Who doesn't love The Legend of Zelda? Perhaps the most acclaimed series of video games of all time, Zelda has been entertaining us for generations with games of the highest quality. Some are better than others to be sure, but they all have that unique class and style that only Zelda can deliver. Some people think that the Zelda series has started to decline with the most recent titles, Twilight Princess and Phantom Hourglass, but I disagree. The Legend of Zelda started going downhill way before that! I actually have a rather unique perspective on the Zelda series and that stems from one simple fact. You see, my favorite Zelda game and the one that I think is actually the best one in the series is in fact The Legend of Zelda. There is no subtitle there because my favorite is the original game, which means that, from my perspective, the Zelda series has been in decline ever since 1987!

A lot of you wonder why I feel such love and adoration for such an old and seemingly obsolete game. It's a fair question and to be honest I'm not sure I can express it in words. The game was a revelation at the time it came out. There had been adventure games before, but nothing like this. It was the enormous world, the special weapons, the idea that a player had a choice of where to go and what to do that made this game a cut above all others. A friend and I played it together, making our own maps, tag-teaming the dungeons, going on my crazy hunches -- which my friend was always skeptical of (like finding the Red Ring in a room invisible on the map; he didn't want to waste the bomb). It was an enthralling experience, and that probably lends to my warm feelings for it. Perhaps you just had to be there. Still, there is no questioning the quality of the game. The level design, graphics, superb musical score, everything about the game exudes class and style. It was unprecedented at the time and, as I would come to learn, something that would never be repeated.

The Legend of Zelda's winning formula was broken early on with the release of its first sequel. Granted I still think Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is a great game (in fact I once wrote an article defending it against all its detractors), but it was also a step in the wrong direction and a step down in general quality from the first title. With less focus on exploration, fewer weapons and items, and a brutal level of difficulty, the sequel to Zelda disappointed many fans. To be fair, the action oriented combat system was pretty cool and led the way to some classic Link moves like the downward slash. It always bothered me that the sword only fired an energy-bolt about two inches, and that it was weaker than an actual slash (unlike in the original where powerful bolts crossed the entire screen). This led to the trend of eliminating the "shooting-sword" altogether in the future, which is something I always saw as a hallmark of the game. All in all, Zelda II isn't a bad game, but it was the beginning of the trend that no subsequent title would live up to the original.

The subsequent sequels were both a return to a style similar to the original game. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is also a highly regarded game, and rightfully so. It was the first Zelda on the Super NES and I remember being wowed by it at the time. What I found though was that once I completed the game, I didn't feel like the experience was as rewarding as the original Zelda. Perhaps it was too easy. The challenge was certainly pale in comparison to its NES predecessors (as were most games actually), though the step down from Zelda II was welcome. While it is still a very good game, something about it just felt hollow to me. Perhaps all the extra features, built-in maps, etc. took away from that sense of adventure and wonder. The Game Boy title, Link's Awakening, also felt similar. While it is a great game and the reason I finally got a Game Boy, it just wasn't capturing that feel I wanted, though it was probably the most similar to the original in most regards.

There has been a lot of talk on the site recently about whether or not the venerable Ocarina of Time is in fact overrated. One might think that I'm inclined to agree that it is, but I actually don't. I think Ocarina of Time is a true masterpiece and deserves every ounce of respect and acclaim it gets. But how can that be when I have already asserted that I still believe the original Legend of Zelda game to be superior to all others? It's simple really. Ocarina of Time is not overrated, but other Zelda games are underrated, especially the first one. Ocarina is an amazing game. At the time, translating a franchise to 3-D successfully was a big achievement, and it wasn't always done well (still isn't in some cases). Ocarina captured every bit of the feel and spirit of Zelda and ushered it into a new age. When all is said and done, however, I'd still rather play the original for all the reasons I've already mentioned. That and the music is better (I've never been much of a fan of the redone Hyrule themes when compared to the original). So, in all respect due to my colleagues and readers, Ocarina deserves its high place in history, but other Zelda games deserve a place above even that.



I think perhaps that the quality of the series has declined for me only because of the fact that none of them will ever have that original quality that the first game had. They're all extrapolations of the same formula. From the 2-D days to the 3-D, and back again, Zelda games all follow a similar path. Explore a dungeon, find an item, and use that item to progress to the next dungeon. It's a simple and strong formula really, one that has served the series well. In fact, it is this consistence that makes the Legend of Zelda series so strong. It does however diminish just a little as we come to expect certain things. The original game was totally unexpected, and you never quite knew where your adventure would take you next. I think that may be why I hold it so high and remember it as the best of the bunch.

So what's the secret to creating a new Legend of Zelda game that will surpass the original in my eyes? Well, there isn't one. The confluence of quality, timing, experience, and nostalgia all play a role in why I feel the original is still the best. It's like trying to capture lightning in a bottle and there is no set of rules to follow that would ensure success. I'm not saying it can't be done, but the measure by which I will be judging isn't something that can be quantified. I wish there was some advice I could give here, as I would love to see another perfect Zelda game, but unfortunately we'll just be waiting for lightning to strike again.

In the end it really doesn't matter that subsequent Zelda games don't match the original in my eyes. I'll often hear people asserting that a sequel that doesn't surpass its predecessor is worthless or shouldn't have been made. In reality, a great game is a great game. We may always compare it to others, but just because some others are better doesn't mean a game is bad. I like all kinds of games of varying degrees of quality, as long as I can have fun with it. I have yet to meet the Zelda game that didn't do that; some just do it more than others. All the titles in the Legend of Zelda series deserve all the accolades heaped upon them, and in most cases deserve many more. I appreciate all the quality adventure time those games have given me.

So it really all boils down to one thing: The Legend of Zelda, the original, is still my favorite in the series and one of my favorite games of all time. It takes nothing away from the many excellent sequels in the series which are always quite high quality games. I do hope to one day be surprised by a game that actually improves on the original. Perhaps the newly announced DS title Spirit Tracks will be the one (I did like Phantom Hourglass immensely), or maybe it'll never happen. I still have my gold game-pak and working NES, so I can always relive the classic adventure, and I'm not sure any game is ever going to top that.