The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)

I personally think this game has stood the test of time, pun intended. It certainly has its flaws. Hyrule Field is large and vacant, serving more as padding, puzzles can be pretty obtuse, such as entering the third dungeon. But as far as the first 3-D Zelda game, this was a home run. Link for the most part controls well, though the z-targeting can be a bit janky when enemies jump around a lot. Aiming in first person also feels a bit rough as well, but fortunately precise aiming is rarely required in the game.

Like I said with my Link to the Past review, that game's title would ironically make more sense for this game. In a lot of ways, this is basically a remake of A Link To The Past. It follows a very similar structure. Get the three things, get the master sword, then get the other things, fight Ganon. Dungeons have maps, compass, keys and one item you need to beat the boss. You get a heart container for beating the boss, then on to the next challenge.

It's not a bad thing to default to the structure they established across the earlier games. It works and has good pacing to it. The game doesn't feel stagnant though. A lot of creativity went into the dungeons and their themes. Jabu Jabu's Belly is certainly a peak in that creativity. So much so, that it's a shame that more dungeons/temples didn't have as unique of a feel as this one does. That isn't to say Dungeons/Temples aren't well designed. In fact most are.

Something that surprised me is how much of this game I remember. I never was caught in a moment of not knowing where to go, not because the game always points you in the right direction, but because I just remember this game so well. A testament to how much this game resonated with me in my youth.

I still remember how terrified I was of the Bottom of the Well. My friend's older brother had to beat it for me when I was a kid because I was just too scared to go in there. Now as an adult, it's funny how I still remember how to get in and out of the well as fast as possible. The trauma of that place still sits with me today. I also couldn't beat the Shadow Temple, because it scared me so much. My friend's older brother again stepped up for me. As an adult I actually like the Shadow Temple. Not my favorite Temple, but it's very atmospheric and well designed. There's a good flow to it, with little to no backtracking. So as an adult it's certainly satisfying conquering those two sections that I was too scared of as a kid. Those two places in particular are very dark and disturbing for a Nintendo game. It's clear the Hylian's did some really fucked up shit to people here. There are skulls making up the walls, blood stains on the floor and torture devices. Then the Dead Hand as the boss of the well. Covered in blood with a horrifying face. It's honestly shocking that this game was rated E.

Something that's also interesting about this game is Epona. Horses were always a programming challenge for games this early on. Yoshi, for example, was wanted as an inclusion in the NES Mario games, but they couldn't program it to work until the SNES game. Here, you actually have a rudimentary form of mounted combat. Sure it's just you shooting an arrow, but not even Oblivion, which was released in like 2006 had mounted combat. So it's impressive they made riding Epona as fun as they did on the n64. There isn't a whole lot to do with Epona, but it's a nice side quest that's optional and importantly fun.

None of the side quests in this game are that complicated, especially if you compare them to the great side quests in Majora's Mask. I do find myself attached to them though. I like the Epona quest line. I like getting the Big Goron Sword, even if using it looks kind of goofy. I even like doing the mask side quest, even if the reward is pretty lackluster for doing it.

Another missed opportunity for the game was utilizing the time travel mechanic. The Shadow and Spirit Temple require you to go to the past to get items needed for the temples. This is a good design, but these are also the only two dungeons that require this. It's also great design that half of the spirit temple is done as kid Link then you do the second half of the dungeon as adult link. The one gripe I have with this is how you need to go back to the temple of time to do this. It would have been cool to have seen a mechanic like in Link To The Past, where you could time travel in other ways to help with pacing. Maybe a mirror in the temple sends you back and you need to hop between time to solve a temple. This would have been great and possible back then.

Overall the game has great pacing. The temples and dungeons are mostly really fun to play through. Combat and puzzle solving is fun. I also don't really mind the water temple, but I totally get why it's the most hated. Having to constantly swap on/off the iron boots is tedious and sucks. But I do think the temple itself does do some interesting things and constantly wants you to pay attention. Certainly the weakest dungeon of course, with some bullshit keys, but I don't think it's bad.

