The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Nintendo 64
Nostalgia Factor:
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is often referred to as one of the greatest video games ever made, and I have to say I agree with that statement. I first got this game back in 1998, right when it initially came out. Normally I am the type of guy to wait until a game goes down in price before he buys it, but not in this instance. I wasn’t too big of a fan on the Zelda series (I had played the NES version of the game a handful of times, but had never played its sequel or A Link to the Past), but all the video game magazines at the time had been hyping the hell out of this game. I read the previews and I saw how groundbreaking it had the potential to be.
I waited in line at Best Buy the day it came out, and was lucky enough to come away with a fresh, shiny (but not golden) copy of this game. For some forgotten reason, we had a family get-together at my grandma’s house right after I got this game, and I specifically remember reading through the instruction manual a countless number of times, tapping my foot and repeatedly asking my mom when we were going to go. I wanted to play this game so bad!
Ocarina of Time did not disappoint. In fact, it was far better than I ever could have imagined. I was obsessed with this game, playing it day and night. I don’t remember how long it took me to complete this game, but as soon as I finished it I fired it up from the beginning and immediately did it all over again.
22 years since I first got my grubby little hands on this game, I still pop it in and play through it every couple of years or so. Each time I tell myself I probably won’t like it as much because of how old it is, but each time I end up loving it just as much as I did the very first time. Let me just say, I just finished the game the other day and that opinion still holds true. In fact, I may like this game right now more than I ever had at any point in my life.
Story:
You start off as a young boy named Link. While Link is sleeping, he is awakened by a fairy named Navi. Navi summons link to the Great Deku Tree, who appears to have fallen ill. Link enters the Tree and defeats the corruption inside, but it is too little too late. Before dying, the Deku Tree tells Link how the world is in jeopardy, and how he must travel to Hyrule Castle and seek Princess Zelda for answers. Link does, and it is from Zelda’s mouth that he learns of the history of the Triforce, and how the evil Ganon is attempting to get his hands on it in order to conquer the world.
Link goes on a quest to claim the Spiritual Stones, which allow him access to the Sacred Realm where the Triforce is held. Little does he know, he is being tricked by Ganon, who follows Link and claims the Triforce of Power for himself. Link awakens 7 years later, only to discover that Ganon has used the Triforce to take over Hyrule. As an adult, Link must awaken the sages of Hyrule, who can use their combined power to seal Ganon in the Sacred Realm forever.
After visiting the game’s various temples and dungeons and awakening the sages, Link takes the battle to Ganon’s lair. Using the Master Sword and Zelda’s Light Arrows, Ganon is defeated and sealed away by the sages. A massive celebration filled with music and dancing ensues, but not for Link! Link is sent back to his childhood seven years ago, where he once again makes contact with Princess Zelda in her castle.
Does this version of Zelda even know who Link is? Do the two have a future together? The game ends before we can ever find out.
Gameplay:
Ocarina of Time is really easy to pick up and play. The game takes place from a behind-the-back 3D perspective. The action follows Link around, resulting in very few problems with camera angles that plagued games like this back in the mid to late 90s. The Z-trigger locks on to your enemies. Once locked on, you can circle your enemies while hacking and slashing at them with your sword. This doesn’t seem like a big deal nowadays, but this was a massive innovation for its time. This is the first game I can ever remember with lock-on mechanics like this, and shortly after this game’s release I began to see it emulated in a countless number of titles. Such a game changer, that Ocarina of Time.
There is no jump button in this game. Instead, run up to a ledge and run off it, aiming yourself in the direction you want to go, and Link should jump in that direction. Took me a while to get used to this when I was a kid, but it quickly became second nature. Your two main buttons are used for attack and examining/picking up items. As you play, you gain accessories like slingshots and boomerangs. These accessories can be mapped to the C-pad, where the simple push of a button brings up the accessory you wish to use. You assign these accessories in the game’s pause menu. If I had to make one minor gripe about Ocarina of Time, it is that three inventory spots aren’t enough. I had to keep pausing the game to switch accessories out, and honestly it really breaks up the rhythm of the game. I guess that’s my only complaint about this game. It’s that freaking good.
