Ocarina of Time

YES!!! It’s time to take a look at Nabooru! I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while now, partly because her presentation as a character is the same as those of past Sages, but done differently, which I really liked, but also because of her promise, which I’m really looking forward to hearing your theories, because there are infinite possibilities, some realistic, others being completely off the wall. With that said, I can’t see any reason why we shouldn’t just get straight into this, so come on, let us find out what makes Nabooru such a unique character.

Read more…

Did You Know Gaming brings us more facts from our favorite video game series that we might not have known about. You might be aware that Ocarina of Time began life as a vastly different project than what we ended up getting. The world was originally accessed similarly to Super Mario 64, Octoroks roamed on land, etc. But this Twitter post from Did You Know Gaming brings something new to light. Hit the jump to see what it is!

Read more…

In Ocarina of Time, Impa is the nursemaid of the young Princess Zelda. She is a Sheikah, and a key member of the race, having founded Kakariko Village. In the relatively recent Hyrulean Civil War, the Sheikah were almost brought to extinction, and Impa is now one of the last members of the race. When she left Kakariko to protect Princess Zelda, she left the village to the other races of Hyrule. After helping Link as a child, she is awakened as a Sage seven years later. The history of the Sheikah is very mysterious, as is the recent history of the race and how it may or may not have impacted Impa’s choices. Let us now examine Impa and the presence of the Sheikah in this era of Hyrule.

Read more…

Today’s Zelda Fanart Spotlight is on deviantART artist Desiree-M‘s Ocarina of Time fanart “Approaching Death Mountain“. In his search for the Sacred Stones, Link finds himself journeying to Death Mountain to visit the people who hold the next stone he must obtain, the Gorons. This picture shows him journeying across the rocky landscape in order to reach the place where the Gorons live. Navi is following behind him while watching out for potential threats that he might come across during his journey. In the background, Death Mountain can be seen with steam coming out of it’s top due to the boiling lava that is in it.

Now Link is on to the next step in his journey to saving Hyrule…

Read more…

Ever wanted to live in Hyrule Castle? Of course you have, who are you kidding? Well, ever wonder what its property value is? No? Well you can probably be forgiven for that. Not many would think of something like that, but Natalie Grigson of the real estate blog Movoto did. Jump over the moat and crawl through the delivery area to see what they had to say about Hyrule Castle from Ocarina of Time!
Read more…

Princess Ruto is the princess of the Zoras in Ocarina of Time. Initially coming off as a rude and selfish child, we soon learn that she is actually kind… or, at least, she’s kind to Link after she falls in love with him after he saves her from the parasite within Lord Jabu-Jabu. When we meet up with her again in seven years, she is trying to banish the evil at the heart of the Water Temple to unfreeze Zora’s Domain. There is another little thing about her that’s a bit iffy, but that’s a surprise! With that in mind, dive right on in if you wish to know who Princess Ruto really is.

Read more…

There are many species in the Zelda series which have unknown methods of reproduction. Three of these species have picked at my curiosity in particular, the Gorons, the Deku race, and the Kokiri. There are many theories as to how Gorons reproduce, and none for the Deku race or the Kokiri. I shall go through these theories, suggest my own, and at the end, you can tell me the races in the Zelda series which you have always wondered about, and your ideas. Sound like a good idea? Good. Let’s go!

Read more…

Hey Zelda fans and welcome to this next segment of Timeshift Thursday! Usually, these features are set aside to explore different areas in our hallowed series yet today, and in the next few weeks, I’ll be mixing up the content a little. I’d like to use the next couple of weeks or so to focus on some of the Zelda series’ greatest battle scenarios and explore the reasons as to why they gave us such a memorable, emotional, and unforgettable experience. Link truly engages in some fierce combat while on one of his Hyrule-rescuing adventures and I thought it would be a great opportunity to reminisce on some of the most enterprising fights from the series.

Today we will be taking a good look at my favourite boss battle bringing back the epic greatness from my younger years! Being a favourite Zelda title for so many fans by bringing back the childhood memories, Ocarina of Time displayed an epic story revolving around the proper 3D environment of Hyrule and the main characters, Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf. Yet it was the final battle between Link and Ganon which provided that dark atmospheric sensation every Zelda game’s end needs to have!

