The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

"The best of the best!"

Look up any serious list of the ten best video games of all time and you're sure to see The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on there, often at the very top of the list. The Nadia Comaneci of video games, Ocarina of Time was the subject of the first ever perfect score awarded by many a gaming publication back when it first came out, and has since then stood the test of time in a way few other games have. A commercial smash hit (it is easily the best-selling Zelda game of all time) as well as the darling of critics, Ocarina of Time is a phenomenon no self-respecting gamer can ignore.

Concept

Ocarina of Time was released for the N64 in 1998. It was the fifth game in the Legend of Zelda series, and the first one in 3D. Like most other games in the series, Ocarina of Time is an action/adventure game, and one that strikes a near-perfect balance between exploration, combat, puzzle-solving, NPC interaction, mini-games and the search for secrets.

As is par for the course in Zelda games, you control the boy in green, Link, and the action takes place in the fantasy world of Hyrule. In this game, Link begins his adventure in the Kokiri Forest, a Neverland sort of place populated by the Kokiri, forest children who never grow up no matter how old they get. Link seems to be just like any other Kokiri, apart from the fact he doesn't have a fairy companion like the others do, but one day the forest guardian sends Navi the fairy to visit Link and tell him the guardian has been cursed, and how Link is the only one who can break the curse. This sets in motion a chain of events that lead to Link having to collect three Spiritual Stones and get hold of the legendary Master Sword, as this is the only way to stop the evil forces that threaten the whole of Hyrule. However, when Link finally pulls the Master Sword out from its pedestal his spirit ends up being sealed away for 7 years, as the kid in his current state is too young to wield the legendary blade. When Link finally awakens he has become an adult, and Hyrule has been taken over by the evil Ganondorf. It is now up to Link to save the future.

Story

At first glance, the story in Ocarina of Time seems like your standard Zelda fare. And indeed, at its core this is another save Hyrule/stop Ganondorf/rescue princess Zelda storyline. However, several factors help make it something special: For starters, the story is beautifully told, the writing is excellent and the cut-scenes (despite using in-game graphics) surprisingly cinematic. There are also plenty of plot twists and revelations along the way, keeping things interesting throughout the adventure. The time travel aspect further adds depth, as you get to experience Hyrule both in a time of relative peace and during its post-apocalyptic future, as well as see childhood friends grow up and characters you knew as a kid change both for good and ill. The cast of characters is also strong, and the various relationships you develop actually feel meaningful. Twilight Princess might have featured a slicker presentation, but in my opinion the story in Ocarina of Time is still the best traditional Zelda storyline to date.

Gameplay

If you've already played a Zelda game prior to Ocarina of Time, you'll know what to expect. You explore the great world of Hyrule, you visit towns, think and fight your way through nearly a dozen caves, castles, dungeons and temples, acquire new items, meet new people and gain access to new locations. The pacing is pretty much perfect, and as you progress through the game there will always be something interesting and exciting to look forward to. The more you play, the better it gets. During the first 1/3 of the game Link is a kid, after that you will be controlling an adult 7 years into the future. However, later in the game you will gain the ability to travel back and forth in time, and at certain points switching between child Link and adult Link will turn out to be the only way to make headway.

Controls

The controls in Ocarina of Time are excellent, very responsive and precise. Unusually for an early 3D game, you have great control over the camera as well, seeing how you can force it behind your character with a quick tap on the Z-button, thus avoiding the camera problems many other games of the generation suffered from. The game is tailor-made for the N64 controller and takes full advantage of its many buttons, for example by enabling you to map three different items to three of the c-buttons, meaning you can have many items at your disposal without needing to constantly go into the menu to select a new item (Link's Awakening for the Game Boy, superb game though it was, very much suffered from this problem because of that system's lack of buttons).

Combat is great fun in Ocarina of Time, the controls for this are simple, but work very well. Link can slash with his sword, block with his shield, preform a jump attack, do backflips, jump sideways, do a spin attack etc, as well as use many of the items he acquires throughout the adventure to attack enemies. It's all very simple and intuitive, yet there is also enough diversity and variety in here to keep the battles from ever getting repetitive. One great innovation Ocarina of Time brought was its Z-targeting, the lock-on system that enables you to focus on one particular enemy (or even a boss) and continuously keep it in your sight. In a situation where you are fighting multiple enemies, you can also quickly and painlessly switch your target, enabling you to choose which particular enemy you want target without any difficulties.

