The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Still the Best Zelda Game Ever Made

The year was 1998, and it had been five years since Nintendo had released a Zelda game. Rather than developing a second SNES Zelda game or another series entry for the original Game Boy, they opted to create a Zelda game for the Nintendo 64, and after years of anticipation, they unleashed it onto Zelda fans everywhere. The best game of 1998, if not of all time, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was the first 3D game in the Zelda series, and it made the transition from 2D to 3D rather well. While the transition resulted in features that were impossible to pull off in 2D games, it also gave us an amazing adventure that, to this day, still leaves everyone who plays it impressed. For me, this is the very best Zelda game ever made, and I shall tell you why I feel that it has yet to be topped.

In this game, Link starts off as a young boy and a resident of Kokiri Forest. The Kokiri race consists entirely of children who never grow up. One day, Link learns from the Deku Tree, the guardian of the Kokiri, that an evil man named Ganondorf is searching for the Spiritual Stones needed to enter the Sacred Realm and steal the Triforce, a magical artifact that grants the wish of anyone who touches it. Link, whom the Deku Tree senses is destined to become a legendary hero, sets off to find the stones before Ganondorf does. This particular plot point covers about a third of the game, after which Link finds himself on a mission to liberate Hyrule from Ganondorf. The story as a whole is quite dramatic, though not quite as dark as that found in Majora's Mask.

Link will need to explore the land of Hyrule, defeating enemies and solving puzzles along the way. Hyrule itself is a larger world than it had ever been up to that time, with numerous locations to explore such as Death Mountain, Lake Hylia, and the Haunted Wasteland. Many of these areas are connected by Hyrule Field, which at the time was considered to be quite a huge area, though it would be surpassed by the Hyrule Field seen in Twilight Princess. As with all Zelda games, each location is filled with secrets that Link can discover, and as a result, he may gain new items or complete various side quests. In fact, the game has so many secrets to find that players will be kept busy even after they finish the main quest.

As this was the first 3D Zelda, Nintendo could add features that they could not include in previous games. One of the most notable new features is a targeting system, which allows Link to more accurately attack his foes. He can target an enemy and shoot it with his slingshot, for example. While not completely foolproof, this targeting system is a neat addition, and surely there are similar systems in other games that were inspired by it. Link can also look around and aim his weapons from a first-person perspective, and some puzzles also take advantage of the new 3D environment. Lastly, the 3D graphics allowed for some impressive-looking cut scenes that gave the game a movie-like feel. These innovations would be improved on even further in later games, but at the time of the game's release, they surely amazed a lot of players.

Throughout the game, Link will have to explore many dungeons in order to save Hyrule. As usual, each dungeon has its fair share of monsters, traps, and puzzles that our hero must deal with as he progresses. Every dungeon also has a weapon that Link can use to solve puzzles within the dungeon and elsewhere. In most cases, Link will encounter a mini boss at some point, and some of them, particularly Dark Link and Iron Knuckle, can present quite a challenge. At the end of many dungeons is a boss that must be defeated, usually with the weapon found in the dungeon in conjunction with Link's sword. The bosses had never been more impressive than they were here, and each fight is quite epic, even if some of the battles are too easy. There are nine main dungeons in all as well as some mini dungeons, each of which are fun to explore even if you have beaten the game many times.

As mentioned, Link is a young boy during the early parts of the game, and as such, he can crawl through small spaces and use such weapons as a boomerang, slingshot, and Deku sticks. Once a certain plot point occurs, however, he will become an adult in a world filled with monsters and ruin. When he is all grown up, Link can use more powerful weapons including the hook shot, fairy bow, and Megaton Hammer, as well as learn how to ride a horse in order to traverse the lands much faster. At each age, Link has his own advantages and disadvantages, though it is not until later in the game when switching between the two ages becomes imperative if the young hero is to complete his quest to rescue the Sages who have the power to seal Ganondorf into the Sacred Realm.

Link can collect a lot of items in the game, and one of the most important items is the ocarina. This musical instrument is used to play various melodies, each of which has its own magical effect. Some songs can be played in many places and are used to turn day into night and summon a storm, among other neat effects. Other tunes can warp Link to various locations. The latter set of songs is taught by Sheik, a mysterious person who guides Link throughout his quest to save the Sages. The ocarina can even be used to play various other compositions just for fun. Experimenting with the ocarina can result in hours of enjoyment, whether it is using the instrument to discover secrets or playing some songs of your own.

If our hero needs to take a break from his adventure, there are a ton of side quests that he can participate in at practically any time. He can collect Pieces of Heart to create new heart containers, and he can also gain heart containers by defeating bosses. He can destroy Gold Skulltulas, which are spider-like beasts hidden throughout Hyrule. By eliminating these, Link can restore a family that was changed into a group of Skulltulas and earn valuable rewards in the process. The Hero of Time can also trade items with other characters in order to obtain a more powerful sword. In addition to these quests, there are also mini games such as shooting galleries, fishing, and even a bowling game that Link can play for additional prizes. There is so much to discover that players will want to complete everything the game has to offer.

Ocarina of Time has so many great features, from an epic main quest to amazing side quests to innovative features that would be carried over to future 3D Zelda games. The story is full of great twists and memorable moments, and I still remember well wanting to find out who Sheik was and my reaction when I discovered the character's true identity. Even though twelve years have passed since its release, I cannot help but be amazed every time I play it, as it is still impressive after all these years. About the only two problems I have with it are the constant switching between normal and Iron Boots in one dungeon (a minor quibble, to be sure, but it can still get annoying after a while) and the fact that, sooner or later, it must come to an end. Still, this game is a masterpiece, and future Zelda games have failed to top it, though some have come close to doing so.

Back in 1998, the graphics were pretty amazing, presenting Hyrule as a majestic land in a way that 2D games were unable to do. By today's standards, the graphics look a bit ugly, but they still do not detract from the overall enjoyment of the game, and the cut scenes remain enjoyable in spite of appearing to be quite dated. The music score is nothing short of fantastic despite the lack of the classic Zelda theme. Every single tune is memorable, and for me, standout songs include Sheik's theme, the Spirit Temple, Gerudo Valley, Zora's Domain, and pretty much every ocarina tune. Indeed, this game contains one of Nintendo's best soundtracks, which serves as the icing to an already wonderful cake.

It's 2010, and Ocarina of Time has yet to lose its title of being the best Zelda game ever made. Indeed, in my opinion, none of the subsequent Zelda games have surpassed it. Maybe, just maybe, Skyward Sword will change that when it is released next year, but for now, the very first 3D Zelda game is still the undisputed best game in the entire series. Those who have never played it can either look for the original cartridge, play it on the Nintendo Gamecube as part of The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition or as a game that includes the special Master Quest version that contains harder dungeons, or download it from the Wii Shop Channel. Alternatively, for those of you willing to wait for a while, Nintendo is currently developing an enhanced version of the game for the Nintendo 3DS. At any rate, be sure to play the game and prepare to be immersed in an amazing adventure that is as great today as it was way back in 1998.