Zelda comes to 3D and lands on the Nintendo 64. How will Link fare on his new adventure?
The story in Ocarina of Time is about as in-depth as the previous games but is a little darker thanks to it being in 3D with actual lighting. Ganondorf, the king of the Gerudo people, is searching the land of Hyrule for the Golden Land; a sacred place that has strange powers due to it being the place where the three Goddesses left Hyrule. You play as a young boy, named by the player but we all know him as Link, who lives in the forest with the Kokiri; a race guarded by the forest's master The Great Deku Tree.
The Great Deku Tree asks for Link's assistance in breaking the curse Ganondorf put on him which starts the journey off rather nicely. The story is nothing groundbreaking but it's a fun ride and it's satisfying to play through, with twists and turns the others didn't have.
The gameplay is where the game differs from the other games in the series obviously, thanks to 3D. Exploring dungeons and fighting monsters is better than ever before. You can have three items equipped at once, each assigned to a C-button, and those don't count your sword and shield. To help with fighting enemies you can lock on to them with a push of the Z-button. This lock-on also helps you talk to townsfolk from a distance as well and is conveniently called Z-targeting.
The flow of the game hasn't changed all that much however. You still go to towns, talk to people, head off to another part of the world that you haven't been to and then enter a dungeon. This works, thankfully, and it's a whole new experience doing it in 3D. Dungeons are more puzzle-based and the combat is still simple like in previous games, though it's a little more complex thanks to some enemies having weaknesses and some requiring certain attacks to overcome. There's a special item in each dungeon to look forward to along with a fun boss battle.
The difficulty is just right as well. Overall, it's amazing how little Nintendo got wrong on their first 3D Zelda game, gameplay-wise.
The music in Ocarina of Time is fantastic. It hits all the right notes and stays with you after the game has been turned off. This is fitting, especially considering the game has music as a focus. The ocarina Link plays sounds excellent and all the tunes you learn are extremely catchy. This soundtrack will not be forgotten.
The graphics are excellent for the first 3D Zelda game. Nintendo put a lot of time and effort into making Hyrule a fun place to explore. You see a lot of different and varied things on your journey and you won't be disappointed by any of it.
In the end, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a resounding success and a must for anyone with an N64. It's an amazingly fun game to play and proof that Nintendo knows what they are doing, and surprisingly well at that. You won't regret stepping foot into Hyrule.
PROS:
- An open field to explore
- Tons of secrets to find
- Lengthy quest
- Solid combat and puzzles that never get tiring
- Perfect controls
- Impressive graphics for the scope of the game
- Simple, but satisfying, story
- Fantastic music
- Enjoyable boss battles compliment the great level design
CONS
- Simple story might be TOO simple for some
- Combat doesn't evolve at all
- Water Temple can be frustrating
- It has an ending
Story : 10/10
Gameplay: 10/10
Sound: 10/10
Presentation: 10/10