Written By: Michael K.
Any of you have that game you played a long time ago, but weren’t really motivated to play again because of past difficulties? I’ve had a few of those. A lot of games that are very popular I wasn’t able to beat due to me not being skilled enough to face the challenge. But now that I’ve grown up, I’ve really grown to appreciate what they are as an adventure to be had.
A few years ago, I found that new motivation, playing one of the most revolutionary games for the action-adventure genre: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Released in 1998 for the Nintendo 64, this game became one of the most popular games of its generation for its world design, dungeons and story. I’d have my first experience playing it on the upgraded remaster of the game on the 3DS, which was released in 2011 to celebrate The Legend of Zelda series’ 25th anniversary.
When I first got the game, I was very new to the Zelda series. I had really enjoyed watching my older brother play Skyward Sword on our Wii, but I couldn’t get behind the challenging design of the puzzles and dungeons. The thing that kept me interested in the series was the stories themselves. And after falling in love with Skyward Sword’s story, discovering this was the story after was a lot of fun!
At the very start, the main character, Link, is woken up by Navi, a rather…uh…overly talkative fairy who forces him to get out of his comfort zone and venture into a dark cave beneath his hometown. After being told about a prophecy, he’s forced onto a journey that would have him cross dangerous mountains, deserts, dungeons, and time itself to save the world.
I won’t spoil the rest of the story, but it serves to be quite entertaining, like an old childhood adventure film you remember watching obsessively because of how cool it was!
As for the gameplay, by today’s standards, the world is quite small and limited, but for its time, it was huge! Hyrule really does feel like a true country with all sorts of different environments, ranging from cherry forests, to dark volcanoes, to a terrifying desert! They really make the game feel like a classic fantasy world you’d love to visit.
I remember getting stuck on so many of the dungeons, but now I’ve really come to appreciate them! Every one of them, from the haunted halls of a temple in the forest, to the inside of a sea monster, to the bottom of a well inhabited by zombies, they’re all unique and stand out with their music and different mechanics!
(Just got to warn you though: You will get stuck on the Water Temple…a LOT).
As for the bosses, a lot of them are quite easy, which is a shame considering how difficult the dungeons were leading up to them, but they also are very unique in their fighting patterns! Better study their movements and put those items to good use to survive!
Aside from the main quest, there are a few side quests that are quite enjoyable once you’re able to figure them out. Getting yourself a horse is super helpful by racing at the ranch! Getting Ice arrows by facing a gauntlet of challenges is really fun and challenging, and forging the strongest weapon, the Biggoron Sword, is a long but rewarding experience!
In the end, Ocarina of Time was and is still fantastic! If you’re looking to play it, it’s available on Nintendo Switch Online, or you can play the remastered version for the 3DS, which adds a difficult new mode called Master Quest and helps you more easily use items! If you’ve been hesitant to try, like I once was for many years, I encourage you to give this epic game a chance! You won’t regret it!
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