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The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

 
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The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
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Game Description

Nintendo's acclaimed action role-playing series makes its Nintendo 64 debut as a 3D adventure that transforms the pastoral land of Hyrule into a dynamic, fully interactive world. Ocarina of Time is the first Zelda game to be played from a third-person view set directly behind the elfin character of Link, necessitating a new control scheme. Link can now lock onto his targets, allowing him to move freely around while the camera remains trained on the selected enemy. Jumping is automatic whenever Link approaches a ledge, and weapons or items can be freely assigned to the controller's yellow buttons for quick access.

The storyline follows Link's maturation from a young boy to a determined adult, as he journeys across the land to help those in need and to fulfill his destiny. Link will be able to acquire several familiar items from the famed series, including bombs, a boomerang, hook shot, and a bow, which switches the perspective to a first-person view. New to the game is the titular ocarina, a musical instrument whose songs can transport Link to different locations, change day into night, and more. He will even be able to summon a horse named Epona to make traveling the expansive world easier.

As Link explores his world, he will encounter numerous quests to complete on behalf of the local residents. He will also participate in an assortment of mini-games, from horse racing to fishing. Since the developers were intent on retaining the same "feel" as in previous Zelda games, players must solve various environment-based puzzles, such as lighting torches or shooting targets with the bow, while delving into a series of 14 ominous dungeons. Each dungeon culminates in a cinematic boss encounter as Link draws closer to confronting his (and Zelda's) nemesis, the evil Ganon.
~ Brian Arnold, All Game Guide

Review: Overall

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a game that actually surpasses any expectations you may have going into it, which is an enormous feat given the amount of media attention, hype and buildup leading to its pre-Thanksgiving 1998 release. Now that it is here, expect to be drawn into a magical world that seems amazingly lifelike and completely unforgettable.

And while the 3D environment is breathtaking, it is even more surprising how close the game follows its lineage: you'll use bombs to open up new areas or reveal secrets, replenish health at fairy fountains, get a little disoriented in the Lost Woods, venture into ominous dungeons in search of items or monsters, solve puzzles to unlock sealed doors, and search high and low for "heart containers" to add to your life. If you have played the 1987 original, you'll be shocked at how this game can be so refreshingly unique while retaining the same feel as its predecessor: you'll even hear the familiar chime whenever you trigger an event or solve a puzzle.

What makes the game so engaging is how detailed the world of Hyrule is. Unlike other role-playing games, you don't travel on an overhead map and then have the view switch when you enter town; you actually walk from location to location (or ride a horse) over rolling green hills, across babbling brooks, up steep mountains and cliffs, through thick forests and even ice caverns. The effect is like something you've never seen on a console title until now; you can see far off into the distance as huge mountains loom overhead or make out the outline of Hyrule Castle complete with working drawbridge. It feels real.

You'll begin the game in Kokiri Forest, which is similar to Peter Pan's Never Never Land: tiny fairies weave through the air leaving a faint glow of light, wooden shacks are built high above the ground and majestic trees surround you. Time also plays a significant factor in your travels, as when the sun sets, the monsters come out to play and townsfolk may be doing different things.



Everything seems to be filled with movement, from chickens and dogs milling about the towns to torches flickering in the caverns, the sky changing color as the sun sets, and even rain beating down at certain times. An added benefit is that once Link grows older, the environments all change with time as well. Everything is cast in a much darker setting and the enemies might actually make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. The amount of gorgeous cut-scenes may also surprise those used to PlayStation games. They are that good!

You can easily spend hours just playing around with the environment and seeing what you can do with your sword, acrobatic moves or various items. And you'll be able to do almost anything you can think of. The game rewards those who take the off-beaten path or spend time just exploring the little things. Want to climb up the chains on the drawbridge? You can! Want to jump in the river and see where the current takes you? By all means, jump right in. Plus, mini-games like target practice and fishing are almost as fun as the actual adventure.

This game is so addictive you'll play for hours at a time, although the control is a bit tricky to get used to because it's like nothing you've experienced before. Link doesn't jump at all -- at least not by your command. It's automatic. Believe it or not, you'll welcome this after playing for a while since it allows you to concentrate on more important things.

The camera rarely becomes a problem through the use of an innovative targeting method: press the Z button to lock onto a specific enemy and it will remain in view even if it flies high into the sky or while you perform back flips, rolls or side jumps. Thrust with your sword, slash vertically and swipe horizontally with the use of the analog stick and B button, or use three highlighted items with the C buttons. The various weapons include bombs, a slingshot, a bow, boomerang, hammer and three forms of magic: a protective fire wall, warp spell and temporary shield.

