I, like a lot of my generation, first met Zelda in OOT which is arguably the best of the whole series(Although I personally found TP to be more enjoyable...). What an introduction!
As you so rightly say, there was this whole world to explore with so many different 'Places' with so much variety... it was a whole new experience to the linear games I'd played before.
Unfortunately for me, I never got the most out of OOT
I got it at an age where I didn't quite grasp the idea of puzzles and the grand RPG style game. So I got stuck in the desert somewhere and just left it...
After my N64 I went for an Xbox instead of the GC, so the next chance I got to play a Zelda game was a few years down the line when I first picked up my Wii and a copy of TP. What a difference a few years can make! Now I was at an age where I could really appreciate what a brilliant series it is! The vast world of Hyrule had become even bigger and even more varied. Hyrule field itself was massive! The graphics are easily the best out of the first releases for the Wii and are better than what some games are producing today
An excellent(If somewhat similar) storyline and perfectly balanced boss battles made it the perfect way to kick off the Wii.
I spent over 40+ hours on that game and there wasn't a single minute that I didn't enjoy. In fact, I could tell it was a brilliant game as I was trying to pace myself in fear of completing it too quickly
So yeah, Zelda is something that all other games will be compared to in greatness and although there's nothing 'revolutionary' coming from the series, it will still remain one of the best loved franchises of all time.
