Review
Release Date: 1998
Platform:
Nintendo 64Developer:
Nintendo Co., Ltd.Publisher:
Nintendo of America, Inc.Reviewed by
Dan Bailey on 4.27.2003
| Review Rating: 10/10 | User Rating: 9.08/10 |
When it was originally released back in 1998., The Legend of Zelda the Ocarina of Time was easily one of the most anticipated titles ever. After receiving the first ever perfect score from the Japanese magazine Famitsu, and unpararelled critical acclaim from nearly every media outlet many people wondered if the final product could meet anyones lofty expectations for the title. In more then a decade of following the console gaming scene heavily, I have never witnessed a title so widely anticipated and speculated upon as this one. Over four years have passed since the game was originally released and the title has maintained its incredible respect and popularity over that time period like few games have been able to do. What separates Miyamoto's masterpiece from other games of that era is innovation, and this title is easily the most innovative and well designed game of it's era.
When the first screens of the actual title began to seep out into the public from Nintendo of Japan, the sharp and detailed look of the title amazed all who saw it. Richly detailed environments and characters promised that the first 3D Zelda title would be the sharpest looking game available up until that point. The final product was even more spectacular for its era then one could have imagined. The title boasted very smooth and fluid animation, rich environments, and did not have the fog, pop up and texture problems that plagued many releases of that era, a problem that was particularly abundant in Nintendo 64 titles. The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time broke new ground in 3D graphics, in terms of both characters and environments.
While the early screens and videos showed that Nintendo was able to create a beautiful looking Zelda title in 3D, despite the look of the title many had wondered if the classic gameplay elements that made the Zelda series what it is would be retained when the title moved to the third dimension. Skeptics of the title felt that based on the early videos of the game, that the Ocarina of Time would play more like the proverbial black sheep in the series “The Legend of Zelda: The Adventure of Link” then the original Legend of Zelda or the 16-bit classic A link to the past. It was widely believed that The Legend of Zelda was too complex of a title to properly move from 2D to 3D without sacrificing the crucial gameplay elements that are the reasons behind why the Legend of Zelda series has remained one of the most popular series in all of gaming
Zelda the ocarina of time features a very well developed gameplay engine that created standards and idea's that are still used in games to this day. The first such innovation that The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time brought to the table is the lock-on system. Miyamoto's team realized that players would have difficulty blindly stabbing enemies in a 3D world, the solution was a system to lock-on to enemies allowing the player to stay on a linear plane with the enemy they were fighting. This greatly eased the potential challenges for the player brought on by bringing the battling element of the title to 3D. By pressing the Z button, Link's constant companion Navi the fairy will fly around an enemy allowing you to lock on to the villainous creatures that inhabit the land of Hyrule.
The control in The Legend of Zelda the Ocarina of time is very smooth and requires a minimal learning curve. The analog stick controls links movements, while the C buttons allow you to switch between stored items such as the grapple, arrows or slingshot. Link is controlled via the analog stick, when Link is locked on to an enemy or object the number of possible movements Link can carry out increases. He can attack, jump, roll and other maneuvers that are impossible when Link is not in lock-on mode.
The most important part of The Legend of Zelda series to most gamers is in fact the puzzles that the game presents. And The Ocarina of time does not disappoint. Keeping the tradition of earlier games in the series the dungeons are loaded with mind teasing puzzles. Opening a door may require just looking around for a switch or an elaborate set of moves necessary to move further into the titles large and complex dungeons.
The Legend of Zelda The Ocarina of Time also boasts a relatively well developed story. While the dialog and complexity may not be like that of most role playing games, Zelda the Ocarina of time has an interesting plot complete with a well executed though somewhat obvious plot twist near the stories climax. While some may use the titles lack of character development as a knock on the title, it is not really a viable flaw, since the story and characters aren't the emphasis of the title as much as is the level design and engine of the game. If the title were more story driven and the character development stayed the same this could perhaps be a small nit-pick in the otherwise iron-clad lining of this title. However, since a further emphasis on the story is not required due to the games design, this is not really an issue.
The music in Zelda the Ocarina of time is simply put enchanting. Much of the focus of the game both in story and in presentation is in music. Link plays an ocarina to open up doors, passages, summon his trusty horse Epona and cause many other events to occur. Throughout the game Link learns songs which are used to trigger many key events throughout the adventure. By selecting and using the Ocarina, Link can play songs which by pressing the correct combinations of buttons make music, the first few notes of a song triggers Link to complete the melody. Many of the songs that Link plays are easy to remember and fun to listen to and as the title of the game would infer, mastering to use the Ocarina is an integral part of playing the game. The actual score of the game itself is also fantastic with very well written and fitting tracks for nearly every scene in the game. From dramatic music as you head out into the Overworld to eerie music of dungeons the games soundtrack fits perfectly with the environments. The only complaint about the soundtrack is the lack of classic Zelda tunes remixed from previous games in the series, The Ocarina of Time features an almost completely new score which while spectacular in and of itself, some feel should have at least included a few homages to the music in the earlier games in the series.
The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of time also keeps in place one of the series other traditions, an Overworld and then separate dungeons and towns. The games dungeons, cities, and other locations are all accessible via the overword. The overworld contains streams, and other various types of terrain that Link must pass through in his adventures. While the Overworld may not be too large it can take some time to travel from point to point, thankfully later on in the game Link can summon his mighty steed Epona, who makes adventuring through Hyrule much quicker and easier then by foot.
The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time embodies all of the fantastic qualities that made the series popular. By keeping the classic style Zelda gameplay and moving one of gaming's most cherished franchises from 2D to 3D. With the Ocarina of Time, Nintendo broke new ground and created a masterpiece that is sure to be enjoyed by gamers for years and years to come like it's predecessors have done.