Speaking of shields, you can defend yourself with your equipped shield by pressing the R button. Link will crouch and hold his shield up to repel attacks or deflect certain projectiles. You can also spin attack by charging up your weapon or jump attack by pressing A. Once you get used to the control, you'll be surprised how natural it feels and the flexibility it gives your character.

Unless you use a strategy guide, you probably won't find all there is in this game the first time through. Another plus is it's an action RPG, so you are fighting the monsters in real time using your skill. Since there are so many moves you can perform, and various technique involved with the different weapons, the replay value is unusually high for this type of game. You even get a great fishing game that uses the Rumble Pak to let you "feel" the fish biting.

Perhaps the biggest question on your mind is the length of the game, which is hard to pin down unless you watch the clock -- there's no way to tell during the game how much time you've played. Of course, the length of time directly relates to how you go about fulfilling your objectives. You can go straight for the main quests and finish the game in around 38-45 hours, but it could easily take up to 75-90 hours (or more) of your time just discovering new things. Regardless, you'll feel completely immersed in Hyrule and may not ever want to leave it.

The amount of secrets and little things will astound you if you take the time to fully appreciate the vast world that lies before you. No matter how skeptical you are, do yourself a favor and try this title for five minutes. That's about how long it will take to get you completely drawn into this incredible adventure.
~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Review: Enjoyment

The game truly represents some of the best work ever done by Nintendo, which is the highest compliment I can give considering their impeccable track record of delivering quality games to the public. Yet if you like traditional role-playing games with deep stories or huge parties to control, you may wonder what all the fuss is about.
~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Review: Graphics

The funny thing is the graphics aren't that incredible if you focus on one specific area. The textures aren't as complicated as those found in Banjo-Kazooie, some of the surfaces lack definition and all of the indoor areas are pre-rendered (as in Final Fantasy VII) and slightly on the blurry side. Yet when you consider how expansive the world is, and I do mean world, you can't help but be impressed. The game's graphics as a whole are significantly more than the sum of its parts.
~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Review: Sound

The only drawbacks to the sound are Link's voice when he's a child (he screams "hee-ya!" during every attack) and the high-pitched beeping noise whenever you're low on health. Otherwise, the music and sound effects are extremely impressive. The music will change to a more ominous tone whenever you get close to enemies or boss characters, and all of the ambient noise (chickens clucking, wolves howling and frogs croaking, to name a few) makes you feel like you're in a real world. You can even set the game to play in surround sound if you have the right equipment.
~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Review: Replay Value

The game is packed with little details and secrets that make you want to play again and again just to find them all.
~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Review: Documentation

The gold-covered manual is filled with rich, colorful pictures, just like you'd expect from a game made by {@Nintendo}. All of the moves are graphically depicted and each item is explained in detail thoughout the manual's forty pages.
~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide
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Wikipedia: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
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The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Box art for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Player's Choice version)
Developer(s) Nintendo EAD
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Designer(s) Eiji Aonuma
Yoshiaki Koizumi
Shigeru Miyamoto[1]
Tôru Ôsawa
Yoichi Yamada
Writer(s) Tôru Ôsawa
Kensuke Tanabe
Artist(s) Yusuke Nakano (illustration)
Composer(s) Kōji Kondō
Series The Legend of Zelda
Engine Modified Super Mario 64 engine
Platform(s) Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube, iQue Player, Virtual Console
Release date(s)
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player
Rating(s) ELSPA: 3+
ESRB: E
OFLC: G8+
PEGI: 7+ (N64, GCN), 12+ (Wii)
Media 256-megabit Nintendo 64 cartridge, Nintendo GameCube Game Disc, iQue Player cartridge, Virtual Console download

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time​ (ゼルダの伝説 時のオカリナ Zeruda no Densetsu Toki no Okarina?) is an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1998; in North America on November 23, 1998; and in Europe on December 11, 1998. Originally developed for the Nintendo 64DD peripheral, the game was instead released on a 256-megabit cartridge, which was the largest-capacity cartridge Nintendo produced at that time.

Ocarina of Time is the fifth game in The Legend of Zelda series in terms of release date, but is set before the first four games. The player controls the series' trademark protagonist, Link, in the land of Hyrule. Link sets out on a quest to stop Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo, from obtaining the Triforce, a sacred relic that grants the wishes of its holder. Link travels through time and navigates various dungeons to awaken sages who have the power to seal Ganondorf. Music plays an important role—to progress, the player must learn to play and perform several songs on an ocarina.

