The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Video Game Review)

Video Game Review
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Nintendo 64
1998
Developed by: Nintendo
Published by: Nintendo

While Super Mario 64 had opened up the transition from 2D games to 3D games, many were worried about how other noteworthy franchises would handle the addition of an extra dimension. Some franchises, like Castlevania, fell flat on Nintendo’s fun machine. People were frothing at the mouth for a new Zelda experience and every precaution was taken to make sure that the jump to 3D would be a solid evolution for the series. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a fantastic game that really makes the Zelda universe feel almost real. Nintendo took great care with their property and it showed.

Again, like the SNES game, this Zelda game contains the same main characters but has a completely new storyline. Link is a fairy boy living in the Kokiri Forest. However, unlike the other kids in the forest, he has no fairy to call his own. One day, he is summoned to the Great Deku Tree by the fairy Navi. The Great Deku Tree is the guardian of the forest. He informs Link that a mysterious evil is growing inside of him and that Link, with the help of Navi need to squash that evil. Link enters the Deku Tree and vanquishes the evil forces inside. However, it’s too late for the Great Deku Tree. Before passing on, the Great Deku Tree tells Link that there is a great evil set to overpower the world of Hyrule and that Link must collect all three of the Spiritual Stones to be able to enter the Temple of Time to take possession of the Master Sword; the legendary blade that can only be held by the Hero of Time. The Great Deku Tree gives Link the Spiritual Stone of the Forest and tells him to seek out Princess Zelda at Hyrule Castle.

Link meets Zelda at the castle and finds that she has the same concerns. They realize that they have been both having had the same dream recently where Link is standing outside the castle’s walls on a dark and stormy night when a mysterious figure is seen whisking Zelda away on horseback. They’re being chased by a large scary looking man. The problem is that the scary looking man in their dreams is actually real and has become a loyal servant of Zelda’s father, the king. This man is named Ganondorf who came from the Gerudo Desert. Zelda has tried to warn her father about the man’s intentions but he pays no attention. They fear that Ganondorf is after the legendary artefact called the Triforce. Whoever possesses the Triforce wields an extraordinary amount of power. It becomes apparent that Link needs to stop Ganondorf before he can spread his evil across Hyrule.

After Link gains possession of the three Spiritual Stones, he makes his way back to Hyrule Castle to go to the Temple of Time. However, as he approaches the castle, his nightmarish dream starts to unfold before his eyes. Zelda is being rushed out of the castle with Ganondorf in hot pursuit. However, Zelda drops the Ocarina of Time for Link to use to gain access to the Temple of Time as she’s escaping. Unable to give chase, Link heads to the Temple of Time to get his hands on the Master Sword to fight Ganondorf. However, it’s a trap and Link is knocked unconscious. When he wakes up, Ganondorf has taken over Hyrule and Link has aged several years and has become an adult. Rauru, the Ancient Sage of Light informs Link of what has happened and that he needs to find all seven of the Sage Medallions. This would enable to imprison the defeated Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm once, and if, Link is able to defeat him.

Link doesn’t just use a sword; he has many weapons in his arsenal. Through his adventure, he acquires items like a bow, a hookshot, a boomerang, and many other useful tools. He also has his own horse, Epona, throughout a good portion of the game. Link also is in possession of the Ocarina of Time; a musical instrument that allows Link to manipulate time and speak to people from long distances for advice by playing certain songs with it. Link needs to explore every last bit of Hyrule to gain enough experience to be able to take on Ganondorf in the final battle. Hyrule’s future depends on it.

Just like other games in the series, the game has controls that allow the player to dictate the set-up to a limited degree. The A button is always used for the sword and the B button is used to perform specific actions. However, the left, down, and right C buttons are used for items in Link’s inventory. It’s up to the player to decide which item gets assigned to which button. Pressing the start button calls up the inventory screen to select the items as well as look at Link’s status and the map. The d-pad can also be used to call up the map. The up C button is used to speak to Navi. The Z-button is used to target enemies. It works well and makes targeting enemies during an intense battle incredibly easy. The R button makes Link wield his shield. The controls work well with the game, especially the Z-targeting which is pretty good feature.

The graphics look great to a certain degree. Looking at Hyrule in its 3D glory is simply breathtaking. It feels amazing to run through Hyrule Field with Epona. The various locations of Hyrule look fantastic. From Death Mountain to Gerudo Valley to Lake Hylia; the game world feels almost real. The only graphical glitch with the game is the textures. Up close, some of them look really bad. The Nintendo 64 had limited horsepower when it came to texture mapping. However, Ocarina of Time’s textures are acceptable compared to other titles on the system. This is minor detail though because you’ll be too busy taking in the breathtaking landscapes rather than examining walls close-up.

The sound is great as well. Although the N64 wasn’t a powerhouse when it came to sound, Nintendo still had some of the best composers available to them working on this title. The game’s soundtrack feels epic and plays to emotions very well. The sound effects are also magnificent as they really enhance the feel of the game. The only gripe on sound would be hearing Link’s yell every time he does something or having Navi scream “Listen!” every couple of minutes to tell you that you need to head somewhere that you’re already heading. It’s irritating but bearable and becomes easy to ignore.

The gameplay is stellar. This game feels like what a Zelda game should be; regardless if it’s in 2D or 3D. The dungeons are well designed and encourage exploration. It would have been nicer if there were more enemies. In fact, it feels as if there were too few enemies. Still, the battles are fun; thanks in part to the Z-targeting which takes away from having to worry about trying to making sure the blows are on target and make you rely more on employing smart tactics and manage both offensive and defensive strategies effectively.

For the most part, this game is excellent. The world feels incredibly real and the amazing story really makes the gameplay feel more vibrant. It feels like you’re going out on a grand adventure. Entering each dungeon feels overwhelming at first but it is so much fun to explore and try to find every secret hidden inside of these colossal structures. The boss battles are an experience all on their own as some fights can last several minutes and require some pretty cunning strategy at times. It feels like Nintendo tried to make this game as complete as possible. It really does feel like a special experience.

However, the game isn’t perfect. There are just some things that the Nintendo 64 is not able to do and even back then it hurt the game. Like I said earlier, there aren’t that many enemies in the game but it feels at times like there isn’t much at all in the world of Hyrule. For the most part, Hyrule Field feels empty with the exception of Lon Lon Ranch. There are too many times were when you’re roaming Hyrule that you feel isolated from others despite being in large expansive spaces. It’s a rather odd feeling.

The camera isn’t perfect either. It’s more or less a fixed camera system and there are times where the action can get obstructed. However, it doesn’t hurt the game at all and the camera glitches only happen a few times while playing.

The only other major problem some might have with the game is there are times where you are wondering what you need to do. Despite having Navi, who is supposed to help guide you along the way, there are times where some might be unsure what to do next. Even though Zelda games are about exploration, they do have a certain linear progression to them. Some might get confused where to go next. Even worse, if you’re in the middle of the game and have to stop playing for an extended period of time (like a few weeks), you may have forgotten what you have to do next within the game and need to restart from the beginning. For most people, this may not be a problem but there are some people out there that might consider this an issue.

Nintendo did a remarkable job with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It is an amazing game to play. It does have the feeling of it being slightly unfinished because of the fact that there are areas where there are few enemies to speak of and Hyrule can feel very empty at times. However, overall, the gameplay experience is very good. The sights and sounds of Hyrule are very pleasing and it is incredibly enjoyable to play through. It is an easy game to recommend.

☆☆☆☆