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The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

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The Legend of Zelda:
Ocarina of Time
A sword and a shield - bearing both the three triangles of the Triforce and the bird-like Hyrule crest - stand behind the game's title.
North American Nintendo 64 cover art
Developer(s)Nintendo EAD
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Shigeru Miyamoto[5]
Producer(s)Shigeru Miyamoto
Designer(s)Shigeru Miyamoto
Yoichi Yamada
Eiji Aonuma[6]
Yoshiaki Koizumi
Artist(s)Yusuke Nakano
Writer(s)Shigeru Miyamoto[7][8]
Toru Osawa
Yoshiaki Koizumi[9][10]
Composer(s)Koji Kondo
SeriesThe Legend of Zelda
Platform(s)Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube, iQue Player, Virtual Console for Wii
ReleaseNintendo 64
Nintendo GameCube
iQue Player
  • CHN: November 2003
Virtual Console
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (ゼルダの伝説 時のオカリナ, Zeruda no Densetsu: Toki no Okarina) is a 1998 action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1998; in North America on November 23, 1998; and in Europe on December 11, 1998. Originally developed for the Nintendo 64DD peripheral, the game was instead released on a 256-megabit (32-megabyte) cartridge, which was the largest-capacity cartridge Nintendo produced at that time. Ocarina of Time is the fifth game in The Legend of Zelda series, and the first with 3D graphics. It was followed 18 months after its release by the direct sequel The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.

The player controls the series' trademark hero, Link, in the land of Hyrule. Link sets out on a quest to stop Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo tribe, from obtaining the Triforce, a sacred relic that grants the wishes of its holder. Link travels through time and navigates various dungeons to awaken sages who have the power to seal Ganondorf away forever. Music plays an important role—to progress, the player must learn to play and perform several songs on an ocarina. The game was responsible for generating an increased interest in and rise in sales of the instrument itself.[11]

Released to an overwhelmingly positive critical reception, Ocarina of Time's gameplay system introduced features such as a target lock system and context-sensitive buttons that have since become common elements in 3D adventure games.[12][13] In Japan, it sold over 820,000 copies in 1998, becoming the tenth-best-selling game of that year.[14] During its lifetime, Ocarina of Time sold 1.14 million copies in Japan[15] and over 7.6 million copies worldwide.[16] The game won the Grand Prize in the Interactive Art division at the Japan Media Arts Festival,[17] and won six honors at the 2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.[18] The title is widely considered by critics and gamers alike to be one of the greatest video games ever made.[19][20][21] It is currently the highest rated game on review aggregating site Metacritic; and in 2008 and 2010, Guinness World Records listed Ocarina of Time as the highest-rated game ever reviewed.[22]

Ocarina of Time has had four major re-releases. It was originally ported to the GameCube alongside an Ocarina of Time Master Quest (which featured reworked dungeons with new puzzles), and The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition as a direct port. It was also ported to the iQue Player in 2003 and the Wii's Virtual Console service in 2007. These re-releases were well received: although some critics considered the relatively unchanged game to be outdated,[23][24] other reviewers felt that the game has held up well over the years.[25][26] Finally, the 3DS remastering was released in 2011, once again including Master Quest's rearranged dungeons (which were absent from the Wii and iQue versions) along with updated graphics and 3D effects.

Gameplay

The child version of the game's protagonist, Link, stands in Hyrule field wearing his distinctive green tunic and pointed cap. In each corner of the screen are icons that display information to the player. In the upper left-hand corner there are hearts which represent Link's health, in the lower left-hand corner is a counter which displays the quantity of Rupees (the in-game currency) possessed by the player. There is a mini-map in the lower right-hand corner, and five icons in the upper right-hand corner, one green, one red, and three yellow, which represent the actions available to the player on the corresponding buttons of the N64 controller.
The on-screen display shows actions mapped to context-sensitive buttons. Here, the B (green) button controls Link's sword attack, the A (blue) button sheaths Link's sword, and the C (yellow) buttons control set-specific items.

