what defines the Zelda experience? interesting question. zelda was the first game that ever truly amazed me. the awesome music, fantastic moments, spectacular fights, great story, and,of course, the pure adventure. the world is often huge and riddled with secrets and just begging to be explored. i was truly amazed at the things i could find and the thing i could do. it was the first game to actually feel like an adventure to me.
one of my favorite moments in a zelda game comes from TP: after the water temple and the truly disturbing cut scene, Zant appears and uses the power of the spirit to fatally wound midna and then turns link back into a wolf. In an epic scene with "Midna's Lament" playing the background, Link has to rush to zelda for help. however, when a nealy dead midna tells link to forget about her and go on, zelda gives her own power and life to save midna's, despite midna's protests.
that scene is probably my favorite of any zelda game, next to the ending of Wind Waker and the grandma scene in WW (when she is all depressed) among many others.
like i said, what defines the zelda experience is the pure adventure in it. the secrets, story, action, and moments speak for themselves.
