The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

The Good
Why So Serious?

Released in 1998, and almost too late to the N64 party, Zelda 64, was the 3D Zelda adventure we all knew was coming. What we did not know was it would take half a decade before it would be released. Due to many false starts and silly ideas.(Remember the ill fated N64 Disk Drive?-MM-)

I would like to make special mention of my take on Zelda. Some Moby Gamers seem to be under the impression that I dislike the Zelda series, this simply is not true. While I am far from a hardcore fan of the series, there are several games in the series that I actually enjoyed. Such as: Zelda II,( A cruelly underrated adventure.-MM-) and Zelda: Link’s Awakening, among others.

Some overzealous Zelda fans and Nintendophiles, have even accused me of being a “hater” of the series. One such case occurred here on Moby. Some deluded fan boy, actually had the testicular fortitude, to send me a private message, declaring that I was a stupid head, or some such silly thing, for just expressing my honest opinion, about a particular Zelda game.

How did I respond you ask? Well, as any borderline psychotic might, I laughed at the poorly written and conceived attempt, to change my mind on the matter. And then I sent the dingus, a harshly worded response. And no, I never heard back from the belligerent fan boy.

Now I know what you are thinking. What in the nine bloody hells does any of this have to do with my review? Well, the short answer is, that without calling attention to the fan boy, I hereby dedicate this review to you. In the words of Pink Floyd: “Shine on you crazy diamond.”

And I was going for the longest intro to a review in Moby history record.(Did I win, if so what did I win? Cash?-MM-) Or does Jazz Oleg, Lasttoblame, or Classic Nigel, still hold the honor? Without further ado, here is my review for Zelda 64: The Ocarina Of Time.

Of Elves And Swords….

Zelda 64, begins like many fantasy yarns, with the advent of the hero. We find Link, a pint sized elf lad, living in the forests of the Kokiri. Link as it turns out is the joke of the nationhood, yet he cares not for he is feeling good. And one particular morning he makes a new friend. A little pixie, Navi who is not unlike, Landstalker’s Friday.(Only unlike Friday, she is very annoying.-MM-)

She tells Link, of what he must do. His first task is to help the magic tree, of his village.(All fantasy worlds have talking trees, don’t you know?-MM-) And then for the first time in his young life leave behind the only home his has every known.

For here his quest gets more and more complex. And without giving too much away, I will say that out of all the Zelda games that I have played this one has one of the better stories. And it is the little things that make it worth you time. Link is an outcast in his own home. Yet once he leaves his home he will make new friends, and he is the only one that can save Hyrule. This is also by far one of the most realized Zelda incarnations. And he will find that some things are worth fighting for. Or perhaps he just wants to bang Zelda?

What is a great story with out gameplay? The answer is most likely not a videogame. I can say however that the gameplay in Zelda 64 is actually well done. And fun to play. The huge difference is that the game is now 3D not 2D. But that makes more if a difference than you might think.

The dungeons, combat, and just about everything else have been overhauled for the new engine, For the most part it works for the better. With a few exceptions. More on that later, now I would like to talk about the ways that it works better.

The dungeons are much larger and involving than they were in the 2D days. And as it turns out this is both a good and a bad thing. The good includes that it makes the dungeons more difficult. But not unfairly so. Not that all 2D games had easy dungeons, any one who has played, Phantasy Star II, Zelda II, or The Immortal, can attest to that. But they are more complex and often fun in Zelda 64.

The bigger dungeons also mean bigger boss fights. In cool retro fashion some of the classic bosses make an appearance here.(In many ways this game is a retelling of the original.-MM-) Fighting the dragon, and Gannon, in particular is pretty damn sweet.

Speaking of the combat. I think that you will find that the combat system is Zelda 64, is far better and more refined and quite frankly more fun. You can slash, hack, and thrust your way to victory. And now you can even lock-on to a target. And this is very effective. Unlike some games. Link, can also perform special moves, downward slashes, and leaping stabs among others. Great stuff.

And Link, has other weapons at his disposal. As a child, he can use a sling-shot. And as an adult he can use a long-bow. And did I mention he can shoot some punk ass monsters while on horse back? And did I mention that Link can now ride a horse? I pretty sure I did, yes definitely.

“In the country side I wander far and wide….”

The exploration is also improved because, of the new engine. I actually had more fun traveling and exploring Hyrule in 3D than I ever did in 2D. This is due to a few things. First off, in the old Zelda games of the 2D persuasion, if you saw a heart container, some where in the world it was fairly easy to figure out who to obtain it. In Zelda 64, due largely to the use of a 3D engine, it can be much more challenging, to obtain the hidden life-ups. And I enjoy a good stiff challenge.