This is a game that has aged elements, but still feels great to play. Every game doesn't need to be open world bloated slop. Sometimes a linear game with focused pacing can be far better than a bloated game with tons of copy and pasted content.

I have bounced off a few of the 2D Zelda games, but I am not certain if I ever gave them a truly honest try.

Fast forward to 2025 and I got a OoT Cart for my N64, and thought trying another Zelda game, on original hardware was the perfect way to spend my birthday.

It took me a few hours to really get absorbed in, to see past the somewhat clunky controls, and the at times mid graphics, but once I did this game's charm really came to life.

Visually, though I don't think you could say it looks good, it looks much better then most early 3D games.

Audio, the OST is simply amazing, I was already very familiar with the tracks, but it was great getting to see the game moments they are tied to.

Story wise I think it fell a little mid for me. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't a stand out feature either.

The real selling point is the gameplay and dungeons. I was shocked how well it controlled, once you got used to it. The dungeon puzzles were a nice blend of styles and challenges, and most of them I could solve without a walkthrough. If like me, this is your first Zelda game, I recommend a walkthrough to know how to progress through dungeons, and area to area, as navigating is a bit confusing.

Overall, im really happy I finally played this game to credits. I get why people are so in awe of it. I don't think its a perfect game, without nostalgia tinting my perspective there are aging factors, but it is still a very good game.

Favorite boss battle was with the mirror's, least favorite temple was the water one.

Played this with a Switch Pro controller, sometimes had issues selecting the right item with the right analog stick- probably should have bought the N64 controller? Other times locking on to the right target was hard- overall the controls did detract from enjoying this more.

There's no rewind in Switch N64 games, but there are save states (which are somewhat slow, which is a clue to why rewind wasn't added)- sometimes I used save scumming on especially hard battles or extensive precision jumping areas, this partially balanced out the difficulty with controls.

The music is really good.

Maybe will try play through it again in a couple of years if they release the 3DS version on the Switch 2, or do a remake.

I'm going straight to playing Majora's Mask after this.

I played it twice but never really finished OoT in my childhood.

This I did in the currently fading summer of this year and it added a perfect nostalgic mood to it.

I like the rudimentary fights and the room riddles, the ocarina playing and time traveling. It's quite a dreamy surreal journey and just the kind of green elvish fantasy world that I like.

Now I am looking forward to play Majora's Mask which adds a pleasant nightmarish touch and some shades of beautiful purple to it.

Hearing about the song that the gleeman wants to compose one day in the windmill, learning it from him in the future and then traveling back in time again to play it to him to dry and go to the ground of the well and that song actually being the legendary Song of Storms was an absolutely epic and unforgettable moment.

My best friend told me that he somehow thinks the Song of Storms is the eerie background music of this world, the main theme and title melody of our planet earth, and I agree. I will never forget this song!

Short Answer: No

Long Answer: At the time of release, I'm pretty sure it was, and that is something worth celebrating. Ocarina is a treasure of a game and should be evxperieced by anyone who enjoys the medium for it's historical impact on games in general & its own franchise. This game singlehandedly created the modern video game landscape and is the forefather of many incredible games.

Ocarina has some incredible design, especially considering the limitations of the time. From the music, which is still iconic, to the story, which always manages to intrugue us with it's depth, to the dungeons and gameplay, which are incredibly atmospheric and tightly made. The forst temple alone justifies your time playing this game.

Why would I give this game 4 stars after so much praise? Well, it's really about how this game has aged. It's not a good look and this game is fairly inaccessable to younger audiences now. 2d games and later 3d games that had refined controls are much easier to pick up for an unfamiliar audience, but this game is not. I'm thankful I grew up in this era, so I don't have that hurdle, but I can acknoledge it's existance for others. In addition to aging, it's contrast. Zelda fans might assume I'm going to say that Twilight princess does everything better on more modern hardware, but I don't actually think that game has any impact on my perception of ocarina.