Ocarina of Time's gameplay system introduced features such as a target lock system and context-sensitive buttons that became common elements in 3D adventure games.[2][3] In Japan, it sold over 800,000 copies in 1998, becoming the tenth-best-selling game of that year.[4] During its lifetime, Ocarina of Time sold 1.14 million copies in Japan, becoming the 128th-best-selling game of all time,[5] and has sold over 7.6 million copies worldwide.[6] The title won the Grand Prize in the Interactive Art division at the Japan Media Arts Festival,[7] won six honors at the 2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards,[8] and received universal critical acclaim, with two online review aggregators still ranking it as the best scoring game ever reviewed.[9][10] Ocarina of Time has since been regarded by many critics and fans as one of the greatest video games of all time.[11][12][13][14][15][16]

Ocarina of Time had four major re-releases on the Nintendo GameCube and Wii consoles. It was ported to the GameCube as part of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Master Quest (ゼルダの伝説 時のオカリナ 裏 Zeruda no Densetsu Toki no Okarina Ura?, 裏 (Ura) meaning reverse side), featuring reworked dungeons with new puzzles, and The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition as a direct port. It was also ported to the iQue Player in 2003 and the Wii's Virtual Console service in 2007. These re-releases were well received: while some critics considered the relatively-unchanged game to be outdated by modern standards,[17][18] most felt that the game has held up well over the years.[19][20][21][22] The game was also responsible for generating an increased interest in and rise in sales of the ocarina musical instrument.[23]

Contents

Gameplay

The on-screen display shows actions mapped to context-sensitive buttons. Here, the green button controls Link's sword attack, the blue button sheaths Link's sword, and the yellow buttons control secondary weapons.

Ocarina of Time is an action-adventure game with role-playing and puzzle elements. The player controls Link from a third-person perspective in a three-dimensional space. Link primarily fights with a sword and shield; he can also use projectile weapons, bombs, and magic spells.[24] The control scheme introduced techniques such as context-sensitive actions and a targeting system called "Z-targeting"[2][25] In combat, Z-targeting allows the player to have Link focus and latch onto an enemy or other objects.[26] When using this technique, the camera follows the target and Link constantly faces it. Projectile attacks are automatically directed at the target and do not require manual aiming. Context-sensitive actions allow multiple tasks to be assigned to one button, simplifying the control scheme. The on-screen display shows what will happen when the button is pushed and changes depending on what the character is doing. For example, the same button that causes Link to push a box if he is standing next to it will have him climb on the box if the analog stick is pushed toward it.[2] Much of the game is spent in battle, but some parts require the use of stealth.

When the player uses Z-targeting, the view shifts to a letterbox format and arrows indicate the targeted enemy. The player can then circle strafe around the enemy to keep their sight on them.

Link gains new abilities by collecting items and weapons found in dungeons or in the overworld. Not all are required. Ocarina of Time has several optional side-quests, or minor objectives that the player can choose to complete or ignore. Completing the side-quests usually results in rewards, normally in the form of weapons or abilities. In one side-quest, Link trades items he cannot use himself among non-player characters. This trading sequence features ten items and ends with Link receiving an item he can use, the two-handed Biggoron Sword, the largest sword in the game. In another side-quest, Link can acquire a horse named Epona. This allows him to travel faster, but attacking while riding is restricted to arrows.[27] In order to get Epona, Link must learn her song while he is a child. However, he is only able to ride her when he and Epona are both adults.

Link is given the Fairy Ocarina near the beginning of the game, which is later replaced by the Ocarina of Time. Throughout the game, Link learns twelve melodies that allow him to solve various puzzles and teleport to previously visited locations in the game.[28] The Ocarina of Time is also used to claim the Master Sword in the Temple of Time. When Link takes the sword, he is sealed for seven years, until he becomes an adult, and therefore strong enough to wield the Master Sword. Young Link and adult Link have different abilities. For example, only adult Link can use the Fairy Bow and only young Link can fit through certain small passages. After completing the Forest Temple, Link can travel freely between the two time periods by replacing or taking the sword.

