Pupcakes: I like the original the most. According to Miyamoto, the original Legend of Zelda was designed as being the opposite of Mario: top down, non-linear, etc. Since Ocarina of Time, the games in the series have become way too linear, with maybe one or two temples you can play out of order without exploiting bugs, focus way too much on their mediocre story (aside from the fan Majora's Mask theory), and a hub world that connects the dungeons which are generally very empty and dull.
I hadn't played the original Zelda until I was in my 20s (I still am), so it's not really one I grew up with, but it is the one game in the series that I want to replay over and over again with different routes and/or challenges (swordless anyone?). I really hope the newer Zelda is as non-linear as the original game, as they did hint at it being less linear.
If you liked the gameplay of the original Zelda (i.e., non-linear exploration), you should really try Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. It's a pretty great game that allows you to complete (most) of the dungeons in whatever order you so choose. It also has some really great mechanics that take full advantage of the 3DS hardware, especially since the gameplay revolves around a transformation gimmick where your character becomes 2D.