Majoras Mask, the direct sequel however does. The fact that majora's mask has aged so much better than this by comparison really shows what is missing from ocarina, that being a mood to match the art style, and more-refined and tighter game design.

Finally, I will mention the 3ds remake. I have not played it and never intend to. I belive a game like this is better experienced sitting on a couch in front of a tv with people you love sharing in the experience, so you should try to play in a way that facilitates that.

I’ve been thinking about Zelda lately, probably because Tears of the Kingdom released and I played the Link’s Awakening remake, so I felt like putting something down. Maybe one day I will write a proper review of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. A lot has already been said about this game as well though so for now I’m just going to leave these ramblings.

Zelda: Ocarina of Time is one of the most important games ever and is considered the best of all time by many for good reason. I think it might be one of the greatest hero’s journeys humans have ever created. It’s also a great coming of age/facing adulthood experience too. There’s a reason why, even if you have never played it before, if you play it today for the first time ever, it will still feel nostalgic.

The gameplay and controls were an important breakthrough and a stand out for the time. It left an influence that can still be seen today, I think pretty much all 3D action/adventure games since owe this game. It still holds up too and is great to play now. It’s great game design and ridiculously impressive when you remember it was Nintendo’s first go at a 3D Zelda.

Visually it was breath taking at the time and surprisingly holds up really well for an earlier 3D game. It doesn’t matter how much graphics have improved since then because it has a great art style and so much charm and atmosphere.

The soundtrack is phenomenal and I would happily throw out entire, well known and liked game franchises to keep it. And those classic sounds, like opening a chest or finding a secret, god damn, so good.

It has one of the best beginnings to any game ever as well. The opening cinematic is great and the village and Deku tree work as a perfect tutorial. By the time you run out onto Hyrule Field the game has perfectly introduced you to the world, the story and the gameplay and filled you with wonder and anticipation. The great pacing continues throughout as well.

There are some flaws though, I’m not completely blind. Navi can be annoying and the owl is way too chatty but nostalgia has rounded off this problem. It’s also too easy, although I didn’t think this as a kid. There is also some quality of life improvements needed, like being able to change items/equipment quicker. It has this weird issue too, were at times the game can feel too hand hold-y but then lean more obtuse at other times.

I think this game is pretty much as good as it could possibly be when you factor in the limitations of the time and the N64 hardware.

Zelda: Ocarina of Time blew me away as a kid when it was new and I played it a lot. I played it again as a teen and fell in love and developed a deeper appreciation for it. I played it again as an adult and it solidified its place as the best, even if there are other games I like more. I revisited it again more recently and I still love it. I will be playing this game at least once every ten years until they bury me. I think it's something really special that can be hard to put in words and impossible to replicate. I'm looking forward to sharing this with my kids soon and hopefully one day my grandkids as well.

Zelda: Ocarina of Time was one of the key games that made me fall in love with this medium. I think it might be time to do another play through.

9.8/10

It's pretty difficult to overstate the importance of Ocarina of Time to the Zelda franchise and adventure games as a whole. The cinematic scope of this game, combined with how it nailed the mechanics of how an adventure game should work in a 3D space, was more than enough to blow a few minds back in 1998. My only prior point of reference for Zelda back then was Link's Awakening, so you can guess how blown away I was to see this huge, fully explorable Zelda world.

So many Zelda mechanics that have persisted into Breath of the Wild got their start here. The mechanics of 3D combat, enemy targeting and horseback riding all find their origin in this game. The design of many of the series' iconic characters and enemies, as well as much of the visual language that future Zelda games would use all got their start here too.