In addition, to exploring of foot. Link, can now ride a horse. This not only makes travel faster, but it also allows you to deliver death from the saddle, via your long bow. Unfortunately, you cannot use you sword from the saddle. The horse, also allows you to partake in a racing mini game. If you are into that kind of thing.

As per Zelda tradition, there are tons on mini games, and side quests to undertake. And a great deal of secrets to uncover. Overall, they are a nice diversion, from the main quest.

Hyrule is big….that is for a game from 1998. On a console. Compared to Fallout 3, Oblivion, and even Gothic II, it is pretty damn small. So keep this in mind. That means you nintendophiles.

The graphics are good, for the time and for the N64. As at the time it had the most raw power of any console…until the Dreamcast anyhow. There is very little pop-up. Which plagued PSX and Saturn games, and the game looks pretty crisp and colorful. But not to colorful, like some other Zelda games.

For MIDI music, a device first devised in the 1980’s the score in Zelda is decent, that is to say it gets the job done, but is a far cry from one of personal favorites. But I am sure that others will disagree, and that’s all well and good. The sound effects on the other hand, well you will have to see the “bad” section for that.

I would also like to make a mention of the controls in Zelda 64. As they are very well designed. And work almost perfectly. The only downside would be that you would have to play this on an N64, on an emulator, it plays like crap, unless you hook your N64 controller to your PC, which can be done. But that is neither here nor there. Hell, the controls are so well plotted that a similar control scheme was used in Shenmue 1 and 2.(You know the boss, but criminally underrated Dreamcast games?-MM-) And it was also effective in those aforementioned games.

The Bad
Accusations And Ruminations….

Even as I write this, I realize, full well, that some Nintendo fans, will curse me and burn effigies dedicated to me. But I will speak my peace anyhow. I think that Link, is one of the lamest heroes ever. There I said it. And I know what the opposition will argue, ’He is supposed to be the pure eternal hero.’ But to that I say that is why he fails, he is too boring. He lacks the complexity of Landstalker’s hero Nigel. Or the dark decadence of Kain, from the Blood Omen, games. And those are just two better protagonists from other action RPGS, let alone films or books.

He also has zero personality. I also realize full well, that this is intentional, but it still is stupid. In Gothic you ARE the nameless hero, but at least he actually has a personality, he is not just an automaton.

The sound effects are to but it mildly annoying as hell. From the cacophony, of Navi’s, “Hey lissssten!”. To the once and former annoyance of the sirens warning that your health is low, like I can’t bloody see that. And how could I forget Link’s piercing cries of HUH! WAAH!, etc. It is like listing to nails being dragged across, a blackboard.

I am having trouble putting into words how annoying Navi is. And it is so unnecessary. I understand that Nintendo, wanted to help the gamer, remember what they were supposed to be doing, but why does she have to wail like a bloody banshee, every 30 seconds? When all they had to do was to take a page from Phantasy Star IV, and let the gamer “talk” to Navi via the in game menu.

Hyrule’s sheer size is also a huge disadvantage. In some ways. For starters Hyrule seems dead. There is hardly a soul around anywhere. Except monsters and Link. And some of the monsters have a silly designs, not unlike the B-Film, “The Creeping Terror“. At least getting lost is almost impossible.

This game is so long, that there is little chance of second play. At least for me. Especially since I did all the extra stuff the first time. It may also be to easy for some people tastes.

Some complain, that Zelda 64, is childish. And while I can see there point, I have to disagree. It has some adult theme’s they are just often obscured, by silly situations. In many ways this is one of the most mature Zelda games.(Aside from Zelda II.-MM-) And many Zelda fanatics, themselves tend to misunderstand there own favorite game series, I won’t into why here as it pertains to a spoiler. I can tell you that some reviews for this game I have read and even a few on Moby, clearly do not understand some of the plot devices. Perhaps there own perceptions and or biases have colored there perceptions?

The Bottom Line
This may be the silliest review I have every written, shall I end it?

When all is said and done, Zelda 64 is a fun game. But not without it’s flaws. I would recommend it to others. If they can put there predeterminations aside. And yes this applies to both camps. Those that love Zelda and Nintendo, and those that wrongly accuse it of being childish.

The Good
Altough it's been a while since the initial release, I'm gonna say a few words about this beacon of light anyway. "Ocarina of Time", as the first true 3D-game in the serious, stands out even now as maybe the very best game of all times in my book. Even today I instantly say "Zelda to the 64" when people ask what the best game I've ever played was.

