When did you play?

I've noticed something, there are a lot of people on here to prefer Twilight Princess over the older Zeldas, but talk to any reviewer and Twilight Princess is definitely the lowest of all the Zelda games. That is not to say it's bad, but it certainly didn't stack up to then rest review wise. Personally I agree with them. But lots of people don't.

Is it because lots of the members on here played the older Zelda games well after their releases so the games had aged before people got around to them? I've never heard of anyone who has played Ocarina of Time on release who preferred Twilight Princess. I even know people who prefer Okami which came out at the same time and was a similiar type of game, those people were huge Zelda fans before.

So I ask you: which Zelda game did you play first? did you play the older ones well after release? 

Personally, I started with A Link to the Past, back during the SNES era, and I've played every Zelda game during it's prime since then.

I started with Wind Waker, the year it was released. I played Twilight Princess a year after it was released. The oldest Zelda game I've played in full is LttP, off the virtual console, and after TP.

It was immensely enjoyable. I also played Ocarina.

My Zelda scores:

Wind Waker-9.6

LttP-9.5

Ocarina-9.5

Minish Cap-8.9

Twilight Princess-8.7

Phantom Hourglass-8.6

Link's Awakening(partial)-8.6

LoZ(partial)-8

I have TP as second on my list - after Link's Awakening. OoT was the first Zelda game I played, but yes, it was long after release date. I think I first played it as part of the limit edition, I believe it was in 2003.

I do believe TP is a better game than OoT if you dismiss the "impressive for its time aspect". Combat is better, there are more cut-scenes, and they look stunishing - plus they are skipable in case you're playing through the game the second time. One thing I also enjoy, is to swing my sword while running or to fight from horseback. However, of course I understand that everyone who was blown away by OoT when it was new will prefer it over TP.

I played OoT first.. it was the "collectors" version that came with the GameCube I bought along with Metroid Prime.. Great buy, I thought.. So OoT was first, then MM, then the classics (had a really hard time with those games.. LOL) Anyway, I liked them so much that I went and found Windwaker, MM Master's Quest and Four Swords.. then, Twilight Princess came out and I got that one as well.. Love them all. :)

I've also played Okami - which I thought was great too

I started out with the original Loz for the NES, and then the second Loz for NES.  From there I moved to Oot for N64 to 4 swords, Minish Cap, Link to the Past, Four Seasons, Masterquest, Windwaker, and lastly TP.

The older games are great got to the love era of SNES!

I started with Link to the Past when i was around 8. So 11 years ago. That makes me feel kind of old saying that haha. That was my very first game. Then I played Ocarina and those ones when I was a teenager so quite a bit later. I personally don't hold TP over OoT necessarily, more like I am simply dazzled by the newness. Graphics and weapons change as well as the novelty. Bombs+arrows= long range blasting?!?! 2X CLAWSHOTS!?!?! Geniusful. I kind of feel like they are simply improving on the original template. However, Ocarina being the original itself would make it the more important overall in my eyes. 

The First Zelda Game I ever played was OoT(N64) in about 2002, but I hated it, I hated Zelda.

Next my friend gave me WW 2006 I did like it.

I then got Twilight Princess(Wii) in 2007 I think.

I then bought OoT of VC, in 2007.

2008 I bought MM and Lttp of VC.

2009 I purchased Zelda 1 and then with the free NES Game I bought Zelda 2.

Zelda Scores

OoT-10

TP-9.5

Lttp-8.5

Zelda 2-8.0

Zelda 1-8.0

WW-9.0

OoT MQ-10

Oot is my favorite

my first zedla game i played when i was like five for the n64 it was of course OoT and i fell in love with it of course it was a few years after the relase but still lol the only zedla game i have played near the releas was my first gameboy game oracle of seaons which made me fall farther in love with zedla so i searched to play and own them all lol but still i have to say TP was a good game by all means but it just seemed like a reused game to me cause all that was new really was the few new weapons and the whole wolf thing cause the twlight reminded me of the dark world from link to the past and the rest reminded me of OoT and the reason people i guess perder TP now is cause they either forgot the caslics like OoT MM LttP or never played them so thats what i have to say

The First Zelda Game I ever played was OoT(N64) in about 2002, but I hated it, I hated Zelda.

