Vimm's Lair: N64 Reviews - Legend of Zelda, The: Ocarina of Time
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Nintendo 64
Legend of Zelda, The: Ocarina of Time

Graphics:
Sound:
Gameplay:
Overall:
8.01
8.27
8.30
8.32
Votes: 91
Reviews: 3


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Reviewer: William Date: Oct 15, 2018
Ocarina of Time is renowned as a masterpiece. While everything it introduced in 1998 was revolutionary and incredible, it has also been superseded by the likes of modern RPGs and adventure games. Despite this, it stands the test of time far better than many of its competitors.

Graphics: 8
In 1998 it was revolutionary to have a game both look as good as it did here, and be playable. Ocarina of Time looked incredible when it came out, and the N64 is the margin of comparison I'm using it for. Of course, compared to today's AAA titles, Ocarina of Time looks like it could have been made by a child using only scrambled paints and their hands, but that's just what people wanted.

Sound: 9
Everything is on point. The sound effects are great, but infinitesimally insignificant when compared to the phenomenal score. Koji Kondo is known for outdoing himself constantly, and this was no exception. The ambient dungeons, the adventurous Hyrule Field and the calm motifs for each character fit perfectly, and it's only made better where some of the best tracks are brought out right at the end, making that fantastic conclusion so much more rewarding.

Gameplay: 7
If a 20fps lock still sounds appealing to you, read ahead, but if not, play at your own discretion. When considering what Ocarina would be without it, Z-targeting is a godsend; the aiming controls are so atrocious that I had to bind a mouse to the gamepad for some of the archery minigames, and it still hurt to use. The game was remade on the 3DS for a reason, so if you want to enjoy playing the game, go do that there instead.

Overall: 8
Ocarina of Time was a "masterpiece", but its age has shone a light on the technological issues that hold it back from maintaining the same reputation it used to. If you want to enjoy Ocarina of Time as a game, instead of putting yourself through pain to understand how it originally played, just go play it on the 3DS and you'll have a lot more fun.

I've played this version once, and the 3DS remake twice. The 3DS remake runs at 30fps and has gyro aiming, fixing all the control issues that make this version an arduous pain. However, the original merits itself on withholding the original vision, and the atmosphere in the final boss is far better than when redone for the remake.

 

Reviewer: Jonathan Sharrow Date: Apr 12, 2011
Who doesn't remember Ocarina of Time? It brought Legend of Zelda to the N64 and is considered by many to be one of the best games in the history of time.

Graphics: 10
At the time Ocarina had the most beautiful graphics around, and the look given to the cast of characters has inspired every Legend of Zelda game since.

Sound: 10
From the fields of Hyrule to the Temple of Time to the many other environments of the Legend of Zelda world, the environment music makes you feel the difference in every area you visit, and the music you play on the Ocarina is instantly recognizable to almost any gamer. The only mild defect is the lack of voice acting, but with music like this, who needs voices?

Gameplay: 10
Never has a game done so well with such a simple formula: Put players in a dungeon, make them search for a key to the boss room and for a weapon to kill the boss, and then repeat. But this simplicity masks one of the best games ever, with every fight and puzzle made to the perfect standard of being not too hard or easy, and being so dang fun that just about anyone that owns this game would never give it up.

Overall: 10
With the perfect blend of plot, gameplay and replayability, this game stands strong even after years of industry progression. Even today few games can be considered the equal of Ocarina of Time.

If you own an N64 then buying this game is a must do, and in fact Ocarina is the sort of game people buy a console to play. If you're a gamer and you enjoy a great game, play this.

 

Reviewer: Trevor Date: May 30, 2010
This game is awesome, I love it. I was born in 1994 so this was the middle of the SNES era and in two years the N64 would come out. And 2 years later in 1998 came this unbelievable game. This was the first game I ever played and the first game I beat. I love it. I must have played through this game's amazing story and gameplay millions of times.

Graphics: 9
This is the lowpoint in this game, yes a 9 is the lowpoint, and that is a good score. The character designs are kind of awkward but for an N64 game this one is good. It's an amazingly detailed masterpiece with all sorts of things that happen in the background.

Sound: 10
This game like every Zelda game has amazing sound. I mean it is just unbelievable. The music is heartbreakingly beautiful, the ocarina and harp sound beautiful, and you will find yourself playing the ocarina just to hear the music.

Gameplay: 10
The game displays a perfect 10 in this area too. I love this game and the gameplay is the true story. There's a great storyline, plot, and everything else. This game has a perfect system with the z targeting that allows you to fight really well.

Overall: 10
This is the closest thing to perfect that any game has ever had. I love it. My favorite Nintendo game along with ff3(snes) which I will probably review at some point. I love everything about this game. It is beautiful, the sound is amazing, the gameplay is fun and interactive featuring tons of weapons and game styles that will make memories for you. The best N64 game period. Maybe the best game of all time. This one gets a 10 out of 10.

Well, that is basically all there is to say about this one. It is awesome. This game is just awesome.