How would you recommend playing this game today to someone that has never played it ?
I think if possible, the original game with and n64 controller is best because the controls are weird if you’re not using the original controller.
The 3ds port is probably the best official HD version of the game.
The pc port has oodles of improvements that kind of change the game a lot.
Either way emulation if probably the best bet.
For 2D games the one to start with is A Link to the Past. It solidified the franchise formula of combat, exploration, and puzzles that started with the first 2 NES games, both of which were experimental games at the time.
If you want a history lesson then A link to the past is undoubtedly the game to play. Ocarina of time, like most early 3D games, is very much a "you had to be there to truly appreciate it" moment in time.
Breath of the Wild isn't a better game, it's a completely different game. It's not even a later stage in the evolution of the Zelda formula, it's way out of left field. The (arguably) best Zelda 1 speedrunner in the world, LackAttack24 [1] even goes so far as to call it "NOT a Zelda game".
Personally, I am not a fan of modern open world games in general. I feel like they trade off quantity over quality in the most extreme way possible. On the other hand, the tight, cohesive feel of a classic Zelda game is absolutely sublime and an experience that is often imitated but never duplicated.