More Information
Rating: 
-
This is probably the greatest game ever made. It is perfect. The graphics are at near perfection (for the time), the story is great, the controls are incredibly easy to master, and it is fun. A must have for anyone.
Rating: -
This commentary on "Ocarina of Time" was written as a gaming article for a retro-gaming site back in May of 1999. I was going to post it on Amazon but for some reason never got around to it. Mike London, November 3, 2007
[Blurb: With all the hype, its hard to be objective about OoT. Is it the best game in the series, or does it have to settle for second (or, egad, third?) best? Is it like Star Wars Episode I, all special effects and no substance? Find out a few thoughts from a fellow gamer!]
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is easily one of the most hyped games of recent gaming history. In fact, I think I could safely say it IS the most hyped game yet. There is only one thing that can compare to it in terms of hype, and this product is in an entirely different industry. Star Wars: Episode I had the same amount of coverage. Being a big fan of both, of course I've beat the game and have seen the movie. And they have one thing in common. They're both eye candy. But how do they hold up to the rest of the series? In my opinion, The Empire Strikes Back is by far the best Star Wars movie. But what about OoT you ask? How can I defame such an instant classic?
One reason mainly. In the original and in The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past, (I can't speak for Zelda II because I haven't beat it yet) the ending was spectacular. Not the game ending, for The Legend of Zelda was produced in the Stone Age and there was much ending wise, but the last dungeon. Ah, the last dungeon. Only recently (like December 23, 1999) have I beat the first quest of The Legend of Zelda. That last dungeon on Death Mountain was a killer, a true challenge that you had to match your mettle with to get past it, save Princess Zelda and beat that nasty ol' Gannon. It was truly a great dungeon. Now skip on past those five years between the release of the original and the SNES version. What have we here? A dungeon comparable to that in the original Legend of Zelda! Everything is bigger and better in the SNES version, including the last dungeon. Whew, and I thought the original was harder, but no way!
Then, in 1993, we see the release of the Game Boy version of Zelda. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening was released to a very receptive crowd. But guess what! No end dungeon! In terms of dungeons, this is the smallest of the Zelda titles (again, not including Zelda II). You beat eight dungeons, and then you go and beat the Wind Fish. Personally, I'm half a dungeon away from completing this Zelda game (Dungeon Seven, which I completed half of, went and beat eight, and now I'm back on the last half of VII). That last dungeon was challenging, granted, but what about that classic end dungeon? No where to be found here. Granted, it's a Game Boy game, and it is huge for that consol. So that offence is not to serious. And we did get a new dungeon, though not the ending I was hoping for, with the Colour Dungeon on DX, which was the rerelease of the classic game for Game Boy Colour.
After five long years, The Legend of Zelda: Orcarina of Time was released for the N64. So cool! Link in a 3D adventure. About time too. Mario, the cash cow counterpart to Link, got his 3D adventure way back in `96. Of course, I bought the game. And of course, I beat it. It is an excellent game. Truly it is one of the great classics. But one flaw keeps it from edging out The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past. The end dungeon absolutely sucked. That is my only disappointment with that game. As I was nigh the close of the Shadow Temple, I was really looking forward to getting into Gannon's tower. I was expecting a great closer dungeon, just like in Link to the Past.
[Spoiler: If you haven't beat the 64 version of Zelda, don't read this]
What did we get? Instead of a great closer dungeon, we got a door way that was blocked by barriers. What did we have to do? Go thru six rooms and beat whatever was in them, then go and shoot the barrier corresponding with each temple to open the pathway. And what did I get? A great disappointment. Sure, this might have been a good way to end a novel or something, but to end a Zelda game like that was horrible. The Game Boy was forgivable and acceptable, but this ending to Zelda 64 was truly despicable. That has been my biggest disappointment with the Zelda series.
[Spoiler Finished]
Others say The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the best Zelda game. I have to disagree. Don't get me wrong. It is easily one of my favorite games of the N64. It's a great game, very innovative (espically that nifty Z Targeting feature) and an epic in its own right. But for what the system is capable of, The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past beats it out of the coveted title of Best Zelda Game. LTTP is huge. It fully utilized the SNES technology. It had a full twelve dungeons, two of which the sole purpose was to beat the bad guy, and not try to retrieve any medallions or crystals or pendents or pieces of triforce or what ever. That's one more than the original has. (LoZ has one closer dungeon for each quest.) After you beat the bad guy twice, you go and fight Ganon. There were plenty of side quests for an SNES Zelda also. Overall, for the system's capabilites, LTTP is my favorite.
