This review was published on 07/23/2013.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is an action adventure game originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998. It's the fourth main console release of the Zelda series, and the first 3D game in the series. Similar to the first Legend of Zelda on the Nintendo Entertainment System, this game was initially released on a golden cartridge. This is one of the most hyped games in the history. Many avid fans of the series were closely following the game via issues of the Nintendo Power magazine several years prior to its release. The game received countless delays, which only added to everyone's anticipation. When it finally came out, it was an overwhelming success. It won many game of the year awards and was lauded as one of the best video games of all time. There is a good reason for that; it's pretty darn good. It pioneered a lot of concepts that would become standards for many 3D games to come. Not only did it pioneer these standards, but it practically perfected them right on the spot.

Despite being the fifth Zelda game released, Ocarina of Time is actually a prequel. Back then, it was said that this game was supposed to take place at the very beginning of the timeline, but that has changed with the more recent release of Skyward Sword. Our adventure starts in Kokiri Forest, a place inhabited by a bunch of children who don't age, likely inspired by Neverland from Peter Pan. In this forest lives a young boy named Link, who is the destined boy of destiny. The denizens of Kokiri Forest all have fairies following them, except for Link. On one fateful day, however, Link is awoken from a nightmare by a fairy of his own. The fairy takes him to meet the forest's guardian, the Great Deku Tree, who informs him that it's his destiny to thwart the desires of a wicked warlock named Ganondorf. The young boy then goes on an epic quest to acquire the mystical artifacts he needs to become powerful enough to defeat Ganondorf. Ocarina of Time's story is very well presented, with advanced cinematography befitting a master director. Most of the cutscenes in the game are short and sweet, quickly setting up the atmosphere without wasting too much of the player's time. However, some of the early cutscenes are a bit long-winded.

Something known as the "Z-targeting" system was devised specifically for this game's combat, a feature that quickly became standard for combat in almost every 3D game after this one. Whenever the Z trigger is held on the N64 controller, Link will target the nearest object. Link will focus on anything that has been targeted, allowing you to quickly and easily circle around the target, never losing sight of it. Your controls change a bit when you're in targeting mode, giving you access to more sophisticated combat maneuvers. As far as sword attacks go, you'll be capable of executing a horizontal swipe, a vertical swipe, a stab, and a jumping slice attack. It's also possible to perform a spinning sword slash, much like the spin attack from A Link to the Past. What's truly brilliant about the Z-target system is the dodging ability it grants you, as Link will be able to hop to the left or right to quickly avoid attacks, and even do an impressive backflip. Besides evasive maneuvers, Link can also hold up his shield to block attacks. The depth of the combat mechanics become apparent when facing off against the game's more challenging foes, like the giant skeleton knights. These guys come equipped with swords and shields of their own, so they're able to block your attacks and retaliate accordingly. Dispatching these foes is satisfying, as it requires you to use every move at your disposal. Fighting enemies in Ocarina of Time will always put a smile on your face, because it's so much fun.

Hyrule Field is the main hub that connects to all the other areas of the game, just like in previous Zelda games. It's got tons of different locations to see, like towns, dungeons, a castle, and even a farm. The field itself is rather small and barren, but that's a blessing in disguise, as it makes travel from the different locations fast. A nice flow is established between exploring Hyrule Field, talking to folks in a town, and solving puzzles in a dungeon. That general structure is kept throughout the game, for the most part. The downtime between dungeons is made more enjoyable thanks to this cycle, as you're given time to unwind between dungeon excursions. Dungeons are great and all, but doing too many of them too close together can get tiring, so Hyrule Field provides a nice place to rest. Travel in Hyrule Field gets faster when you acquire a horse named Epona later in the game. On top of moving faster than Link, Epona can jump over small fences, and that's fun to do. One of the most enjoyable experiences in Ocarina of Time is horseback riding across Hyrule Field. If horseback travel isn't fast enough for you, then fret not, for you get the ability to teleport to different locations as you progress through the game. All in all, the world map in Ocarina of Time is big enough to give you the sense of a large, contiguous world, but not so big that exploring it is a chore.

