came out on the 3DS (my dad may have had motor skills, but he's not actually good at games) and I'm somewhat glad to say that it's still a REALLY scary game. I was right all along to find it creepy! I'd even say it's creepier than Majora's Mask, because at least you know that's supposed to be scary...
Jim Norman, Staff Writer
Unlike my frankly embarrassing knowledge of Metroid last week, for me, Zelda is where my knowledge lies. I adore this franchise, and I mean adore.
Like most people, my introduction to the series came in the form of Ocarina of Time – a stupidly good first game and one which formed my life-long love. However (with everyone having an Ocarina story to tell) I want to briefly flag my experience with the first Zelda game I played enough to beat: The Minish Cap.
You would struggle to find two more different entries in the Zelda series than the iconic time travelling epic and the one where Link shrinks and wears a silly talking hat, however, it is the latter that provided my most formative gaming experience. I purchased my (definitely bootlegged) version from a dodgy second-hand shop, but with a non-corrupted save file it was a big win for me.
I distinctly remember the first time I shrank down in the Minish Woods and saw everything enlarged around me, how each location could be rediscovered from this smaller perspective, how much my heart leapt for joy when finally discovering the Roc’s Cape (seriously, jumping in a Zelda game is a privilege). It was the first franchise entry that I ever bought for myself, the first I ever beat and, depending on the mood I’m in when you ask me, my favourite game of all time.
Gavin Lane, Editor
It was N64 Magazine and its coverage of Zelda 64 that turned me on to the adventures of Link. Not The Adventure of Link – it would be a couple of decades before I was brave enough to tick Zelda II off my backlog. No, Ocarina of Time was the one.
And what an introduction! The traditional Zelda template fully realised in 3D before it began to feel a little stale through repetition. Following months of devouring details in the aforementioned mag of mags, the 98% that Jes Bickham awarded it in his epic review confirmed that, yes, I was right to have this game top of my list for Christmas ’98.
I specifically remember leaping around Kokiri Forest on Christmas morning watching the fairy dust float on the breeze, and the morning mist over Lake Hylia. Yes, I’ve written at length about all this before, but give me another blessed moment to reminisce…
Okay, I’m done. Yep, Ocarina. Good game, that.
Gemma Smith, Community Manager
The Legend of Zelda is such a special series to me. It all started one fateful day when my older sister decided to buy a copy of Ocarina of Time, I was only young so I'd never played a video game before.
Nothing will ever come close to the feeling of running into Hyrule Field for the first time, the sense of freedom and exploration was beyond belief. Every character, dungeon, side quest & boss just felt so memorable. The game had me in total awe the entire time. Six year old me even wrote my name on the front of my original cartridge, which I still have in my collection to this day!
Fast forward all these years later and The Legend of Zelda is still my favourite game series of all time. Zelda really opened my eyes to a whole new world of gaming, and I don't think I'd be the same person I am today without it!
Felix Sanchez, Video Producer
I was first introduced to The Legend of Zelda when I was 15 years old. I had just bought a Nintendo Switch initially just to play Mario Kart, but a friend of mine said that they had just released this new game that had crazy good reviews. So we both looked into it and decided to split the price 50/50 to get The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
I knew NOTHING about Zelda, and I remember specifically running around and thinking “what on earth are these shrines I have to find”, but I just couldn’t put it down. The game had so much to do in it and it was really easy to get lost completely in the game. Some evenings when I was playing in bed, I had to put the game down since the guardians were too scary. When I got my switch I remember I thought that I wasn’t going to get the BOTW since it just didn’t look like something to me, fast forward to now and it’s still my favourite game I’ve ever played.
Nothing tops the first play-through of riding across the massive Hyrule, and perhaps nothing ever will. I’m just grateful my friend convinced me to try the game out, and I can’t wait to embark on another amazing adventure when the sequel comes out.
Gonçalo Lopes, Reviewer
Excusing Super Mario Brothers Super Show aside, my proper introduction to the princess of Hyrule, the Hero of time, and the stronger version of Captain Falcon in Super Smash Bros. came in the form of my fifth Super Nintendo game.
It was the exciting year of 1992, all my mates were getting Mega Drives to replace their Commodore Amigas but I held out a little longer to grab that life changing PAL SNES. Chrismas was upon us and my best childhood friend also wanted a SNES but did not have the cash for the system. Instead he bought two games to play on mine. We played TMNT IV Turtles in Time exhaustion while eagerly awaiting Street Fighter II to arrive.
The other game however was something neither of us had ever encounter before: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. The concept of “action rpg” was alien to us during our times with the ZX Spectrum and Commodore Amiga. We were mesmerized as Hyrule just kept expanding day after day. After three puzzle-riddled dungeons we faced the Wizard Agahnim to conclude our quest, but alas… we ended up in the Dark World turned into a bunny instead (yeah, we forgot to get the pearl from the third dungeon) with five new dungeons on the map.
There was nothing like Link to the Past on the Amiga or Mega Drive, as far as value for money went. I spent over a month grabbing every heart piece and uncovering any hint of secrets within that version of Hyrule. Growing up along with this series has been an amazing experience and I cherish memories of every entry in the series since (CDi!? Never heard of it). My mate never did end getting a SNES so I traded him both games for my Amiga external DF1 disk drive few months later. A fair trade price wise at the time, but three decades later I’m quite certain I got the better end of that deal… but at least the memories we shared over the game are priceless.
So there you have it! We hope you've enjoyed this little peek into how each of us was introduced to the Legend of Zelda franchise.
Anyway, now we want to know how you were introduced. Cast your vote in the poll below and let us know which game you played first, then give us a bit of context with a comment!
- Further reading: Best Zelda Games Of All Time
Comments 186
Twilight Princess on the Wii! I've loved video games and Zelda ever since!
Link Between Worlds for me, christmas 2013. Still the best one.
Toss up between Wind Waker and Ocarina of Time. Got that 2 disc thingy so not sure which one I tried first.
Twilight Princess was my first Zelda! I was spending the summer at a friend's house when I first got introduced to Zelda and we ended up playing it all week long. As an 11 year old, it was the coolest game ever! As a fully grown adult, it's still one of the coolest games ever!
In retrospect, my first introduction to most Nintendo series and characters was Super Smash Bros which should be an option on the poll.
Ocarina of Time on the N64 was my very first Zelda game
Mine was technically A Link to the Past, but I didn’t really play it, just saw parts of it, and maybe controlled Link myself a few minutes.
