Welcome to “Gaming Memories,” a blog series where I reminisce about my favorite video games. I will slowly but surely get to every game on the list, and speak to why each holds a special place in my heart. That not only means I’ll talk about why I think each is a great game that speaks to my tastes, but also where and how it affected me in a larger context. I hope you enjoy, and thanks for reading.
SPOILER WARNING: This blog contains spoilers for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
I’m not sure I’ve ever anticipated a video game release more than The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I was 12 years old, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past was already one of my favorite and most defining video game experiences, so the thought of playing Zelda in 3D on the Nintendo 64 was pretty much the most incredible thing I could imagine. In my young mind it was poised to be the ultimate video game, the medium’s defining triumph, and one that would set the standard for years and years to come. Sound unreasonable? My expectations almost certainly were.
And yet somehow, they were largely met.
It’s hard to fully capture now, over two decades later, just how impressive Ocarina of Time was in 1998. Plenty of classic video game franchises of the 1980s and early 1990s failed to make the jump to 3D successfully, and it’s not that hard to imagine a world where Zelda failed as well. But Nintendo, as they do at their best, walked that thin line between pushing forward while still crafting a quality, polished game. First and perhaps most importantly, Ocarina of Time set the standard for not only the franchise going forward, but also 3D action-adventure games at large with its intuitive controls, context-sensitive actions, and lock-on targeting; you know, “Z-targeting.” Second, it made use of its extra dimension in gameplay-relevant ways, frequently demanding the player interact with objects and enemies on all three planes. Third, it was one of the largest, most sprawling video game worlds to date (especially on consoles), and exploring it all in 3D was surreal. It may sound like hyperbole now, but Ocarina of Time formed much of the template that 3D action-adventure games would use for years and years to come: it showed the world how 3D games could control, what kind of worlds they could have, and how the player could interact with those worlds in meaningful ways. It was among the biggest technological and creative leaps I had experienced in a game at that point, and in my 12-year-old eyes, it was nothing short of magic.
While being one of the first great 3D action-adventure games is hugely important to Ocarina of Time’s legacy, it’s just as important to recognize that it was also a great Zelda game, with all that entails. The Legend of Zelda was already one of the most celebrated video game franchises, and all of the series’ beloved qualities made the transition to 3D fully intact. The sense of adventure and discovery, which permeated every corner of its large and wondrous world. The intricate and demanding puzzle box dungeons, full of clever environments that tested your spatial awareness and ingenuity. The evocative art style and visuals that stood out in its day, and the varied and iconic soundtrack that still stands out today. The progression of fun and inventive items and tools, the endearing and sometimes silly cast of characters, and the devious enemies and bosses. Ocarina of Time was not Zelda in name only: it executed the Zelda fundamentals well, fundamentals regularly placed among gaming’s best. Had any of this been lost in the transition to 3D, it may not have been worth it. But Ocarina of Time made the transition appear effortless -- even though it was likely anything but -- and for existing Zelda fans like me it was a dream come true.
Yet while Ocarina of Time can, in some ways, be viewed primarily as a successful 3D version of A Link to the Past, it had a lot of other little touches that further gave it its own identity. A few examples: it introduced a day and night cycle to the series, made musical instruments an important staple, as well as introduced everyone’s favorite horse, Epona. But for me, it was Ocarina of Time’s bigger narrative touches that distinguished it from its predecessors the most. It fleshed out the Zelda universe with new races, new characters, and new historical lore, and told an epic tale that spanned seven years. That larger scope allowed for real shifts in both the characters who had seven years to grow, as well as the world itself, which fell dramatically into ruin under Ganon’s rule. And it was all punctuated with numerous moments that remain as memorable to me as any. Stepping out of the Temple of Time as an adult, only to witness firsthand how far the world had fallen. The surprise reveal that Sheik is Zelda, and how much she had taken matters into her own hands during Link’s absence. Even the bittersweet ending, and the realization that Link could never truly have his childhood back despite stopping Ganon and saving the day. Ocarina of Time did not have the most complicated story ever told, but it was effectively told, and it was the game that made story a substantially more prominent part of Zelda going forward.
It can be a little difficult to have a measured conversation about Ocarina of Time today, in 2020. On the one hand, while it mostly holds up, it can also feel a little dated: the overworld can feel barren, the controls can be clunky, and like most games from that early 3D era, the visuals can be rough. On the other hand, for those of us who played it in 1998, it lingers in our memories as one of the most significant landmarks in the medium’s history; there’s a reason it’s still widely considered among the best, most influential video games ever made. It’s one that still resonates with me as well, and when I think back on Ocarina of Time, I can’t help but be in awe of what they pulled off. Nintendo caught lightning in a bottle, and I'm not sure I'll ever witness a leap quite like it again.
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