Best Of

Went to the store a bit ago. I get there and the video game section has some conspicuously empty sections. The labels all have NSW on 'em. My first worried thought is that it flew off the shelves already. A true feat for my backwater town.

Nah, they just were in the process of stocking at the time I got there.

@BlackHawk the modern Zelda games are nothing like the original except in DNA. There's a certain childlike wonder of discovery and accomplishment that, to me, is still unique to Zelda games. Each game follows a similar trajectory (except for, apparently, Breath of the Wild) - you start off with very little in terms of gear and skills and through discovery of secrets and solving of puzzles you get more powerful. It's like an RPG in the sense that by the end of the game Link is far more capable and has more abilities and gear than in the beginning, but there's no stats or numbers. You just learn how to do things and how to use the stuff you find to get things done. There's a very real sense of accomplishment and growth that has nothing to do with "stats", which is very satisfying.

Each story is, in a way, a coming-of-age tale with a young boy who becomes an unlikely hero. It's a time-tested formula that never really seems to get stale. Link is innocent, silent, and earnest. He is a very likeable hero. He doesn't have an ego, he doesn't really get emotional, he doesn't really have any negative traits - he's just a hard-working, courageous boy who goes out and solves problems.

The world of Hyrule has become a fully fleshed-out fantasy universe with its own unique flavor, culture, and characters despite the fact that almost all of the games are independent of each other in terms of "mythos" (though recently a unifying Zelda world timeline book was put out that ties the games together in some fashion).

The things that make Zelda so compelling are the items and gear that Link gets to use, the unique and very in-depth dungeon and puzzle mechanics, and the sense of wonder and accomplishment that each game is able to convey.

If you want to play a modern Zelda game before trying Breath of the Wild, I would recommend a few:

Ocarina of Time
Majora's Mask
Link to the Past
Windwaker
Link Between Worlds
Twilight Princess

@BlackHawk When the first Zelda came out I was 12. This was 1986. For my friend's birthday party his dad bought him a NES and Zelda. He then rigged his conversion van with an AC/DC converter, wired up the NES to a TV, and proceeded to drive his son and 4 friends up north to a family cabin for the weekend. I still remember playing that game with those friends at 80mph as one of my fondest gaming experiences ever.

I guess for me, its pure nostalgia. That was the game franchise that triggers all the feels for me.

I can't wait to pick up my switch.