Ocarina of Time is an action-adventure game with role-playing and puzzle elements set in an open world environment. The player controls Link from a third-person perspective, in a three-dimensional space. Link primarily fights with a sword and shield, but he can also use other weapons such as projectiles, bombs, and magic spells.[27] The control scheme introduced techniques such as context-sensitive actions and a targeting system called "Z-targeting".[12][28] In combat, Z-targeting allows the player to have Link focus and latch onto an enemy or other objects.[29] (In the GameCube port of Ocarina of Time as well as the Wii's Virtual Console version, targeting is done with the L-button instead of the Z-button, due to the position of the Z-button on the GameCube controller and classic controller.) When using this technique, the camera follows the target and Link constantly faces it. Projectile attacks are automatically directed at the target and do not require manual aiming. Context-sensitive actions allow multiple tasks to be assigned to one button, simplifying the control scheme. The on-screen display shows what will happen when the button is pushed and changes depending on what the character is doing. For example, the same button that causes Link to push a box if he is standing next to it will have him climb on the box if the analog stick is pushed toward it.[12] Much of the game is spent in battle, but some parts require the use of stealth. Exploration is another important aspect of gameplay; the player may notice inaccessible areas and return later to find them explorable after obtaining a new item, such as the bomb, to blast open doors, or the hookshot, to reach far places.

The adult version of Link, armed with a sword and shield and wearing a green tunic, is fighting a bipedal wolf in front of the Forest Temple. Link's fairy companion, Navi, has turned yellow and hovers above the creature which is now surrounded by yellow crosshair-like arrows.
When the player uses Z-targeting, the view shifts to a letterbox format and arrows indicate the targeted enemy. The player can then circle strafe around the enemy to keep their sight on them.

Link gains new abilities by collecting items and weapons found in dungeons or in the overworld. Ocarina of Time has several optional side-quests, or minor objectives that the player can choose to complete or ignore. Completing the side-quests usually results in rewards, normally in the form of weapons or abilities. In one side-quest, Link trades items he cannot use himself among non-player characters. This trading sequence features ten items and ends with Link receiving an item he can use, the two-handed Biggoron Sword, the largest and strongest sword in the game. In another side-quest, Link can acquire a horse named Epona. This allows him to travel faster, but attacking while riding is restricted to arrows.[30] In order to get Epona, Link must learn her song while he is a child. However, he is only able to ride her when he and Epona are both adults.

Link is given the Fairy Ocarina near the beginning of the game, which is later replaced by the Ocarina of Time, given to him by Princess Zelda. Throughout the game, Link learns twelve melodies that allow him to solve various puzzles and teleport to previously visited locations in the game.[31] The Ocarina of Time is also used to claim the Master Sword in the Temple of Time. When Link takes the sword, he is sealed for seven years, until he becomes an adult, and therefore strong enough to wield the Master Sword. Young Link and adult Link have different abilities. For example, only adult Link can use the Fairy Bow and only young Link can fit through certain small passages. After completing the Forest Temple, Link can travel freely between the two time periods by replacing or taking the sword. The melodies and notes are played with the "C" and "A" buttons on the Nintendo 64 controller or the C analogue stick on the GameCube controller.

Plot

Main article: The Legend of Zelda § Fictional chronology

The events of Ocarina of Time are set in the fictional kingdom of Hyrule, the setting of most of The Legend of Zelda games. Hyrule Field serves as the central hub connected to several outlying areas with diverse topography. Most of these areas are populated by the races of Hyrule: Hylians, Kokiri, Gorons, Zoras, Gerudos, and Sheikah.[32]

The game opens as the fairy Navi awakens Link from a nightmare, in which Link witnesses a stormy night where a man in black armor on horseback chases after a girl on a white horse. Navi brings Link to the guardian of Link's village, the Great Deku Tree, who is cursed and near death. Link breaks the curse, but cannot stop the tree from withering. The Deku Tree tells Link a "wicked man of the desert" has cursed him and seeks to conquer the land of Hyrule and that Link must stop him. Before dying, the Great Deku Tree gives Link the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, the Kokiri's Emerald, and sends him to Hyrule Castle to speak with the "princess of destiny."[33] As Link is leaving, his close friend Saria bids him good luck and gives him the Fairy Ocarina, a precursor to the Ocarina of Time.