Given how much of a leap this game was, I always regarded it highly. Even after my most recent playthrough--back when Ocarina of Time 3D came out--I felt that it held up in a way that not many early 3D games do. However, playing it so closely after A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening has recontextualized Ocarina of Time's original version for me in a pretty eye-opening way. While I still admire the heck out of this game and I think it does a lot of things extremely well, it also is not quite as timeless as I once thought.

Full disclosure, when I say I played the "original version", it's not exactly true. I played the unofficial PC port, Ship of Harkinian, which is based on a specific PAL debug rom of the game. It's functionally the same as the version of the game found on the GameCube Master Quest disc. Ship of Harkinian adds many tweaks and quality of life features that improve the experience, such as HD resolution and 60 fps, right-stick camera control and expanded item slots on the D-pad. In many ways, it's the "best" version of the original game that I have played. If you don't mind a bit of online sleuthing and troubleshooting to set this up, I'd recommend it as a fresh way to experience Ocarina of Time.

Ocarina of Time follows the same general template as A Link to the Past. It's got three introductory dungeons, followed by more challenging ones once you attain the Master Sword. It's got two mirrored worlds, a similar selection of items and familiar locations such as Death Mountain, Hyrule Castle, Kakariko Village and the Lost Woods. Ocarina of Time doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, but it does try and succeed to be a generational step up above the previous 2D incarnations of Zelda.

One very obvious example is with the story. Ocarina of Time has a much more cinematic experience than ever before, with epic cutscenes, compelling characters and fascinating lore. Despite this expansion of the series' narrative chops, it never feels like it encroaches on the gameplay, and it retains the aura of mystery that made previous games so wonderful. Another example is the expanded scope of the world. Ocarina of Time's Hyrule was massive for the time, and it was the first time I had ever seen a video game that so effectively fulfilled the fantasy of being a wandering adventurer venturing into the great unknown.

Ocarina of Time's greatest gameplay triumph, in my opinion, is its dungeons. No other Zelda game can claim such a ridiculously iconic list of locations. Ocarina of Time's dungeons are diverse, from the infested innards of the Great Deku Tree, to the mysterious Forest Temple and dreaded Water Temple. Each dungeon is a masterclass in visual design and environmental storytelling, and the fact that so many of these ideas have been reused in subsequent Zelda games speaks to the crazy overflow in creativity on display in this game.

But Ocarina of Time does not hold up quite as well in other ways. While big, Hyrule feels rather lacking when it comes to discovering secrets. The Stone of Agony is a helpful tool to find the annoyingly hidden grottos that are spread out throughout the world. Whenever it vibrates, you are expected to pick and prod at the area in order to find the grotto by bombing the ground or whatnot. It's kind of underwhelming in comparison to finding a cracked wall or a hidden hole in A Link to the Past, and makes exploration a little less exciting. I also found that the two versions of Hyrule are not used as effectively as in A Link to the Past. The only time that the game truly explores an interesting use of its time travel mechanic is in the Spirit Temple, and it feels like a missed opportunity.

Perhaps this game's worst aspect is that it is pretty terrible at guiding you to your next objective. It DOES always try to give you a ballpark, directing you to which region of Hyrule you should be exploring, but it's not good enough. How are you supposed to know that you have to bomb a specific Goron in Goron City in order to proceed to the Fire Temple? Or that you have to enter Kakariko Village in a very specific way to unlock your way to the Shadow Temple? Or perhaps that you have to jump over two fences and THEN talk to Ingo to unlock Epona? I could go on. This was a problem for me, and it led to a lot of aimless wandering around Hyrule trying to find what I had to do. It's not fun, and even as someone who has played this game numerous times, I sometimes had to resort to walkthroughs in order to get to the end of the game before quitting out of tedium. Perhaps it wasn't as big of a problem back when I could discuss the game with my friends at school, sharing tips about how to proceed, but it definitely is a problem today.

