Flashback Friday - Ocarina of Time

I wrote this review with trepidation. I know this game was a huge part of my teenage years in the golden N64 era, yet due to my memory it's a blur. I remembered it was good but I couldn't remember why. I remembered the basic plot but couldn't remember the intricate details. So to be sure I delivered an honest opinion to my readers, I dove into The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to relive the adventure.

I don't think there are many people who haven't played this game but for those few who haven't, the story goes something like this. A young boy is woken from a nightmare by a fairy called Navi. Now I know what you're thinking "Fairy?" rest assured its not a kids game. Navi instructs Link (the hero of the game) to report to the great Deku tree. A short introduction dungeon later, The player is sent on an epic quest spanning the wonderful world of Hyrule.

The graphics engine was so advanced for its time. It ran on a heavily modified Super Mario 64 engine that displayed such a variety of environments. Link consisted of a high polygon model and dungeons displayed eerie Gothic artwork and design. The game featured things we take for granted these days such as a day/night cycle and an open world to explore. This was made easy to explore by including Epona, Links horse to traverse the land of Hyrule. Puzzles and enemies were a blast to tackled and aside from the infamous water level, it had a balanced learning curve.

The game didn't feature speech but did include laughs and other dialogue noises that helped immerse the player in the game. And Immerse it did (and still does) This timeless classic includes side quests and mini games that are rewarding and entertaining. Characters were fleshed out with quirky humor and well thought out animation.

The gameplay was somewhere between a hybrid of an action hack and slash and an RPG making it accessible for gamers of all skill levels. This is perhaps why it was so successful. There wasn't the worry about upgrading your character, crunching numbers and statistics. Ocarina of Time simply wanted to take you on an adventure. And what an adventure it was. The game not only spans the world of Hyrule but time itself and in order to avoid spoilers, I'll leave it at that.

So how can you enjoy this game these days? Well you could pay a premium for the N64 cartridge. Or you could spend 1000 points on both the Wii and Wii U eshop. Alternatively, you can get the 3DS remake which gives the game a fresh lick of paint while keeping the entire game in its original form.

So What's it Like?

I would say mix Mario 64 + Banjo Kazooie + JRPG story = Ocarina of Time.

Its a game well worth your hard earned money, I give it 9.8 out of 10.