At Hyrule Castle, Link meets Princess Zelda, who has been having dreams about the future of Hyrule and foresaw Link's arrival. She believes Ganondorf, the Gerudo King of Thieves, is seeking the Triforce, a holy relic in the Sacred Realm that gives its holder god-like power. Zelda's description of Ganondorf matches that of the man who killed the Great Deku Tree, as well as the man from Link's nightmare. Zelda asks Link to obtain the three Spiritual Stones, one of which he already possesses, so that he might enter the Sacred Realm and claim the Triforce before Ganondorf reaches it.[34] Link goes to Goron City, where he meets Darunia, the leader of the Goron race. After Link defeats King Dodongo, the boss of Dodongo's Cavern, Darunia gives him the Goron's Ruby, symbolizing brotherhood. Link next goes to Zora's Domain, where he obtains the Zora's Sapphire from Ruto, the Zora Princess, after rescuing her from the belly of Lord Jabu-Jabu (a whale-like creature sacred to the Zoras).

Link returns to Hyrule Castle, where Ganondorf is pursuing Zelda and her caretaker Impa on horseback, as in his nightmare at the start of the game. Spotting Link, Zelda throws the Ocarina of Time into the castle moat and telepathically teaches Link the "Song of Time". Link attempts to stop Ganondorf but is knocked to the ground by a bolt of energy. Ganondorf is impressed with Link's courage, but warns him not to interfere with his plans. After Ganondorf rides off, Link retrieves the Ocarina of Time and uses his newly learned song together with the Spiritual Stones to open the door to the Sacred Realm inside the Temple of Time. Through the door, Link finds the Master Sword, a legendary sword forged to destroy evil. However, as he pulls the Master Sword from its pedestal, Ganondorf appears, having secretly followed Link into the Temple of Time, and claims the Triforce for himself.[35]

Seven years later, an older Link awakens in a distant room of the Sacred Realm known as the Chamber of Sages and is met by Rauru, the ancient Sage of Light and one of the seven sages who protect the location of the Triforce. Rauru informs Link that his spirit was sealed for seven years until he was old enough to wield the Master Sword and defeat Ganondorf.[36] The seven sages are capable of imprisoning Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm; however, five of the seven sages are unaware of their identities after Ganondorf transformed Hyrule into a land of darkness. Link is then returned to the Temple of Time, where he is met by the mysterious Sheik, who guides Link to rid the five temples of Hyrule from Ganondorf's monsters, allowing the power of the temples to awaken the sages.[37]

After awakening the five sages, Sheik is revealed to be Princess Zelda and the Seventh Sage. She tells Link that Ganondorf's heart was unbalanced, causing the Triforce to split into three pieces, as predicted in an ancient prophecy.[38] Ganondorf kept the Triforce of Power, while the other two chosen by destiny carry the remaining pieces: Zelda gained the Triforce of Wisdom and Link received the Triforce of Courage. After Zelda bestows Link with Light Arrows, weapons necessary for defeating the evil king, Ganondorf kidnaps Zelda by trapping her in a magical crystal and brings her to his tower. The remaining six sages help Link enter the tower, where he battles and defeats Ganondorf, thereby freeing Zelda. However, Ganondorf uses his remaining strength to destroy the tower in a final attempt to kill Link and Zelda. The heroes manage to escape the collapsing castle, but Ganondorf suddenly emerges from the resulting rubble and traps Link in a burning ring of fire. Using the Triforce of Power, he transforms from his humanoid Gerudo form into a boar-like monster named Ganon, and immediately knocks the Master Sword from Link's hand outside the ring of fire. After a long battle without the Master Sword, Link, with the aid of Zelda's paralyzing light, retrieves the Master Sword and delivers the final blow. The seven sages trap Ganondorf in the Dark Realm that his evil created; still holding the Triforce of Power, Ganondorf vows to take revenge on their descendants.[39] Zelda uses the Ocarina of Time to send Link to his original time to live out his childhood, at which point Navi departs.