Dungeons are the bread and butter of the Zelda experience, and Ocarina of Time has some of the best in the series. The dungeons in Ocarina of Time are heavily reliant on puzzles, much more so than any of the previous Zelda games. There is usually one puzzle to solve per room, which establishes a nice flow to dungeon navigation. The puzzles tend to be simple logic tests, like pushing blocks onto pressure plates, shooting eye switches with arrows, lighting torches to open doors, and so on. Some of the dungeons later in the game feature fairly complex puzzles, however, such as the infamous Water Temple. The Water Temple has earned its reputation as one of the most complicated Zelda dungeons ever, and for good reason. It's a multilayered dungeon that requires you to change the water level in order to navigate its many floors. The reason this dungeon is so complex is because its design is very three-dimensional; the 2D mini-map at the corner of your screen doesn't do it justice. I don't consider the Water Temple detrimental to the game, though. If anything, the challenge of such a complicated dungeon is welcome, especially given how easy Zelda games tend to be. The fact that so many people still talk about this dungeon is a testament to how memorable it is. Love or hate it, the Water Temple is an intelligently designed dungeon that requires an intelligent mind to solve. There's also plenty of combat to break up the puzzle solving parts of dungeons, resulting in a perfect balance of action and intrigue.

After beating the first three dungeons and acquiring the Master Sword, much like what happens in A Link to the Past, the game truly begins. Unlike A Link to the Past, however, something else happens. For whatever reason, grabbing the Master Sword in Ocarina of Time transports Link seven years into the future, with his body aging through this process. As a result of that, Link transforms from a child into an adult. Link can return to his childhood at any time by putting the Master Sword back into its pedestal, but the primary part of your journey takes place in the future. Unsurprisingly, the world changes a bit in the seven year gap, such as Hyrule Castle Town falling to Ganondorf's forces. In a lot of ways, the seven year time jump is like the parallel worlds in A Link to the Past. Both allow you to explore two similar, yet distinct worlds. However, Ocarina of Time focuses on the symbolism of a child growing into an adult, albeit in an accelerated manner. That said, the parallel worlds in this game aren't as good as in A Link to the Past. The differences between the past and present here are minuscule, which lessons the impact of it all. It's still a cool mechanic, but the two worlds could stand to be a bit more different.

Like in previous Zelda games, you tend to get a new item in each dungeon. The items are hidden inside of giant treasure chests about halfway through the dungeon, sometimes with a mini-boss guarding it. Items like the boomerang, bow, and hookshot can be used in battle as long-range attacks. Thanks to the Z-targeting system, hitting enemies with long-range weapons is a cinch. In addition to supplementing your combat capabilities, items help you solve puzzles. Your scope of exploration also increases as you gather more tools, because you'll be able to do stuff like bombing cracked walls that bar your path and using the hookshot to get to faraway places. A rather odd design decision is that Link can only use certain items as a young boy and certain items as an adult. For example, Link can use the slingshot as a kid, but only the bow as an adult. This doesn't make much sense. Is Link just too embarrassed to pull out a slingshot as an adult? I'm guessing he can't use the bow as a kid because it's too big for him to wield, but I don't buy it. Because of this, some items are different versions of the same thing, like the slingshot is essentially a kid's version of the bow. This doesn't really hurt the game, but it's a little strange. The majority of the game's tools are exclusive to adult Link, and that's a good thing, because you'll be spending the majority of the game in adult form. In the end, Ocarina of Time has a ton of fantastic items available, most of which are really fun to use.

Boss battles in Ocarina of Time are like interactive puzzles waiting to be solved. You almost always need to use the special item you got in the dungeon to defeat its boss. For instance, you get the slingshot in the first dungeon of the game, and the boss is a one-eyed spider beast of some kind. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that you're supposed to use the slingshot to hit the thing right in the eye. Even though it's always obvious what item you'll need to use on the boss, it isn't always obvious how you're supposed to use the item on it. Bosses often drop clues on how to beat them, though some of these clues are intentionally cryptic to facilitate some challenge. A really cool boss fight later in the game is one against these two elemental witches. Fire and ice are the elements of choice, and each witch casts offensive magic according to their element. To defeat them, you use the mirror shield to reflect the magical beams of one witch into another, damaging the opposite element. That's brilliant boss design right there. I would also like to make special mention of the final boss fight. This game has one of the best final confrontations in Zelda history for sure; a final battle so good, you'll want to do it again and again. I can't go into any specifics without spoiling it, but it's a battle for the ages. The expert cinematography and stellar soundtrack really come into play here, as these are the main reasons this fight is so epic.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is an absolutely fantastic game. It's got a cinematic story without being overly intrusive, lots of atmosphere, incredibly well designed dungeons, intelligent puzzle design, exceptional boss fights, and plenty of optional goods to gather. The combat system really helps keep the game interesting throughout, as any dull moments are livened up with fun foes to face. In a way, Ocarina of Time is like a 3D recreation of A Link to the Past, as it recreates many of the wondrous moments of that remarkable game. Ocarina of Time gave birth to the modern Zelda formula by which all new Zelda games are forged from. Perhaps Ocarina of Time is a bit on the overrated side, but that doesn't take away from how good it is. Without a doubt, this is one of the best games in the series.

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