I then bought OoT of VC, in 2007.

Zelda Scores

OoT-10

OoT MQ-10

Oot is my favorite

HawkEye1997

Snipped out all but the OoT references..

So you must have replayed the game... when / what made you change your mind..

the first one i played was the original.. but i was like 4 and had no clue on what to do hahahaha. than my daycare people got a link to the past, all we did was mess around. and then they got ocarina of time.. we would try to play it and got up to the master sword.. than it got way to hard for us. but the first one i played where i knew what i was doing, could actually play the game and understand the story was the windwaker.

current list of favs. (didnt list all.. i have a current order for all of them but this is my top of the top, haha)

The Windwaker

Majoras Mask

Spirit Tracks

Phantom Hourglass

A Link To The Past

Twilight Princess

Ocarina of Time

unfortunately, i am one of those kids who played tp first and then played the others :? well i have been intrested in playing the game but i never played it cuzz i didnt really think it was my type of game (plus i was a playstation1 gamer 4 the first half of my life) but when tp came out i checked it out and I WAS HOOKED!!! of course after beating it 2 months later i realized the game was kinda too easy. this made me try out the other older versions...... and wow they were waaaaaaaaaaaaay better than tp :P i still havent played Oot yet, but every says its like the best of the whole series, or at least the most enjoyable, is this true?falcOWNS

Well it depends. I personally like Ocarina for it's character, music, magic, and characters. It's gameplay is not much different from the later games, so I love that too.

I played Ocarina right after TP, and I'll admit that the graphics needed getting used to, but it is at least just as good as TP, no matter who you are.

A link to the past, I was waay to young to even get what was going on.

But it still is the first game I remember really enjoying.

oh good times.

Link to the Past, actually the first video game I played.

By far my favorite, it gets a 10

i started out with Oot on N64 but i didn't understand it because i was young and started playing as adult link(not from the beginning) then i stumbled across WW and thought it was awesome

then rented TP for Wii

bought OoT for VC(when i got older and could play from the beginning)

bought TP for Wii

bought LttP for VC

bought MM for VC

bought the first zelda and zelda 2 for VC

bought OoTMQ fur GC

My scores:

TP-10

OoTMQ-10

OoT-10

MM-9.5

WW-9.5

FSA(i rented it)-8.5

LttP-8

LoZ-7.5

MC(hacked for my comp)-7.5

Zelda 2-6.5

thats all i remeber for now

i started out with Oot on N64 but i didn't understand it because i was young and started playing as adult link(not from the beginning) then i stumbled across WW and thought it was awesome

then rented TP for Wii

bought OoT for VC(when i got older and could play from the beginning)

bought TP for Wii

bought LttP for VC

bought MM for VC

bought the first zelda and zelda 2 for VC

bought OoTMQ fur GC

before I knew that there was any other console than a SNES and an N64 I was playing OOT. Its tied as my favorite game with super mario 64 and ff7

TP was my first wii game and i beat it in 2 days.

WW was my least favorite zelda but i still enjoy it, I also havent beaten it yet (why can't the boat go get the tri pieces himself)

Got LOZ, Z2, MM, and OOT in the collectors edition (I played it on N64 at my friends) I love all of them but LOZ lost my attention at Lvl4 and Z2 was too hard, MM is one of my favorites.

I enjoy the 2d ones but my favorites are the 3d ones.

My play order:

LoZ
LttP
OoT
LA
MM
AoL
OoA
WW
FS
OoS
TP
MC
PH
ST

My favorite game switches often, but TP is the one that is dominantly my favorite, followed closely by OoT and MM.

*EDIT*
Now you've met one.