People often claim that Majora's Mask is the best LoZ game ever. I firmly disagree. Majora's Mask is a great game, but it's too goddamn depressing. The worlds of LoZ should be places you want to escape to, not from. I honestly think Wind Waker and Skyward Sword were better because they weren't so dark. You got a since of adventure and excitement, not suicide inducing darkness.
I thought people more often than not claimed OoT to be the best?
Anyhow, I completely disagree with your statement, dark doesn't necessarily mean gloom and brooding. Imo the best Zelda game out there is still A Link to the Past, being, story-wise at least, one of the darker games. While there should absolutely be a sense of adventure, I want it to be thrilling and on the border to scary. Fighting smiley-faced, colorful creatures that look like they'd rather hug Link than kill him doesn't quite work for me.
Honestly, I loved loved loved Minish Cap.
I really didnt like the DS versions of the game... I still have Phantom Hourglass... no sorry I can't deal with the slow ship sailing...
Hm... I liked to play the four swords one because I managed to get four cables and gameboy advances to play with my friends, otherwise, I liked Ocarina of Time the best because it seemed to be the most original compared to it's predecessors.
Wind Waker for me, some of the visuals in it made my jaw drop. I really loved playing this game, and the story wasnt to shabby either over all it was a top quality game.
While OoT is still my all time favorite Zelda game, I quite enjoyed Majora's Mask. I thought the game was pretty trippy and had it's own vibe going for it. Made it stand out and seem more unique, compared to the other Zelda games I've played. If anything, I thought that the dark atmosphere of the game gave it a greater sense of urgency. This is especially so in those last few hours of the 3rd day, when the sky grows dark, the moon (which still looks creepy as fuck to me) is now taking up a large chunk of the sky, and that mournful, almost dreading music at the end really gave the feel that the world was going to end. That actually pushed me to keep playing through the game. So that I could try and save this world from being destroyed.
I can't really say which one is my favorite I can bring it to top 5 but not number one. Each Zelda game has something going for them and it be impossible to narrow #1 down.