In his “blast from the past” article, author McKinley Noble writes:

It’s completely inadequate to say that A Link to the Past is an epic adventure, especially considering the fact that it had to follow the neglected Zelda II from the old NES days. Not only was A Link to the Past a return to some short roots for the series, but it was one of the longest games you could play… arguably the most memorable RPG of all time.

Just reading that makes me want to play again. Quick! To the Virtual Consoles, men!