But what about The Legend of Zelda: OoT? My two chief complaints are these:
1. Weak closer dungeon (as I spent a good time detailing up above).
2. Not enough bad guys to kill in the Overworld.
All other Zelda games, including the black sheep of the family (Zelda II), has plenty of bad guys to kill in the Overworld. But what have we in OoT? A few measly skeleton dudes at night, and some giant flying plants that you can hardly get too in Hyrule Field. Give me the old Zelda with bad guys streaming at you in every new screen. For all the time they put into it, you don't think it would be to hard to correct this problem.
Then we come to another mistake Nintendo made in the N64 version of Zelda. Granted, LoZ had two main tracks, one being the Overworld theme and then the dungeon theme. They could have had more variety, but it was back in the Stone Age. That Overworld Theme became pretty much the theme of the entire series. And guess what they decided to omit music wise from OoT? The Overworld them from the original LoZ! I couldn't believe they did that! Hopefully we'll see it in Zelda Gaiden. Maybe the Triforce will show up in that game too. Just a thought.
Now, after railing on OoT for a great majority of this article, you may think I hate the game. Quite the opposite, really. It's a great game, and worthy to be in the Zelda Series. (Gee, it sounds like I'm defending Zelda II, which I've already done in a separate article). But it has been the single most hyped up game in the history of Nintendo, and it is totally out of balance. Great 3D game, but would have been better had it corrected the problems I stated above. It's a fun game, and I had a great time beating it. It provides a lot of enjoyment. But, just like Star Wars: Episode I, it just can't live up to all that hype? I wonder if any game (or movie) could actually.
[May 9, 1999. An article originally written for NintendoLand.com. I've written four released articles and one unreleased article (dealing with SMB 2). It will have to be edited. Also, perhaps incorporating part of the structural symmetry article.]
Rating: -
Ok, I played this game a long time ago (since it was released) and I'm not bored of it; and I don't think I will. Anyways, the story, gameplay, quests, side quests, etc... there is a lot to do in the game, you can spend hours and hours playing and you will not get bored. About the graphics, Ocarina of Time does not have very good graphics (but which Nintendo 64 game does?) but that really does not matter on this game.
I actually do not own this game for Nintendo 64, but I purchased it on the Wii Shop Channel, so I have it stored on my Wii's Virtual Console. I can tell you that I enjoy every minute of this game. The music is very nice, and you playing the Ocarina is one of the best parts!
Rating: -
I own the original of this, and beat it. I also bought the Virtual Console version of it on the Wii, and I must say, STILL AMAZING. Though the graphics are getting out-dated, the gameplay keeps you wanting and craving the end result.
Rating: -
The Legend Of Zelda Ocarina Of Time came out in 1998 and blew everyone away. While the RPG crowd was content with their emo FFVII, the action adventure gamers needed something more and they were rewarded for their patience. When Ocarina Of Time first came out I waited in line. I was in the fourth grade and did not go to school for a week. After I beat the game several times I put it down for about a month but I could not resist the call. I would have to say that it has been a ritual for me to beat this game at least once a month every year since 1998.
When I first started to play this game I was very skeptical. "There is no way that this game can stand up to A Link To The Past." my assumptions were dead wrong. As soon as I was five minutes into the game I saw the genius that was The Ocarina Of Time.
Ocarina of Time has a plot that rivals even the best movies. The gamplay completley revolutionized how we play games today. The Music has got to be some of the best music ever composed. THe replayability factor is amazing. ther are so many things you can do in order to challenge yourself.
Graphics 10/10
Music 10/10
Gameplay 100/10 (not a typo)
Plot 10000000000/10
This game is a must have for any person who has ever touched a game console. It is without a doubt in my mind the greatest game ever made and the only game that could ever have a chance to beat it is another zelda game.
One more thing. This game set records by recieving the First ever 40/40 from Famitsu, one of the most prestigious japanese gaming magazines. Another reason why it is the greatest game ever made.
More Information
HOMECell Phone - Internet Advertising - Personal Loans - Credit Card - The eBay Song 