This is something that seems to come up in discussion every once in a while, particularly as of late with the introduction of a third school of Zelda design (the puzzle-centric DS school) and the announcement of a new console title.
It's generally agreed on by the designers, Miyamoto and Tezuka and Nakago and Aonuma and Fujibayashi, that setting down a primary and singular spirit of the Zelda franchise borders on impossible, because it will vary from person to person, from designer to designer, from player to player.
This topic is about you saying what defines Zelda for you.
There is no wrong answer here, so long as you are honest with yourself and the values that appeal to you. If you like te puzzles, or exploration, or combat, or characters, or the world, or something more ephemeral like experience, then more power to you. Say it. Discuss it. Argue about it, if you want. But this is a topic about sharing what we love about the franchise, not tearing down what other people value. Remember that.
Later today I'll share what defines Zelda for me.
