The Legend of Zelda is the first title in the Zelda series, it has marked the history of video games particularly for it's game mechanics and universe. The player controls Link and must make his way through the forests, graveyards, plains and deserts of the Otherworld to find the secret entrances to the eight dungeons and try to restore the broken Triforce. Among the game's mechanics, it was the first time we saw a continuous world that could be freely explored, power-ups that permanently enhanced the main character's abilities and a battery save feature that allowed players to keep their progress instead of having to start over. The gameplay balanced action sequences with discovery, secrets and exploration.
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I'll probably get some flack for this, but pretty much any Zelda game is better than the first one, at least from my perspective. I get it was supposed to evoke the feeling of getting lost exploring a vast world, but literally getting lost isn't my idea of fun or engaging gameplay. Every time I attempt this without a guide, I run around aimlessly & get beat up by Octorocks. I'm beyond glad that this game laid the groundwork for an awesome franchise to bloom from... but eh, the original LOZ just isn't a whole lot of fun for me.
The Legend of Zelda... now that takes me back. Pioneering? Absolutely. A classic? Without a doubt. But man, it's cryptic! Between the confusing overworld and those hidden dungeons, younger me spent more time wandering lost than actually battling monsters. Still, it's got that undeniable charm that started it all.