The Legend of Zelda Ocrina of time review-this classic was never perfect and it has aged

Note all video footage was taken by using a video capture device, the images are from the videos but edit with photoshop to add text and effects.

Well today were going to be taking a look at what is consider by a lot of critics to be the best game ever made. Best game for the N64, receiving a 10 out of 10 by a lot of game publications, you see it on top of list now days how it’s still the best game of all time. I am talking about of course the Legend of Zelda Ocarina of time. Of course some of these publications, YouTube channels or whatever put ET the Extra Terrestrial has the worst game ever made. Having owned ET has a kid I can tell you it’s not the worst game ever made, it had its problems but there are far worst games that I have played. So what about Zelda is it the best game I have ever played, eehh umm not really. In fact it’s not even the best Zelda game but does that make it worth not playing, oh heck no Zelda OCT is still a good game ever after almost 20 years past it’s release date; that is if you don’t mind some of those age spots. But best game ever made not even freaking close in my opinion.

The story starts off with a young Kokiri boy named Link having a nightmare about confronting an evil wizard. Link never having a fairy which every Kokiri child has finally gets one when he is awaken by one telling him he has to go see the forest sprit the great Deku Tree. After running around the insides of the giant tree and some more exposition the Deku tree tells Link a man named Ganondorf is trying to get the triforce and take over Hyrule, the deku tree gives him a stone and then kicks the bucket. After a brief visit with Princess Zelda Link finds out to stop Gannon he needs to get two spiritual stones from Hyrules neighbors the Goron tribe and the Zora tribe, so he can enter the sacred realm and snag the almighty triforce for himself. After helping out the two other races with their problems and clearing some more dungeons he gets the two McGuffins he needs to finally unlock the way to the sacred realm. However Hyrule Castle falls under attack and he sees Zelda fleeing and she manages to throw him the Ocarina of time a treasure needed to unlock the door. After some more BS Link decides to open the door and finds the master sword inside the door of time.

Somehow pulling out a magic sword that is hidden behind something called the door of time, which is in the middle of something called the temple of time seems like a bad idea. But that’s what Link does and manages to get his backside thrown 7 years into the future. Gannon has manage to get his hands on the triforce and only the hero of time can save Hyrule from the mighty evil king Gannon. You see the master sword choose Link to be the hero of time but only grownups can wield it so it decided to hold him prisoner for 7 years until he grew up.

Ok let me call BS on this. In the Wind Waker which is its direct sequel Link looks younger in that game then he does at the beginning of Ocarina of time, and this Link has no problems wielding the sword. 2^nd thing if Ganondorf is so bad that Hyrule is in an age of darkness then why the heck is traveling to most places easier and safer has an adult. Has a kid Hyrule field is full of bad guys and peaheats has an adult it’s empty. Kakariko village is actually growing, and while he may have frozen Zora domain there giant fish which was pooping and urinating in the water supply for all of Hyrule is gone. The only bad thing I can say on how he’s running the joint is he must have decided to throw one hell of keagger in Hyrule Castle Town.

Still has an adult you have to find some missing sages needed to seal ganon away. There’s a mysterious ninja named Sheik that goes around helping you with advice and giving you some needed songs. And yes we all know who this turns out to be Smash Bros ruin that twist already. Still the way they write in is actually clever, there are clues that show that yeah Impa would train Zelda has a Shieka to protect her identity and to give Link aid and not reveal herself until the final show down and it works surprisingly well. Remember a good plot twist is one where there are clues set up to where it makes sense when it happens, it doesn’t just spring out of nowhere. But there aren’t so many too early where you feel like telling the character’s no crap that guy isn’t who he says he is it’s written all over the place… Idiots.

While not the best drafted yarn in all of video games by any means Ocarina of time story still holds up even today.

Alright the gameplay in Legend of Zelda Ocrina of time is that of a dungeon crawler, you have to find your way into dungeons and collect the items, beat boss, and get the mcguffen that is needed to save the world. While this was the first 3d Zelda they took cues from a Link to the Past on how the initial set up works. The first 3 dungeons are done in the past has kid Link. While the last 6 are done in the future has Adult Link

Being the first 3d Zelda game the game starts off with a tutorial area in the forest, having you collect enough money to buy a shield from the store. Yeah that sounds real freaking familiar. Except this time it takes about 2 minutes at max to collect those rupees and the sword you needed. The dungeon is right around the corner and getting out into Hyrule field takes half an hour at most. Sure the hell beats 4 to 5 hours in Twilight Princess.

