Current Events > Should I play Zelda 1 and 2 or start with ALTTP?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I've always wanted to do a complete run from beginning to end on the series

cmiller4642 posted...

I've always wanted to do a complete run from beginning to end on the series

In that case, start with Zelda 1.

Start with ALttP . The NES Zelda games are great for reflecting on Zelda's roots but Z1 is crazy esoteric NES levels of obsurd and Z2 is just too hard for the average adult gamer to expect to plow through.
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Zelda 2 is the best Zelda and isn't even hard

play Zelda 1 first so you get the awesome feeling of the upgrade of LttP gameplay and graphics and storywise

zelda 1 because it's the better game
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MarthGoomba posted...

Zelda 2 is the best Zelda and isn't even hard

It's the worst Zelda and it's very hard.
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Wii_Shaker posted...

It's the worst Zelda and it's very hard.

Nah

Link to the Past hands down.
1&2 are kinda actually legitimately bad. Its not their fault, but from a technical/technology standpoint.
That said, when you play 1; use a map. The instruction manual gave you half a map and encouraged you to draw the rest. Instantly doubles score/10.
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I started at LttP growing up. Going back to the others, I got bored.
Zelda 2 does intrigue me however.

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Just do 2 and 3 tbh.

Maybe the Oracle games.

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Wii_Shaker posted...

It's the worst Zelda and it's very hard.

He's talking about 2, not 1.

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Just watch this instead of playing Zelda 2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plQihaRQBfI
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I'm definitely gonna do:

A Link to the Past (Wii U)
Link's Awakening (GBC on 3DS)
Ocarina of Time (3DS)
Majora's Mask (3DS)
Oracle of Ages (GBC on 3DS)
Oracle of Seasons (GBC on 3DS)
The Wind Waker HD (Wii U)
The Minish Cap (Wii U)
Twilight Princess HD (Wii U)
Skyward Sword (Wii)
A Link Between Worlds (3DS)
Breath of the Wild (Switch)
Link's Awakening (Switch)

I'm contemplating doing:

The Legend of Zelda
Zelda 2
The Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass
The Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks

cmiller4642 posted...

I'm definitely gonna do:

A Link to the Past (Wii U)
Link's Awakening (GBC on 3DS)
Ocarina of Time (3DS)
Majora's Mask (3DS)
Oracle of Ages (GBC on 3DS)
Oracle of Seasons (GBC on 3DS)
The Wind Waker HD (Wii U)
The Minish Cap (Wii U)
Twilight Princess HD (Wii U)
Skyward Sword (Wii)
A Link Between Worlds (3DS)
Breath of the Wild (Switch)
Link's Awakening (Switch)

I'm contemplating doing:

The Legend of Zelda
Zelda 2
The Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass
The Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks

do not play 3ds Majoras. you can play 3ds OOT but majoras was a train wreck
i can send you a video if you dont believe me

Zelda 1 is good ignore the haters TC. Just maybe get a map or look up hints (and RTFM!!) because the ingame hints are really bad.

FighterStreet2 posted...

cmiller4642 posted...

I'm definitely gonna do:

A Link to the Past (Wii U)
Link's Awakening (GBC on 3DS)
Ocarina of Time (3DS)
Majora's Mask (3DS)
Oracle of Ages (GBC on 3DS)
Oracle of Seasons (GBC on 3DS)
The Wind Waker HD (Wii U)
The Minish Cap (Wii U)
Twilight Princess HD (Wii U)
Skyward Sword (Wii)
A Link Between Worlds (3DS)
Breath of the Wild (Switch)
Link's Awakening (Switch)

I'm contemplating doing:

The Legend of Zelda
Zelda 2
The Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass
The Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks

do not play 3ds Majoras. you can play 3ds OOT but majoras was a train wreck
i can send you a video if you dont believe me

I've played both version, the 3DS version is fine.

I've seen said video.

Conflict posted...

Lol "just get a map"

That only proves my point

The game is fun. I can beat it from memory without looking anything up. It would be a shame to skip just because there are some obscure things you have to do to access a couple dungeons. The main issue is the hints were translated poorly ingame. And I doubt most people could beat LTTP without looking up a guide for some things anyway.

I love Zelda 2 but not as a Zelda game just as an action game.

Zelda 1 is good just...very cryptic?

I'd say play Zelda 1, but maybe skip Zelda 2 for another time. I think you should play it, but not going in expecting a Zelda. If you do play it don't feel compelled to finish it if you're not having fun it can get very very difficult and tedious.
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Zelda 1 has some of the same BS that Castlevania 2 has but doesn't get called out on it for some reason.
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Conflict posted...

What makes you think that? LTTP is a pretty straightforward game

I had to look up most stuff as a teen lol.

There were two parts where I didn't know what to do in LTTP

In one of the dungeons you have to walk through a waterfall
You have to use the hookshot on a wood pole near the beginning to continue in the game

The second one is probably my fault, but the first one seems like BS. Otherwise you don't need a guide at all to beat LTTP.
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play them both

they aren't particularly long, and while they are difficult neither are absurd or impossible. people with memories of playing them as a kid (especially zelda 2) probably remember them as being a lot harder than they really are because kids are very bad at video games
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Damn_Underscore posted...

The second one is probably my fault, but the first one seems like BS.

the second one is not mandatory and the first one just requires you to look at your dungeon map for like half a second
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cmiller4642 posted...

I'm definitely gonna do:
...
Skyward Sword (Wii)
...

I'm contemplating doing:

...
The Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass

Phantom Hourglass is fine, much better than Skyward Sword.
It gets a bad reputation for touch controls, Spirit Tracks and reusing a dungeon but...
1. Touch controls are better than motion controls and not actually that bad.
2. You can't blame Spirit Tracks on Phantom Hourglass. Yeah, ST is bad, but its not PH's fault just because they're both on DS.
3. The repeated trips through the dungeon are sped up with shortcuts and new abilities to show your progress and improvement.
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IConflict posted...

Saying Phantom Hourglass is better than Skyward Sword is a pretty bold opinion. That's one of only two games I'd rank below Zelda 2

I'm a huge Zelda fan, and the only Zelda games I don't own are the DS titles and FS Adventures. I haven't beaten Zelda 2 yet but I will someday! The last dungeon is a major kick in the groin area. I have 100%d everything else.

Zelda 2 is a good game. Definitely takes getting good at it to beat it. Made much easier if you're going to play it on 3ds or an emulator. Using save states will make a first time through more palatable for many.
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If you have Nintendo Online for the Switch, you can rewind gameplay for NES games, which makes playthroughs for Zelda and Zelda II both a lot easier just fyi.

For entry to the series though, I'd recommend starting the 2D games with LttP.

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Conflict posted...

Saying Phantom Hourglass is better than Skyward Sword is a pretty bold opinion. That's one of only two games I'd rank below Zelda 2

I don't see how. I mean Skyward Sword is legitimately just bad, from motion controls to a repeated boss, lack of an overworld, dowsing, Fi in general, story...

Phantom Hourglass on the otherhand is, at worst; mediocre. Nothing stands out as good or bad, even the sailing is better than Wind Waker before the HD remaster.

Also, I forgot to mention, there are ways to play PH without touch controls.
So thats a "bad" thing that isn't that bad and is fixable.

Im not saying PH is great. Im just saying people think PH is bad because Spirit Tracks is.
Im also saying SS is bad, that's not a bold opinion.
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If you play Zelda 2, jump over the jewels at the end of each dungeon, and collect them later, when you need more exp to advance a level, and the flying skulls are great for grinding some early levels in the beginning.
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