It was a stormy night over Hyrule Field as Link lay restless in bed, when Zelda calls him up to rescue her. All of her companions, the descendants of the seven Sages that sealed the evil Ganon several hundred years ago, have been systematically sealed away in crystal by the evil wizard Agahnim and sent to the Dark World, which weakens the seal that keeps Ganon trapped there. Link is tasked with sneaking into the castle, breaking out Zelda, and getting her to safety. It’s simple, but they way it is presented is great. The music is suspenseful, giving you a sense of tension as you delve deeper into the dungeons. The consequences of this? You become a wanted man for ‘kidnapping’ the princess. Your task is to find the sage Sahashrala and retrieve three pendants of Wisdom, Courage, and Power, which will prove that you are worthy of wielding the Master Sword, which can defeat Agahnim once and for all. And so your quest began. I had so much fun traveling through all of the unique dungeons, fighting enemies, and finally taking down Ganon and saving the pricess and the kingdom. A Link to the Past got me hooked on the series as a whole. Of course, soon after, I got The Minish Cap, continuing my adventure in the land of Hyrule.

Sadly, as I mentioned earlier, I never got the chance to play the console Zelda titles, especially the famous Ocarina of Time. There exists a glimmer of light, though, as the release of a 3DS remake is in the works. I am very excited for that game’s release.

This series has had a big influence on my childhood, fueling a lot of creative processes that I have today. Miyamoto was inspired to make this game after adventures he had in his youth. Near his home, there were plenty of forests, caves and small villages to explore. He has referred to the Zelda series as a ‘miniature garden’ with which players can bring to life. As for the titular name Zelda, Miyamoto found American author F. Scott Fitzgerald’s wife’s name ‘pleasant and significant’. In respect for her name, he gave the name The Legend of Zelda to his newest game.

And so, after twenty-five years of adventuring, we as gamers pay tribute to a legendary series of video games that showcase the embodiment of courage, wisdom, and power, as well as what it means to be a true hero.

You're like the Yin to my Yang.  :)   I've never played any of the handheld Zelda games.  Ok, well, I played about a half hour's worth of Link's Awakening - hardly enough time to really see or do anything noteworthy.
 
You gotta play the console games though.  You just gotta.  You'll be in your glory.