My first proper Zelda was Ocarina of Time.
I'm old so A Link to the Past is my answer. It was packed in with the SNES and blew my mind. I do remember thinking it was too easy at the time.
Link's Awakening on GB. Never liked it much, though. I didn't actually play a 3D one until OoT 3D in 2011.
My first one was actually Spirit Tracks. It still holds a special place in my heart, and is one of my personal favourites. I haven’t played many Zelda games, but I’d say I had a better time playing Spirit Tracks than OoT or BotW. I still haven’t actually beaten any of them though
I bought BOTW on a whim in late March 2017 and sold the game in October 2021 as the game didn't even clicked on me.
I played the game for several minutes and I felt disappointed immediately.
It was the first Zelda game I bought and also the first Switch game I sold.
How ironic, eh?
The game might be good for other peoples but it was definitely not for me.
reading these comments makes me feel old lol. my first memory of Zelda was going by my cousin's house and playing the Adventures of link. I was too young to have any idea what i was doing. I was maybe 4 or 5. the game that got me hooked was Link to the Past.
The legend of Zelda on the NES was the first. Zelda 2 was the first I completed.
@nintendolife seem to be missing the game & watch 1989
A Link to the Past……
Man, this article makes me feel old.
@Axecon
nah, smash isn't part of the Zelda franchise.
I played the first game on the NES and it has been a joy to see the game help evolve gaming and gaming help evolve the game. Blessed to have been born when I was to be honest. Gaming has always been fab.
The very first The Legend of Zelda game for the NES.
Mine was Breath of the Wild, then I played Majora’s Mask soon after
Ocarina of Time was my first Zelda game. It sucked hard so it took a while before I attempted another Zelda game again.
Current favorite is Breath of the Wild, followed by The Minish Cap.
NintendoLife is just secretly trying to collect everyone's age. 🧐
Got the original on NES in 1993 I think, the value pack version. Then got Link's Awakening DX, and then Wind Waker. Also rented OoT, but I couldn't get past the Great Deku Tree as a kid, so that doesn't count lol
Ocarina 3D. There is absolutely no reason it couldn't have been any of the other Zelda titles, I just waited years to try them I suppose. Man, was I blown away. Even after hearing the game was #1 on some Best Games of All Time lists, it still did not disappoint.
@GrailUK Same. It's extraordinary to see Zelda transform into what it is today.
I played a teeny bit of the original when I was 4-5yrs old and vaguely remember. Mostly because I was playing on my cousins save file and blowing through his rupees with arrows lol. I got yelled at and never touched it again.
Then I played a bunch of OoT when I was about 10 or so, but never did much of the actual quest, just explored the world, gathered items, did some fishing, and rode around on horseback. It was such a beautiful game at the time. I had no idea what I was doing, but I enjoyed it.
For me, it was BotW. I quickly grabbed a few older Zelda games to be fair. I've played through Ocarina on 3DS, a bit of Windwaker via the local Museum of Computers having a playable Gamecube. I've gotten all the ones available on Switch of course.
First Zelda game I ever played was Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. I was playing it at my friend's house on the NES and didn't think much of it. Years later when I had my own N64 i tried Ocarina of Time and absolutely loved it. Then I followed up with Majora's Mask and have been buying pretty much all the Zelda games ever since.
I know I played Ocarina of Time as my first. It's pretty vague but I swear I remember playing it and being blown away by it at my mom's friend's house.
The original, The Legend of Zelda, for me.
I even remember those rad 80's commercials lol.
Ocarina of Time on the N64. One of my favorite Zelda games ever. My Dad pulled out and dusted off his ol' 64 when I was 6, and the rest is history.
Started with the greatest of all : Ocarina of Time.
To this day I still remember the music from several temples and the songs played on the Ocarina.
It would be amazing to have a remake of it!
Link to the past
@Anti-Matter Same as me. People have weird reactions when you say you don't like it just because it's popular. Everyone expects you to like it. I didn't mind some parts of it but the constant weapon and shield breaking and the huge open world being completely empty was the final straw for me.
@Gtask025 Maybe not directly but you can't understate how important it has been to introducing more people to more franchises.
Oracle of ages was my first Zelda game, still the best. I really don’t like that so many people clump it together with the inferior oracle of seasons (such as the poll in this article).
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past on SNES Classic Mini. It was a few years ago.
A Link to the Past.
I was around 3 or 4 (so it was around '95-96) when my dad bought it for us when he was working in Germany. It was in German. Which did not really matter that much, as I could not read in any language yet. But my mom was playing it more at that time, and she didn't know German either. It was still so intriguing and wonderful. Both me and my mom have been in love with the franchise since then, and we both played though all the games.
My first game ever was Super Mario 64, I was terrible at it, but then I tried Ocarina of Time, wasn't good at it either but I've loved video games ever since.
Owned about 4 or 5 over the years. I'm not a "storyline" player, and get bored far too easily, especially when button-mashing the Skip button. Just absolutely zero patience.
BOTW is about the only one I've enjoyed properly, but not as a Zelda game.. more as an aimless wandering game.
I like that bit.
Gimme more of that!!!!
For me it was probably OoT, and it was my first N64 game so you can imagine that my mind was blown at the time.
I remember my dad mentioning that you can actually hear the footsteps of the characters in the game which at the time was not too common.
The very first time I saw and played a Zelda game it was the original Legend of Zelda on NES. I was 5 when it released but didn't come across the game until I was about 7 or 8 and an older kid across the street from us had it. Didn't play a lot of it, but it was a very clear memory.
The Zelda game I consider to be my first true forray into the series was A Link to the Past. We would rent an SNES from our local video rental store for mine and my brother's birthdays and ALTTP was one that always grabbed my attention thanks to my earlier exposure to the original, and it was the game that made 10 year old me decide to save every penny from my paper route, bottle returns from bottles we collected from local construction sites, birthday/Christmas money, and bought my own SNES. And I didn't get the bundle that came with Super Mario World for quite a bit cheaper than buying the core system plus a game, I saved for an extra length of time so I could get the system by itself and ALTTP as, while it was more expensive than the SMW bundle, it was still cheaper than getting the bundle PLUS another game. All I cared about right then and there was playing ALTTP in full, on my own SNES, and it is STILL my all-time favourite video game.
A Link Between Worlds, which was also the first 1 I finished. I haven't really finished it properly, because I am a coward and was always scared of Skull Woods.