The weeks it took me to complete this game was ABSOLUTE pure magic. I was literally lost in front of the screen from the opening credits and to the final fight with Gannondorf. When the end-sequence slowly faded away fon my screen - and the game was over - I almost started crying. This is a masterpiece through and through, nothing less. I guess it's the friendly gameplay that cought me, as well as the (then) beautiful graphics and polished mechanics. The puzzles got harder and harder, the story more and more intense - and the areas you explored got more and more interesting. I wasn't bored for a second ... a true gem from Nintendo this.

The Bad
I actually thought hard about something negative to say, but I honestly can't think of anything. It would have been fun with a larger selection of armor, gadgets and weapons - but I didnt really miss it at the time, which means the ones I got was enough to keep me happy. Not really anything else to say ...

The Bottom Line
I've been a gamer since ... well, as long as there have been games to play - and I can honestly say this game stands out, even today, as the best game I have ever played. (Rivaled by World of Warcraft and The Curse of Monkey Island)

The Good
Well, A LOT? Ocarina of Time was in many ways a revolutionary game. It's not only a great game because it translated the extremely polished gameplay of earlier games into 3D, but also because of the way it does so.

The story is as follows: In the Kokiri forest, a young boy called Link, has the same dream every night; an evil looking man on horseback approaches, then Link wakes up, shivering with fear. All his Kokiri friends have a fairy, except Link, but then that all changes as Link is summoned by the Forest's guardian spirit, the Great Deku Tree, to break a curse cast upon him by an evil man who seems to fit the description of the man on horseback from Link's nightmare. Link and his new fairy friend Navi are ready to go on en epic quest that will take them through the vast land of Hyrule.

While the story is not that much different from earlier games, the large, stunning and vibrant 3D world, memorable characters and lovable music made it much more epic than before. This is the main reason why many people find it the greatest game they ever played, I personally am one of them.

The way OoT translated 2D gameplay into 3D might seem awfully logical by today's standards but back in the late 90's it was revolutionary. The most notable example of this is the way you can target your foes, keeping them in your sight while still moving around. Not only is this very simple, hitting Z once is enough to lock on to enemies, but also very effective. By repeatedly hitting the Z-trigger, you can switch between different enemies if you are fighting multiple ones at a time. In later years many games, such as Metroid Prime, copied and refined this mechanic but OoT was the pioneer of this system that still works fine today.

Targeting is done with Navi the fairy's help, who points at foes. But it is not just foes that Navi can point at, there are also many other things such as people and objects that you can target at. This usually gives you some valuable hints about solving puzzles. If you dawdle around for a while, not knowing what to do, Navi calls you. A simple press of the upper C-button will then make you talk to her. she'll give you a hint as to were you should go next.

The world still has an overworld with lots of side-quests that you can freely take part in, if you feel like taking a break from the main quest. Not only are they fun, they also aid you because you can win items that enhance your main quest such as weapon upgrades and hearts. It is, however not just the stuff you can find in this world, but also the sheer scope of it. In 3D it is even more inviting to explore the fascinating regions of Hyrule.

There are lots of secret areas to find and explore and the regions are all different with their own themes, races, cultures and monsters. There is the quiet village in the forest of the Kokiri, the forest children and the treacherous waters of the fish-like Zora people. Then there is the volcanic slopes of Death Mountain, inhabited by the rocky Gorons and the bustling towns of the Hylians as well as the vast Lake Hylia and the desert of the Gerudo tribe. Another important place is the, for that time, HUGE Hyrule Field, a large plain that just begs to be explored. You can get a horse and then quickly ride it around this vast place, which feels awesome. This 3D rendition of Hyrule was quite simply the most immersive video game world ever conceived back in 1998, as well as one of the largest and it is still is a lot of fun to explore it nowadays. While not as vast as later games in the series, it is still one of the most varied and lovable gaming worlds ever.

Another important factor why this game is so epic are the characters. This is one of those few games that actually make you feel emotionally attached to the characters. They make the otherwise cliche hero-fights-evil-and-saves-princess story much more interesting. While Link and Princess Zelda are mostly the same, the evil Ganondorf now has much more personality and is actually seen in a much more human form. There's a much bigger emphasis on the different peoples of Hyrule ranging from Gorons to Zora's, Gerudo to Kokiri and from Hylains to Sheikah. One of the most important characters is the mysterious Shiek. The revelation of his true identity is a memorable moment.

A clever and much loved mechanic is the Ocarina of Time that this game got its name from. You can play special tunes that allow you to manipulate objects or warp to a certain location. You can even manipulate time by travelling to the next day or night in mere seconds.