As you play, you’ll find that Link is capable of more than just attacking, using accessories, and picking stuff up. You can climb, swim, block with a shield, ride a horse, and much much more. One thing you’ll find yourself doing quite often is playing the Ocarina. You have to use the Ocarina to solve puzzles, unlock new areas, and warp around the game’s map.
The puzzles you solve in this game are very clever and intuitive. While you are in dungeons, they are often challenging, but never TOO challenging to the point where you get stuck. Yes, I am saying that the Water Temple isn’t very challenging. I know that the difficulty of this dungeon is legendary, but honestly I’ve never had too much trouble with it. I cruised through it on my most recent playthrough in about an hour or an hour and a half without getting stuck or having to look for help. I find the Forest Temple to be a lot more difficult, because all the crumbling rocks and vines look the same to me.
Puzzles in this game are actually a lot harder (at least to me) when you are NOT in a dungeon. At least when you’re in a dungeon you have an idea of where to go and what you’re supposed to do. As a kid, I got stuck QUITE often in between dungeons while exploring the world map. Often it is not made clear where you are supposed to go next, or what you are supposed to do to gain access to the next area. That’s part of the genius of this title, getting the player to explore and discover these things themselves.
All in all, the different pieces of this game come together wonderfully. I had an absolute blast as I played, rarely encountering a dull moment along the way. Exploring, fighting, solving puzzles, it’s all just so FUN.
Graphics:
I expected this game to have held up a lot worse than it actually did. Sure, some of the textures are a bit grainy. You notice dungeon walls kind of “smear” as you are running through them from time to time. Character models obviously aren’t going to be as advanced as they are on, say, the PS4. And I forgive that. I forgive all of that. This is a Nintendo 64 game. Of course it is going to have aged. There is such a classic charm to this game’s look and feel that I can’t hold any of these things against it.
To me, where this game shines is in its atmosphere. Kokiri Village with its green décor and the little river running through it = charming as hell. Some of the dungeons, like the Forest and Shadow Temple, are quite eerie. The inside of Jabu Jabu with all its swirling lights and colors = amazing. Give me this over anything you’d see on a current console any day of the week.
This game is bright and vibrant when it needs to be. Dark and moody at other times. Whatever is happening on screen, you always feel like part of the action. If you play this in the dark with headphones on, you can easily lose yourself in the world of Hyrule. This is an amazingly immersive game.
Music:
Nearly everything about this game is perfect, and its music and sound effects are no exception. This game has SUCH a terrific musical score. Everywhere you go you are hearing an iconic Zelda tune playing. Seriously, this game’s musical score is GREAT.
All the atmospheric sound effects help add to the immersion. The noises Link makes when he jumps around, the clunking sound of Epona’s hooves on the ground, the sound your sword makes when you swing it and accidentally hit the wall… it is all just perfect. That subtle shift in the air when day switches to night, the wolves howling, the eerie music that plays when skeletons start popping out of the ground… I mean, it is all just great. Perhaps my favorite thing about the game’s audio, however, is that little tune that plays when you open a chest with a key item in it. It always gets me so pumped. Also, there’s that mysterious jingle that sounds when you unlock one of the game’s secrets.
Everything about this game’s audio is just so iconic to me. It is sheer perfection.
Overall:
Speaking of sheer perfection, I can’t give this game anything less than a perfect score. The fact that it is so fun and so enjoyable to play even 22 years after its initial release speaks volumes. There is a reason people say that this is one of the best games ever made: because it fucking is!
People will still be playing this game 20, 30, 50 years from now. It’s that good. I can’t wait to introduce my 4 month old son to this game when he’s old enough. It is a timeless classic that will always be fun. I’ve always considered Final Fantasy VII and Xenogears to be the two best games I have ever played, but after replaying Ocarina of Time I may have to re-think that evaluation.
Final Score:
A+
If you liked my review of Ocarina of Time, check out some of my other game reviews:
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