The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Platforms: N64, GCN, Wii(VC), 3DS
Players: 1
Original Release Date(s): Nov 23 1998(US), Dec 11 1998(EU), Nov 21 1998(JP)
I remember the hype surrounding this game at the time, near enough every time I read about it people were saying it was going to be one of the best games ever made and this was when it was still early in development and not long after it was switched from being scheduled for release on Nintendo's ill fated 64DD add on.
The hype continued and so did the delays as Shigeru Miyamoto refused to release the game until a time when he thought it was completely ready which is something that every major Zelda game released to this day sticks by and that Nintendo won't release them until they feel they are ready.
With all the hype though came a lot of expectancy and something many people would have pounced on if it failed to live up to that.
Presentation
The game is incredible well presented and at the same time manages to stay simple without having any cluttered menus and manages too have all the information you need at all times thanks to the layout of all of the menus. Through out the game you also have the aid of your fairy Navi and while at times she can be annoying popping up with things you already know, she can also come in hand at times giving you vital information on how to defeat enemies or where you should be heading next on your quest.
One thing I can say about the structure of the game is it is very much like having a Link to the Past just moved into a fully 3D world many of the main key quest items are the same, it is definitely not a bad thing in any way as it helps with the transition of the game to its new world the one thing that does make a big improvement though is the story as it has much more depth and back story to many elements this time and for the time was one of the more cinematic games and still holds up well to this day because it uses the in game graphics engine rather than some pre rendered CGI videos which tend to show their age over time, of course you can put that down to the hardware limitations of the N64 and the choice of using the cartridge format over CDs.
Graphics
When I first played this game I will admit to be blown away by the look of the game and just how detailed and solid the whole world was, I think I may have spent ages right at the start just looking around in first person view taking everything in and if anything later releases of the game on other systems have made the game look even better thanks to the fact that they have taken away the blur that many N64 suffered from.
The other most noticeable thing is you can say about many games of the time is that everything really looks just how you would expect it to in 3D and the style of everything sticks closely to the originals quite well, which for fans at the time was quite a treat seeing everything in 3D for the first time, although there are also many new additions.
One of the most impressive things to behold in the entire game is the size and scale of some of the boss enemies they are truly huge and fill the whole screen often having the camera pan out just to fit them on screen.
Probably the only real flaw I can think of with the visuals is there are certain areas or inside of buildings that use pre rendered artwork that is low resolution and looks quite blurry but these few places are few and far between and most of the game is a solid 3D world.
Sound
You can make many statements towards the limitations of cartridges and they are pretty much all true but that doesn't stop you being able to make an amazing soundtrack to accompany a game within those limitations. What you have here is a soundtrack that helps make the games cinematic feel really come out and many of the tracks will be instantly recognisable to fans of the series.
Likewise the ambient sound around every locations in Hyrule helps to give everything a sense of life from running water to the sound of the rooster as the sun comes up in the morning it helps add to giving the world life. These little details just help to add up and make the whole game feel like it had a lot of care put into it, and like wise with link and some of the other characters you meet throughout the game because although they have no voice of their own and it is all presented in text they still have enough screams grunts and groans to make the feel like they have life and some can be eerily creepy at times too.
Music also lays a huge part in the game itself as much of the game revolves around the use of the Ocarina if Time itself and using it unlocks parts things within the game and many of the tunes are great too an very memorable after a while since you will be playing some many times though out the adventure and it really doesn't stop there as you can use the Ocarina to be creative and make your own tunes as you can change the pitch with a combination of the analog stick and the R button and some of the results can be quite amazing so there really was a lot of care and attention to detail of just the Ocarina.
Gameplay
Despite moving the series into the third dimension it still manages to play much like the older games in the series just more accuracy is required and that accuracy at times would be hard without the inclusion of being able to target your enemies through Z targeting and it is one thing that so many early 3D games seems to struggle with and that is the lack of accuracy ofcourse that is also at times due to the hardware limitations of the time.
