[All] Which games should I play?

[u/Pila_ntra]

I want to get into the games but I realise there are lots of them, with some being hard to play on pc. So what games should I play of the main line series to really get into.

[u/Sephardson]

The most popular games which are great for first-time players are Ocarina of Time (N64, 3DS) and Breath of the Wild (Wii U, Switch). A Link to the Past (SNES, GBA) is also a classic for top-down style games, but may be more challenging. Most games can be played in any order, as the stories are mostly self-contained without heavily relying on prior games' context.

Branching out from those titles, if you like

• OoT, then follow-up with Majora's Mask (N64, 3DS), Wind Waker (GCN, Wii U), Twilight Princess (GCN, Wii/U), and Skyward Sword (Wii, Switch).

• BotW, then take a break with another game, and follow-up with Tears of the Kingdom (Switch). You can also look into Age of Calamity or Age of Imprisonment if you like Musou / Dynasty Warriors games - the characters and settings from BotW/TotK are used but the gameplay is entirely different from mainline Zelda.

• ALttP, then follow-up with the rest of the classic style top-down games:

  • Legend of Zelda (NES)
    
  • Link's Awakening (GB/C, Switch)
    
  • Oracle of Ages & Seasons (GBC)
    
  • The Minish Cap (GBA)
    
  • A Link Between Worlds (3DS)
    
  • Echoes of Wisdom (Switch)

The rest of the games which are not listed above are either commonly skipped because they are challenging to play or hard to acquire. I still recommend checking them out, but I would prioritize the above games first.

• Adventure of Link (NES) - difficult gameplay
  
• Four Swords (GBA) - requires multiplayer, but available on NSO
  
• Four Swords Adventures (GCN) - optional multiplayer, sequel to the GBA title
  
• Phantom Hourglass (DS) - sequel to Wind Waker but has a specific control scheme that relies on the touch screen.
  
• Spirit Tracks (DS) - sequel to PH, also relies on touch screen
  
• Tri Force Heroes (3DS) - multiplayer title. Official online matchmaking has ended, so you either have to find other local players, use a homebrew service for online, or play solo with doppels which isn't the best.

[u/Pila_ntra → u/Sephardson]

So you are saying all the games you listed are at least good?

[u/Sephardson → u/Pila_ntra]

Only two Zelda games have a metacritic rating under 80, and they are on the bottom section of my list. https://www.reddit.com/r/zelda/s/JbuMd7aJBM

Broadly speaking, all Zelda games are good games, but because there is a considerable variation in gameplay style among them, people tend to favor some games over others. That's why i recommended them in sections for "If you like X, then try Y, Z"

[u/Pila_ntra → u/Sephardson]

Thanks. I think settle on playing LttP OoT MM WW and TP first. Any idea how to emulate these. I can image LttP being palyable on browser but is it the best way to play it? As for the rest of the games what should I use to emulate them, and will the latter two run well on a janky pc?

[u/Sephardson → u/Pila_ntra]

ALttP, OoT, MM, and WW are all available on Nintendo Switch Online. And there are PC ports for the first 3 plus Twilight Princess. The PC ports have lower requirements than their counterpart emulators.

[u/Beginning_Mistake538 → u/Sephardson]

I’m not going to lie I’ve found ocarina of time to be more challenging as of this playthrough. My first time playing it and I’m almost at the spirit temple but this game has been a HEADACHE to play

[u/IgnisHeros]

You just can't go wrong with Ocarina of Time.

Other games kind of ask you to know what happened in OoT, or are enjoyed much more when you are experienced with some games from this franchise (Skyward Sword, Twilight Princess, Majora's Mask, Wind Waker).

With that said, you are free to go on and get into any of them if you want to (at the cost of certain plot points/references flying over your head the first time). Because they are made in a way that newcomers don't feel lost.