Zelda 2, and the vibe in that game is still my favourite feeling ever.
ahaha my first was Four Swords Anniversary Edition on the 3ds, since played every other mainline zelda game
The Legend of Zelda Collectors Edition for GameCube, this was my first introduction to the series and while I never made it far in the games it made me more aware of the series then I would Oot 3D and beat one dungeon and Botw is what really got me into the series.
The original Zelda on the NES. Still remember sitting in my childhood living room playing it.
Although I am old (44), I was primeraly a home computer/PC gamer during my youth. I disovered Nintendo during the late Gamecube life, which I bought to play Resident Evil 4! First Zelda game for me was Wind Waker, which blew me away! Then I worked my way to Zeldas old and new.
Ocarina of Time. It was also one of my first games ever alongside Super Mario 64 and Pokémon Blue. I got lost for way too long in Inside the Deku Tree. I totally didn't know you had to jump down and cut the spider web.
The original Zelda on NES connected to a 13 inch color TV in my bedroom. Good times growing up in the 80s!
The very first Legend Of Zelda on the NES. I'll never forget my best friend at the time ran over to my house to tell me about this new game he had just got called The Legend Of Zelda. It sounded amazing. We went back over to his house, and the next thing I know, we spent the whole summer playing it and a few other incredible games.
Cool side story: My brother and my Dad's best friend were also playing it and drew out by hand, and then transferred and printed out the entire map using a dot matrix printer. It covered a wall!
It was A Link to the Past for me. How I got to play it was actually with that SNES model 2 bundle from the late 90s. Kinda weird, I know. I liked it, of course, though I didn't make too much progress in it as a kid - the furthest I made it back then was the second dungeon, if I recall correctly. I have finished it now though, and I play through it every now and then, since it's such a good game - I'd say ALttP is my favorite Zelda game overall!
I actually didn't really get into Zelda until years later, surprisingly enough - around the early 2010s. Fun fact about me - Wind Waker HD was the first Zelda game that I finished.
@jorel262 They were the greatest times!!
legend of zelda in the 1980's
The first Zelda game I played was either the original or Wind Waker, both of which I thought were cool, but not cool enough that I needed to play more. The first one I owned was Twilight Princess, which I played a decent amount of before stopping at the desert dungeon, because 10-year-old me was not emotionally prepared for that. The first one I finished was Skyward Sword, which is still my favorite despite going back and finishing half the series since then. That game's only flaw is its less interconnected overworld, and I will fight anyone on anything else.
3DS was the first system I owned, so that was the first time I finished OOT, but I play a bit of it on the N64 at a friend's house. I remember seeing LTTP before, but I don't think I played it then
What, no CDI games in the list?
I was 7 when the original Zelda came out. Although I don't remember if I got it in 1987 or 1988. The gold box and cartridge were a BIG deal at the time. It really told you that this game was no ordinary game. It was special. And it definitely stood up to that reputation. I hadn't played anything like it at the time. The sense of exploration was incredible, trying to find all that was hidden in this new world. I don't think the series managed to capture that same sense of exploration again until Breath of the Wild.
Wind Waker HD. I went on to try a lot of other zelda games but besides Botw they all fell short of greatness pretty swiftly. Didn’t even manage to drag myself to the ending most of the time.
Now the 2D zeldas, those I always managed to vibe with just fine, even if I don’t hold them in such high regard either as most of the gaming community seems to.
I believe it was Ocarina of Time
The Wind Waker back on GameCube, I never finished it but I really enjoyed what I played. Would like to try it again some day.
I started to get properly into Zelda on the 3ds however with Majora’s Mask and a link between worlds (which I also didn’t finish) and then the switch is where it became a series I truly loved thanks to BOTW, Links Awakening, Age of Calamity and Skyward Sword HD (all of which I’ve finished!)
It was almost the original Zelda but it ended up being LoZ2 AoL as the first for me
My first was The Wind Waker, I bought my GameCube (special Wind Waker edtion) and it came with the game. Including the bonus disc.
Zelda II. It’s basically the game that got me into RPGs as well. I loved that you could visit towns and stuff, which I hadn’t seen in any previous game I played.
NL staff's earliest Zelda is Ocarina? My first Zelda game was the first one. Wow, thanks for making me feel old, NL. lol
My first Zelda that I played was OoT, but I was a frustrated, hotheaded middle schooler who gave up after Volvagia. I didn’t beat it until this very year on 3DS.
The first Zelda I beat was Link’s Awakening DX in 2014. That one had its hard parts, but I enjoyed it.
That’s be A Link to the Past.
My first Zelda was Twilight Princess on Wii as a 6 year old. All i did was get hopelessly lost...
Ok again this weekend I’m reminded how old I am.
LoZ on the NES was my first, and maybe still my favorite. At the time, it was the best home video game I had ever played, and opened my eyes - maybe my first glimpse that maybe, just maybe, arcade cabinets were not the ultimate evolution of games.
I haven’t played all the Zelda games, but I’ve enjoyed each one I have. I’m looking forward to BoTW2. 🤩
My first Zelda was Links Awakening. To this day it is my favourite Zelda experience together with Wind Waker and A Link to the Past. The dungeons are great and I love the atmosphere. The remake for the Switch is great too, aside from the framerate.
I bought an ocarina and learned to play the ballad of the windfish.
I love that song so much. And I really hope the franchise returns to the old magic. Breath Of The Wild is kinda cold.
Thank god there's a decent number of folks that voted for the 1st NES game, I was starting to feel old after reading how most editors started at OoT. I played it when I was like 3 and cried every time I died, which was every two seconds hahaha
OoT was when I truly fell in love with the series though.
I had a N64 back in 1998 and a friend of mine insisted on renting the new Zelda for a weekend because he loved Link's Awakening on Gameboy, I didn't even know the name of the series, I had a N64 only for Goldeneye and had played MK64 and Mario 64 and nothing else on it until then! The first I bought was Windwaker though (because I wanted the bonus Ocarina Of Time disc because I hadn't got it for N64 and couldn't find it anymore!)
It is funny 'cause I played a few of the older 'Legend of Zelda' games like 'A Link to the Past', 'Ocarina In Time' and 'Wind Waker' and thought they were okay but I was never a big fan of the series and always liked the Mario, Kirby, Pokemon, Donkey Kong Country. Banjo Kazooie and Metroid games on Nintendo more but then I got 'Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild' on Switch and it become one of my favorite games of all time and I have been playing the game on and off for the past four years and nearly completed all the side missions and explored everything there is to explore but I haven't finished it 'cause I heard if you do you lose all your progress and it goes back to the beginning and I am not sure if I want to do that. 😄 It took me three years just to get the courage to finally kill a Lynel without using an Ancient Arrow. I have watched the ending on You Tube so I know how it ends and I finished 'Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity' though and loved that and think I will just move on to the sequel and not finish it so I can go back to it every now and then.