Plot

The events of Ocarina of Time take place before those of the first four games[29] and are set in the fictional kingdom of Hyrule, the setting of most Zelda games. Hyrule Field serves as a central hub connected to several outlying areas with diverse topography. Most of these areas are populated by the races of Hyrule: Hylians, Kokiri, Gorons, Zoras and Gerudo.[30]

The game opens as the fairy Navi awakens Link from a nightmare, in which Link is seen on a stormy night as a man on horseback, Ganondorf chases Princess Zelda who is being escorted also on horseback by Impa. Navi brings Link to the guardian of Link's village, the Great Deku Tree, who is cursed and near death. Link breaks the curse, but cannot stop the tree from withering. The Deku Tree tells Link a "wicked man of the desert" has cursed him and seeks to conquer the land of Hyrule and that Link must stop him. Before dying, the Great Deku Tree gives Link the spiritual stone of the forest, the Kokiri's Emerald, and sends him to Hyrule Castle to speak with the princess of destiny, Zelda.[31]

At Hyrule Castle, Link meets Princess Zelda, who has been having dreams about the future of Hyrule and foresaw Link's arrival. She believes Ganondorf, the Gerudo King of Thieves, is seeking the Triforce, a holy relic in the Sacred Realm that gives its holder god-like power. Zelda's description of Ganondorf matches that of the man who killed the Great Deku Tree. Zelda asks Link to obtain the three Spiritual Stones, one of which he already possesses, so that he might enter the Sacred Realm and claim the Triforce before Ganondorf reaches it.[32] Link goes to Goron City, where he meets Darunia, the leader of the Goron race. After Link kills King Dodongo, the boss of Dodongo's Cavern, Darunia gives him the Goron's Ruby, symbolizing brotherhood. Link next obtains the Zora's Sapphire from the Zora Princess, Ruto, after rescuing her from the belly of Lord Jabu-Jabu (a whale-like creature sacred to the Zoras).

Link returns to the castle, where Ganondorf is pursuing Zelda on horseback, as in his nightmare at the start of the game. Spotting Link, Zelda throws the Ocarina of Time into the castle moat and telepathically teaches Link the "Song of Time". After Ganondorf rides off, Link retrieves the Ocarina and uses the song together with the Spiritual Stones to open the door to the Sacred Realm. Through the door, Link finds the Master Sword, a legendary sword forged to fight evil. As he pulls the Master Sword from its pedestal, Ganondorf appears, having followed Link into the Sacred Realm, and claims the Triforce.[33]

Seven years later, an older Link awakens in a distant room known as the Chamber of Sages and is met by Rauru, the ancient Sage of Light and one of the seven sages who protect the location of the Triforce. Rauru informs Link that his spirit was sealed for seven years until he was old enough to wield the Master Sword and defeat Ganondorf.[34] The seven sages can imprison Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm; however, five of the seven sages are unaware of their identities after Ganondorf transformed Hyrule into a land of darkness. Link returns to Hyrule and is met by the mysterious Sheik, who guides Link to rid five temples of Ganondorf's monsters, allowing the power of the temples to awaken the sages.[35]

After awakening five sages, Sheik is revealed to be Princess Zelda and the Seventh Sage. She tells Link that Ganondorf's heart is unbalanced, causing the Triforce to split into three pieces, as predicted in an ancient prophecy.[36] Ganondorf kept the Triforce of Power, while the other two chosen by destiny carry the remaining pieces: Zelda gained the Triforce of Wisdom and Link obtained the Triforce of Courage. After Zelda bestows Link with the magical Light Arrows, Ganondorf traps Zelda in a magical crystal and takes her to his tower. The remaining six sages help Link enter the tower, where he battles and defeats Ganondorf, thereby freeing Zelda. After escaping the collapsing castle, Link is trapped in the castle area by a ring of fire and forced to battle Ganondorf once again; this time, using the power of the Triforce of Power, he transforms from his human form into a boar-like monster named Ganon. After fighting Ganon without his sword, Link eventually retrieves it, and, with the aid of Zelda's paralyzing light, delivers the final blow, which defeats Ganon. The seven sages trap Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm; still holding the Triforce of Power, Ganondorf vows to take revenge on their descendants.[37] Zelda uses the Ocarina of Time to send Link to his original time to live his childhood. The game ends with Link and Zelda looking at each other in the castle garden.

Development

First shown as a technical demo at Nintendo's Space World trade show in December 1995,[2] Ocarina of Time was developed concurrently with Super Mario 64 by Nintendo's EAD division.[38] Both were the first free-roaming 3D game in their respective series. Nintendo planned to release Super Mario 64 as a launch game for the Nintendo 64 and later release Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64DD, a disk drive peripheral for the system.[39] Nintendo eventually decided to release Ocarina of Time on a cartridge instead and follow it with a 64DD expansion.[40] At 32 megabytes, it was the largest game Nintendo had created.[41]

