In my opinion Zelda AlttP = Zelda Oot in terms of best game ever made. Those two games are just so amazing, Ive played them lots and lots of times, I always find something new and everything just doesnt stop amazing me.

Deus Ex and Planescape torment are both better games in my opinion.

Wind Waker and Majora's Mask.

I think A Link to the Past is better than Ocarina of Time because it aged so much better. So it just barely edges it out. As for other great games, it pains me to put any order to:
1)A Link to the Past
2a)Earthbound
2b)Diablo 2
4a)Ocarina of Time
4b)Final Fantasy 7

A Link to the Past is #1 because it has aged the best, Earthbound is 2a for the same reason. Then Diablo 2 because of the graphical upgrades from LoD made it age well and is just pure fun still. I put Ocarina of Time as 4a because the graphics in FF7 aged so piss poorly (as did most games from the original playstation).  It feels like I am cheating on my favorite games by placing others above it =(

Best game ever? NO!

There is a difference between "Best for it's time" and "best NOW".

Is OoT the best game for it's time? Sure, it must have been mind blowing back then.

But now it's aging pretty bad and has a lot of irritating game concepts, plus it's clunky, the child portion of the game sucks, the controls are lousy, the story is cliched...

I'd put at least 15 games over it in terms of best game ever, including two Zelda games, Twilight Princess and The Wind Waker (which is the best Zelda IMO).

Also, another note is that OoT is the only game in the series without the Zelda main theme :P it should have been used instead of that lousy Hyrule Field theme.

But overall, I'd say N64 and PS1 games are aging pretty bad...I didn't play a lot of them when they first came out, and now a lot of them are unplayable.

I never really liked SM64 though...too much focus on exploration...Sunshine was rather annoying too.

Galaxy however, is the perfect evolution from 2D Mario and IMO the best game ever made.

It's the best Zelda game but not not the best game ever in my opinion. I was always more of a fan of the Mario games than the Zelda games but that's me. I think that every Zelda game has gotten slowly worse since OOT which to me was the best by far. Worse isn't a good word. They are still great games but they have played in safe in many senses. Okay I'll say that OOT has the best ending in a video game ever. Man does Link get screwed.

Hmm, what is the opinion that I should have to remain hardcore?

 You are hanging out with a bad crowd, but I don't play you.

Maybe it is because I am older and the 1st adventure game I ever played was Zelda?  Don't get me wrong, I remember going to Blockbuster and playing Zelda for a couple hours as a kid and loving the game.  Yes, back then you could try games at Blockbuster before you rented them.  I did eventually buy it but never finished it.  I enjoyed Link's Awakening more than SNES Zelda also(maybe because of the fishing game?).

 Sometimes older, simpler games are better.  Super Mario All-stars is better than Mario 64 or SMG.  FF6 and FF4 are better than FF7 or FF12.  DKC 1, 2, and 3 are better than DK64. SF2 Turbo and Super SF2 are better than SF3.

 Nah Super Mario Bros. 2 is quite clearly the best.

 *Puts on box to avoid nutshots*

@FreeTalkLive
i actually agree with all the examples you gave for the older games being better (though citing SF and DK is pretty obvious)
its just that i ,and maybe a lot of other people too, feel that LTTP was and remains the definitive 2-d or even overall zelda game.
but of course i respect your opinion,and i agree i didnt play zelda 1 when it came out but later