A Legend that isn't quite as good as it's said to be... But it's still a legend!
Gameplay: This is the category that wins many and many legions of gamers, causing them to just throw perfect 10 scores right at it. For me, I look a little harder at the game, realizing that it was made 8 years ago and putting into affect what the newly released TP has done for the franchise. So, here I go, into territoy where I"m sure I'll be given the "Don't Reccomend" button pushed. Well, you start out watching a scene with the Deku Tree and your soon-to-be annoying little fairy, Navi. They talk about how he's in a close to death state and how the world, Hyrule is at stake from the evil dude from the desert, Ganondorf. You are then called upon to get your sword and shield and go help the Great Deku Tree out. Little did you know that LInk's life is about to be ruined. Well, in his eyes it might have been. (Come on, who wants the responsibility of saving your homeland anyway?) Anyway, Link is then prompted to go to Zelda, who tells Link out of nowhere that she thinks that Ganondorf's bad and that Link is the hero destined to save Hyrule. Yes, she finds this out all in a dream. How cheesy is that? With that aside, the story really does have a few twists and turns and you do connect with many of the characters that you meet along the way, but some of them you'll be happier to just get over with and move on. This brings up something else, Navi. One of the most helpful guides along the journey ends up being your most royal nuisance. After about 1/3 of the way, you would hope that you could make her help optional. I mean really, that's not a hard idea to come up with! Yet, she does happen to be Link's voice throughout the game, saying what he won't say, say what Link himself is thinking and it really is nice to see in the cinematics. However, her little things she says like "Look out!" and "Heeeeeeey!" and all those other fairy things gets REALLY annoying. Plus, she reveals some things you wish she didn't and doesn't reveals somethings that you wish she did. In the end, she helps the story, but burdens the gameplay. With the story in mind, you may find out that characters are very open to you and always seem willing to help you or tell you anything more about your quest. It is helpful to know this stuff, but the way it's all introduced isn't so great and seems very dated. The dialogue in the game can also be extremely Dragon Ball Z esque in which they go into monologues about what they're gonna do or what has happened a lot. If you can get that stuff out of the way, you'll find that the story is good, yet somewhat predictable, leaving very little twists and turns. Now, getting to the actual gameplay itself. Back in the day, these controls were revolutionary. But, after playing WW and TP, I can say that Link controls somewhat sluggishly and seems a little slower and less agile than any other Link's you've played as. This can lead to jumping off platforms in the wrong direction from slow turning, or having to constantly roll so that you'll get to where you want to go to in Hyrule without it turning into night and causing the Skull things to come out. I'm not saying that the controls are bad, just mediocre and dated. Yet, the controls never seem to bother you except for the instances I've just told (and a few more that I've probably forgotten, but it's a very short list anyways). Swordplay in 3D started here with Lock-on targeting and the whole setup that's been used by nearly every Zelda since. For me, the sword fighting holds up pretty well but still feels a little choppy and clunky. it isn't quite as fluid as WW or TP and it isn't very deep, but it is simple and is still pretty fun. Sure, the moves aren't quite as cool as they are now, but the game does a great job with creative enemies that each have different methods in how to defeat. They also are much more difficult than WW or TP mainly because their attacks do more damage and you will get hit more, too. I like this since it really does challenge me without making me go crazy. Sure, it can get a little frustrating at times when an enemy's attack seem to take away too much health or that even though I blocked with my shield I was still hit by the attack, but that doesn't happen enough times to really become somethign that you'll complain too much about. The items in the game are also just as good as they seemed back in the day. None of these seem any worse or any better and since they all were amazing then, they're still amazing and a lot of fun now. The hookshot is still just as cool, the bow and arrow is still just as useful, the Megaton hammer is still just as powerful, and the lense of truth is still just as revealing. The items are so much fun it's harder to tell which is better, the dungeons or the items you use in them. Ever since, the game came out, it has been hailed for perfect level design and puzzle design and there's a reason for that. Each dungeon in this game has probably been copied in some shape or form in a previious title. Why? because the setup works to create a unique experience, filled with a near perfect mix of puzzles and combat. In fact, the only dungeons that this doesn't apply to are Ganon's Tower, the Water Temple, and the Great Deku Tree. Why those three? Ganon's Tower was just a mash up of little