Because of this, I've decided to take Ocarina of Time off my 5-star list and move it to 4 stars. I didn't experience anywhere near this level of tedium with A Link to the Past or Link's Awakening. Don't get me wrong, though! I still think Ocarina of Time is a true milestone for the series, and perhaps the most important Zelda game of them all in how it set a benchmark for how the series' mechanics should work in 3D space.

This is the pinnacle of media for me. No words can express the pure amount of love and respect I have for this game.

PROS:

• Challenging, but not too tedious and obnoxious to the point where it gets annoying and it’s really enjoyable and fun.

• A complete masterclass of game design, audio design, and hell, the visuals can truly convey the amount of immersion you can have in Hyrule.

• The events and interactions you have with these characters are significant and truly deepen and flesh out the story in a way that would usually take a whole saga, but is perfectly created in one single game.

• The discovery and the open-world in this game prove that the 3D format works with Zelda excellently, something that isn’t forced upon you using forced exposition, but grounded scenes of dialogue.

• The soundtrack is beautiful and iconic. Truly one of the best soundtracks of all time that leads to a surreal experience that I can listen to and feel calm to everytime.

• It has an extremely powerful plot and message. It’s abundantly clear after a while that Hyrule’s not the same. A message that Link needs to overcome and fight in a classic cinematic experience that leads you with so much to gain from.

• The control (for the most part) is extremely natural to control. The multiple gimmicks and items you gain and earn are smooth and (again, for the most part) never are a massive struggle that leaves you in a tug-of-war.

CONS:

• I can’t find one. Yes, there are obviously flaws, but that more depends on the N64’s technical limits. And yes, the 3DS remake does solve a ton of these issues, this will last as an instant, timeless classic.

My favorite game of all time. It’s magical how Nintendo and people like Miyamoto created this artistic masterpiece that was the basis for the rest of the Zelda franchise to come. If I truly, truly had to be honest? Majora’s Mask is better, but I’ve had more nostalgia for this than Majora. This is a heavy must-play for everyone, and I give this a mighty old, Play It!

For everyone, there is that one piece of media that truly defines you and shapes you as a person. There are those games, movies, comics, and TV shows that strike you in a personal matter. For me, that piece is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Ocarina of Time is heavily considered the best game of all time, by tons of people, by critics and fans alike. The first 3D Zelda game also happens to be the best. I don't think I can truly say anything to explain how much I love this game. That's why I wanna give special treatment to this game, and go through it, one by one, piece by piece. Now, I do really want to keep in mind, that I'm playing the remaster on the 3DS. There are changes to keep in mind.

The game opens up with Navi taking you to the Great Deku Tree, telling you that Ganondorf, a wizard, has come to Hyrule for power over the Triforce and tells you that he has cursed him. Looking his way inside, Link enters and fights Queen Gohma, then defeats her. God, this is such a simple start, but it's the perfect way to introduce the mechanics as a whole, it introduces you to these characters and you get to defeat a boss, triumph over the tree's curse. Or was it? A simple twist like the Deku Tree revealing he was destined to die is so powerful, and in his dying words, tells you to meet Princess Zelda.

By this point, you know that things are taking a turn for the worse, but it can't get worse right? No, not for now. He meets Saria, who gives him a sort of instrument, or more specifically, an Ocarina. Walking down, he finally meets Zelda, who tells him about the spiritual stones and the Ocarina of Time, something in her dreams, but tells you to get it. After you get introduced to playing songs by Impa, short but memorable tunes you can play, and then you navigate your way to Kakariko Village, where he meets Darunia, who needs your help, later giving you a Spiritual Stone, something that Princess Zelda, had been looking for.

He travels again and then gathers the Spiritual Stone of Water, which also happens to be an engagement ring. He had gathered them all.

He could return the Spiritual Stone for Zelda, something she had wante-. Zelda and Impa are seen running away from the gates of Hyrule Castle, as Link tries to chase her, instead, he is thrown an item, and watches as they disappear. Confused, he is then asked by a man, Ganondorf specifically for directions of Princess Zelda. But Link wouldn't give that up and confronts Ganondorf face-to-face.