I'm probably one of the oldest folks here... the first Zelda was my first; I was around 8-10 when I first played and beat it. I was so proud of myself when I randomly decided to try shooting Ganon with the arrow I found in Level 9 after failing to defeat him so many times. No one believed I did it at the time because none of my friends or family could figure out how to do it.
I was in love with the series since...although Wind Waker and Skyward Sword were kind of hard for me to love, Twilight Princess was a gem and BoTW made me fall in love with the sense of wonder and adventure the original had all over again.
When did NintendoLife staff started getting younger? Ocarina of Time? 15 years old when they got BotW?!
Zelda 2 was my first.
🗳I voted TLOZ on NES but didn't like the Game.
Minish Cap on GBA, That my first time I played and beated LOZ title. The art style and the gimmick on that game piqued my interest
OG, baby! First game I ever beat. I was either four or five when I beat it. My parents had a very cool old school game guide that helped, especially the dungeon maps. Such a timeless game.
My first game was the first game, on NES, around 1989 or 1990. We were at Hills (rip) looking for a game, and that golden cartridge totally caught my eye. The whole family fell in love with it (aside from Mom, who didn't play video games).
@mrMike I still can't believe this is a real commercial. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI3rO3PbYOo
You’re all old.
Although I knew of Zelda from the hilariously bad 80s cartoon (‘well excuuuuuuse me, Princess!’) and playing the odd bit of the original game on a friend’s NES and another friend’s copy of the old Zelda Game & Watch, my first Zelda game was Ocarina of Time, leant to me by someone from school. I was hooked! It was only many years later having played through most of the older games that I realised how much Zelda lore in built into the game but to me it all felt 100% new at the time. I eventually bought my own copy and gave played it through multiple times since.
Funnily enough the very first (and only game) I have ever pre-ordered was Majora’s Mask back in 2000 from an up and coming website called Amazon…
Mine was BOTW. Heard my friends liked it, so I decided to give it a shot. I then subsequently bought Skyward Sword HD.
Nobody over 35 on the NL staff, I see.
Legend of Zelda for me.
I'm pretty sure it was the 1st game but I was young so I didn't exactly make a lot of progress in that confusing over world lol. But I loved it anyway and it ended up one of my favorite series of all time and still is. I'm hoping they fix everything that made BotW so disappointing with the sequel as that's seemingly the only Zelda to look forward to within the next decade
Links awakening on the switch.that game will always have a special spot in my heart for introducing me to my favorite game series.
Ocarina of Time, I was 8, but I completely loved the game. I was already a gamer, but I fell in love with videogames because of Ocarina of Time. Played it multiple times, can't seem to get over it, since I now play it with my children. They started with BotW, and that one has beat OoT to become the best game of all time. No complaints with that change, but Ocarina still remains magical to this day.
Link to the Past. My now-wife introduced me to it on her SNES. My buddies and I had a Genesis. We played that and Super Mario 64 (she had that one, too). Then came OoT. I was pretty doubtful, but “Give it some time,” she said. I’ve played it at least 30 times since.
My wife is the coolest.
Twilight Princess was my first Zelda game, which is very late for me because I’ve played games since I was little with the SNES. I sadly missed out on Ocarina of Time because my big sister was intimidated by a tech demo and didn’t get the game. While I never beat Twilight Princess and only watched a relative do so, I was impressed, and later tried dabbling into older Zelda games like A Link to the Past on Wii Virtual Console. However, I still really didn’t get into the series because while I’ve liked the look and feel of the fantasy/adventure, I’ve always been intimidated by the dungeons and the puzzles that seem to always stump me unless I have a guide.
Ocarina of Time 3D on 3DS was the first Zelda game I actually beat. As I’ve grown up and become a better player in general, I’ve played more Zelda and have beaten more recent games like Breath of the Wild, Link’s Awakening for Switch, and Skyward Sword HD. I still hope that I can become more of a player in the future, if not a fan!
@Asaki LMAO, you just made my day.
That's the One. Nice Find 💯
My Zelda story is very interesting. Strictly speaking, my first Zelda experience ever was Phantom Hourglass on my mum’s DS. I remember not knowing what the heck was going on. I only played it because I was going on holiday and I needed something for the long journey (this was before I got a 3DS). I got to through the first dungeon but got stuck on the second section of the Temple of the Ocean King. A few years later, my interest in the series grew again after I found a copy of Twilight Princess for the family Wii. Unfortunately, my patience as a 7 year old couldn’t last through the stupidly long tutorial section, and although I managed to get through, I am ashamed to say that the puzzles in the Forest Temple were too hard for me, and I never finished it, and I was also confused about why I had to shake my controller to swing my sword. I’ve always disliked motion controls after I gave myself a nosebleed after being a little too enthusiastic with my shaking in Mario Galaxy 2. This trend of getting bored early on continued. I got stuck in the Forsaken Fortress in the Wind Waker (I still think that stealth section is really stupid), I couldn’t find the Kokiri Sword in Ocarina of Time, I gave up in the original Legend of Zelda after 10 minutes. Then, as a reward for a good school report, in 2019, my dad bought my Breath of the Wild. I fell in love with it as soon as I stepped out of the Shrine of Resurection. It was the first Zelda game I finished, and I’ve loved the series ever since. I even went back and beat all the games that I disliked in the past (except the original, still can’t get through that).
The original Legend of Zelda on NES when I was 6 years old. Even though there are objectively better Zelda games, it was still my favorite until Breath of the Wild. Now get off my lawn, you darn whippersnappers!
Even after 30 years, A Link To The Past is still right up there on my Mount Rushmore of games. The SNES had some absolutely stone cold belters on it - Super Metroid, Yoshi’s Island, Final Fantasy VI - but Zelda III still kicks them all up in the air. It’s got a simplicity you see so rarely in games as it is, but it’s only once you’ve been drawn in by that and begin to push past it when an incredible depth of play is revealed.
Imagine if the first game you played was one of the CD-i games. You would never believe a hyped up game ever again. I did enjoy those games though, not sure why, but I played everything that had something to do with Zelda back in those days and loved it. I even still have the CD-i games even though the console doesn't work anymore.