minigames to reach Ganondorf, the Water Temple was mainly all puzzles and very little action and was extremely confusing and frustrating, and the Great Deku Tree is so easy, it's almost like a tutorial dungeons rather than a dungeon itself. Even though those dungeons aren't quite as good as the rest, the game wouldn't be complete or as good as it was without them. I can't believe how NIntendo was able to create dungeons like these then, but very little even comparable to these now. They are all fun, and make you wish the whole game was just dungeon aftyer dungeon. And yes, there's a reason for that. It's because out of the dungeons, the games pace and perfect balance of puzzle and combat is lost and the game feels very slow paced. In fact, this may cause you to just save and quit and hopefully finish it some other time so you can get to the next dungeon. Well, at least that's how I felt. I was kinda bored during the early game stuff and the in between dungeon areas overall. It was just too slowly paced for my taste. I'm sure that some don't feel this way, but that's how I felt. Now, the Ocarina. Definetely the title of the game is based on it. The Ocarina is probably one of your most used items in the entire game. You use it to teleport, for puzzles, and to interact with characters over long distances. Even though the teleporting function isn't used too much, the Ocarina is an interesting and useful tool in the game. So, that's about all I can say about this game. Sure, it did start a lot of things that we've seen in the Zelda games we play today, but they still weren't quite perfected as they have been now. Plus, the pacing through out the game can almost come to a complete halt at times. Overall though, with all the griping and complaining I've said, this is still one of the greatest games ever, blending puzzles and combat to near perfection and offering up some of the greatest dungeons in Zelda history. 9/10
Graphics: Well, I know these are state of the art N64 graphics, so I was a little lenient on my score. However, that doesn't mean they deserve a perfect rating for that for a couple of reasons. I'm sure that the game pushes the N64 hardware pretty hard, but I'm sure that the environmental textures could have at least been a little more detailed. I mean they really look like an 8-bit background draped over a 3D object at times. Also, the graphics have affected gameplay a couple of times when playing. Once, what was supposed to have been a circular platform with spikes, ended up being an octagonal shape with spikes, meaning that as it spun I'd get hit since some of the spikes from some edges outstretching farther than others. See, it was the little tthings like that that kind of affected gameplay. Sometimes, an odd wall would cripple the camera, or an enemy would just look kind of dumb and not what Nintendo was wanting. I think that these graphics are pretty good for a 64 bit system, but I'm sure that they could have been a bit better. 8/10
Sound: Okay, I'll hand it to this game. It has the best in game sound track ever. No game will or ever has beaten it. The Hyrule Field, Ocarina songs, Kakariko Village Music, Kokiri Woods Music, and even the boss music all feel like they belong and help get the mood of the game through to you even though the graphics couldn't. Sure, some of the sound fx are kind of archaic and don't sound so good anymore, but the music was the deciding factor hear. No matter how bad the sound effects are, if the music is as good as this, there's no reason why this shouldn't just be a perfect 10. I mean look at TP and WW. They have remade and remixed about 75% of the music in this game and put it in those games anyway. And you know what? This is timeless music that may make you show your ultra-nerd side and cause you to hum it down the halls of school or even while taking a piss. No matter what, nothing will beat this ingame soundtrack. 10/10
Value: Okay, sure, I don't think this game is as good as people give it credit for, but that's just my opinion. For the majority of all gamers, this is their favorite game. And there's still thousands of reasons why. Sure, there aren't too many sidequests and extras after you beat the main quest, but the main quest is so good and just so timeless that you simply have to play this game. It has started everything you have come to love in the Zelda games that you play today. I don't care if you're a Halo freak, you don't know a great overall gaming experience until you've played through Ocarina of Time. It is simply a must on every gamer's list. Even if you don't experience this on the N64, get it on the VIrtual Console when it eventually arrives, or go get it on the GC in some EBgames store. I don't care what you spend, it is worth it. This is definetely one of my top 5 games even though it scores a 9.4 according to the GS rating system, but don't listen to the score!!!! BUY THIS GAME!!! 10/10
Overall, this is in my top 5 games. Why? It started some of the things I've come to love in Zelda games and it was very close to perfecting them. Sure, Link doesn't control too well and the sword fighting isn't as fluid or deep as it should but the dungeons, items, and the nostalgic feeling of the game overcome that in so many ways. It may not be Link's greatest adventure, but it's his most legendary one!!!