Still advocating theft I see. Emulation of titles is only permitted when you own the original. As this person doesn't, obviously, you're telling them to steal titles that are readily available for purchase on the platforms he/she owns. Once a thief always a thief apparently, Bradley.

In Legend of Zelda 1, go north into the cave.
And get the sword.

At least on your own.

If you invite a couple of friends who know how to riff (along with some beer), however, the CD-I games are a riot.

Well, Twilight Princess is not a bad place to start at all. Wind Waker is a good choice too. If you decide to go for a 2D game, the best one is A Link to the Past.

A cursory look at that page appears to back up what I said... That the second game was a sequel to the first and the third was a prequel to the two. Is there a particular bit of that article I should be looking at?
I agree with you about both games - Skyward Sword is pretty good and the controls are well done. They add a lot of depth to the sword fighting.
And Twilight Princess was dull and if anyone wants to pick on motion controls the Wii version of TP is the one. The motion controls basically amounted to "waggle to trigger sword swing" as if they'd just hooked waggle detection up to the GC version's B button.

After the third game it got confusing and they sort of retroactively wrote that there were multiple timelines.

Play them in chronological order. Mwahahahahahaha!!!

I don't think Zelda is the reason.

Oh thank god!

Thank you!

Well... I only really loved Wind Waker, I played a few more but eh.
I guess I liked them enough to finish them. :P

I'd suggest starting with a Zelda title that is relatively affordable. For instance, Ocarina of Time (3DS) recently had a price drop and is now available for a cool $20. Otherwise, there are several titles that are available on the 3DS Virtual Console for under ten bucks. I would personally recommend either The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening or The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons. Both games are portable and can be played in short bursts for maximum enjoyment. :D

Thanks For all the replies!

Even though it got some hate I think i'll stick with TP, I'll try the wii version since the HD port seems to just have some kind of grey filter slapped on (Or is it just me?). I think I'll try OoT and MM for the 3DS after that.

I was expecting a lot more love for Wind Waker, that always seems to be the most popular of the lot on the internet. Thanks for the list, any reason you chose the VC version over the 3ds one? the 3ds one seems to have some more content and you also went with the HD versions otherwise. I've got a 3DS XL, is there a NEW new one or did you mean just the new one?

I'm usually really picky about playing games in order, but with massive franchises that have been around for decades I make exceptions. I want to first try some of the new-ish titles and then see how it goes from there. Plus the entire different timelines thing also makes me feel less guilty about dropping my standards.

I'm also not really a fan of watching playthroughs of games I haven't played myself: I'd hate to spoil something and get the feeling I should've played it instead.

Yeah I heard Skyward Sword is pretty divise, I'll keep an eye on it but I'd rather start with something safer (Or maybe not since TP has its share of not fans too)

Thanks! That's exactly the kind of thing I wanted to avoid, I'd hate to be playing a direct sequel or at least a game with a lot of callback/references to another one.

Don't worry it's just a sign you always were and always will be a part of the PC Master Race and don't partake in console peasant's fables.

I personally did not like Twilight Princess as much which is first for me and the LoZ series. The challenge, level design and really overall design felt weak to me compared to the previous ones. The only thing that really saved that game was the final battle and ending imo.

A Link to The Past, Ocarina of Time and Windwaker are the best ones imo. The first one and Zelda II are good too, though prepare for a bit more difficulty with those as they can be hard for first timers. Haven't played any past Twilight Princess so I don't know about the others or the HD remakes.

A certain section of fans swear by Majora's Mask, but I found its time mechanic annoying personally. Never did get very far in that one.

As others said, each game is its own story so you don't have to worry about playing them out of order.

Other than that, welcome to Zelda and enjoy it! :)

Oh my, first time in the series. *o*
I wish I could go back and have the same wonder I've had when I started playing this series.

Of course, depending on your "background" you may end up not liking it.

I feel like I'm too bias to answer the question (it's my favorite series), but overall I would suggest Ocarina of Time for the 3D ones and A Link to the Past for the traditional 2D/top down ones.
And don't worry about the lore, it shares some similarities between the titles, but it is mostly stories on their own (save some direct sequels and or direct references).