For me it’s ocarina of time that made me love this franchise the games before it I have never finished them .
Wind waker. Me and my brother bought the european limited edition that included ocarina of time.
I enjoyed ocarina as well but not even close to wind waker, which is still my favorite. Just beat another randomizer run a few days ago.
Until breath of the wild i never played anything that made me feel like an adventurer like wind waker did
I was lucky enough to have OOT as my intro to Zelda, and even luckier to follow that with Majoras Mask, an ever so slightly better game
A Link to the Past forever!
Link to the past. Still the best zelda ever
Zelda II was my first. I was at an older boy's house and his friends were taking about Punch-Out!! I was young enough not to know what any of these games were about, and I pointed to the Zelda II cart, thinking it was Punch-Out!! I died on the first random encounter, confused as to what was happening.
My first game was Zelda 1, but not in the sense that I played it when it came out, but rather in the sense that I played it on Nintendo Switch Online. BotW is the first Zelda game I bought and truly loved.
Link to the Past. Got it for my 9th birthday (snes bundle) and found it too hard/hated it. Ended up in the hospital/home bound for a year and some change a few months later. Needed something to do aside from feel sorry for myself and catch up on school work. Tried again. Hated it but had nothing else to do since I wasn’t physically able to read for long. (Switched to video games as my main hobby because it didn’t require a lot of eye movement) Tried again. Somehow it clicked but was still hard (as I hadn’t played games with environment puzzles until then) and became my personal goal to beat. As I gained stamina to play longer I started to understand the Zelda Logic. 396 deaths and 3 years later I beat it and my mom baked me a cake to celebrate. Been a Zelda fan ever since. Usually play once a year to laugh at that death count.
Unlike most Nintendo series I first was introduced to on GB/NES/SNES, Zelda is one of two series I missed out on until the N64 (the other being Star Fox). I didn't get to choose games back then, so I just played whatever my grandfather bought. It was only when my father bought an N64 with Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Wave Race, and Mario Kart 64 that I finally got some Zelda in my gaming diet. We never managed to clear it before he passed away, and it wouldn't be until the collector's edition released as a bonus disc for pre-ordering wind waker that I beat it.
Although, there's a small chance I'm misremembering and I played Link's Awakening DX first? My mom got that for her Gameboy at around the same time, but I am nearly certain I didn't ask to try it until I'd gotten a taste of Ocarina of Time. Either way, I was definitely introduced into 2D/3D Zelda nigh simultaneously.
Link's Awakening, the first one on the GameBoy. But Ocarina of Time is the first Zelda which i totally finished.
Ocarina of Time. The world still blows me away
@Matl Fantastic game, but I weirdly always forget about it, despite the fact that when I don't, I'd put it in my top 5 LoZ games. My first one, my first game even, was Link's Awakening on on my older brother's Game Brick. I hardly knew what I was doing (the game was English but it's not my native language, I did learn some English from it though, and soon after learning some more basic English, I beat the game), but with some guidance I beat the first dungeon, and after that I just took walks in the "dangerous forest" with the chain chomp and fighting the sword weilding enemy and visiting the fairy and playing the game with the grabby arm thing, which is hardly any challenge once you know its timing - which was matched in the remake.
@mrMike
🎶 It's The Legend of Zelda and it's really rad! Those creatures from Ganon are pretty bad! 🎶
First one I played was A Link to the Past, which I played at a friend’s house. but the first one I really got into and completed was Ocarina. After I fell in love with that game I went back, purchased my own copy of LttP and finished that game. It has been my favorite franchise ever since. I consider the gameplay loop established in those two games to be basically perfect.
First one was technically Ocarina of Time which I got day one for my N64. I didn't enjoy it and despite repeated attempts never got much beyond an hour in. It put me off the series for a long time.
However I got the Links Awakening remake free with my Switch Lite. And I loved it, blasted through it in a few days. It's one of my favourite games on Switch. So I'm more inclined to say it was my first proper introduction to the series.
Wind Waker being that the Gamecube was the first home console that I owned.
Accidentally hit Wind Waker. Link to the Past was my first Zelda game on the SNES, didn't get very far into it but loved it. Wind Waker took over my life when it came out. The play mechanics, the ideas, the clever touches, the fact it made so many gamers wet the bed over it before it came out made it that much more enjoyable.
Ocarina of Time. All the NES and SNES Zeldas were constantly rented out back in those days, and my parents never bought games unless they were flea market finds. We got an N64 for Christmas the 2bd year it came out though, and made sure to waste all our birthday and Christmas money on new games. =D
My first was the original on NES. I still go back to it for the occasional playthrough. Zelda is still one of my favorite series.
If you don’t own an original gold NES copy….consider yourself late to the party!
The original game… but the first one I actually successfully played through was OoT.
Zelda II, was my first Zelda game, and I finished it. My best friend had the first game and we played it a lot. He couldn't get used to Zelda II though. I don't blame him.
The OG was my first one. ALTTP is my favorite though. Such a perfect game.
my first Zelda game was actually Hyrule Warriors on the Wii U
My first was OG Zelda. I was 4, and it was 1996. My dad's closest friend gave me his NES, and that started a lifetime with video games.
As for a Zelda game I'd plug, though, it's Wind Waker. It was the first Zelda game that gave Ganondorf a sympathetic character. There really aren't a lot of people out there that are totally evil. So having a villain that could be related to was a step in the right direction for the Zelda series.
The Legend of Zelda. I can still beat it in one sitting.
Link's Awakening on Gameboy, played it in German, didn't understand a thing, and quickly dropped it. Years later got the DX version and to this day it is the only Zelda game that I played from start to finish.
@Olliemar28
I believe Alana intends to say “Kokiri Forest” rather than “Kakariko Village”
Not criticizing just pointing out what may be a mistake 😃
Link’s awakening for me. The first console / handheld I bought for myself was a red gameboy pocket, with pokemon blue. A friend of mine bought another gb pocket and pokemon red. After a few months he got another game for his birthday and after he beat it he said that I had to give it a go. So we traded pokemon blue and link’s awakening for a week, he caught all pokemon he did not have yet in his red version, I played link’s awakening non-stop. Loved it and was instantly hooked. The ending still grabs me.
I actually bought a complete-in-box copy of the game three months ago to finish my nintendo retro collection. Felt amazing to finally own the game myself (next to owning the remake, the virtual console version on the 3ds and the version in the game and watch).
I received LoZ on NES way back in the long long ago for my birthday. It was still the eighties so I couldn’t have been more than four years old. I’ve played it start to finish more times than any other game, by far.
