Adventures of Link hands down.The thrill of jumping and stabbing, upward downward thrust and the challenge, plus the leveling up I love this game. I can hear the world map enchantingly ringing in my head as I type this.
Next is Oracle of Ages. Link's Awakening, a truly breathtaking experience on the Gameboy, OoA takes this to a whole new level.
The Legend of Zelda. Very close competition with LttP, I just love my retro games. The challenge is there, and no Zelda game ever recreated the mystical nature of LoZ. AoL came close, but the first Zelda ever created was truly unique even to this day.
A Link to the Past. The Zelda we had been waiting for for so long, now with a light and a dark world. Something that would enchant us for many years to come. Who can forget the glorious muse of the dark world?

Awwwwwww :3

A Link to the Past.

I don't have too much experience with these Zelda titles, but from the little experience I have I would say:

The Legend of Zelda > Link's Awakening > Four Swords > Minish Cap > Adventure of Link


Sadly, it seems to me like my 2D Zelda interests are completely powered by nostalgia.

I'll go with Minish Cap, probably because it's my favorite handheld Zelda game :D

ALttP, no contest. Second would be Link's Awakening, though.

From there, Four Swords, then Zelda 1, then Minish Cap, then the Oracles.

The first Zelda is the only one I can pick up and beat over and over and over again and never get tired of it. I am 32 years old and I've been playing it since I was a freakin' child and it STILL doesn't get old. It's like Contra.

I know alot of people are going to got with LttP, but im gonna say OoS. I didnt own SNES when it was first out, so i didnt really sit down to play LttP till some years later. But i did get OoS day 1 and i loved it, even more cool that it wasnt even made by Ninty in house. Oh Capcom, this is the cool stuff you used to make

Both Link to a Past and Link's Awakening are great, but because the Gameboy was the first gaming system that I bought with my own hard earned money, Awakening holds more nostalgia for me.

The Legend of Zelda on the NES is my single favorite game of all time. Nothing can compete with its groundbreaking brilliance and flawless execution. But A Link to the Past really ties with it on all of the important levels; it basically took everything great from the original and improved/expanded upon it. In any case, both are head and shoulders above the rest for me (and I love them all).

I'm voting for ALttP as well, amazing game