Hyrule

The world of Hyrule is a wonderful place to explore. It is big enough to live up to the epic feel of the game, yet at the same time small and compact enough to ensure that simply traveling across the world doesn't become too time consuming. It also boasts lots of secrets, a nicely integrated day-night system, plenty of unique towns and villages as well as a number of different races: Apart from the Kokiri and the Hylians, you will also come across the big, bulky rock-eating Gorons, the graceful, water-dwelling Zoras and the Gerudos, the fierce women warriors of the desert. The world is rich and varied, with its forests, mountains, lakes and deserts, as well as some fearsome locations that can only be found in the future.

Dungeons & Temples

Exploring Hyrule is well and good, but a classic Zelda game needs some great temples as well. Ocarina of Time truly shines in this regard. Not only does it feature a great number of temples, but their design and quality is absolutely brilliant. As a kid you have several temple-equivalents, the so-called dungeons, which are shorter and less complex than the adult temples (though still longer and more interesting than most of the temples you see in the 2D Zelda games), and also don't feature locked doors and keys to collect, unlike the adult temples. As an adult you go through the real temples, which are huge, challenging and very cleverly designed.

The dungeons and temples alike are very varied. One actually puts you inside the belly of a giant fish, another one takes place largely underwater, while yet another one is devoted to death and decay. Variety is not limited to themes and visuals, as the puzzles in the different places also revolve around different concepts. As such, in one dungeon you have use the abilities of the Zora princess to solve various puzzles, while in an early temple you have to rescue a number of captured Gorons along the way.

The puzzles you're solving in these places start off easy enough (press a switch, light a torch, burn down a spider's web, beat all the enemies in a room etc) but as you advance in the game they get much trickier and far more creative, like one puzzle forcing you to twist whole corridors around, as well as another which involves you lowering and raising the water levels of a multi-floored temple in order to reach different places. Beating the many temples will require you to use all of your items to their fullest potential (everything from slingshots and sticks to a giant hammer and hover boots), as they are packed with smart and varied puzzles. And while the first few dungeons might seem pretty simple and easy nowadays, it is worth remembering that back when Ocarina of Time was the only 3D Zelda game available, even those dungeons seemed quite daunting and the learning curve proved to be perfect for newcomers to the series.

Not that you'll be spending all your time figuring out puzzles, as these places are also crawling with enemies. And not only do you have to fight your way through dozens and dozens of different enemy types, there are also many mini-bosses to fight, as well as the end-of-dungeon/temple boss. These bosses can be everything from massive beasts to phantoms and witches, and the battles are consistently awesome, some of the coolest and most enjoyable boss battles available on the N64.

The Ocarina

You can get many sweet items in Ocarina of Time, but by far the most important one is the Ocarina itself (who would have guessed?) Unlike in past Zelda games, this is a musical instrument that actually has you playing the various songs yourself (as opposed to just pressing a button to make the selected song play). You play the Ocarina with the c-buttons and the A-button, and as the adventure unfolds various characters will teach you many different songs. Not only are the sequences in which you are taught new songs very beautiful and heartwarming, the songs themselves are very useful. Different Ocarina songs can transport you to different locations, open blocked paths, change day into night, summon your horse and make both stone blocks and scarecrows appear. The Ocarina sure is one amazing item.

Time Travel

One of the most memorable aspects of Ocarina of Time is definitely the time traveling, going back and forth in time, from child to adult. Not only only does this in effect give you two worlds for the price of one, as well as two playable characters, but it also gives you many amazing opportunities to connect the past and the future. For example, as a child you can buy magic beans and plant them in soft soil. After the bean has been planted, you may choose to travel 7 years into the future and see that the plant is now fully grown into a giant leaf, which can carry you to previously hard to reach places. Some of the items you need as adult Link are hidden in places that only child Link can access, meaning you will have to beat a part of the game in child form to be able to progress as an adult.

But most importantly, the time travel aspect makes for a much better and more memorable gaming experience overall. See, before traveling those 7 year in time you really get to know Hyrule as a child, you become familiar with its peoples and places, and you grow fond of the world. Therefore, when you are thrust into adulthood and awaken in a future where Hyrule has been taken over by the forces of evil, the impact felt is all the greater, and as you see how many of the places you knew as a child have been corrupted, the desire to defeat Ganondorf and save Hyrule becomes stronger than it ever was in past Zelda games. Purging even one location of evil is incredibly satisfying, thanks to the prior buildup. It really is a display of masterful design.

