The Legend
This is the first topic in response to my call for assistance, and was suggested by Soph of The View through the Branches: (paraphrased) One of the game series I have most played, aside from WoW, is the Zelda series. It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on the storyline, progression, and life cycle of the franchise.
It was 1987, and the world would soon change in a way that no one could have predicted. The Legend of Zelda was released in the United States, bringing with it new concepts in gameplay, such as the ability to wander the world and play nonlinearly and logic puzzles not previously seen before. Fast forward to today and the strength of the franchise and its ability to capture the hearts and minds of gamers is readily apparent. There have been sixteen (16) different games in the franchise, assuming the inclusion of the direct sequel to the original game, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (more on the sarcasm there in a moment, I promise), and the series has garnered quite a diverse and large following matched only by a handful of other titles. It could even be said that the Zelda franchise was the first series to generate such a following (the Final Fantasy series comes to mind as its closest rival, though I’m also biased toward the two franchises and may, as a result, not be looking at it quite as objectively as I should).
Now, back to the one statement that will, probably, have many die-hard fans trying to track me down and find creative ways to make me see the error of my ways:
… assuming the inclusion of the direct sequel to the original game, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link…
Yes, the second game in the series should forever be forgotten and any remaining copies, except for the pristine original release I have in a plastic case, should be destroyed. Now, let’s back up a moment and see if this helps paint the perspective better: Zelda II was probably a decent game in its own right, but it was not anything similar to the wonderfully crafted, elegant, flat-out awe-inspiring original game. This is something that is difficult to explain to those unfamiliar with the “feel” of a series and whether a game fits well or not, and the best comparison I can provide again draws upon a comparison to the Final Fantasy series: Final Fantasy VII was a spectacular game, and while I have been told that Final Fantasy VIII was a decent game I could never bring myself to play beyond the first twenty minutes of the game. Never. It is another game that should be obliterated from the franchise of which it is a part. It simply does not “fit” with the series and, although this is based on perception and opinion, in this case we can safely acknowledge that I am correct and move on (I kid… sort of…).
Now, the purpose of that little history lesson is partially to see who is still reading from this point on versus those who have chosen to ignore the post and go about their way, and partially to give you an idea of just how captivating the Zelda series truly is. So, let’s get on with Soph’s question.
Storyline
I have a confession that must be made here, I have not played all of the games in the series. My order of play went as follows: The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, and finally Twilight Princess. While I do own a Gamecube, I never found The Wind Waker to be a title that caught my interest, partially due to the difference in look that the cel-shaded techniques generated and partially due to simply being engrossed in other games at the time. For that reason, as well as the sheer amount of time it would take to go through the storyline of each game individually, I want to look at the concepts brought forth by the series in a slightly different fashion:
It is easy to overlook the depth of the Zelda franchise from a story perspective for a number of reasons. In general, however, the story is actually quite dark, quite detailed, and potentially quite disturbing. Consider the story from this approach: Link is (as portrayed in the later games) an innocent youth on a journey to gain knowledge, power, and courage (portrayed by the triforce) in an effort to both save himself and others from harm (which correlates with the thought of growing up and living life) while battling the corruption and pains that such a journey holds.
In short, the story centers on the the themes of battling fear, corruption, and evil throughout life. This can be taken a step further in stating that the exploration of children as innately good and that man is the root of all evil are present, but that goes beyond the scope of what I want to touch on here.
(Interjection: For those interested in reading about the specific story lines of each game I recommend visiting the Zelda Wiki.)
Progression and Life Cycle
Limiting the scope of progression and life cycle discussion to only the games I have played in the franchise (for the sake of the discussion), the series has certainly grown both in maturity and in the depth of story tackled. We have certainly seen a move toward a darker, more pained Link who must battle through an almost nightmarish reality in order to “grow up” and become the hero that Hyrule needs. It will certainly be interesting to see if the speculation surrounding the next iteration in the franchise holds true and that the game is indeed even darker and more complex than what we have already seen.
The Legend of Zelda is one of few franchises to hold such a loyal and devout following that the life cycle discussion is almost moot. Certainly any franchise can kill itself with a bad product, but the story of youthful innocence versus the corrupt certainly enthralls many gamers. It is difficult to imagine a world without Link, just as it would be tough to imagine Nintendo without Mario. Link is a character that many can relate to for various reasons ranging from the simple “classic hero” attachment to the myriad of psychological and emotional reasons to love the character.
Closing Remarks
Now, I’m not sure how well I really addressed the original questions, but I noticed post length growing quite long and decided I needed to try to keep the points short and simple. I’ll certainly expand on thoughts with an ensuing discussion in the comments if anyone would like, though 
“I never found The Wind Waker to be a title that caught my interest…”
I can’t even begin to tell you how disappointed I am to read this. And here I thought you weren’t one of those elitist “graphic” snobs who overlook outstanding games because the graphics don’t look like something out of Hollywood. *sigh*
Wind Waker is, in my opinion, the second best game in the series. (I think Majora’s Mask is the best. Partially for the innovative game play, partially for the story, but also for being a game to managed to successfully capture the “Groundhog Day” story/effect in a game, and did it perfectly. It’s only real criticism is the repetition of having to play through the same day over and over again, but there’s enough going on that the repetition is kept to a bearable minimum. But I digress…)
The only real negative the Wind Waker has is the constant need to sail everywhere, and occasionally that aspect can wear thin after awhile. But in terms of story and play control, it easily stands head and shoulders above all other Zelda games. While the game may be a bit old now, I’m certain that if I started playing it I’d get just as wrapped up in it again as I did back when I first played it.
I’ve only successfully managed to “finish” about a dozen games in my lifetime, despite having played hundreds. I’m happy to say that not only is Wind Waker on that list, but it definitely ranks up near the top.
“… overlook outstanding games because the graphics don’t look like something out of Hollywood.”
It isn’t because the graphics don’t look like something out of Hollywood, they just do not appeal to me. Don’t forget to make note of the other portion of that statement though, because graphics alone do not keep me from playing a game: “and partially due to simply being engrossed in other games at the time.”