What's wrong with the DS Zeldas? 

Also, i didn't suggest Ocarina 3D (I know it's on 3DS) because i didn't want to spend £30 or so on a game that i'm not sure about. It may be widely considered a classic but i don't want to waste money given the chance i may not like it. These games need demos. 

Do you want to get into one of the very best franchises in video game history?

If that's how you phrase the question, the answer is yes. Any other way you phrase the question....answer's still yes.

Yeah, be a shame for someone to jump in at what I consider the worst entries (excluding CD-i).

I would start with Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time for base and then check out...pretty much everything else besides aforementioned DS titles.

I've never played the Zelda franchise, only faintly remember playing one on the Gameboy when I was younger.

I currently own Windwaker HD, Ocarina of Time 3D, Link betweeen worlds and Phantom Hourglass.

I'm currently playing Windwaker HD first, I love the art direction and the story has been good so far. Game mechanics are great. Afterwards I'll play Oot

I've played Ocarina, Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword and all are fantastic games.

Also, I noticed that you said you were gaming back in the NES days. That's good. Otherwise, I'd actually recommend you don't start with A Link to the Past, or just avoid it altogether. *Takes breath and gets ready for the mob with torches an pitchforks*

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying it's a bad game. It's  just not as easy to appreciate if you've grown used to modern gaming. This is coming from a guy who can recall waking up to Super Mario Bros. every morning at the age of 4, and who knows the very definition of "NES-hard."

I've owned every Nintendo console except the SNES, so I missed out on ALttP until about three years ago (even though playing it a short time at my cousins is what kicked off my interest in Zelda in the first place). I played a whole bunch of others in the series before that though, so I got used to some of the series' tropes. If I hadn't had an idea of what to expect at times, I would have found the game more frustrating. It's light on story and exposition compared to later Zelda games, and it does little to remind you where you're supposed to be going, what you're supposed to be doing and how to return to where you've been. These things aren't inherently bad and you may not mind them, but I did. I played in infequent spurts, and a guy like me needs an aide to help me remember what's going on. You get that in later games, but not here. It's overworld is also missing the grid system implemented in the 2-D games that came after it, like Link's Awakening. This made is WAY more convenient to navigate and keep track of where everything is. That is my single biggest gripe with the game. I realize it's not the game's fault though. That would being mad at the original SMB for not having a hub world and save points. But again, it's something that you're used to from modern gaming.

However, there are plenty of things to like about it. Outside of Zelda 1 and 2, it is the most difficult game in the series, and that is a good thing. When you beat a boss and survive a dungeon, you come out feeling like a real man, like Bruce Willis in Die Hard.  When you solve a puzzle, you feel like a genius. Everything that happens is because you earned it, not because someone held your hand and dragged you down the obvious path. It's not "NES-hard," it's "challenge without ever being cheap" hard.

ALttP is what Seinfeld is to sitcoms. It was some groundbreakingly brilliant stuff, and is still excellent even today, but you can see its age. And if you weren't there at the time, then it's harder to appreciate it, because you don't have the nostalgia goggles or you can't put your 16-bit hat on. But again, you've been gaming for a while now, so maybe it won't be an issue for you.

If you enjoy developers that like to do some ridiculous stuff that sometimes makes no sense, then of course!

Go for the ones up until Ocarina of Time. Majoras Mask is interesting as well, if viewed as a spinoff.

The others are time wasters though.

I think the answer was already implied more or less across posts by others after mine.

But anyway, A Link to the Past had a port to the GameBoy Advance that included Four Swords (multiplayer-only game, steer clear) but it also streamlined some aspects of the game itself and improved sound. If you don't mind the small screen of a GBA I'd say that's the best version of A Link to the Past. They also released it on Virtual Console on Wii worldwide and WiiU in PAL regions, I think that's still the SNES version but at least it would be on a regular screen. It's recently released sequel A Link Between Worlds has, while a completely original and different game, a lot in common with ALttP and has the same basic gameplay-style. Naturally being on 3DS it also has much superior visuals and control.

Ocarina of Time had a port to GameCube, but it was a special-edition release. I don't think it really changed or improved anything. I think it upscaled the resolution, but not much more. The original version was ported to Wii's virtual console. Given the control I'd say the original on N64 is still the best. If you can't get that, I think you should find the GameCube version and play that (if need be on Wii). There's however also the 3DS remake. It's exactly the same game, but all assets were remade from the ground up so it looks and feels vastly improved. Also, they redid the control scheme to be even more intuitive. I've you're not taken by N64 nostalgia, I'd say that version is the best one, if you, again, don't mind a small screen.

From what you said, i don't see no reason why i wouldn't like Zelda. I should just jump in with Ocarina 3D on 3DS then