What DS/3DS Zelda game should I get?

[WhiteNachos]

I've never had a DS before, and I got a 3DS recently for Smash Bros and Pokemon X/Y. So there's a lot of Zelda games I've missed and I'm wondering which ones I should guess.

I've played Zelda games before, but I never had an N64 so I've never played Ocarina of Time or Majora's Mask.

I've also never completed a Zelda game so I only know who Ganondorf is from Smash Bros and other people talking about him. I have played enough Zelda games to know that they are all kinda samey (well similar enough anyway). I still like them though, probably not enough to get every game, but enough that I'd like to have some on my new light blue 3D oyster thing.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[go-10]

I would suggest Ocarina of Time since it's the most accessible for new players, also this is where the Link, Gannondorf, and Zelda most people know and love come from so I would argue this is where the modern Zelda games and characters come from.

I know a lot of people would suggest Link Between Worlds but that game sort of requires having played Link to the Past to really get the charm and love for it.

Majora's Mask is good but i's a breakaway from the formula so you might not like the things it does.

as for the DS games don't even bother dude, both of them are average at best and have some really stupid mechanics and everything is done with the stylus

 

[Silvanus]

I recently finished Majora's Mask 3D and loved it to bits.

That said, if you've never played OoT, that still gets my vote. It's one of the best games ever made.

((A Link Between Worlds is also well worth the investment. Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, the DS Zelda titles, aren't as bad as people say-- I enjoyed them-- but they certainly don't match up to ALBW, OoT, or MM)).

 

[WhiteNachos]

I would suggest Ocarina of Time since it's the most accessible for new players,

I wouldn't call myself a new player, I've never finished a game but I have played a bunch of them. It's just that I'd always get stuck somewhere, not sure what to do next or how to navigate some place.

as for the DS games don't even bother dude, both of them are average at best and have some really stupid mechanics and everything is done with the stylus

Thanks for this.

 

[CaitSeith]

If you played "A Link to the Past" for the SNES (and liked it), then I recommend "A Link Between Worlds" (it's almost a remake) or "Ocarina of Time 3D". If you want a little more different Zelda, Majora's Mask 3D is the definitive one. Just be aware that in MM you use save points, while in the other ones you can save practically anytime.

 

[thanatos388]

All the DS 3DS Zelda games are great except for Spirit Tracks. That game is really boring honestly. Not worth it. If you like them then you can also go for the original Zelda and Zelda II from the shop as well as Links Awakening and the Oracle games. Links Awakening is amazing as well like Majoras Mask but in a different way. Don't believe all the naysayers going on about how all Zelda games are the same they have more variability than any other long running game franchise I know of. The only real copies are with Twilight Princess (basically Ocarina of Time but bigger) and A Link Between Worlds which is amazing and is supposed to be a direct sequel to Link to the Past thus the similarities. Beyond the surface level stuff though Link Between Worlds still has a lot of new things to offer.

 

[Story]

OoT is your obvious answer.
I also really liked a Link Between Worlds dispite never playing A Link to the Past. It is also different enough to recommend a long with OoT.
As for the DS titles, I hated the stylus mechanics and couldn't finish them. If that doesn't bother you Spirit Tracks is the better of the two.

 

[Hero of Lime]

Eiji Aonuma, the main guy behind every Zelda game since Majora's Mask, says that Ocarina of Time is the best place for newcomers. Since it's on 3DS, definitely start there. It is my favorite Zelda game, and favorite game of all time, so I may be a bit biased.

However, you can't go wrong with any Zelda game you find on the DS and 3DS. Majora's Mask 3D is a remake of an amazing Zelda game, but since it's a sequel to Ocarina of Time, you should play Ocarina first if you are looking for the traditional Zelda experience for your first Zelda game. A Link Between Worlds can satisfy the traditional Zelda game urge too if you are interested in that as well.

It may be hard to track down the DS games nowadays, but if they are cheaper I would recommend them. Just not as much as the others I've talked about. Zelda's my favorite franchise, so I would honestly recommend any of the games, except for the original Four Swords, which happens to be available on 3DS.