Shigeru Miyamoto was the principal director of Super Mario 64, but was a producer of Ocarina of Time, in charge of several directors.[42] Individual parts of Ocarina of Time were handled by multiple directors—a new strategy for Nintendo EAD. However, when things were progressing slower than expected, Miyamoto returned to the development team with a more hands-on directorial role. The team was new to 3D games, but assistant director Makoto Miyanaga recalls a sense of "passion for creating something new and unprecedented".[43] Miyamoto initially intended Ocarina of Time to be played in a first-person perspective, so as to enable the players to take in the vast terrain of Hyrule Field better, as well as being able to focus more on developing enemies and environments. However, the development team did not go through with it once the idea of having a child Link was introduced, and Miyamoto felt it necessary for Link to be visible on screen.[44] The development crew involved over 120 people, including stuntmen used to capture the effects of sword fighting and Link's movement.[45] Some of Miyamoto's ideas for the new Zelda title were instead used in Super Mario 64, since it was to be released first.[38] Other ideas were not used due to time constraints.[42]

Ocarina of Time originally ran on the same engine as Super Mario 64, but was so heavily modified that designer Shigeru Miyamoto considers the final products entirely different engines.[46] One major difference between the two is camera control. The player has much control over the camera in Super Mario 64, but the camera in Ocarina of Time is largely controlled by the game's AI. Miyamoto says the camera controls for Ocarina of Time are intended to reflect a focus on the game's world, whereas those of Super Mario 64 are centered on the character of Mario.[42] Miyamoto wanted to make a game that was cinematic, but still separate from films.[42] Takumi Kawagoe, who creates cut scenes for Nintendo, says that his top priority is to have the player feel in control of the action.[47] To promote this feeling, cut scenes in Ocarina of Time are completely generated with real-time computing and do not use pre-recorded or full-motion video.[42]

Customers in North America who pre-ordered the game received a limited edition box with a golden plastic card affixed, reading "Collector's Edition". This edition contains a gold-coloured cartridge,[48] a tradition for the Zelda series that began with the original game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Demand was so great that Electronics Boutique stopped pre-selling the title on November 3, 1998.[49] Later versions of Ocarina of Time featured minor changes, such as the removal of an Islamic chant from the Fire Temple and the alteration of Ganondorf's blood from red to green.[50]

Re-releases and sequels

Ocarina of Time was re-released for the Nintendo GameCube in the Ocarina of Time: Master Quest and The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition compilation discs as an emulated ROM.[50] Ocarina of Time: Master Quest started as an expansion to Ocarina of Time to be used with the Nintendo 64DD under the working title Ura Zelda.[51] The Master Quest compilation was given as a premium for pre-ordering The Wind Waker in Japan and North America,[52] as well as in a special GameCube bundle at Wal-Mart, or by registering games and consoles at Nintendo's North American website. In Europe and Australia, the disc came in the same case as the initial pressings of The Wind Waker.[53] In Europe, it was available for a limited time through a special offer on the Nintendo website. The Ocarina of Time: Master Quest box contains a single disc which includes the original game, the Master Quest version, and six video demos for various games for the GameCube including one for The Wind Waker and a video demo of the GBA re-release of A Link to the Past.[50] Master Quest uses the same engine and plot of Ocarina of Time, but dungeons have been rearranged.[50] Collector's Edition was available in GameCube bundles in Europe, Australia and North America, as well as by registering hardware and software, or by subscribing to official magazines or clubs.[54] In addition to Ocarina of Time, the disc also contains the original The Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link, Majora's Mask, a demo of The Wind Waker and a Zelda retrospective.[54] The original game is displayed on the Nintendo 64 with a resolution of 320×240, but the GameCube ports run at 640 × 480 and support progressive scan.[50][55] The game was released in Europe and Australia for the Virtual Console on Nintendo's Wii console on February 23, 2007 for 1000 Wii Points. It was released in North America on February 26, 2007 and Japan on February 27, 2007.[56] This version is an emulation of the Nintendo 64 version, but does not support controller vibration.[19] The Wii can play the GameCube compilation versions with this feature intact. A five minute demo of the game is included as an unlockable in Super Smash Bros Brawl.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask was released in 2000 for the Nintendo 64 as a direct sequel to Ocarina of Time. It uses the same basic engine, but requires the Expansion Pak, which provides an additional 4 MB of RAM.[57] Majora's Mask begins with Link searching for his fairy, who left at the end of Ocarina of Time. He travels outside Hyrule to Termina in search of her.[57] The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, released for the Nintendo GameCube in 2003, is set in a maritime society where the story of Link from Ocarina of Time has been passed down as a legend.[58] The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, is a direct sequel to The Wind Waker.

