I'm sure plenty of Zelda fans remember the old days of playing N64 and Gameboy, or even before that, fondly. Here's a list of mine in no particular order, it's certainly not comprehensive but I hope you enjoy it. Also feel free to tell us about your own treasured memories.
Note that there are many spoilers here.
The Lost Woods (A Link to the Past)
| The Lost Woods in the light world is one of my favourite places in A Link to the Past. The hazy clouds, colourful visuals and excellent music make it a fantatic 16-bit experience. Collecting the Master Sword is also a big highlight - when the animals dash to the sides of the forest as you make your way forward to the sacred blade, it's as if they know something amazing is about to happen. |
Finishing Link's Awakening
| Link's Awakening was the first Zelda game I played so I have a particularly soft spot for it. While the ending on the surface is another one of those "it was all dream!" endings, it was done fantastically well. Watching the timeless inhabitants of Koholint vanish into nothing is heartbreaking, but seeing the Wind Fish in the real world (and Marin, if you finish the game with no deaths) makes for a magical ending! |
The Temple of Time (Ocarina of Time)
| You may not spend much of the game inside the Temple of Time, but it is one of the most significant places in OoT. You can never forget the brilliantly haunting music, or the incredible moment when you first take the Master Sword and transform into adult Link. |
Battling Ganondorf/Ganon (Ocarina of Time)
| Probably my best memory of OoT. Running up the tower and discovering Ganon playing the organ was a very neat touch, and personally I think OoT features the best Ganondorf/Ganon battle - playing lightning-ball tennis never gets old. |
Getting Epona (Ocarina of Time)
| Epona has proved to be a particularly iconic Ocarina of Time character. Certainly, the way you obtain her is very climactic - when you finally leap over the fence in defiance of Ingo is truly a cinematic experience. |
Opening Sequence (Majora's Mask)
| Whether you prefer OoT to MM or not, Majora's Mask really deviated from the traditional Zelda story format. The opening sequence of MM is quite terrible if you love Link - he is knocked out by Skull kid, turned into a Deku Scrub and even though Epona turns up safe and sound later in the game, the implication that Epona has been hurt or even killed is pretty startling. In another sense, the severe harshness Link endures in the first few minutes of the game was, plot-wise, a great way of throwing Link into the strange, atmospheric world of Termina. |
Fighting the Majora's Mask (Majora's Mask)
| This is arguably the craziest and scariest boss battle of any Zeld game. Ganon is a fearsome enemy, but he's one we've become accostomed to. Not only did we not know that much about the Majora's Mask, but the final form was a wonderful monstrosity, as if it were straight out a horror film. Perhaps in terms of mechanics this wasn't the greatest Zelda boss battles, but it's certainly one of the most unique ones. |
The Legend of Zelda: Everyone's nostalgic moment for that one is hearing the overworld song. Dun dunn... da da dadadaaa
Zelda 2: The difficulty... T_T You think the first Zelda was the hardest? Not a chance.
Link to the Past: The Dark World. I was amazed by the whole new world and everything.
Link's Awakening: Getting the musical instruments at the end of each dungeon and hearing that song played.
Ocarina of Time: The Forest Temple. I felt that level was too short and could of been so much more, but it is the first temple.
Majora's Mask: The entire creepiness feel the game gave off. I don't know if that game was trying to be scary or not, but it still freaks me out. Not even F.E.A.R. can creep me out as much as Majora's Mask.
Oracle of Seasons/Ages: For Seasons, it was being able to control the seasons and for Ages it was being able to go through time. Not to mention seeing the goddesses in a human form.
Wind Waker: Sailing and hearing The Great Sea song played. I would literally just play the game to do that. In fact...
Minish Cap: Vaati. Although, I didn't like how he pretty much becomes a orb out of all of this when to me, he could of been someone like Zant or Agahnim. Although, he did sort of become like them in which Ganon both used them all for his own gain.
4 Swords/Adventures: Multiplayer Zelda game done right. Fun competitive playing on the go or in a lengthy story. Adventures was my favorite though due to more content being available. What I liked the most however, was all of the Link to the Past references, because that was my first Zelda game I played and beat.
Twilight Princess: Didn't like much about it, but the one thing I did like was Hyrule Castle. The detail they went into that place was extraordinary.
Phantom Hourglass/Spirit Tracks: I liked-ish Phantom Hourglass for the return of the overview, not so much the touch screen controls though. And we can't forget the whale at the end, Oshus. Spirit Tracks I did not like. I was not a fan of being limited to where a train could go and the overall story was not that appealing.
Skyward Sword: Is it possible to have a nostalgic moment from this yet? Well, I'm still playing it so I don't know. But what I will never forget, and it's going to be a toughy for Nintendo to beat this one, is the motion controls. Set that aside and you got a game filled with references to past Zelda games.
Fantastic list M3rror! I would have included some of the older games, but I wasn't born when the first Legend of Zeld game came out
As for Skyward Sword, I'm sure many will, eventually, probably remember it as the last truly great Wii game and like you said, for introducing proper motion controls.
Mein Lieblingsplatz ist Skyloft.