The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - copyright: Nintendo.

Any entertainment media has its eternal classics. Masterpieces that are reference in their area, becoming obligatory for anyone interested in that media. If you are a movie maniac, you probably watched and are a fan of Marty and Doc Brown. If you are addicted for series, you certainly were amazed by Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. If you are a bit (or a lot) otaku, you most likely is a follower of the Yorozuya.

And, at last but not at least, if you a hardcore gamer, you surely played and loved one of the best games of all time: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Originally a Nintendo 64 exclusive, launched in 1998, nowadays you can find it via Virtual Console or in a renewed Nintendo 3DS version.

The cartridge box of Ocarina of Time

Ocarina of Time is present in all the lists and ranks of the best games. The reason of being absolutely popular and critical acclaimed is a perfect amalgam of elements: fascinating story, great graphics, solid gameplay, and amazing sound. It’s possible to see that (almost) every detail of this Zelda were carefully refined, creating a very credible in-game atmosphere. And if we consider when the game was launched, it is easier to recognize why this Zelda title is so famous and prized.

The Kokiri Village is where the adventure begins

The story is very interesting and has some great twists, worthy of a book series or even a movie. It starts with Navi, the fairy, awakening a child called Link in the Kokiri Forest. The boy and the fairy travels through the kingdom Hyrule, collecting Spiritual Stones in order to help Princess Zelda. She wants to stop Ganondorf, the king of the Gerudo, who aims to acquire a holy relic called Triforce.

Link meets Ganondorf, the game final boss

There is a key moment in the story, when Link is able to get the legendary Master Sword. Doing it, the hero travels seven years to the future. Although everything looks familiar in some way, almost everything has become different or destroyed, thanks to Ganondorf acts during the seven years. Link, now the Hero of Time, must defeat the villain, traveling to different locations between the eras and helping the sacred sages, in order to save the world.

Link removing the Master Sword from the pedestal in the Temple of Time

Obviously, there are many things that happen during the story. Link meets many different people, such as the Gorons and the Zoras, and also amazing locations, such as the Desert of Colossus and the Death Mountain. Besides the main plot, there are plenty side missions, which allow you to find and collect things like a stone-speaking mask, ice arrows, Gold Skultulas (one hundred of them), and time travels songs.

Epona is your faithful companion in the journey (her side-quest is virtually obligatory)

Ah, the songs. Ocarina of Time is also composed of amazing songs and melodies. Using an ocarina, a peculiar type of flute, Link (and the player) can perform many different songs in the game. They are not only great to listen, but also keys to solve puzzles and discover secrets. Besides that, the game has just a few dubbed words (unfortunately, Navi has one of them), however the dungeons songs and the sound effects are enough to make every moment epic.

Adult Link learning a new song (from a man that learned it from Young Link)

The graphics may be a little “rough” nowadays, but even now they are convincing. Most textures are very realistic, with different great environments areas, from deserts and icebergs, to castles and meadows. The characters are lovely, both friends and foes. The gameplay is very solid, with many moves (as backflips and rolls), weapons (as a boomerang and a hammer), and items (as masks and bugs) available to the player. As I said before, everything is well connected, with almost perfect balance between every part of the game system.

There are a lot of items to collect (including a blue chicken Cojiro...)

In my opinion, Ocarina of Time has no real cons. There are only a few minor problems, almost insignificant compared to the game greatness. Such as: your fairy Navi can be annoying sometimes, interrupting your exploration; there are some parts of the game that you may find yourself lost, mostly between dungeons; some tasks and dungeons are really challenging, requiring high precision and smartness, as the (in)famous Water Temple (I used a piece of paper in order to write the map details, and don’t get lost in this dungeon).

And besides the Water Temple itself, there is Dark Link. Probably the most difficult combat of the game

However, in order to complete the title, you will have to face these difficulties. After playing many times, I can say that the best advice to beat them, and the game itself, is composed of three simple actions: talk to everybody, explore everywhere, and think about everything. You must talk to all the NPC’s to receive tips and hints, obligatory to complete the game missions. You also must explore all the locations, in order to find secrets and many necessary items to advance the story.

The Ocarina of Time, a mystical instrument that helps you to progress in the game (and lends it its title)

Finally, you must think about everything inside Ocarina of Time. Understand its mechanics is essential to progress through the game. For example, if you find a spider web blocking a door, and you cannot cut it, just think for a moment: what can I do to remove it? If you look around, there is a lit torch. Maybe you can use something to bring the flames to the web, and then burn it. This example is a simple one, but it illustrates how the game works. You must always think about what you need to do, and which options you have to use.

From the left to the right: a Deku Scrub, the King of Gorons Darunia, a Zora, and the Kokiri Saria

The best part of Ocarina of Time, for me, is its greatness. Huge dungeons, lots of NPC’s to interact, many secrets hidden in the entire game map… everything in this title is great, both in quantity and, mostly, in quality. As you adventure in the lands of Hyrule, you have the feeling of “how many more things I still have to discover?” And it is not because you are bored with it, but because you do not want this great story to end soon.

The game has a great map, with many amazing places to visit

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. A title that defined many standards in the game industry, as the targeting system for 3D games and the great side-quests, which are not only funny, but also, provide some useful stuff for the game. While you play the game, you find yourself immerse in the culture of Hyrule and its entire people. This title is an eternal classic, and will always remain as one of the best games of all.