Audio

Ocarina of Time's music was composed by Kōji Kondō, the composer in charge of music for the Zelda series since the first game.[59] In addition to characters having musical themes, areas of Hyrule are also associated with pieces of music.[60] This has been called leitmotif in reverse—instead of music announcing an entering character, it now introduces a stationary environment as the player approaches.[61] In some locations, the music is a variation of an ocarina tune the player learns, related to that area.[61] Beyond providing a backdrop for the setting, music plays an integral role in gameplay. The game is cited as the "first contemporary nondance title to feature music-making as part of its gameplay".[62] The button layout of the Nintendo 64 controller resembles the holes of an ocarina,[63] and players must learn to play several songs to complete the game. All songs are played using the five notes available on an ocarina, although by bending pitches via the analog stick, players can play additional tones.[63] Kondo said that creating distinct themes on the limited scale was a "major challenge", but feels that the end result is very natural.[59] The popularity of Ocarina of Time led to an increase in ocarina sales.[64]

The soundtrack of Ocarina of Time was produced by Pony Canyon and released in Japan on December 18, 1998.[65] It comprises one compact disc with 82 tracks.[65] A US version was produced with the same tracks but different packaging artwork. Many critics praised the music in Ocarina of Time, although IGN was disappointed that the traditional Zelda overworld theme was not included.[63] In 2001, GameSpot labelled it as one of the top ten video game soundtracks.[60]

Reception

 Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator Score
GameRankings N64: 97.6% (31 reviews)[9]

GCN: 89.7% (24 reviews)[21]
Metacritic N64: 99/100 (22 reviews)[66]

GCN: 91/100 (10 reviews)[67]
TopTenReviews N64: 3.77/4 (50 reviews)[68]

GCN: 3.46/4 (20 reviews)[69]
Review scores
Publication Score
Allgame N64: 5/5 stars[70]
Edge N64: 10/10[71]
Electronic Gaming Monthly N64: 10/10[72]
Famitsu N64: 40/40[73]
GameSpot N64: 10.0/10[74]

Wii: 8.9/10[19]
IGN N64: 10.0/10[63]

GCN: 9.0/10[50]
Nintendo Power N64: 9.5/10[75]

Ocarina of Time was released to universal critical acclaim and commercial success. In 1998, it sold 2.5 million copies despite being released only 39 days before the end of the year.[76] In Japan, it sold 820,000 copies in 1998, becoming the tenth-best-selling game of that year.[4] During its lifetime, Ocarina of Time sold 1.14 million copies in Japan, becoming the 128th-best-selling game of all time,[5] and sold 7.6 million copies worldwide.[6] On its initial N64 release, Ocarina of Time received perfect review scores from gaming publications such as Famitsu,[73] Edge,[71] Electronic Gaming Monthly,[72] GameSpot,[74] and IGN.[63] As of June 2009, review aggregators Game Rankings and Metacritic both rank the original as the best scoring game ever reviewed;[9][77] The reviews praised multiple aspects of the game, particularly its level design, gameplay mechanics and sound. Former GameSpot reviewer Jeff Gerstmann wrote that Ocarina of Time is "a game that can't be called anything other than flawless",[74] and IGN called it "the new benchmark for interactive entertainment" that could "shape the action RPG genre for years to come".[63] After publication, Ocarina of Time was featured on a number of compiled lists of best or most influential games, including those of Electronic Gaming Monthly,[11] IGN,[12] and Nintendo Power.[13] GameTrailers' editors called it a "walking patent office" due to the number of features that became "industry standard".[78] In June 2009, it was voted as the best game ever in GameFAQs' reader poll.[79]

The graphics were praised for their depth and detail, although reviewers noted they were not always the best the console had to offer. Game Revolution noted the characters' faces, the "toughest graphical challenge on 3D characters", saying that the characters' expressions and animation featured "surprising grace".[80] IGN felt that Ocarina of Time improved on the graphics of Super Mario 64, giving a larger sense of scale.[63] Impressive draw distances and large boss characters were also mentioned as graphical highlights.[63] Although excelling in the use of color and the visibility and detail of the environment, reviewers noted that some graphical elements of Ocarina of Time did not perform as well as Banjo-Kazooie,[63][72] a game released for the same platform earlier that year. IGN said that the frame rate and textures of Ocarina of Time were not as good as those of Banjo-Kazooie, particularly in the marketplace of Hyrule Castle, which was called "blurry".[63]