Speaking of time travel, that is another important and original element in this game. After a while you will be able to travel between your childhood as a 12-year old boy, and your adulthood as a 19-year old warrior. While perfected in Majora's Mask (OoT's direct sequel), it allows for some stuff that is still pretty interesting today. It is a system that is comparable to the Light/Dark World in A Link to the Past on the Super NES. An example of just how clever it really is, are the Magic Beans. If you plant these as a child, they will have grown into plants that can be used to reach ledges you previously were unable to reach.

There are numerous examples of the contrasts between the two ages, some characters have grown up or even died when you are an adult and the evil Ganondorf has taken over Hyrule when you are an adult. While Hyrule Castle Town has a busy marketplace during Link's youth, it is a place haunted by the undead under Ganondorf's rule when Link grows up. Thankfully you can freely move between the two. If you cannot gain entrance to a dungeon at one time, you can travel to the other to get inside or find an item that will allow you to do so the past or future. This allows for some seriously clever and interesting puzzles. There is even a dungeon you need to visit in both stages of your life in order to complete it.

While many of the stuff you will find is very similar to the 2D games, the transition to 3D is done so well, you will not care since it feels fresh and new. It's done in a clever and accessible way. You will still be crawling through dungeons solving puzzles, looking for items that will give you access to new areas, battle monters and explore a large overworld full of secrets bringing it all together. Everything still feels great in 3D. In fact, it makes the classic Zelda elements that much more fun. Battling enemies is now much more epic and the dungeons are much more thrilling to explore.

Speaking of those, OoT has some of the most memorable and creative dungeons in any Zelda title. From the inside of the Great Deku Tree to the volcanic caves of Death Mountain and from the belly of a giant whale to the puzzling halls of the Water Temple at the bottom of lake Hylia, this game has some of the best ever.They are full of cool enemies and truly epic boss battles. Who could forget the witch sisters Twinrova in the Spirit temple or dragon volvagia in the Fire temple and eventually the awesome battle against the evil Ganondorf himself.

The sound is some of the best the Nintendo 64´s MIDI could produce. There are some memorable tunes including the epic Hyrule field theme, the creepy Shadow Temple theme and the cheerful Saria´s Song. As mentioned before, playing music is very important on this game. This way, not just the music is of a high quality, but also the way it is incorporated into the actual gameplay. OoT most definitely has one of the greatest soundtracks ever.

To make it even better, it all looks amazing. While the textures may look rough by todays standards, it still looks nice. OoT is also still as atmospheric as it was more than a decade ago. This definitely shows the lasting power of this epic game.

There is a great replay value, too. Even after completing it you'll want to come back to find all the secret stuff such as heart pieces, secret caves, fairy springs and weapon upgrades. But it is not just the sufficient replayability that will make you want to go through this adventure again and again, it is above all its epic and magical feel, its beauty, its fantastic gameplay, the wonderful soundtrack and just about everything else that make up this games' epic grandeur. This game shines because it has so many memorable moments making it timeless. That's why you will want to come back to it now and then.

The Bad
As I said some textures just look rough even if you remember this is an old game.

Some music sounds really midi-ish, and thus dated, showing that Nintendo's preference for cartridges had its disadvantages. Thankfully most of it still sounds great so only at certain moments this will be annoying.

Some far-off flying enemies such as birds and bats are hard to lock on to until they get up close to attack you, when they are almost impossible to avoid.

The Bottom Line
I could go on for hours how amazing this game is, but let's just say that the first game on the NES laid the framework of the series. A Link to the Past refined it on the SNES and Ocarina of Time proved that it could sustain all the fun elements of the series while translating it into a vast, immersive and stunning 3D world. Everything just seems to blend together as flawlessly and somehow feels like it should.

While some of the later later Zelda games seemed to have little innovation, Ocarina of Time was all that fans hoped it would be, and more! OoT brought many innovations making it the blueprint of modern 3D action adventures, just as the first game on NES was for 2D action adventures. Because of the 3D transition, there might not be a Zelda game that will ever top it when it comes to innovation, an immersive world and the epic feel. Later games such as Twilight Princess had the same feel as OoT but not really anything innovative on top of that. That is why none of those were a milestone in gaming like this one is.

Still available for ten euros/dollars on the Wii Virtual Console, there is no reason not to play it. This is one game that survives the test of time remarkably well and is just as awesome as it was more then a decade ago. It is quite simply the best (Zelda) game ever. This game is truly timeless!

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is not just a game, it's an epic experience!