By Sam Coles:
There are games that people form attachments to over the
years, some games may age as technology progresses but some will swear by its
legacy. This is always the case whenever I hear people talking about The Legend
of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and I understand why, even nearly 21 years later the
game is still being talked about in high regards. I want to take the time to
talk about the game and reflect upon why this game is so special.
What stands out to me to this day is when I boot the game up
with the intro sequence where we see Link ride his horse across Hyrule Field;
every time I play this game I can’t help but watch the entirety of this intro.
You just hear the clops of Epona’s feet then that beautiful piano piece kicks
in before the titular ocarina seeps through, as we see Link traverse the
beautiful (at the time) field from night time to dawn. It sets up what is to
come with the journey and it is very emotional, with the music and the
landscape ahead. To this day I adore this intro sequence, and honestly no Zelda
game has captured this, with the only close exception being Twilight Princess’
introduction.
The story is something that was nothing new as it was
basically a 3D interpretation of Link to the Past, but how it was presented was
cinematic with beautifully directed scenes. You may laugh now as the character
models are crude as well as there being no voice work, but for 1998 this was a
big deal. What carried it was the well written dialogue with various grunts and
moans coming from characters from time to time, I can imagine what these
characters sound like just by reading the text, from the wise Deku Tree to the maniacal
Ganondorf.
Gameplay was somewhat of departure, yes you still did the
usual Zelda stuff by adventuring and raiding dungeons, but to take from
Egoraptor’s video from a few years back, the combat and exploration have been
separated as oppose to being one cohesive experience. I don’t take that much
issue with this as Egoraptor does, as to be honest it makes sense to have it
this way due to the extra dimensions. Exploring does feel slower as Link’s movement
speed goes for a more realistic approach, but the areas that you explore aren’t
too big so it’s a nonissue.
Combat on the other hand is simple, but satisfying due to
the feedback through visuals and sound design, with Link’s yells and explosions
of parts of enemies makes for an exciting combat encounter. The only aspect of
the gameplay that gets stretched to its limits is the inventory management;
this is most prevalent in the Water Temple where you constantly have to swap
from your normal boots and iron boots. Fortunately this issue was remedied in
the 3DS version, as you had extra inventory spaces on the touch screen where
you could put your boots.
How can I talk about Ocarina of Time and not talk about the
music, the score is one of the most memorable in the series that is constantly
referenced across the internet. From the whimsical melody of the Kokiri Forest to
the dark and brooding tones of the Shadow Temple. All have their thematically appropriate
themes, and there is not a single track that is forgettable.
Ocarina of Time is still a timeless classic, has it aged as
well as some nostalgia quivering fanboys would let you believe? No of course
not, but I still fully understand why most including myself still love it. It’s
a world with childlike wonder, with a beautiful soundtrack and interesting and
unique locales to explore! Do I recommend it today? Yes, but the 3DS port is
the way to go, as the original N64 version makes my eyes bleed as it runs at 20
frames per second for the most part. It’s still a wonderful game, and it should
be experienced by every generation in the gaming community!
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