Gameplay was generally praised as detailed, with many side quests to occupy players' time. IGN said players would be "amazed at the detail" of the environment and the "amount of thought that went into designing it". EGM enjoyed that Nintendo was able to take the elements of the older, 2D Zelda games and "translate it all into 3D flawlessly".[72] The context-sensitive control system was seen as one of the strongest elements of the gameplay.[63] Reviewers noted that it allowed for simpler control using fewer buttons, but that it occasionally caused the player to perform unintended actions.[2][63] The camera control was quoted as making combat "second nature",[63] although the new system took time for the player to get used to.[63][72]

The game's audio was generally well-received, with IGN comparing some of Kōji Kondō's pieces to the work of Philip Glass.[63] Many atmospheric sounds and surround sound were said to effectively immerse the player in the game world. Some reviewers complained that the audio samples used in the game sounded dated;[63] others considered this a benefit, calling them "retro".[80] Game Revolution called the sound "good for the Nintendo, but not great in the larger scheme of things" and noted that the cartridge format necessitated "MIDI tunes that range from fair to terrible".[80]

In 1998, Ocarina of Time won the Grand Prize in the Interactive Art division at the Japan Media Arts Festival.[7] It also won six honors at the 2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, including "Game of the Year", "Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Design", "Outstanding Achievement in Software Engineering", "Console Game of the Year", "Console Adventure Game of the Year" and "Console RPG of the Year".[8] The game placed second in Official Nintendo Magazine's "100 greatest Nintendo games of all time".[81]

Reviews for the Master Quest and Virtual Console re-releases were positive; while some publications considered aspects of the graphics and audio to be outdated,[82] it was ranked by Game Rankings as the 289th-best scoring game ever reviewed and the 38th-best scoring game of 2003, and Metacritic ranked it as the 217th-best scoring game ever reviewed.[21][83] IGN said in their review, "Ocarina of Time has aged extremely well",[50] and noted in regard to the game's graphics, "While the textures and models look dated, the game's wonderful visual presentation stood the test of time." Game Revolution said that although the game has "noticeably aged compared to brand new RPGs [...] it's still a terrific game", awarding 91 out of 100.[82] Former GameSpot editor Jeff Gerstmann gave the Virtual Console port 8.9 out of 10, writing, "Even after nine years, Ocarina of Time holds up surprisingly well, offering a lengthy and often-amazing adventure".[19] Edge Magazine, in their two-hundredth special edition, compiled a list of "The 100 Best Games to Play Today", asking the question "what are the games, shorn of nostalgia and presumption, that we would actually want to spend time playing?" Ocarina of Time was placed at number one,[84] with Edge noting, "how unusual to have such faith in players, trusting them to experiment and explore [...] Ocarina of Time is here in the list not because Nintendo had the power and wisdom to make a great game, but because it had the courage to make a unique one."