Has far has the time traveling aspect goes I am going to go and stick to my jokes in the story section, the biggest disappointment for me was getting to this evil Ganondorf control future, and finding out it’s actually safer and easier to get around then being a kid in peaceful Hyrule. I am not kidding has a kid you have to deal with stal kids at night, and peaheats if you explor off the beaten path. In Ganondorf evil hyrule the field is practically free from monster attacks. In pretty much every area you explore there are less monsters and your weapons are bigger and able to handle the confrontation. Like I said Ganondorf’s been good for Hyrule. This so contrast from a Link to the Past where you when enter Ganon dark world which is a mirror version of Hyrule in that game you go from power up bad ass to fealing more helpless then ever do to all the powerful monsters running around. Here why am I out to kill this king of evil when for the most part the place seems safer under his rule.

Oh well the dungeons for the most part are pretty cool, and they are the correct length of a Zelda dungeon beating these things takes an hour or two at tops. One of the reasons why I don’t play the 3d Zelda’s has much has the 2d’s is just the length of the dungeons some of them go on for freaking forever. Here an hour and there are some cool set piece moments and boss fight. The fight against Dodoongo and the fight angainst the bongo bongo. Are really cool boss fights.

There are even mini dungeons that have to be completed and some of these have there fun moments. One of my favorite is the Gerudo fortress where you have to be stealthy, I don’t know why when I know have a giant sword and these ladys go down in one hit. Still it’s a pretty cool area has you sneak around and try to save hostages and win the Gerudo’s respect.

If there is one temple that sucks it’s the water temple. Yeah lets see here having to take on and off the boots constantly, made in the gamecube versions which is what I am playing here to do a pause in the start screen. The stage layout is confusing with similer looking rooms and passage ways. Getting to places where you raise the water is a pain. They made so many changes in the 3ds version just to accompany this dungeon.

One last thing I should say is that while I was reviewing Wind Waker and Twilight Princess I kept mentioning how many times they refrence Ocrina of time. This game refrences another pass Zelda game one look upon less fondly. While not in it’s story but game play elements. It refrences Zelda 2 the adventures of Link. All the sages in this games are named after the towns in Zelda 2. Also walking the paths on hyrule field of night will keep Stalchildren from popping out. Leave and they pop out all over the place, similer to the monsters in Zelda 2. There is even a battle with Shadow Link in the Water Temple.

The graphics in this game are a mix bag. The settings for its day are really good. Areas like Hyrule Castle Town, the field, and Death Mountain all have unique look and feel and manage to hold up even to this day. The temples may not have the flare that Wind Waker and Twilight Princess temples had but they are there and still look good.

The things that aged like milk are the character designs. You get a lot of cringe inducing characters, and character’s that you don’t want to look up to close in this game. And speaking of hideous character design let me introduce to you guys the one character that more scary then anything seen in a resident evil game. The Great Fairy’s.

Yeah probably the freakiest thing I have seen in a video game, the fairies are usually uniquely design for each Zelda game and usually are beautiful in their own way. Here yeah scarier than any monster in this game. Parents if you’re worried that your teenage boy might knock up a girl just tell them that this is what all women look like naked… That said if you do manage to convince of that don’t expect grand kids (end with fairy laughter.)

The game also does not run all that smoothly the frame rate is a little bit low especially compare to modern days. It’s passible but don’t expect a smooth experience.

The music is outstanding and while it doesn’t top the Wind Waker score it’s still pretty good and has some memorable sound tracks of its own. No original Zelda theme anywhere in the sound track is disappointing but in a way Nintendo was also going were doing something a little different here and it still fits Zelda.

Again no voice acting but plenty of screams in other things and most sound find.

I give Legend of Zelda Ocarinas of time for the N64 a 3.5 out of 5. Yeah it’s tie in a lot of ways to the Wind Waker. While Ocarina is probably smoother to play over all, traversing the field might not have a lot in the way of enemy conflicts it’s faster and a heck of a lot more interactive then the sailing. But the low frame rate and the character designs really keep this from being a great Zelda game.

What about the 3ds version you say. That one if I could do a review of it would probably get a 4.5 out of 5. The graphics are tremendously improved, things like Death Mountain stick all the way out in the field and not just a pre render shadow, and you see things like the mountain from Hyrule Castle and Lon Lon ranch giving you a feeling of a connected world. And the character designs are much improved and everything looks great. With the exception of the great fairy there’s no way you can improve those gorgons. The frame rate is improved and they fixed a lot of the things that made the Water temple such a frustration to complete.

I know it costs quite a bit more money to get it on Nintendo portable but the 3ds is definitely the better version so seek it out if you can.