Everything with controlling Link feels amazing responsive too he moves around very easily and not sluggishly in anyway, switching between all those items and weapons has never been easier either since you now have the added ability to set three items from your inventory rather than just the one you could in previous games meaning you can always have three handy items at your fingertips. All major actions are controlled by the A button from talking to people opening doors and chest and a variety of other tasks too, while the B button handles all of your swords actions mixed with a combination of other button presses too and analog stick tilts for further attacks. Your shield now also has it's own button too, the R button, as it becomes a vital item in your arsenal not only to defend but to repel attack too.
Combat plays a huge part in the game and thanks to the Z targeting you always know you will attack the right enemies as having to time your moves well as it can be a game of cat and mouse switching from a defensive position to dropping your shield at the right time to attack, of course you also have the added accuracy of your projectile weapons now being more accurate through a first person view which shows you just how accurate you have to be when going against some enemies or bosses in the game.
Lasting Appeal
A game that is massive an many ways not only is the main adventure huge and will keep you exploring for ages and and because of the story that will suck you in but there is so much to see and at times you may be just wanting around to check things out for the sake of it, there is also so many little extras to collect in the game and side quest that can keep you going for about as long as the main adventure too, the Gold Skulltulla quest is the most prominent one that comes to mind you only really need to get half the overall total to get anything of any substantial significance in the game but it is there if you feel the need to do it.
If you are one of those people who just wants to play through the game once to get the story you will still be there for a good 50 hours if you rush through the first time but if you are a completest and want to savour every moment and get as much as you can before the final encounter with Ganondorf it can easily take you double that amount of time. The game is also just as enjoyable the second and third time around too as it has so many memorable moments and is one of those games you can go back and play even years after you played it the first time and enjoy from start to finish.
Overall
Very arguably one of the greatest games ever made and the game that every Zelda game since gets compared to and rightfully so as it set a new standard for size and scale of an adventure game like this as well as getting pretty much everything spot on the first time of asking, the story is deep while at the same time makes you feel you are still on your own adventure of exploration rather than one set out before you as there are so many little things that you can miss if you don't take that time to explore.
I really can't recommend this game highly enough from certain technical areas it has aged yes but it is still a great example of how to make a great game and one that has aged gracefully, if you have yet to play it you owe yourself at least the change to try it out.
Scores
Players: 1
Original Release Date(s): Nov 23 1998(US), Dec 11 1998(EU), Nov 21 1998(JP)
I remember the hype surrounding this game at the time, near enough every time I read about it people were saying it was going to be one of the best games ever made and this was when it was still early in development and not long after it was switched from being scheduled for release on Nintendo's ill fated 64DD add on.
The hype continued and so did the delays as Shigeru Miyamoto refused to release the game until a time when he thought it was completely ready which is something that every major Zelda game released to this day sticks by and that Nintendo won't release them until they feel they are ready.
With all the hype though came a lot of expectancy and something many people would have pounced on if it failed to live up to that.
Presentation
The game is incredible well presented and at the same time manages to stay simple without having any cluttered menus and manages too have all the information you need at all times thanks to the layout of all of the menus. Through out the game you also have the aid of your fairy Navi and while at times she can be annoying popping up with things you already know, she can also come in hand at times giving you vital information on how to defeat enemies or where you should be heading next on your quest.
One thing I can say about the structure of the game is it is very much like having a Link to the Past just moved into a fully 3D world many of the main key quest items are the same, it is definitely not a bad thing in any way as it helps with the transition of the game to its new world the one thing that does make a big improvement though is the story as it has much more depth and back story to many elements this time and for the time was one of the more cinematic games and still holds up well to this day because it uses the in game graphics engine rather than some pre rendered CGI videos which tend to show their age over time, of course you can put that down to the hardware limitations of the N64 and the choice of using the cartridge format over CDs.
Graphics
When I first played this game I will admit to be blown away by the look of the game and just how detailed and solid the whole world was, I think I may have spent ages right at the start just looking around in first person view taking everything in and if anything later releases of the game on other systems have made the game look even better thanks to the fact that they have taken away the blur that many N64 suffered from.
The other most noticeable thing is you can say about many games of the time is that everything really looks just how you would expect it to in 3D and the style of everything sticks closely to the originals quite well, which for fans at the time was quite a treat seeing everything in 3D for the first time, although there are also many new additions.