In the game's final scene, Link meets Zelda in the castle garden again.[40]

Development

First shown as a technical demo at Nintendo's Space World trade show in December 1995,[12] Ocarina of Time was developed concurrently with Super Mario 64 by Nintendo's EAD division.[41] Both were the first free-roaming 3D game in their respective series. Nintendo planned to release Super Mario 64 as a launch game for the Nintendo 64 and later release Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64DD, a disk drive peripheral for the system.[42] Nintendo eventually decided to release Ocarina of Time on a cartridge instead and follow it with a 64DD expansion.[43] At its release the 32 megabyte game was the largest game Nintendo had ever created.[44] Early in the game's development, concerns over the memory constraints of the N64 cartridge led producer and supervisor Shigeru Miyamoto to imagine a worst case scenario in which Ocarina of Time would follow a similar structure to Super Mario 64 with Link restricted to Ganondorf's castle as a central hub, and using a portal system similar to the paintings that Mario used to transport to different areas.[45] An idea that arose from this stage of development, a battle with a doppelganger of Ganondorf that rides through paintings, ultimately made its way into the finished game as the boss of the Forest Temple dungeon.[45]

While Shigeru Miyamoto had been the principal director of Super Mario 64, he was now in charge of several directors as a producer and supervisor of Ocarina of Time.[46][47] During its development, individual parts of Ocarina of Time were handled by multiple directors—a new strategy for Nintendo EAD. However, when things were progressing slower than expected, Miyamoto returned to the development team with a more hands-on directorial role. Although the development team was new to 3D games, assistant director Makoto Miyanaga recalls a sense of "passion for creating something new and unprecedented".[48] A "medieval tale of sword and sorcery," Miyamoto intended the game to be in the chanbara genre of Japanese swordfighting.[49] The development crew involved over 120 people, including stuntmen used to capture the effects of sword fighting and Link's movement.[50] Some of Miyamoto's ideas for the new Zelda title were instead used in Super Mario 64, since it was to be released first.[41] Other ideas were not used due to time constraints.[46]

Miyamoto initially intended Ocarina of Time to be played in a first-person perspective,[51] so as to enable the players to take in the vast terrain of Hyrule Field better, as well as being able to focus more on developing enemies and environments. However, the development team did not go through with it once the idea of having a child Link was introduced, and Miyamoto felt it necessary for Link to be visible on screen.[52] Ocarina of Time originally ran on the same engine as Super Mario 64, but was so heavily modified that designer Shigeru Miyamoto considers the final products entirely different engines.[53] One major difference between the two is camera control; the player has a lot of control over the camera in Super Mario 64, but the camera in Ocarina of Time is largely controlled by the game's AI. Miyamoto says the camera controls for Ocarina of Time are intended to reflect a focus on the game's world, whereas those of Super Mario 64 are centered on the character of Mario.[46] Miyamoto wanted to make a game that was cinematic, but still distinguished from actual films.[46] Takumi Kawagoe, who creates cut scenes for Nintendo, says that his top priority is to have the player feel in control of the action.[54] To promote this feeling, cut scenes in Ocarina of Time are completely generated with real-time computing and do not use pre-recorded or full-motion video.[46] Toru Osawa created the scenario for the game, based on a story idea by Miyamoto and Yoshiaki Koizumi.[7][8][9][10][55] He was given support by A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening script writer Kensuke Tanabe.[55][56] The dungeons were designed by Eiji Aonuma.[6]

