Anthony

Tree 

That’s not what gate keeping means. It’s just what it is. Early video games were proto games. Just like Atari for me was way too basic I couldn’t enjoy the games.

FYI I played Zelda religiously and in 1988 I was playing before pre-school. Had to stop to leave. Was up to Gannon but didn’t understand I needed silver arrows. Saved the game. Came back from school, somehow the game totally erased my save. I was devastated. Regardless if I played the day the game came out, I played when Zelda was THE top game. And I’ve played every game since.

Dave 

I mean you can make a list for sure but you have to acknowledge the bias.

Like I grew up with Michael Jordan. I can’t weigh the greats before him like old folks can. And kids these days can’t weigh MJ the same vs Kobe or LeBron etc

As a person who experienced each game as they came out. I was born in 83, I don’t think you can make an accurate list unless you grew with the series.

Zelda 1 raised the bar in so many ways that you take it for granted. (Being able to save a game?!). It created a world unlike which we’ve never seen before. It’s still haunting how good that game is. I would say Zelda for SNES was better. But IS it better?

Because a 12 year old can now do every skate trick imaginable doesn’t make them better than Rodeny Mullen who invented the Ollie, kickflip etc. Better in one sense yes but also no.

I think TotK, Ocarina, Zelda 1 and Link to the Past (w link between worlds attached) are all top 5. Your bias for windwaker is clear to me. Game cube must have been your system when you were at that age and it left a big impression on you.

Regardless you’re not wrong with your list, it’s subjective but you have to consider so many other factors. And kudos for you for playing them all over again.

We can certainly agree: Zelda 2 sucks. Perhaps good as another game with another title but not with the Zelda name attached to it.