Game play

Where to begin? How about with the fact Nintendo had to build Ocarina of Time with almost no template in existence for a three-dimensional adventure RPG and only having the Super Mario 64 game engine as a basis for how a three-dimensional game should work. Shigeru Miyamoto stated early on in 1997 that he did not want "Zelda 64" to simply be Super Mario 64 with a sword, just like The Legend of Zelda on NES was not Mario running around with a sword. Once again, Miyamoto and company would have to invent the rule book on how open-ended games should be made.

Eiji Aonuma, credited as a director in Ocarina of Time, spoke a few years ago about the original concept for Ocarina of Time. Essentially, they wanted to take A Link to the Past and make it into a three-dimensional game. This may explain why much of Ocarina of Time feels like a three-dimensional version of A Link to the Past. Still, somehow the creative team managed to pull off the impossible. Ocarina of Time truly feels like a Zelda game in every shape and form. Yet, it manages to provide an experience unlike any game before it in the series.

Using the analog stick to move Link around in the third dimension takes some time to get used to, especially if you've only played The Wind Waker and modern three-dimensional games. The C-Buttons are used to store items you can use at your disposal, except for the Up-C, which is to trigger the first person mode or to talk with Navi, your fairy guide. The A button is your action button, allowing you to roll, drop down from hanging and push or lift objects. The B button is your trusty sword. While this may sound like a perfect blend of Link's Awakening's multi-button setup and a standard default sword button from previous games, Ocarina of Time had the daunting challenge of combat and camera work in three dimensions.

Born out of the lock-on system in StarFox 64, Ocarina of Time sports the Z-Target system (which is L-targeting for you GCN users). It's basically a system which allows Link to focus on specific objects or enemies to aid the player in the third dimension where judging distance and relative proximity is very difficult. It also allows you to rapidly change the camera angle to better suit you, though later tweaks for free-roaming cameras in later installments are better.

Even still, the controls are unbelievable. What's even more impressive are the overworld and dungeons. The overworld is basically a hub known as Hyrule field. From there, you can access any of the main areas of the game. Each area is alive with its own environment and unique setting. Exploring Hyrule is part of the fun, much like what made the original Zelda game so popular. Although you can't access everywhere at first, trying to find out where to go next can sometimes lead you to unexplored regions.

To ensure the player never gets completely lost, however, Nintendo added a help guide at all times in the form of your fairy friend Navi. If you fail to notice something or get lost for a long time, she will trigger you with the Up-C icon to talk about the situation. Though this gets annoying to no end, it is a must-have component for the younger audience as this game is so huge and complex.

The game still follows the simple Zelda formula. Link must travel to dungeons and collect items in them in order to progress. But the dungeons themselves are the real treat in Ocarina of Time. For the first time, those multiple level dungeons are realized for their true magnitude. Rooms span multiple floors and navigating takes much time. Puzzles are much more complex and dwarf anything ever seen before in any game. Enemies aren't as numerous as in previous games, but the boss battles more than make up for it. On top of all this, the dungeons are very difficult and each is very unique and no previous one looks like any other.

Combat is very smooth in Ocarina of Time and very quick. A multitude of items are at your disposal to utilize in combat, as well as your trusted sword. Your shield also is more useful in this game as you can control it with more precision. There is also a good deal of platform navigation in dungeons, as Link usually has to hop across gaps or scale walls. Also, for the first time, Link can ride a horse and use his bow and arrow set to attack foes.

Some of the items also bring the gameplay into the realm of first person mode. The bow and arrow set and the hookshot allow you to aim with high precision. Ocarina of Time also boasts awesome new weapons, like Bombchus which are mouse-like bombs that move around when you plant them, and Din's Fire, a magical spell item that sends out a wave of fire to burn all things. But the main item of focus is your Ocarina, which you must master. Playing it is as simple as using the buttons on your controller, but Nintendo went beyond the basics and replicated a fully function musical instrument which you can play if you have the skill. Legions of fans posted how to play their favorite tunes on forums all across the net.