It was the first NES Zelda for me. This was my 3rd NES game I ever owned, so Zelda as a genre was completely new. It was enthralling how much freedom you had, and the tension of surviving got my heart racing. The puzzles, bosses, and secrets gave me so many memories. Special... Simply magical for its time.
Ocarina of Time (N64) Christmas 1998. The graphics, and vastness of the world were amazing as a 7 year old. I remember playing it on a CRT TV with my older brother and Dad. Took me months to beat it but kept going back to it. I doubt anything will ever beat the greatness of Ocarina of Time in terms of the huge gap in overall quality and impact between it and other games released at the time. Although, from my memory, the original pokemon games come close.
@Beep_Beep
🎶Octoroks, Tektites, and Leevers too!
But with your help our hero pulls through!
Yeah, Go Link!
Yeah, Get Zelda!
Wikki Wikki Wick!🎶
The original Legend of Zelda. My friend had it on his NES. He had an NES and I had a SEGA Master System. We ended up swapping systems and games for about a month. Somehow we ended up finishing the whole game without any guides or help. I don't think I could do that now though.
Link to the Past. Back in the olden days of game rentals, I rented it for a couple days. Obviously I loved it and had to buy a copy. Still one of my favourite games ever.
The Legend of Zelda for me. My cousins and I would sit in his room for hours playing it that first summer it released into the fall.
Twilight Princess on the Wii. Ironically, it took me two tries to get into it; I got so hopelessly turned around in the first dungeon that I put the game down for some time. XD What convinced me to try it again was my amazing experience with Okami; while the game has its own identity, it did borrow some elements from the Zelda series. Something clicked the second time through, and Zelda has been my favorite video game series since. To date, I've played/beaten all the main series Zelda games except Four Swords Adventures on the GameCube.
In a nutshell, two things are responsible for my Legend of Zelda love: Okami and the fact that I love wolves.
My first Zelda game was the first Zelda game. As in, The Legend of Zelda for the NES. It was the second or third game that I ever played in my whole life.
I still have the cartridge to this day, along with the game manual, and hand-drawn maps for Level 9 (both the First and Second Quest) and I think the overworld, as well.
I’m fortunate to have two older brothers so I grew up watching them play Ocarina of Time. I eventually watched my one brother play Wind Waker as well.
The first Zelda game I played through myself was Wind Waker. Loved it so much that I went back and played Ocarina. They’re two of my favorite games to this day.
My first experience was Zelda and Zelda II on the NES at my neighbor’s house. I was around 5 and had no clue what I was doing so I always thought I hated Zelda. So much so that a few years later when I saw A Link to the Past I had no desire to play it. That all changed when I saw an article in Nintendo Power for Ocarina of Time. You knew right away that game was going to be special. I got it pre-ordered at midnight (bless my mom for driving me to the video game store at that hour…) and was immediately blown away. My only regret is that because Zelda and Zelda II were so hard for me as a 5 year old I was completely intimidated and assumed I’d be terrible at Ocarina of Time so I bought and played it with a strategy guide. REALLY wish I would have tried to give it a go on my own. So technically Zelda was my first introduction but I selected Ocarina of Time because that is the first game that caused Zelda to be my favorite game franchise.
Similar to Ollie, the first Zelda I played was technically the GBA version of A Link to the Past, but I didn't get very far and sorta forgot all about it. It wasn't until I played Ocarina of Time 3D several years later--after my cousin recommended it--that I actually became invested in the series and saw a Zelda game through to the end. I absolutely loved OoT and immediately wanted to experience other games in the franchise.
I think Twilight Princess was the next one I played. After playing all the other 3D Zeldas, I had a very hard time going back to OoT, as I felt they all significantly improved on the formula established by that game. However, NSO was my first opportunity to play through the N64 version of the game, which gave me a newfound appreciation for how ahead of its time that game was.
My favorite Zelda game has to be Wind Waker, though, which I experienced via the Wii U remake. I actually won that game for free in an official Nintendo contest called "Why I Love My Wii U" on their Facebook page. You had to make a video submission, and although my video was pretty crappy, Nintendo selected 5 winners and there were only 12 entries. So, I had almost a 50/50 chance, lol. I guess that just goes to show how badly the Wii U was struggling--when only 12 people could be bothered to enter for a chance to win a free $60 game.
I would've been around 12 years old when I first got into the Zelda franchise, and I wished I had played it sooner. I was always vaguely familiar with Link from playing Melee when I was 6 and Brawl when I was 8. I'm honestly kind of thankful the 3DS had such a slow first year, because if there had been like a new 3D Mario at launch, I probably never would have given Zelda a chance.
Mario will still always be my favorite gaming franchise, but Zelda is unquestionably a masterpiece. Nintendo puts so much love and care into each title despite it never quite reaching Mario levels of sales until Breath of the Wild. When Mario sells poorly, the devs start to rethink their approach--how do we make the game more accessible, more casual? But with Zelda, I feel like Nintendo doesn't even pay attention to the sales numbers, they just keep making the games they feel inspired to make because they come from a place of passion. I just think that's really special. Mario may be the company mascot, but in some ways, I feel that Zelda embodies the spirit of Nintendo better than any franchise.
My first Zelda game was Phantom Hourglass and is the only Zelda game I've beaten multiple times. It also is my favorite Zelda game. The Nintendo DS was the launching point for me branching out into more of Nintendo's franchises outside of Mario, Kirby and Pokemon. There was no hype really going into PH for me, I saw it at GameStop, knew I loved the DS, heard great things about the Zelda franchise and so asked my dad to purchase the game for me (or had gift money saved up at the time, I don't remember). I absolutely love just how much the Zelda team got out of the DS's features for Phantom Hourglass.
My first Zelda game was Four Swords 25th Anniversary Edition on my DSi XL and it would’ve been my last if my friend had not seen me playing it that New Years. On my birthday he gave me a copy of Hyrule Historia and the rest, as they say, is history (pun intended).
I love listening to people talking about their first in the series. Thanks for sharing your happy memories guys.
Barring the Zelda and Captain N cartoons, my first was The Legend of Zelda, my mom brought it home one day and I was mesmerized and a little intimidated by this big, wide open world that I got to explore. The original is still one of my all-time favorites to this day, and I have owned it several times.