Variety

As amazing as the main adventure is, there are also a lot of completely optional things you can do in this game that really showcase its impressive variety. Do you feel like fishing? Ocarina of Time offers a surprisingly addictive fishing mini-game that can keep you playing for hours. How about horse racing, target shooting, bombchu bowling or horseback archery? It's all in here. Helping a fat lady find her lost dog, playing the Ocarina with creepy forest imps and frogs, as well as racing a dead guy? Yup. Multiple trading quests, as well as ghost hunting and chicken collecting? Oh yeah, and there's much more where that came from. Offering a lengthy adventure as well as plenty of sidequests and mini-games, Ocarina of Time strikes the perfect balance between the two and thus proves to be the most balanced Zelda game around.

Coming of Age

One of the beautiful things about Ocarina of Time is the sense of progress, of growing up, how Link goes from being a weak, lonely Kokiri child to becoming the brave Hero of Time. He gets stronger and stronger, he earns the trust and respect of many and he manages to overcome seemingly impossible challenges. As a player, you'll find that the way the game is designed really emphasises the growing up aspect, in more ways than one. When first playing as child Link, it feels like a fun little adventure, the items you use are fit for a kid (like the slingshot and the boomerang) and tasks you preform (like helping out the Gorons and rescuing the Zora princess) are of limited importance in the grand scheme of things. When Link becomes an adult 7 years into the future however, the whole tone of the game shifts, suddenly you feel the weight of the whole world on your shoulders and put away childish things (a lot of the child items can't be used by adult Link). The monsters become scarier, the challenges become greater and the overall tone much darker. You now have to grow up fast, for the sake of Hyrule.

The Zelda series as a whole also grew up with this game. Taking with it all the elements that made the 2D Zelda games great, Ocarina of Time delivered a flawless transition into 3D, resulting in a game that was not only more immersive, but also bigger, better and more polished than the previous games. Full of magic moments and stunningly well-designed, Ocarina of Time manages even today, almost 11 years after it came out, to put most of the current games to shame.

Graphics

Back when it was first released, Ocarina of Time was arguably the best looking console game available. And certainly, for its time the graphics were very detailed, the massive, open environments impressive and the draw distance truly stunning. The characters looked great too, thanks to realistic character models, excellent animation and faces that could display many emotions (especially during cut-scenes), all of it using in-game graphics. Spectacular bosses, nice variety and good use of colors further ensured that Ocarina of Time towered over most N64 games in this regard as well. Of course, today the game is very much dated in terms of graphics, however, its visuals still hold up much better than those of most first generation 3D games.

Music & Sound

Ocarina of Time features one of the best video game soundtracks ever made. The music is absolutely superb, whether we're talking about the various tunes from A Link to the Past that have been updated and improved, the many beautiful Ocarina songs or all the great original music. It features music reflecting every mood and perfect musical fits for all kinds of different locations and scenarios, from the numerous subdued, atmospheric music tracks in the temples and the exotic Gerudo Valley track, to the rousing Hyrule Field theme and the incredibly epic boss music.

The sound effects are also of very high quality, being very clear and realistic. The world of Hyrule is truly brought to life and not only looks like a real world, but also sounds like one. While there is no voice acting, Nintendo cleverly had the various characters occasionally make different noises, sighing, laughing, gasping, yelling and so on, thus utilizing the audio to add personality and character even without actual voice acting.

Longevity

Ocarina of Time is quite long for an action/adventure game, and it should take a first-time player some 20-30 hours to finish it. Even after that, there's just so much additional stuff to do. As previously mentioned, there are plenty of sidequests and mini-games to keep you busy. You also have 36 heart pieces to find, as well as secret items, secret Ocarina songs and even an optional dungeon to play through. Even so, the most notable optional challenge is probably the quest to destroy the 100 Gold Skulltulas scattered throughout Hyrule, which will really put your exploration skills to the test. Completing Ocarina of Time 100% could well take you more than 50 hours, making it a game that delivers amazing value for your money.

Closing Comments

It is not nostalgia or fanboyism that still leads so many people to proclaim Ocarina of Time the best game ever made, but the completely mind-boggling quality of this masterpiece. I guess you could call Ocarina of Time the video game-equivalent of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony or Citizen Kane, but that would if anything understate its position in the world of video games. A must-play game if one ever existed, Ocarina of Time still manages to live up to all the hype. Buy it.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/02/09

Game Release: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (EU, 12/11/98)