Customers in North America who pre-ordered the game received a limited edition box with a golden plastic card affixed, reading "Collector's Edition". This edition contained a gold-colored cartridge,[57] a tradition for the Zelda series that began with the original game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Demand was so great that Electronics Boutique stopped pre-selling the title on November 3, 1998.[58] Several versions of Ocarina of Time were produced, with later revisions featuring minor changes such as glitch repairs, the recoloring of Ganondorf's blood from crimson to green, and the alteration of the music heard in the Fire Temple dungeon to remove a sample of an Islamic prayer chant.[59][60] The sample was taken from a commercially available sound library, but the developers did not realise it contained Islamic references. Although popularly believed to have been changed due to public outcry, the chanting was in fact removed after the company discovered it violated their own policy to avoid religious material in games,[60] and the altered versions of Ocarina of Time were made prior to the game's original release.[61]

Ports and re-releases

Ocarina of Time was re-released for the GameCube as an emulated ROM, as a combo with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest and as a part of The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition.[59] The former was released as Zeruda no Densetsu: Toki no Okarina GC in Japan, with the Master Quest side named Zeruda no Densetsu: Toki no Okarina GC Ura (ゼルダの伝説 時のオカリナ GC裏). The "Ura" name stems from Master Quest's origins, as an expansion to Ocarina of Time to be used with the Nintendo 64DD under the working title Ura Zelda.[62] The Master Quest compilation was given as a premium for pre-ordering The Wind Waker in Japan and North America,[63] as well as in a special GameCube bundle at Wal-Mart wherein the disc came in the same case. In Europe and Australia, the disc came in the same case as the initial pressings of The Wind Waker.[64] In Europe, it was available for a limited time through a special offer on the Nintendo website. The Ocarina of Time Master Quest box contains a single disc which includes the original game, the Master Quest version, and six video demos for various games for the GameCube including one for The Wind Waker and a video demo of the Game Boy Advance re-release of A Link to the Past.[59] Master Quest uses the same engine and plot of Ocarina of Time, but dungeons have been altered.[59] Collector's Edition was available in GameCube bundles in Europe, Australia and North America, as well as by registering hardware and software, or by subscribing to official magazines or clubs.[65] In addition to Ocarina of Time, the disc also contains the original The Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link, Majora's Mask, a demo of The Wind Waker, and a Zelda retrospective.[65] The original game is displayed on the Nintendo 64 with a resolution of 320×240, but the GameCube emulations run at 640 × 480 and support progressive scan.[59][66] The game was released in Europe and Australia for the Virtual Console on Nintendo's Wii console on February 23, 2007 for 1000 Wii Points. It was released in North America on February 26, 2007 and Japan on February 27, 2007.[67] This version is an emulation of the Nintendo 64 version, but does not support controller vibration, rendering an in-game item titled the "Stone of Agony" to be useless.[25] The Wii can play the GameCube compilation versions with this feature intact. A five-minute demo of the game is included as an unlockable in Super Smash Bros Brawl.

Ura Zelda

An expansion disk for the 64DD was planned which would expand the game and allow other features which were cut because of time constraints, storage limitations and cartridge restrictions,[68] but due to the failure of the 64DD, Ura Zelda was never released in its originally planned form. Finally, Ura Zelda was released as Master Quest for Nintendo GameCube in 2002 (Japan) and 2003 (North America and Europe). Although it is often stated that Ura Zelda and Master Quest are not the same game, Miyamoto and Aonuma confirmed this in 2002 and 2004, respectively.[69][70]

Nintendo 3DS version

Main article: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

Shigeru Miyamoto originally maintained that a version of the game for the Nintendo 3DS was merely a technical demo with the possibility of being developed into a full game,[71] but Nintendo of America announced the game in June 2010.[72] Ocarina of Time 3D was developed by Nintendo EAD in partnership with Grezzo, an independent Japanese studio headed by Koichi Ishii. The game was released in Japan on June 16, 2011, Europe on June 17, 2011, United States on June 19, 2011 and Australia on June 30, 2011 (June 24, 2011 at some stores).[73]

