It's the game that generated a franchise full of praise. It's what helped propel the gaming industry away from another crash. Along with Super Mario Bros it was a force to be reckoned with in the gaming world. It provided a more open ended environment for players to explore and interact with, drawing many people in with it's secrets, charm, and most importantly, gameplay.
It really doesn't matter which way you look at it, it's a classic steeped in history. Just imagine what the gaming industry would be like if this very game didn't exist. Onto the main plot of the game. The main character, Link, is after the eight fragments of the Triforce sought after by Zelda after a Gerudo thief known as Gannon attacks the land of Hyrule alongside his army. While it seems simple at a first glance, it's actually full of lore, and it's fantastic. I don't want to ruin anything for newer players though. So, after creating a new save file (the first ever game to utilize a save system, ultimately ditching the password tradition) your journey begins as you embark on a quest for the pieces of the Triforce. Since the land of Hyrule is a large, open scale world, you're bound to get lost if you had a tendency to wander. Fortunately, an old man tells you that it's dangerous to go alone, so he hands you a sword before vanishing into thin air.
One of the best things about The Legend of Zelda is the freedom that is given to the player. If you want to, you could tackle any of the bosses in any order, and go wherever you please right from the start. This was unheard of in any game at the time. The game never forced you to play out things that you didn't want to do, everything was at your control. It was so good that it is now rife in virtually every game currently on the market. From a graphical standpoint, it was beautifully designed back then, and while it looks ancient nowadays, it retains the old spark. It's quite an achievement to cram so much data into a cartridge on a console that has less data than a scientific calculator and still have graphics that are on par, or even better, than games that have considerably less memory.
You can't exactly go wrong with the controls since there aren't a lot of buttons to use on a Wii mote, but they work ever so well nonetheless. All you do is move, attack by using your sword, use your item and bring up your inventory screen. They're faultless in their design. Just like other games in the series, there's more than just the main quest to worry about. In this installment, you can visit shops in order to stock up on supplies, explore for hours on end and you can even discover some well hidden secrets throughout the course of the game. Now, while people will adore this game just like myself, there are bound to be many modern-only gamers that will try their best to shut out this game. This, combined with the lack of online features that tons of people can't seem to live without, will make the game slip under the radar with the casuals. They may know of it's existence, but probably won't give it a shot because of how old it is.
The sound department is tremendous. The game is complete with the iconic music that plays while you're questing (such as the piece that plays during the opening cut scene at the start of the Wind Waker, and the beloved jingles when you pick up a new item). I, personally, could listen to the soundtrack for hours without getting bored of it. Now with every legendary game, you get a few issues that don't really hamper the overall experience, but manage to annoy you. For example, it's too easy to get lost with your objective. Finding the first dungeon can be tricky, and finding better items will take some time. Some screens are littered with creatures, ready to shoot, jump, claw and maul you which will result in some early deaths for some. The dungeons themselves are relentless, with rooms full of beasts and narrow passageways, as well as feisty boss duels. These slight problems shouldn't prevent you from getting this game though, you're most likely to forget that these issues exist because of how deep the gameplay is.
I think my verdict is obvious to be honest. It's a must own game. Not only will you have a superb game if you buy it, but you'll also have an iconic piece of gaming history in your household. This game helped make gaming, so play it for own good.