The expectations are at a new low now, and it's the perfect introduction to a world that has changed not only dimensionally, but in tone too. But Link has a chance to defeat him. To save Zelda. He can do it, and this is basically his only choice.

Ganondorf beats Link easily. Watching Ganondorf ride off, Link remembers the item that Zelda threw him. Looking at it, he remembers Saria gave him something similar, then realizes it's an Ocarina. The Ocarina of Time. He then learns the Song of Time, similarly to how he learned Zelda's Lullaby.

Defeated, Link goes to the Temple of Time, where he finds the Master Sword. If only he could. Link slowly removes the Master Sword, wishing for safety. Instead, he falls into a coma, a sleep of 7 years. Unknownst to him, Ganondorf had retrieved the Triforce thanks to him. A gate that HE himself opened.

Now, it's up to him. Ganondorf defeated him like a puppet last time, and now they have to fight again but with the Triforce in hand. And it was all thanks to him. HE was defeated, HE allowed Ganondorf to retrieve the Triforce. But he hoped, he hoped for help. Then, one of the many Sages, tells him what happened and lets the truth truly sink in.

The world is now ruled by Ganondorf, and all the things that he loved, were gone, snapped in an instant, but there is hope. There will always be a future. He will be the Hero of Time.

That's what I love. This game can truly influence you as a person. It opposes these messages so effortlessly, without completely shattering subtlety at all. The fact that you can influence the future, has helped me so much. Words can never do this justice.

He then meets Sheik, an unknowing person, who claims to be the last of the Sheikah tribe, and she tells him to awaken the other sages, who will try to help him reclaim his land, his future.

This is where the game truly shines, through these dungeons and the interactions you have with the Sages, who are your acquaintances (except for the Water Temple, sorry N64 players). The thing is, this game may have seemingly simple combat, but it shines, through navigating and the urge to awaken the Sages. Each of the bosses feels so satisfying to beat, and one by one as you get to awaken Saria, Darunia, Ruto, Impa, Nabooru, you feel triumph. Because you truly can win.

Grasping the sages in the form of medallions, he encounters Sheik, who reveals his identity as someone you know. The reason you did this.

I wish I didn't play Super Smash Bros. Melee (I love you), but c'mon Sakurai, go nice on them and don't reveal the twist.

Melee aside, this twist is just so intelligent, it's actually very subtlety hinted at with some lines. I feel it doesn't get mentioned in some conversations just because it's basically common knowledge thanks to stuff like Smash (like I just mentioned). She further explains that the Triforce was split into three pieces, one to Ganondorf, one to Zelda, and one to you. Later, she introduces you to ""Light Arrows", before you see her captured by Ganondorf, again.

But Link knows that this is truly the end. He needs to confront Ganondorf, but now, with the Master Sword, the Light Arrows, and The Seven Sages, the friends that he himself had awakened. Now, he was in front of Ganondorf's castle. In a climactic battle, you win. Until the castle completely collapses, truly revealing Ganondorf, as the mighty beast Ganon. But now with the Seven Sages, the leader of them Zelda herself, and the Light Arrows gifted by her, they manage to trap Ganon in the Sacred Realm.

And you earned it. After failing to stop Ganondorf, you build your trust with the Seven Sages, and people like Zelda herself.

Then Zelda talks to Link. And she apologizes. Apologizes for everything, the pressure she put on Link and returns him to his child form, as he watches everybody celebrate. Yes, this does start one of the most complicated timelines in history, but is this not the perfect ending? Is this not satisfactory incarnate? Everything that you built in this game finally pays off and Zelda apologizes for the things she did to Link. If the Legend of Zelda franchises ended here I would be happy. But I'm truly glad I didn't, it's brought some of the best games ever.

