My first was the OG Legend of Zelda on the NES, and it will always occupy a special place in my heart. I hated The Adventure ot Link because it was so different from the first one, and because I could never get past the first dark cave. I spent hours scouring the towns for a candle, and it never occurred to me that I could just go through it in the dark.

OOT was amazing getting to ride Epona and move around in 3 dimensions. The puzzles, the stories, the polygons, I think that was my favorite Zelda experience overall.

Twilight Princess was fun, and I loved Skyward Sword more than most people seemed to. To me, the Wii mechanics and the flying were worth the frustrations. But I understand why it was divisive.

Breath of the Wild had that OOT feeling of discovery to it. It was fun to play, and novel enough to keep me exploring. I haven’t played Tears of the Kingdom yet, but my son loves it so I’m looking forward to it.

I regret that I never played A Link to the Past, Majora’s Mask, Wind Waker, or any of the handheld games.