OoT my first remember the the day i played it a mate lent it me forgot to give it back i did get my own eventually before that i loved 2D mario games Nintendo needs to do more Mario i dunno introduce DK in 2D worlds budget titles
I know what ur doing trying to get me hyped for BotW2 my hearts set in stone. Never had a Zelda before that but now done all mainline Zelda games. Time was the beginning!
@arnold337 hint
Just messing around at a friend's house? Link to the Past. Actually playing through myself? Link's Awakening.
My very first game was Link's Awakening DX on the Game Boy Color. I only got it by chance because my parents bought me a random Sam's Club bundle that came with a Purple Game Boy Color, Pokemon Yellow Version and Link's Awakening DX for my birthday when I was in 5th grade. I instantly fell in love with it.
For me, it was Ocarina of Time, though my introduction to it wasn't by me playing it from the start, but from watching a friend re-play the final boss battles against Ganondorf/Ganon. Not the most orthodox method, but it worked, as I've been a fan pretty much ever since.
Ocarina of time
My first was the first ... the NES debut. I still recall at one point, shouting to anyone within earshot, "This game never stops being awesome!"
A link to the past for me, the best Zelda ever and the second best video game of all time just below Super Metroid
The original NES game was my first one back in the 80's.
A Link to the Past was my first Zelda game. I got it when it was just released and I even remember the date it was 5 December 1992. I never played a game like Zelda before that and at first I wasn't that into it, because it wasn't straightforward. I did keep on playing, because I always want to finish each and every game. The more I played the more I released that this was the best game I ever played, the fast open world, the non-linear gameplay, the music, the story and the richness of characters.
A Link to the Past got me hooked on Zelda, loved the style of it. So went back to the NES game later on, damn what a difference, and then Zelda 2 never even got past the first boss.
It was the GameCube collection, but I can't remember which one I played first. Might've been TLoZ or the Wind Waker demo.
Link to the Past but the first one I really got into was Wind Waker.
While I had played a bit of the original and Zelda II on the NES as a kid, I didn't get into gaming until late in the SNES's lifetime.
My first true Zelda experience was Link's Awakening on the GameBoy. It was a gift from my mother along with the GameBoy itself way back when. It was also one of the games that initially got me interested in games at all. It led to getting the SNES where I truly started to love video games.
Games like Super Mario World, Super Mario Bros. Allstars (the best Mario game collection ever), the Donkey Kong Country trilogy (best platformers EVER!), Mega Man X, and Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest. The Final Fantasy that I hear FF fans claim to be the black sheep of the franchise or just an Americanized FF game. I don't care, I enjoyed it and it still has one of the best video game soundtracks EVER!
One of my absolute favorite Zelda games is The Minish Cap. I want a sequel to that more than any other Zelda game. Yes, even BotW 2, as I wasn't a huge fan of BotW.
I think I technically played 'Ocarina of Time' first, as I got an N64 used with a bunch of games before my Gamecube. But 'Wind Waker' was the 1st Zelda game I properly played & finished.
I don't think I actually completed OoT on N64, I think my first time all the way through was via the GC disc, included with 'Wind Waker'. The last time I played OoT was the 3DS port/remaster, I'd love to see that version ported to the Switch, and/or a 'Wind Waker' port.
It's funny how controversial the art style was for 'Wind Waker' at the time. I don't think I was particularly bothered by it at the time, at least any possible reservations were quickly forgotten as I explored that 1st island. But now looking back, its visual design has arguably aged better than any other Zelda. Although I say that with my bias, 'Wind Waker' is my favourite Zelda game, probably closely followed by OoT.
I have to say though, I know 'Breath of the Wild' is often listed now as people's favourite, I'm curious to see how that settles in over the years as people replay it. Personally the weapons & shields constantly breaking got tedious, as did the repetitive cooking mechanic. The game did a lot right, but those aspects made it a bit of a slog for me unfortunately.
Link's Awakening. Took me forever as a child to figure out to pour magic powder over that racoon.
I’m an OG Nintendo gamer starting on the Nes…. I borrowed my friends legend of Zelda cartridge and it just didn’t click with me. I had snes but moved on to PlayStation after that. The Wii was my reunion with Nintendo and twilight princess was my first Zelda game I played for real. Since then I’ve played and beat all of the mainline Zelda games with the exception of Zelda II on the Nes. I just can’t get into despite several focused efforts.
The franchise is clearly my favorite gaming franchise and I can’t wait for botw2
Link to the Past on SNES for me, arguably still my favourite game of all time - just blew me away!
A Link to the Past was my first Zelda game, and my 3rd game altogether. Not the first Zelda game I finished however; I was 5 when I was playing A Link to the Past so I got the Master Sword, but could never beat Agahnim for whatever reason. I can kick his **** now. Ocarina of Time was the first one I finished.
I am surprised at how many people have the first Zelda as their first. Makes sense if you were old enough to be around for it, but part of me is wondering if people also played it first via VC/NSO purely on basis of it being the first. Only completed the first one myself a couple of years ago for the first time; not sure I would recommend it as a first Zelda, but worth playing through once.
I love the n64 magazine shout out! So many hours staring at that 1 screenshot trying to dream up what the game was like! ❤️
My mom bought the game on a whim because I've thoroughly played through everything else (ever tried 100%-ing a donkey kong country game, those are HARD!! )
I'd love a discussion like this on your SECOND Zelda. That's usually the one to cement you being a fan after all!
Mine was Links awakening, that game was so tough, so cool and just amazing!
Thought Majoras Mask would have higher than 1%!
@nessisonett Still got my copy of that...
I rented A Link to the Past, and then borrowed it from my cousin, but I never really made much progress in it. It wasn't until Ocarina of Time that I really got invested in a Zelda game. My dad loved it too so we split the cost of buying it. It was truly one of those defining games of that generation and remains my favourite game of all time.
I was never interested in Zelda games until I saw a screenshot of BOTW. In fact the only reason I am playing video games now is BOTW. It's a gateway drug!!!
@MS7000 a friend of mine had it during the NES days. We were 6 - 8, it was magical!
Then I got OOT around the same time a friend of mine got ALTTP. And it was so cool exchanging tips between games! (He was stuck in the desert temple, so I suggested lighting the lanterns like I did in the Deku tree and BAM the boss door appeared! 😁)
The original (not DX) Link's Awakening on Game Boy. I believe it was around mid 1994 when I first played it.
So, I am not that old, but i am the youngin in the family. So thanks to my older siblings and mom being really into zelda my memory begins and we already had zelda 1 & 2 and played them a ton. I do have some distant fog memories of buying a Link to the Past and Link's awakening. For both link to the past and OoT I recall my entire family gathering around the TV to watch it be played.