Blockquote Majora's Mask is nearly as good as this, Wind Waker is just visually appealing and fun, Twilight Princess is a great return to the more realistic style that Wind Waker took away, Breath of The Wild is one of the best games on the Switch an-

Oh f--

10/10. Please seek this out. Even if you're not a LOZ fan, hell, even if you're not into Nintendo at all. This is truly a masterpiece.

I made a real scathing but incredibly unpolished full review on this game more than a year ago, which you can read here: https://quilandivy.tumblr.com/post/177283144576/ocarina-of-time-3d-review-industrial-snoozefest

It's a bit of an uncharitable take I had, but a lot of my criticisms still hold. But let me take things back for a second.

Ocarina of Time is a very important game for several reasons, and I think to just toss that to the side is a bit iffy, considering that is primarily how this game is defined now, whether we like it or not. That being said, I do not think it is a good game, and whether or not you want to say it is because of its age does not matter.

To start things off from the more positive side, the fifth entry of the Zelda series has a very good and cohesive aesthetic. Each of the musical tracks sells the area and the art style is very well defined, to a point where it's impossible to not recognize. In that way it makes it easier to draw you in should this kind of game immerse you. It even has a fitting soundscape and mechanical system to do that.

However, regardless of which thing you pull, none of the individual sections that make up this whole are good. The mechanics are route simple, with combat that has you stand still and wait for the enemy to attack so you can get a very clear whiff punish. With the exception of one enemy, this rule defines every fight that isn't a boss (of which, are item knowledge tests, rather than actual fights). The enemy design therefore is very boring, and you do enough of it where the experience begins to sour.

The dungeon design similarly is far too easy, with dungeons that are either straight shots with super easy puzzle rooms, boring combat gauntlets, or run of the mill mixes of both. There is a clear exception with the Water Temple, which actually showcases some genuinely competent level design, but this is also brought down by the iron boots system that has you pausing for around half of the rooms just to swap. It's fixed in the 3DS version (which my review bases on), but for the N64 it pretty much kills the whole dungeon.

The story and characters are also very cardboard, not that that is much of an issue since the game doesn't intentionally focus on it, but it's at least worth saying before I get to my final point. In that, Ocarina of Time is the standard Hero's Journey, but for games. It's a very average foundation that several things can now build upon and make something that is genuinely good, but is not something that I think anyone should put up as "this is a good experience."

But, there is one thing I've neglected to mention. It's a retroactive benefit to Ocarina of Time, and probably a weird segue but I think it seriously brings up the game's quality to at least somewhat recommend as of now. And that's the speedrun, which makes genuine use out of the weird unintentional mechanics Ocarina of Time N64 has and also the more fun to use glitches. Of course, this is minus the recent Any% change which now pretty much makes that category boring as hell, but it's still something that I actually enjoy doing with Ocarina of Time.

That's my quicker, more charitable view point of Ocarina of Time. It's not a game I can really recommend, it's certainly important, but I think that unless you are seriously interested in the history or find enjoyment of this kind of standard structure or the speedrun, your time is best spent elsewhere. As of now, it sits as the "average" centerpiece of action-adventures. (5/10)

You hear things like "The Greatest Game Ever" thrown around for a few games but this is the one that you hear it said for the most. Quite frankly I agree. Do you remember the first time you played it? You heard the camera system was the same as it was for Mario 64 and you got scared. How could that possibly work? I wanted a 3d Zelda game but I was really hesitant to play this one. And then you play it... and it works better than you could have possibly imagined. Every 3D action game owes OOT a debt. There are so many fantastic things about this game and it's hard to single out one thing. Err... one thing beyond the obvious "one thing." That "obvious one thing" is Z-targeting.

Z-targeting had to happen. Zelda did it first. It works so well. It makes 3d games work. So thank you OOT for being the first game of this kind. Thank you for being so fun! And thank you for all the fun hours I've spent with you!