Some of the greatest puzzles imho were in MM & LttP. I always found the puzzles are what mainly defined zelda, whether be dungeons or sidequests. Of late I found it got a little watered down, or maybe I have just grown too accustomed to it? It's like:
NPC: I heard something is going on in an area with heat!
You then go to death mountain and a everything else plays off for you.
The combat is something i always took for granted tho. It's good enough, nothing much broken in it. While i don't mind a beefier combat system, I am a little worried that they focus too much on that and leave the puzzles behind, like how they focussed too much on the art style (and combat) in WW and gave us really bland side quests and dungeons. So yea, for me, the puzzle-like elements of Zelda is what makes it. Tho, if it lacks any of the other elements, i agree it would still take away.
P.S. Those who say that zelda 1 for nes didn't have puzzle elements, and that it was only "push random block and burn random tree" are living too much in the present. There wasn't much they could have done (with the tech) at that time and they did a fine job. It wasn't random btw, it was the very same tree/wall/block in every play through that could be manipulated. Watch what you say.
