For me, A Link to the Past was the first great Zelda. I had tried Zelda II on the Nes and it was to damned confusing. I couldn't figure out what the hell I was supposed to do or where I was supposed to go. I later got my hands on the gold cartridge of the original. It felt good but there wasn't a whole lot of logic to it. I'm sure it was super ambitious at the time of its launch but thinking like a normal person wouldn't get you through that game. I later beat it just to say I beat it but goddam, that was torture. And it wasn't even worth it.
With Ocarina of Time, it all made sense. The puzzles, the bosses and their weaknesses, everything. I beat that game without a guide (even though it came packed with a mini-guide) and loved every minute of it. I don't think it's the end all and be all of Zelda games, though. I think it's the father of modern Zelda. The end of the beginning, if you will. It stands up amazingly well considering it's almost 20 years old but I think the newer games top it.
