Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Nintendo, 1988)

It bothers me that people commonly refer to this game as an embarrassment to the Zelda series. This game is absolutely spectacular. Game play is flawless. Of all the games in the Zelda series, Adventure of Link displays the best interpretation of the land of Hyrule. It has plains, forests, swamps, deserts, along with towns and palaces; the best depiction of Hyrule out of all the Zelda games. In addition, of all the Zelda games, this is the one that is most similar to a RPG. For example, you have to collect Experience Points to level up your character, and the land in which you travel is similar to that from an RPG. Maybe that's why this game is so widely criticized: because it's different from the traditional Zelda game. Still, I loved every minute of this title, and recommend it to any gamer who can appreciate a great game.