One of the most impressive things to behold in the entire game is the size and scale of some of the boss enemies they are truly huge and fill the whole screen often having the camera pan out just to fit them on screen.
Probably the only real flaw I can think of with the visuals is there are certain areas or inside of buildings that use pre rendered artwork that is low resolution and looks quite blurry but these few places are few and far between and most of the game is a solid 3D world.
Sound
You can make many statements towards the limitations of cartridges and they are pretty much all true but that doesn't stop you being able to make an amazing soundtrack to accompany a game within those limitations. What you have here is a soundtrack that helps make the games cinematic feel really come out and many of the tracks will be instantly recognisable to fans of the series.
Likewise the ambient sound around every locations in Hyrule helps to give everything a sense of life from running water to the sound of the rooster as the sun comes up in the morning it helps add to giving the world life. These little details just help to add up and make the whole game feel like it had a lot of care put into it, and like wise with link and some of the other characters you meet throughout the game because although they have no voice of their own and it is all presented in text they still have enough screams grunts and groans to make the feel like they have life and some can be eerily creepy at times too.
Music also lays a huge part in the game itself as much of the game revolves around the use of the Ocarina if Time itself and using it unlocks parts things within the game and many of the tunes are great too an very memorable after a while since you will be playing some many times though out the adventure and it really doesn't stop there as you can use the Ocarina to be creative and make your own tunes as you can change the pitch with a combination of the analog stick and the R button and some of the results can be quite amazing so there really was a lot of care and attention to detail of just the Ocarina.
Gameplay
Despite moving the series into the third dimension it still manages to play much like the older games in the series just more accuracy is required and that accuracy at times would be hard without the inclusion of being able to target your enemies through Z targeting and it is one thing that so many early 3D games seems to struggle with and that is the lack of accuracy ofcourse that is also at times due to the hardware limitations of the time.
Everything with controlling Link feels amazing responsive too he moves around very easily and not sluggishly in anyway, switching between all those items and weapons has never been easier either since you now have the added ability to set three items from your inventory rather than just the one you could in previous games meaning you can always have three handy items at your fingertips. All major actions are controlled by the A button from talking to people opening doors and chest and a variety of other tasks too, while the B button handles all of your swords actions mixed with a combination of other button presses too and analog stick tilts for further attacks. Your shield now also has it's own button too, the R button, as it becomes a vital item in your arsenal not only to defend but to repel attack too.
Combat plays a huge part in the game and thanks to the Z targeting you always know you will attack the right enemies as having to time your moves well as it can be a game of cat and mouse switching from a defensive position to dropping your shield at the right time to attack, of course you also have the added accuracy of your projectile weapons now being more accurate through a first person view which shows you just how accurate you have to be when going against some enemies or bosses in the game.
Lasting Appeal
A game that is massive an many ways not only is the main adventure huge and will keep you exploring for ages and and because of the story that will suck you in but there is so much to see and at times you may be just wanting around to check things out for the sake of it, there is also so many little extras to collect in the game and side quest that can keep you going for about as long as the main adventure too, the Gold Skulltulla quest is the most prominent one that comes to mind you only really need to get half the overall total to get anything of any substantial significance in the game but it is there if you feel the need to do it.
If you are one of those people who just wants to play through the game once to get the story you will still be there for a good 50 hours if you rush through the first time but if you are a completest and want to savour every moment and get as much as you can before the final encounter with Ganondorf it can easily take you double that amount of time. The game is also just as enjoyable the second and third time around too as it has so many memorable moments and is one of those games you can go back and play even years after you played it the first time and enjoy from start to finish.
Overall
Very arguably one of the greatest games ever made and the game that every Zelda game since gets compared to and rightfully so as it set a new standard for size and scale of an adventure game like this as well as getting pretty much everything spot on the first time of asking, the story is deep while at the same time makes you feel you are still on your own adventure of exploration rather than one set out before you as there are so many little things that you can miss if you don't take that time to explore.
I really can't recommend this game highly enough from certain technical areas it has aged yes but it is still a great example of how to make a great game and one that has aged gracefully, if you have yet to play it you owe yourself at least the change to try it out.
Scores
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