Also, what would a Zelda game be like today without any side-quests? Besides the usual heart collecting, there is a Skulltula collection which yields upgrades. You can also upgrade several items in the game, as well as engage in trading side-quests. Mini-games also make an appearance in the form of races and archery ranges. The game is just so full of extras it is mind boggling

Graphics

The first time I turned on Ocarina of Time, it was on a big screen TV in our family room. As the intro played out, I simply uttered "whoa." When the Kokiri Forest introduction ended, I was spell bound. If you played Ocarina of Time at its release, I'm sure you were in awe of just how rich this game's graphics were. Sure, they were not the best at the time of any game, but just how they were used and how organic the world looked was amazing.

Link's animations are spectacular, largely in part to the fact Nintendo used motion capture tools to record actors who were schooled in sword fighting from some Japanese discipline (I forget at the moment which style influenced Miyamoto). Enemies move with great fluidity and NPCs strut around like regular townsfolk. Every locale, as mentioned earlier, is truly unique and blends into the world perfectly.

Dungeons are so special in this game. Each, again as mentioned earlier, have a distinct look. The Forest Temple is a decayed ruin alive with plants and vines that have taken over. The Fire Temple is base inside a blazing hot inferno of a volcano. There's even a dungeon inside of a fish's stomach. There's a reason every fan wants to know how Twilight Princess' dungeons will stack up against Ocarina of Time's. It is because Ocarina of Time had the best dungeons of any game, period.

Ocarina of Time also sports some in-game cut scenes, which utilize the in-game graphics. While they look no better than the game's graphics, obviously, the camera work in them is very nice. Particle and lighting effects in the game, for the time, were amazing. Honestly, this game was just amazing.

Audio

So many people praise Ocarina of Time for its soundtrack, but I am one of those people who like to continually point out most of the music is derived from previous games. Even still, the quality of music was a vast improvement over anything seen in the series to date. In addition to the great tunes reused from previous games, we were introduced to some great new melodies which have stayed around as well.

Gerudo Valley's theme and Hyrule Field's theme are probably the two most recognizable. Then there is Lon Lon Ranch's theme and Zora's Domain and Goron City…the list goes on. So while the game does borrow a lot, it created just as much and then some. Many of the Ocarina tunes you must learn have been reused several times in other games, with three making a return in Majora's Mask for starters.

So what about the sound effects? Finally, the sound effects are good. Water running down a stream sounds natural. Epona's hoofs pounding the ground were passable. Steel swords clanging together sounded real. Also, we got our first taste of voice acting with yells and grunts from Link, Zelda and Ganondorf. Finally, the sounds in a Zelda game were great.

Challenge, Fun, Replay Value

There is no denying that Ocarina of Time was a hard game. Perhaps maybe not the fights, but navigating the dungeons and some of the boss battles presented challenges for first time players. Over time, though, you will find the game is very easy once you've mastered it, and it honestly can become quite boring because much of the game is journeying around Hyrule. The magic only lasts so long.

Side-quest freaks will love how much more there is to do in this game, and will spend hours upon hours trying to find every last item and upgrade. For most of the time you play this game, it will be really enjoyable and you'll want to keep coming back. But like almost any game, its replay value wears out after so long - this isn't a multiplayer game afterall like 007 Goldeneye, which people still play today frequently.

But every now and then, you will find yourself coming back to play Ocarina of Time for just a bit. You'll want to be reminded of what a great time you had with Zelda.

Final Verdict

I've done my best to keep my personal bias against this game out of this review and to keep it as objective as possible. If I had it my way, I'd score this game very low because of certain factors which most fans would ignore. But in all honesty, this is the must-have title of the series, and if you don't own it, you're not a fan. Sure, it is not a perfect game, but it is the pinnacle of Zelda in most fans' eyes and it is the caveat to Twilight Princess in both gameplay, history, and apparently the timeline. So if you do not have it, go buy it now. Carts of it are dirt cheap, and you can get it on GCN as well. If you have it, you should go back and play it through at least once before Twilight Princess.

Gameplay: 10.0
Graphics: 9.0
Sound: 9.0
Challenge, Fun and Replay Value: 9.0
Final Score: 9.3