Ocarina of Time still has a lot to offer.
Nintendo have always been innovators . Ever since resurrected the gaming industry back in 85' along with its infamous mascot Mario, Nintendo have pushed the boundaries or set the bar for many genres in video games. The Zelda series is often hailed as the series that demonstrated how adventure games and role playing games should be made. The series is an adventure series at heart. Role playing games did adapt a lot of what the Zelda series brought forth however. Two years prior to Ocarina's release, Nintendo had already converted their most famed character into the land of 3D with great results with the release of Super Mario 64. Super Mario 64 was the 3D game done right, a game that pretty much set the standards for 3D platforming and 3D games in general. Ocarina of Time would enjoy the same success by being yet another one of Nintendo's beloved series converted wonderfully into 3D gaming. And like Super Mario 64, Zelda would once again push the boundaries and demonstrate how a fantastic adventure game should be constructed. Anyone familiar with how the 2D games in the Zelda series are played, they will feel right at home with Ocarina of Time. The only difference is that Link can see great things off in the distance across the land of Hyrule. The game is based in Hyrule and its many locations such as the Castle Town, Forests, Lake Hylia, Death Mountain, Gerudo Valley, and the home of the Gorons, Goron City. Hyrule may not be as big and amazing today in terms of size, but when thinking of it as a ten year old game, it's easy to see how so many were impressed by the large world and its great style. Though Ocarina of Time's large world could fit for open ended gameplay, Ocarina of Time is actually pretty straight forward when it comes to the main quest. There are quite a few side quests in many locations, as well a lot of hidden goodies, that help the game from feeling linear or constricted. If you're ever stuck at a temple or stymied by some sort of puzzle, you can go explore Hyrule a bit, and who knows, maybe end up finding the key to advancing in the process.
The Zelda series may be known for its dungeons, secrets, and puzzles. But this doesn't mean that the combat feels watered down or weak in any way. As a matter of fact, Ocarina of Time really set the tone for how the sword could be successfully handled as the primary weapon in 3D action/adventure games. Many games have adapted the precise and intuitive feel and control that Ocarina of Time established. Link is equipped with his sword at all times ,and if you like, a shield as well. The game contains a lock on system that is almost a necessity for defeating most of the game's foes, and especially for defeating the game's bosses. The controls are tight and work just fine with the Gamecube controller, which has been my controller of choice for the game. The C-Stick works as a button to pick or choose weapons and items on the fly. Ocarina of Time's dungeons and puzzles range from challenging, easy, fun, to even tedious. The dungeons and their puzzles themselves are probably not even the most difficult tasks in the game. Finding out where to go next or where to find a certain item or location can be the hard part. That's why it is important to speak to as many of the Hyrulian folk as much as possible. Allowing yourself to let go, explore, and speak to the people spread throughout Hyrule is key to figuring out what to do next. If that sounds a bit boring, I'm not saying that the game is a text fest, you just need to see what they have to say. You'll probably enjoy the great, funny, and witty personalities that the characters have anyways.
Though the game is ten years old, Ocarina of Time is still a good looking game. Especially when you consider the game's art style and how it stays true the series unique presentation and colors. Ocarina of Time has been critically praised for its music, and the music is still fantastic today. The music always fits the mood and surrounding scenery of what is going on in the game. In short, an epic soundtrack. The game will probably take a few dozen hours to get through the main quest. Add a few more hours to total play time when you add in all of the side quests. For all of what Ocarina of Time still has to offer, there is no reason not to own this classic game. For only ten bucks on the Virtual Console, you got a deal.