A Family united by the need to banish evil and ridding this world of Ganon.
I'm a boomer. I've been around since the beginning. The original Legend of Zelda was one of the reasons I wanted an NES.
I’m 42 and got a NES when I was maybe 10 and spent an entire Christmas break trying to figure out Zelda 2. The game was brutal, but I loved it. I then went back and played Zelda 1, then later was completely immersed in link to the past. I remember being 16 or 17 and being hyped / preordering ocarina of time and it still exceeded my expectations in every imaginable way.
It’s crazy how much Zelda 2, ALTTP and OOT were just absolute stand out games of my childhood. I just immersed myself in them. LOZ is surely a contender for greatest video game series of all time.
I don’t know why my nostalgia is so high, but I regularly play through zelda 2 and back on the Wii used to do the c64 version of the last ninja (my first video game love)
I'm a newbie. BOTW was my first. I've since played the remake of Links Awakening and didnt enjoy it, and currently playing Skyward Sword and really enjoying it.
Mine was A Link to the Past on the SNES. It was brilliant but still not one of my favourite SNES games. I preferred Terranigma, Secret of Mana and Illusion of Time.
Ocarina of Time is one of my all-time favourites though. Breath of the Wild is my favourite since then.
@Blue_Rover I apparently have two copies of it . No idea where the second came from!
The Legend of Zelda NES was my first Zelda game I tried (pretty sure…I was pretty young). The first one I beat was Link’s Awakening though. I’ve since beat them all (mainline) except Tri-Force Heroes. I’ll get that one too I hope…eventually.
Xenoblade 3 still beckons.
@nessisonett I mean its a great game but most people dont double dip on the same console!
@Blue_Rover I’m going to assume that I inherited it from one of my uncles 😂
Yikes, I'm feeling very old reading those posts. The staff here is a bunch of youngsters! I remember Link to the Past being my first Zelda, but it's also possible that Link's Awakening or even the first NES Zelda were the first ones I tried.
I borrowed Links Awakening from a friend around 98, to play on my new GBC, and he's lucky he got it back!
It's interesting that almost all of the staff picked an N64 title yet the reader poll has the original as the one most of us first played. It shows the generational gap between this staff and their readers, who are significantly older. I think this is common on other sites and the reason there can be a lot of animosity between websites and their audience.
The first Zelda game I played was the first one. I didn't own it at the time so I didn't beat it. I might have played the 2nd one back then but I really don't remember playing it. The first Zelda I beat was Ocarina of Time followed by A Link to the Past. I actually played both of them at the same time. My brother and I would trade back and forth playing them both.
Being an 'old' guy, my first zelda game was Zelda II The Adventure of Link.
I was like 5-6 at the time and a classmate and friend of mine had it, the golden cartridge looked so pretty and impressive.
The title screen with the sword stuck in the stone looking out over the lands of Hyrule was such a evocative scene for 5 year old me in 1990-ish.
Then much later,trough the dreaded ways of emulation. when I was about 12 I came in contact with A link to the Past and Links Awakening as I never owned a SNES or GB.
And even Ocarina of time trough very primitive N64 emulation circa 1997-98. You needed a 3DFX card to run it and it was still horrible but the first time I saw a Hylian sunrise with the cock's crow, it gave me the chills.
Then when I was around 13 I bought my very own GBC with Links Awaking DX, my very first owned Zelda game and I loved it.
Since then I have managed to own all Zelda games save for the horrible CDi games, they don't count.
I was born in 04, but I never played a Zelda game until the Wii U released...and even then it was the VC release of the NES game because my Dad played the original version back in the day.
The very first time was with Smash Bros Brawl, with just Link in general. He became my favorite fighter because I was so proud that I new the name of someone other than the Mushroom Kingdom characters. A few years later a babysitter had a copy of Skyward Sword and I managed to make it to the temple in the forest, but I consider Ocarina of Time 3D as my first Zelda game, and my favorite. The only reason I bought it was I couldn’t save up for a switch, and I thought Hyrule Field would be just as good as open world.😂 Also, it was the first non life sim(Animal Crossing, Tomodachi Life) that I ever really played other than like, Smash or Mario Kart. I’m now not just a Mario fan, but a Nintendo fan in general with Zelda as my favorite.
I have finished 17 games on this list.
Link to the Past on the SNES was my first.... Blew me away...
Oracle of Ages back in 2002. I really liked the puzzles in that game so I found some earlier Zelda's like A Link to the Past a little lacking in that department. I've played trough every main line Zelda and spin-off since. I love this series!
I’ve gone for Link to the Past as it’s the first Zelda game that blew me away and the first I completed. However I never actually owned a copy of my own - the first Zelda game I owned was link’s awakening on gameboy and I adored that too. I remember being so excited reading magazine previews and reviews and the game totally living up to the hype. How could they cram a game that had the same style as the SNES one and a big sprawling island into a tiny gb cart????
The first Zelda game I ever played was the original, but I only played a few hours and it didn’t grab me at the time. The contrast between that and the SNES game was stark and really showed me the possibilities that a more powerful console could deliver. Similar with ocarina at the time I suppose.
For me, it's The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.
Ocarina of Time for me, as I was a Sega guy before the N64. If pushed, I reckon I would still say it's my favourite game of all time, and I still dig it out for a playthrough every couple of years.
Soon afterwards, I asked for Link's Awakening for my birthday, and I remember distinctly finding it hidden on top of the kitchen cupboards a month before my birthday. Being the cheeky young so and so I was, I took it down and played it for a couple of hours a number of times over the next month. By the time my birthday came around, while we were on a family holiday to Mallorca, I had already completed it. Didn't stop me from spending the rest of holiday avoiding the sun at all costs (curse the Gameboy's lack of backlight!) so I could play through it all over again! Good times
@I_commented Also, in the spirit of picking on poor Alana (kiddin around here! 😜), I think she meant to say Ocarina of Time at the end, but Link to the Past popped in the brain to displace it. (Also an excellent contender vs BOTW tbh.)
We got the point though 🤙
EDIT: OK I re-read it and… yeah I guess she was just saying OoT piqued her interest, and because of that, two other Zeldas are her favorite. My bad dawg. 😄
@BlubberWhale
Tbh it’s a bit confusing the transition of oot to botw and alttp so don’t worry 😉
Either way cool story from Alana. The Deku tree definitely is a fair bit scary
NES Zelda at a friends place circa 87-88. Good times.
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