New features include the ability to quickly equip items using the touchscreen and to use the handheld's built in gyroscope to aim precisely in first-person point of view while using items such as the slingshot.[74] The fixed 3D is no longer present, and is made with a full 3D rendering of previously fixed 3D areas. In addition to the original game, the Master Quest is included, as well as a new "Boss Challenge" mode that allows players to fight all of the bosses one at a time, or in sequential order.[75] However, this version of Master Quest differs in the fact that the entire map is mirrored, similar to what Nintendo did for the Wii port of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.[76][77] The instructional videos are built into the 3DS version to guide the players who are lost or stuck in certain puzzles.[78]

Audio

Ocarina of Time's music was composed by Koji Kondo, the composer in charge of music for most of the games in the The Legend of Zelda series.[79] In addition to characters having musical themes, areas of Hyrule are also associated with pieces of music.[80] This has been called leitmotif in reverse—instead of music announcing an entering character, it now introduces a stationary environment as the player approaches.[81] In some locations, the music is a variation of an ocarina tune the player learns, related to that area.[81]

There is an interactive element to the design of the orchestral background music. When enemies attack, the music becomes more dire. The original soundtrack was largely retained for the Nintendo 3DS version.

Beyond providing a backdrop for the setting, music plays an integral role in gameplay. The button layout of the Nintendo 64 controller resembles the holes of the ocarinas in the game,[82] and players must learn to play several songs to complete the game. All songs are played using the five notes available on an ocarina, although by bending pitches via the analog stick, players can play additional tones.[82] Kondo said that creating distinct themes on the limited scale was a "major challenge", but feels that the end result is very natural.[79] The popularity of Ocarina of Time led to an increase in ocarina sales.[83]

Soundtrack

Main article: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (original soundtrack)

The soundtrack of Ocarina of Time was produced by Pony Canyon and released in Japan on December 18, 1998.[84] It comprises one compact disc with 82 tracks.[84] A US version was produced with fewer tracks and different packaging artwork. Many critics praised the music in Ocarina of Time, although IGN was disappointed that the traditional Zelda overworld theme was not included.[82] In 2001, three years after the initial release of Ocarina of Time, GameSpot labeled it as one of the top ten video game soundtracks.[80] The soundtrack, at the time, was not released in Europe, China/East Asia (excluding Japan) or Australia. However, in 2011, through a Club Nintendo offer, a new 51-track limited edition soundtrack for the 3DS version is available in a free mail out, to owners of the 3DS edition, in all regions, as an incentive to register the product.

Reception and legacy

Ocarina of Time was released to widespread critical acclaim and strong commercial success worldwide. Over 500,000 preorders were placed, more than tripling the number of preorders for any previous video game.[107] In 1998, it sold 2.5 million copies despite being released only 39 days before the end of the year.[108] In Japan, it sold 820,000 copies in 1998, becoming the tenth-best-selling game of that year.[14] During its lifetime, Ocarina of Time sold 1.14 million copies in Japan,[15] and 7.6 million copies worldwide.[16]