Notes

  1. ^ "E3: Through the Eyes of Miyamoto Pt. 2". IGN. 1997-06-18. http://ign64.ign.com/articles/060/060925p1.html. Retrieved 2008-12-17. 
  2. ^ a b c d e "The Essential 50 Part 40: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time". 1UP.com. http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3136442. Retrieved 2007-10-23. 
  3. ^ Fahs, Travis (2008-12-17). "IGN Presents the History of Zelda". IGN. http://retro.ign.com/articles/939/939361p5.html. Retrieved 2009-01-16. 
  4. ^ a b "1998年テレビゲームソフト売り上げTOP100". geimin. http://geimin.net/da/db/1998_ne_fa/index.php. Retrieved 2009-04-23. 
  5. ^ a b "販売本数ランキング". ゲームランキング. http://gameranking.jp/ranking-sale/. Retrieved 2009-05-28. 
  6. ^ a b "GDC 2004: The History of Zelda". IGN. 2004-03-25. http://cube.ign.com/articles/501/501970p1.html. Retrieved 2008-04-29. 
  7. ^ a b "2nd Annual Japan Media Arts Festival". Japan Media Arts Plaza. http://plaza.bunka.go.jp/english/festival/1998/. Retrieved 2007-09-20. 
  8. ^ a b "2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards". Interactive.org. http://www.interactive.org/awards/annual_awards.asp?idAward=1999. Retrieved 2009-01-06. 
  9. ^ a b c "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time reviews". Game Rankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/197771.asp. Retrieved 2008-11-26. 
  10. ^ "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time reviews". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/n64/legendofzeldaocarina. Retrieved 2009-01-19. 
  11. ^ a b EGM staff (2001). "Electronic Gaming Monthly's 100 Best Games of All Time". Archived from the original on 2003-06-11. http://web.archive.org/web/20030611191341/http%3A//gamers.com/feature/egmtop100/index.jsp. Retrieved 2008-01-02. 
  12. ^ a b "IGN Readers' Choice Top 100 Games of All Time". IGN. 2008. http://top100.ign.com/2008/ign_top_game_1.html. Retrieved 2009-03-01. ;"IGN's Top 100 Games". IGN. 2005. http://top100.ign.com/2005/001-010.html. Retrieved 2009-11-8. ;"IGN's Top 100 Games of All Time". IGN. 2007. http://top100.ign.com/2007/ign_top_game_4.html. Retrieved 2009-11-8. 
  13. ^ a b "NP Top 200". Nintendo Power 200:  66. February 2006. 
  14. ^ "The 100 Best Games to Play Today Edge Magazine". http://www.edge-online.com/features/the-100-best-games-to-play-today?page=0%2C10. Retrieved 2009-11-21. 
  15. ^ "The Greatest Games of All Time Gamespot". http://uk.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/. Retrieved 2009-11-21. 
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  17. ^ Lewis, Zachary. "Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest - Review". RPGamer. http://www.rpgamer.com/games/zelda/urazelda/reviews/z5mqstrev1.html. Retrieved 2008-10-02. 
  18. ^ http://cube.ign.com/articles/387/387479p2.html Quote: "The 640x480p upgrade makes the game look a lot sharper, but compared to other GameCube titles the textures, models, and framerate are definitely dated."
  19. ^ a b c d Gerstmann, Jeff (2007-03-05). "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Virtual Console) review". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/wii/adventure/legendofzeldaootn64/review.html. Retrieved 2007-10-27. 
  20. ^ http://gc.kombo.com/article.php?artid=51
  21. ^ a b c "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest reviews". Game Rankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages4/564226.asp. Retrieved 2008-03-04. 
  22. ^ "search results". Metacritic. http://apps.metacritic.com/search/process.shtml?page=22&sid=MTI0MTY2NzYyNjM5MC42NjM1MzE*&metascore_s=&ts=&release_date_s=&release_date_e=&metascore_e=&y=12&ty=3&x=15&sb=5&tfs=game_all. Retrieved 2008-05-07. 
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  24. ^ The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time instruction booklet, pp. 22–25.
  25. ^ So named because it was executed by the Z button, Z-targeting is referred to as L-targeting in the GameCube re-releases. See The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition instruction booklet. USA: Nintendo. 2003. pp. 16–17.  and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time/Master Quest instruction booklet. USA: Nintendo. 2003. pp. 14–15. 
  26. ^ The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time instruction booklet, pp. 11–12.
  27. ^ The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time instruction booklet, p. 38.
  28. ^ The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time instruction booklet, p. 30.
  29. ^ "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time". Nintendo Power 114:  16–25. November 1998. 
  30. ^ The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time instruction booklet, pp. 7–8.
  31. ^ The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time instruction booklet, p. 6.
  32. ^ The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Princess Zelda:You go find the other two Spiritual Stones! Let's get the Triforce before Ganondorf does, and then defeat him!
  33. ^ The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Rauru: Though you opened the Door of Time in the name of peace... Ganondorf, the Gerudo King of Thieves, used it to enter this forbidden Sacred Realm! He obtained the Triforce from the Temple of Light, and with its power, he became the King of Evil...
  34. ^ The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Rauru: The Master Sword is a sacred blade which evil ones may never touch.... Only one worthy of the title of "Hero of Time" can pull it from the Pedestal of Time.... However, you were too young to be the Hero of Time.... Therefore, your spirit was sealed here for seven years.
  35. ^ The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Sheik: If you believe the legend, you have no choice. You must look for the five temples and awaken the five Sages.... One Sage is waiting for the time of awakening in the Forest Temple. The Sage is a girl I am sure you know... Because of the evil power in the temple, she cannot hear the awakening call from the Sacred Realm...
  36. ^ The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Sheik: Seven years ago, Ganondorf, the King of Thieves, used the door you opened in the Temple of Time and entered the Sacred Realm. But when he laid his hands on the Triforce, the legend came true. The Triforce separated into three parts. Only the Triforce of Power remained in Ganondorf's hand as Power is what he most believed in, when compared to the other two pieces.
  37. ^ The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Ganondorf: Someday... When this seal is broken.... That is when I will exterminate your descendants!! As long as the Triforce of Power is in my hand.... Zelda: Thank you, Link... Thanks to you, Ganondorf has been sealed inside the Evil Realm!
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External links

References

  • The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time instruction booklet. USA: Nintendo. 1998. U/NUS-NZLE-USA. 
  • Nintendo EAD. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. (Nintendo). Nintendo 64. (1998-11-23)
  • Nintendo Power interview with Shigeru Miyamoto on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, November 19, 1998
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