What are you playing?

[Sarge]

I keep telling folks it's the best Zelda.

[Xeogred]

Link's Awakening is one of the best Zelda games out there, no lie. I also really like the Oracle games, and would say they're worth a try if you still feel a need for Zelda games in that style. They aren't quite the same in overall design philosophy, but the graphics are very similar, so I've always felt they were related to me

Fun fact: There were originally supposed to be THREE Oracle games on GBC instead of two!

Yeah, pretty disappointing we only got two! Especially considering I think all the other handheld Zelda's after that are a massive downgrade and some not even worth finishing (Phantom Hourglass...)

Still need to play Link Between Worlds someday though. Someone give me a 3DS.

[Gunstar Green]

I got frustrated with the first Sonic Adventure, but I did ultimately enjoy it. It was one of my first free-roaming 3D games. Aside from periodic camera issues, the Sonic levels were mostly well-designed. And the very first stage was very much intended to be eye candy, and it was.

While I think it's probably objectively not a very great game, at the time I thought it was pretty charming. I still actually prefer it to the sequel which spent a lot more time annoying me.

[marurun]

I find Link's Awakening to be a little annoying. There's more gating (you can't go someplace without a key item) than in previous games and there's that really long item trading chain to get the best sword. It feels much more linear and closed than Zelda games should be.

[Xeogred]

I love linearity.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Same here. Short, linear ARPGs are my favorite games.

But yes, the item trading in Link's Awakening was weak and perhaps the worst part of the game.

[Sarge]

It and A Link to the Past are like 1) and 1a) in my book. I liked how LA integrated a lot of LttP, but also felt a bit like a throwback to the original Zelda as well.

Really, my biggest complaint is all the item-swapping. Everything else is just fine to me, even the item chain. There's enough humor in it (especially the first time through) that it distracts a bit from the fetch-questy nature of it all.

[Segata]

LA is my fave 2D Zelda. No joke.

[prfsnl_gmr]

I like my Zelda games undirected and/or difficult. Accordingly, my three favorite are BOTW, The Legend of Zelda, and Zelda II. I also like them portable, and I adored A Link Between Worlds. (Links Awakening and Phantom Hourglass were also solid.). None of them are bad, however, and only Spirit Tracks and Minish Cap flirt with mediocrity. (That said...I haven't yet beaten Four Swords, Tri-Force Heroes, or Skyward Sword.)

[Segata]

I like some Zelda games but dislike others. Not a fan of MM at all. Felt like a side story rushed into being a main game.Also hate the time mechanic. Phantom Hourglass is the only Zelda game I will truly say I despise with every fiber of my being. I will even call it a bad game. I skipped Spirit Tracks because of PH. I also skipped SS. Didn't like Minish Cap tho won't say it's bad. LOVE WW. I did get tired of the OoT formula. Breath of the Wild is amazing. It's the NES game on steroids in 3D. It's as close as I can get to what I had in my imagination seeing the art for the NES game back then.