Backlog Game Reviews 45: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)

 

Hey there, and welcome to Backlog Game Reviews.

    Today let's take a look at what is considered to be the best N64 game ever, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It was first released in Japan on November 21^st, 1998. It soon made its way to North America on November 23^rd, and on December 11^th, 1998, it came to Europe. Ocarina of Time was received very well by critics upon its release. It got perfect scores from reviewers worldwide, and even today it is held as a masterpiece by fans and critics alike. In 1998 it sold 920,000 copies in Japan and became the eighth best-selling game in the country that year. In North America, it sold 1 million copies in only one week after being released and sold 2.5 million copies throughout the year. Let's see what made this game so great and how well it holds up today.

 The hero of the game Link meets his fairy partner Navi.

The Story

    The game starts with our hero Link having a nightmare. In his dream, the young hero comes face to face with a large and intimidating man riding a big black horse. Link is then awoken from his dream by a fairy named Navi. Navi was sent by the guardian spirit of the forest that Link lives in. This spirit takes the form of a giant tree and is known as the great Deku Tree. Navi tells Link that the Deku Tree wishes to speak to him, so, together with Navi, Link goes to hear what the Deku Tree has to say.

 Link's nightmare.

   Link meets with the Great Deku Tree, and he tells Link that a curse was placed on him by a man named Ganondorf. Ganondorf cursed the Deku Tree because he refused to give the spiritual stone of the forest to him. The Deku Tree then asks Link to travel inside of him and lift the curse.

 In order to undo the curse Link will have to travel into the Deku Tree

   Link was able to undo the curse however he was too late. It had already done its damage leaving the Deku Tree with very little time left to live. Before his death, he tells Link that Ganondorf wanted the spiritual stone because it is one of the keys to the Sacred Realm, a place where a powerful artifact called the Triforce is said to be.

 The Triforce

   If Ganondorf ever got his hands on the Triforce, the world would be his for the taking. Before passing on, the Deku Tree tells Link to go to Hyrule Castle and meet Princess Zelda. Ask for her help and prevent Ganondorf from entering the Sacred Realm and taking the Triforce. With this task thrust upon him, Link sets out on what would turn into a long and epic adventure.

 The Great Deku Tree passes on.

   Back when Ocarina of Time was new it had one of the deepest storylines we've seen in a Zelda game yet. We learn a lot about the Triforce and its origin. Ocarina of Time also introduces us to the Zora, Goron, and other races that inhabit Hyrule as well. Overall, it's a good story, it's fun and teaches us a lot about Hyrule and the people that live in the kingdom.

 Link meets Zelda.

The Gameplay

    Ocarina of Time is best described as an action-adventure puzzle game. You'll spend the game traveling throughout Hyrule uncovering secrets, collecting items that'll help you on your quest, and venturing into dungeons.

 

 Fighting off some monsters.

    Dungeons are filled with puzzles that you'll need to solve one by one if you want to make it to the end. The puzzles aren't that hard to figure out, but they do require some thought and are fun to solve.

 Walking through the winding hallway in the Forest Dungeon.

   When you're not exploring dungeons you'll be adventuring throughout Hyrule fields, which isn't all that exciting. Hyrule is large, and going from place to place is not only time-consuming but also boring because of how empty Hyrule is. You're eventually given the ability to warp to key locations so this isn't that much of a problem in the late game. Though, that doesn't change the fact that you still have to deal with the empty overworld at the start of the game. The overworld may be large and empty, but the towns have a lot to do and see. They're full of side quests to do and secrets to find.

 Running through Hyrule fields.

   Other than Hyrule fields being boring to travel through Ocarina of Time is a fun game. The side quests and mini-games are enjoyable, and so is searching for hidden items. The dungeons are well designed and not too hard but also not too easy. Bosses while on the easy side are huge, intimidating, and fun to fight. If you've never played this game before, you should give it a try sometime, and if you're looking to get into The Legend of Zelda series, I would say this is a good game to start with.

 Fighting the boss of the Water Temple.

The Presentation

    As far as the graphics go there's nothing to really complain about. Ocarina of Time is a good looking N64 game. The graphics have aged well, even today the visuals look nice.

 Playing the shooting gallery mini-game.

   The music is one of the games strongest points, it's chock-full of catchy and memorable songs. From the upbeat theme of the Lost Woods to the adventurous theme of Hyrule fields. Music is a big part of this game, and it's easy to see that a lot of work was put into the soundtrack.

 Link is able to play magical songs on his ocarina.

   That's all I have to say about the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the N64. It was praised as one of the best games ever when it was new, and today it's regarded as a masterpiece. I would say it deserves all the praise it got and is definitely worth giving a try sometime.

    Thanks for reading! Next time we'll be taking a look at a Dreamcast game, or maybe a Gameboy Advance game, or maybe a Famicom game, I don't know right now. I hope to see you again here at Backlog Game Reviews.