NEStolgia

      The original Nintendo Legend of Zelda is the best of the Zelda games I have played [FULL DISCLOSURE: I have played (and beaten) the original, Zelda II, and A Link to the Past (SNES) and have seen Twilight Princess in action] and I'm not saying that as some sort of obsessed fanboy or because the game genuinely is better (odds are it's not), but because unlike later entries in the series (and this applies to Metroid too), you are not limited to a set path. Afterall, the game is labeled on the cartridge as part of the "Adventure Series" of games available for the NES at the time and for me, part of the adventure is the ability to not only explore, but to discover the path best suited for you and the original Legend of Zelda offers these options.

Octoroks!

      Take the Dungeon Levels for instance. Yes, they are all numbered 1 through 8 and yes, that is the suggested order but note I said suggested and not required. In fact, the first time I beat the game I went to Dungeon Level 7 last simply because I could not find it (I even remember exactly where I was when I found it too). To this day I don't know what inspired me to play the Flute in the fairyless pond (all the other ponds have fairies) because nothing in the game up to the  point ever suggested that playing the flute there would cause the lake to drain revealing the entrance (except for the cryptic clue: "THERE ARE SECRETS WHERE FAIRIES DON'T LIVE"). Later games required you to enter the dungeons in a precise, unalterable order, but in the Legend of Zelda, it was perfectly possible to complete any of the first three dungeons first and in any order. Going after Manhandla first would be a difficult task for a three-hearted Link and his wooden sword (or five hearts and the White Sword if you scout around first), but not impossible. In the First Quest (not as familiar with the second), it would be perfectly possible to assemble the Triforce of Wisdom going through the Dungeon Levels in this order: 3, 4, 5, 7, 1, 8, 6, and 2. And I'm talking completing the Dungeons, not entering and doing a grab-and-dash of the hidden item(s). That makes for increased playability as there is more than one path to your goal. Only certain levels require you to beat another one first.

Tektites!

      An additionally enjoyable aspect of the Legend of Zelda for the NES is the fact that it is not required of you to find every item in the game in order to complete. I like the idea of optional and not some fetch quest to go get an item that is only useful in one particular instance (I'm looking at you Quake Medallion and Spell and Thunder Spells!) and while the game does have a few such items (the silver arrow being the most conspicuous as it is needed to defeat Ganon), they do not reach the level of padding that other games in the series manage to achieve. Items you don't need to complete the game include the White Sword, the Magic Sword, the Magical Key (opens an unlimited amount of doors), the Boomerang, the Magical Boomerang, the Letter (as well as the potions you can buy once you present this letter), the Red Candle (can be used more than once per screen), the Magical Shield, the Power Bracelet, the Magical Rod, the Book of Magic, the Blue Ring, and the Red Ring. There are also Heart Containers and additional Bombs you can purchase that aren't necessary for Link to complete the game either. That's a significant amount so how hard you want to make the game is up to you and that pleases me greatly.

P-P-P-Peahats!

      When Zelda II: The Adventure of Link came about, this all went away. Now the Palaces had to be completed in numerical order; items could only be acquired in a more-or-less precise sequence; and it was nearly impossible to complete the game without getting every single item in it even if those items were essentially one-use gimmicks. In the Legend of Zelda, Dungeons had locked doors and keys, but it was not always necessary to open every locked door allowing you to hoard keys for later. It was even possible to buy keys from Overworld merchants. In Zelda II and A Link to the Past, every dungeon's locked door was necessary to open and there were only exactly as many keys as needed to open them. There was a skeleton key in Zelda II but it was only available for us the Sixth Palace and the Final Palace. Items like the Blue Mail and Mirror Shield in A Link to the Past were only available in specific Dungeons and only then...never earlier through cunning or luck whereas in the original game, both the Magical Shield (blocks almost all shots the regular shield cannot) and Blue Ring (halves your damage) could be purchased in shops. You could have these things by simply grinding enemies in the Overworld to get Rupees and buying them before entering even the first Dungeon Level. Again, with the original game, options abounded depending on your level of prowess/insanity.

Leevers!

      Additionally the Legend of Zelda came with a genuine Second Quest. When you beat the game (or simply cheated by making your character name ZELDA), you were given a new quest. It featured the same Overworld but with different locations for the Dungeons and secret places. It had completely different Dungeon Level layouts. It had additional features not found in the first quest like the Old Man requiring you pay a "door repair" charge and the more sinister "LEAVE YOUR LIFE OR MONEY" which, if you haven't learned your lesson from the First Quest to keep lots of Rupees on hand ("I BET YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE MORE BOMBS") when in Dungeons, you paid dearly for it with the permanent loss of a Heart Container (unless you somehow still only had three hearts when encountering him). It also featured new things like the Flute opening up more secret passages and the ever-strange walking through walls. Some walls in the Dungeon Levels were false and  you could pass through them and they could be either one-way or two-way apparitions. They did not reveal themselves with Bombs so you just had to try and see what happened. It gave a whole new element to the game to work with. It also introduced different versions of some enemies like the Stalfos which now shoot sword beams at you and the Bubble which in the First Quest merely prevented you from using your sword for a few seconds upon contact (no damage to Link though). However in the Second Quest the Bubbles came in a red form which permanently took your sword away and a blue form which gave your sword back (you could also get your sword back by having your life restored by either a fairy or by using a life potion - apparently also by playing the Flute...I never knew this). Like in the First Quest, neither Bubble would physically harm Link. Zelda II had a technical Second Quest but it was identical to the First Quest. The only difference is that you started with maxed out Attack, Defense, and Magic which although a letdown in terms of having a new challenge, it is totally fun whaling on enemies in the early Palaces with your overpowered sword breezing through enemies that initially gave you such trouble. The early stages of the Second Quest in Zelda II could easily be subtitled "Link's Revenge". A Link to the Past has no Second Quest.

Zelda!

Zelda!!

Zelda!!!

       I've never played later games in the series. I only witnessed my (now ex-) roommate playing Twilight Princess and noticed undesirable features that I find are common in modern games like a guide (in this case Midna) that tells you what you're looking at or what to do instead of having you, the player, figure it out for yourself. In addition to the above-mentioned problems with having a precisely laid out path (despite it being an adventure game) and numerous fetch quests, it also would point out where the boss's weakness was during the fight instead of, again, having the player figure it out. I hate that shit. Early games didn't have this though it was more a consequence of memory being expensive and limited forcing the designers to instruct the player in other more subtle ways. Anyway, so that's it. The original game rules and those are my reasons. I hope you've enjoyed this stupid rant and you win 50 Internets if you figured out the reasoning behind the picture posts before reaching the end. If not, click the link (no pun intended) under the red Zelda and see for yourself.