On its initial Nintendo 64 release, Ocarina of Time received perfect review scores from the majority of gaming publications that reviewed it,[85][106] including Famitsu,[90] Edge,[88] Electronic Gaming Monthly,[89] GameSpot,[92] and IGN.[82] As of January 2013, the review aggregator websites Metacritic and GameRankings respectively rank the original Nintendo 64 version as the highest and second highest reviewed game of all time, with average scores of 99/100 from Metacritic and 97.54% from GameRankings; it held the highest score on GameRankings for 10 years, when it was succeeded by Super Mario Galaxy.[85][86] The reviews praised multiple aspects of the game, particularly its level design, gameplay mechanics and sound. GameSpot reviewer Jeff Gerstmann wrote that Ocarina of Time is "a game that can't be called anything other than flawless",[92] and IGN called it "the new benchmark for interactive entertainment" that could "shape the action RPG genre for years to come".[82] GameTrailers' editors called it a "walking patent office" due to the number of features that became "industry standard".[109] After publication, Ocarina of Time was featured on a number of compiled lists of best or most influential games, including those of Electronic Gaming Monthly,[110] IGN,[104][105][111] and Nintendo Power.[106] In June 2009, it was voted as the best game ever in GameFAQs' reader poll.[103] Ocarina of Time has consistently been placed at number one in Edge magazine's "top 100 games" lists: a staff-voted list in January 2000,[100] a staff- and reader-voted list in July 2007,[101] and a list of "The 100 Best Games to Play Today" in March 2009.[102][112] In 2013, Edge magazine also held a readers' poll selecting the 20 best games launched since the magazine debut in 1993, in which Ocarina of Time was ranked first. [113] Game Informer ranked it as its 11th favourite game of all time and described it as "untouchable".[114] In May, 2011, IGN held a tournament style competition voted on by fans celebrating the 25th anniversary of the original Legend of Zelda's release, with Ocarina of Time being voted the greatest Zelda game of all time, beating Majora's Mask in the final round. It beat The Adventure of Link in Round 1, Phantom Hourglass in Round 2, and The Wind Waker in Round 3.[115]

The graphics were praised for their depth and detail, although reviewers noted they were not always the best the console had to offer. Game Revolution noted the characters' faces, the "toughest graphical challenge on 3D characters", saying that the characters' expressions and animation featured "surprising grace".[116] IGN felt that Ocarina of Time improved on the graphics of Super Mario 64, giving a larger sense of scale.[82] Impressive draw distances and large boss characters were also mentioned as graphical highlights.[82] Although excelling in the use of color and the visibility and detail of the environment, reviewers noted that some graphical elements of Ocarina of Time did not perform as well as Banjo-Kazooie,[82][89] a game released for the same platform earlier that year. IGN said that the frame rate and textures of Ocarina of Time were not as good as those of Banjo-Kazooie, particularly in the marketplace of Hyrule Castle, which was called "blurry".[82]

Gameplay was generally praised as detailed, with many side quests to occupy players' time. IGN said players would be "amazed at the detail" of the environment and the "amount of thought that went into designing it". EGM enjoyed that Nintendo was able to take the elements of the older, 2D Zelda games and "translate it all into 3D flawlessly".[89] Nintendo Power cited Ocarina of Time, along with Super Mario 64, as two games that "blazed trails" into the 3D era.[117] The context-sensitive control system was seen as one of the strongest elements of the gameplay.[82] Reviewers noted that it allowed for simpler control using fewer buttons, but that it occasionally caused the player to perform unintended actions.[12][82] The camera control was quoted as making combat "second nature",[82] although the new system took time for the player to get used to.[82][89]

The game's audio was generally well-received, with IGN comparing some of Koji Kondo's pieces to the work of Philip Glass.[82] Many atmospheric sounds and surround sound were designed to effectively immerse the player in the game world. Some reviewers complained that the audio samples used in the game sounded dated;[82] others considered this a benefit, calling them "retro".[116] Game Revolution called the sound "good for the Nintendo, but not great in the larger scheme of things" and noted that the cartridge format necessitated "MIDI tunes that range from fair to terrible".[116]

In 1998, Ocarina of Time won the Grand Prize in the Interactive Art division at the Japan Media Arts Festival.[17] It also won six honors at the 2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, including "Game of the Year", "Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Design", "Outstanding Achievement in Software Engineering", "Console Game of the Year", "Console Adventure Game of the Year" and "Console RPG of the Year".[18] The game was placed second in Official Nintendo Magazine's "100 greatest Nintendo games of all time".[118]

