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The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Dorito-Boy
April 13, 2010
In celebration of retro week here at Goozernation, and Goozex coming out with the new Retro games section, today we will look at what is perhaps the most popular Zelda game of all time: Ocarina of Time.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time starts off in the Kokiri forest with a tribe known as the Kokiri forest children. Link, our hero, is known as the boy without a fairy until one day a fairy named Navi awakens Link from a horrible nightmare about a princess, and an enemy, with Link standing in the rain. Link is urged by Navi to save the Great Deku Tree from a curse that has been placed on him, and afterwards Link is sent on a mission to save Hyrule from the villainous Ganondorf and his evil intentions. The story follows Link throughout his adventure as he attempts to enlist the help of several Sages who can help stop Ganondorf from conquering all of Hyrule and turning it into an evil-infested wasteland. On the way, Link meets many allies who help him in his quest.
Ocarina of Time is a triumph of great music, memorable characters and bosses, and pleasant gameplay all rolled into one brilliant package. This Zelda game, originally released in 1998, makes it to the top of many gaming charts, selling over 7 million copies, and is considered by many to be one of the greatest gaming accomplishments to date.
What makes this retro game such a memorable hit? One answer to that question is the use of music. For Link to accomplish certain tasks, such as calling Epona his horse, one must remember specific and simple melodies taught throughout the game. Beautifully crafted and yet simple melodies created by Koji Kondo, create a certain nostalgia while playing Ocarina of Time.
Another answer as to why Ocarina of Time is such an endearing success is the gameplay and character involvement. Ocarina of Time only expounded on the RPG style of character interaction, but its creators wove the story and the characters in such a way that it created just the right balance. No major side quests were really needed, and yet, this game was still satisfyingly long and fulfilling. Link met plenty of different characters, went to many places, and at the end of the day the game was very fun. Throw in some neat items and chickens--to help Link glide in the mix--and you've got yourself a pretty interesting game.
On a more skeptical note of Ocarina of Time, a negative aspect of the game is the repetitive dungeon-key-finding-sprees, which is similar to the terrors of the Water Temple. There's also the annoying owl that pops up occasionally. But other than these minor issues, Ocarina of Time doesn't have many flaws.
In the end, Ocarina of Time balanced a good story with upgradeable and achievable weapons and gear. It also included plenty of challenges and countless eccentric and lovable characters. The game was long and satisfying as players experience the progression and development of the protagonist throughout the adventures. Ocarina of Time thus creates a memorable game with great intangible value. A tangible note is that this game and those memories can be relived (or sold if you hated the Water Temple or the owl that much), for a reasonable price in the retro section at Goozex.com