By the way, for other 3DS games, I would HIGHLY recommend Fire Emblem Awakening if you haven't played it. Plus, I would recommend any Pokemon games on the DS such the 5th gen Black and White games and the 4th gen Platinum/HeartGold/SoulSilver games. I assume you missed them since you never had a DS, and despite being visually inferior to X and Y, I think they are much better Pokemon games overall.

 

[mad825]

If you played "A Link to the Past" for the SNES

Sadly, for some pathetic reason Nintendo didn't port that to the 3DS. In fact they've seem to be hesitant to port any SNES game for the 3DS.

It's only playable on the DS with the GBA attachment.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Avoid the DS ones unless you're really open to nontraditional control methods. The 3DS Zelda games are mostly remakes of the Nintendo 64 games so if you liked those, the 3DS versions are optimized versions. Link Between Worlds is a completely new Zelda game modeled after Link to the Past, an SNES game, and is my favorite on the 3DS personally. On the Virtual Console side, they're offering the NES games which are a bit difficult without guides but still satisfying to complete. Finally there are the GB and GBC games; Link's Awakening is pretty damn good but I've never played the Oracle games.

 

[SmallHatLogan]

Do you like a challenge? Then why not start from the beginning with The Legend of Zelda? Otherwise I'd go Ocarina of Time if you want 3D or Link's Awakening if you want 2D.

I actually prefer Majora's Mask over Ocarina (it's my favourite Zelda game), but Ocarina is a lot more accessible.

 

[the_great_cessation]

Ocarina of Time is probably the most essential (despite personal opinions on what the best in the series is) as every game since has been built off it's foundation in some way, so I'd say start there...follow up with Majora's Mask 3D. After that pick of A Link Between Worlds. If you really like what you play there, I'd say download the Gameboy titles from the eShop and THEN if you are really craving more handheld Zelda, go for the DS titles. They are fine but easily the most disposable entries in the series.

 

[Bad Jim]

I know a lot of people would suggest Link Between Worlds but that game sort of requires having played Link to the Past to really get the charm and love for it.

Not true at all. I played it extensively without knowing anything about Link to the Past, and I found it easy to get into and a lot of fun. I beat the Master Quest too.

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

As someone who has played all of the Zelda games ever (except for Lnk's crossbow training and the CD-i's unholy Triforce), I'd say play Ocarina first if you like 3D games and A Link Between Worlds if you like 2D games. If you can't decide, go with ALBW. That is easily one of the best 3DS games to date and provides a very open world refresh the series has needed for a long time. It has similarities to A Link to the Past but is still very much its own original game.

After Ocarina, try Majora's Mask (or play that first if you want something that really changes the typical Zelda formula), as it is a gem of a game, but the original was hard to get into for many. I'm still only on my second three day cycle in MM 3D, so I don't know how much they changed to make it more forgiving and easier to manage. Although, people do say it is more accessible than the N64 version.

I wouldn't recommend actively hunting down the DS Zeldas, unless your find them for very cheap or have a chance to try them out and like the stylus only controls. I didn't care for the controls. Both also have really annoying sections that take up large portions of the games.

Phantom Hourglass has the player returning to the same begin dungeon, which is timed, after completing the latest one. The only upside is returning with new equipment makes clearing rooms faster. It still is tedious, though. PH's seafaring is also even less interesting than Wind Waker's.

Spirit Tracks still has you returning to a main dungeon, but at least completed floors are skipped so things feel fresh. The real problem is the overworld is entirely on train tracks; no getting off until you hit a station. It feels really limiting. The other issue is these demon trains that make travel incredibly frustrating, even more so when they level up into super demon trains. Also, the mandatory flute sections are so picky that they require the breath control of a trained musician (or a firebender). Long story short, those are the only Zelda game I have traded in or given away.

 

[razer17]

A link Between Worlds is the only Zelda game I've ever completed, and it's a great game, so it gets my vote.

 

[Catfood220]

I personally would go with Ocarina of Time and my personal favourite 3D Zelda, Majoras Mask. Both are great games and you should download Links Awakening from the online store, which is my favourite 2D Zelda and the first one I played and is the quirky follow up to A Link to the Past.