Reception for the Master Quest and Virtual Console re-releases were positive; while some considered aspects of the graphics and audio to be outdated,[23][119] most thought that the game has aged well. The Master Quest version holds an average score of 89.50% on GameRankings and 91/100 on Metacritic.[120][121] IGN said in their review, "Ocarina of Time has aged extremely well",[59] and noted in regard to the game's graphics, "While the textures and models look dated, the game's wonderful visual presentation stood the test of time." Game Revolution said that although the game has "noticeably aged compared to brand new RPGs [...] it's still a terrific game", awarding 91 out of 100.[122] Former GameSpot editor Jeff Gerstmann gave the Virtual Console port 8.9 out of 10, writing, "Even after nine years, Ocarina of Time holds up surprisingly well, offering a lengthy and often-amazing adventure".[25] Edge magazine commented in its 2007 "The 100 Best Games" special issue, "[Ocarina of Time] was an astonishing achievement in 1998 and, almost a decade later, still serves as the landmark for its successors and 3D adventure games in general... In a series composed of awfully big adventures, Ocarina may no longer be the prettiest, or even the biggest, but it's still the best of all."[101]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Release Information". Zelda Dungeon. 2001–2010. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  2. ^ "Release Information". IGN. 1996–2010. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  3. ^ a b "Release Information". Giant Bomb. 2010. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  4. ^ "Master Quest Release Information". IGN. 1996–2010. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  5. ^ "A Link to Zelda's Future". GameSpy Articles. IGN Entertainment, Inc. June 6, 2004. Retrieved September 15, 2010. GameSpy: My understanding is that during the last days of the creation of Ocarina of Time, Mr. Miyamoto was taken off the project. / Eiji Aonuma: It was the opposite. At the beginning of the project, his attitude was "Okay, guys, I will let you go ahead and make this game." At some point, he said, "No, no. I've got to get on here." He jumped in and took control of the direction. It was not him beginning then leaving, it was him watching and then taking over the reins. I think maybe we were moving a bit slow for him. Obviously, Mr. Miyamoto had a large passion for Ocarina of Time. He could not hold back anymore. He jumped in and started giving direction.
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  34. ^ The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Princess Zelda: You go find the other two Spiritual Stones! Let's get the Triforce before Ganondorf does, and then defeat him!
  35. ^ The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Rauru: Though you opened the Door of Time in the name of peace... Ganondorf, the Gerudo King of Thieves, used it to enter this forbidden Sacred Realm! He obtained the Triforce from the Temple of Light, and with its power, he became the King of Evil...
  36. ^ The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Rauru: The Master Sword is a sacred blade which evil ones may never touch.... Only one worthy of the title of "Hero of Time" can pull it from the Pedestal of Time.... However, you were too young to be the Hero of Time.... Therefore, your spirit was sealed here for seven years.
  37. ^ The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Sheik: If you believe the legend, you have no choice. You must look for the five temples and awaken the five Sages.... One Sage is waiting for the time of awakening in the Forest Temple. The Sage is a girl I am sure you know. Because of the evil power in the temple, she cannot hear the awakening call from the Sacred Realm...
  38. ^ The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Sheik: Seven years ago, Ganondorf, the King of Thieves, used the door you opened in the Temple of Time and entered the Sacred Realm. But when he laid his hands on the Triforce, the legend came true. The Triforce separated into three parts. Only the Triforce of Power remained in Ganondorf's hand.
  39. ^ The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Ganondorf: Someday... When this seal is broken.... That is when I will exterminate your descendants!! As long as the Triforce of Power is in my hand.... Zelda: Thank you, Link... Thanks to you, Ganondorf has been sealed inside the Evil Realm!
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Literature

  • The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time instruction booklet. USA: Nintendo. 1998. U/NUS-NZLE-USA.
  • Nintendo EAD (November 23, 1998). The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64). Nintendo.
  • Nintendo Power interview with Shigeru Miyamoto on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, November 19, 1998
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