Would you like to read about Ocarina of Time’s final battle between Link and Ganon? If so, click the jump and keep reading!

Read more…

By now, most of us are probably pretty familiar with Ura Zelda. Originally designed and planned as an expansion for Ocarina of Time alongside Zelda Gaiden, this game was going to include new, alternate, and more difficult dungeons and would be released on the Nintendo 64 disk drive. It was eventually cancelled and only surfaced partially in Ocarina of Time Master Quest while its brother Gaiden evolved into Majora’s Mask.

For years now, a fan project was in the works to bring Ura Zelda back for Zelda fans everywhere. The project was based on what little information was known about the game combined with elements of Majora’s Mask, Master Quest, and the project creators’ own input. Unfortunately, it was recently announced that the project was cancelled. Jump inside to see a video about the project as well as some more information on it.

Read more…

This time around, YouTubers Mklachu and Jparecki95  aren’t just horsing around, together the both of them have collaborated to create a truly epic Horse Race cover from Ocarina of Time. Featuring a violin and electric guitar along with some horse masks, this jamming duo even switches off into some amazing solos. And to top it off, they even made their cover into a free mp3 download, perhaps you might be more pumped  the next time you try to win Epona back from Ingo.

Jump in to check it out!
Read more…

Let’s begin with a quick reminder that these “Why [x game] is the Worst Zelda” editorials are not written from the perspective of my own opinions, but instead cobbled together based on opinions and direct quotes found both in the comments on these editorials as well as the forums. The purpose of this series is not to show that any particular game is actually better or worse than any other, but instead to show that each of us has a radically different opinion on what makes Zelda “Zelda”, which then biases us towards and against completely different games than the next Zelda fan. Person A might love Twlight Princess because it has “realistic graphics” and a darker art style and dislike The Wind Waker for being cartoon-y and brightly colored, but Person B might feel the exact opposite and dislike Twilight Princess for its dark color palette and love The Wind Waker for its unique style. So there’s no such thing as “the worst Zelda” or even “the best Zelda” because there is no consensus.

Also, it should be pointed out that even “the worst Zelda game” is by and large infinitely better than most other video games out there; I don’t think any of us would say that even “the worst” Zelda game is “bad”.

But this particular editorial is meant to show why it is that a seemingly growing minority feel as if Ocarina of Time is the worst Zelda game.

Read more…

As Zelda fans, we have undoubtedly been subject to the greatest variety in art style and graphics in a single video game series. We’ve seen 2D, cel-shaded, 3D, 2D cel-shaded, realistic, impressionistic, and variations of those listed. People always have very different opinions on which one is the best and why. So that’s what I’m here to discuss. I shall explain each art style or graphics implemented by each game, and then you can simply pick which one is your favorite. Don’t let your opinion go unheard!

Read more…

Darunia is the patriarch of the Gorons in Ocarina of Time, and after getting through several major situations, he finds that he is the Sage of Fire. As the leader of the Gorons, Darunia is forced to make a couple of difficult decisions, but thanks to interventions from Link, the Gorons pull through. Now, let me dive deeper as I put Darunia under my magnifying glass.

Read more…

Picking up where we left off, today I will be finishing the first main set of Overworld Themes for this series: the Exploration themes. Previously in this series, I covered The Legend of Zelda, Adventure of Link, A Link to the Past, Twilight Princess, Link’s Awakening, and the Oracle games. Out of my list of games with “exploration” overworlds this leaves just two remaining: Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask.

Now, by all matters of logic I should have included Majora’s Mask‘s overworld theme when I discussed songs that borrowed from and reused the original Zelda theme. Still, there remains some method to my madness; I intentionally held onto it until this week so I could look at it alongside Ocarina of Time. With that said, read on to see what I have to say about these two excellent games’s overworld themes!

Read more…

Nudity, whether it be partial or brief, is not uncommon in the Zelda series. When nudity is depicted in a Zelda game, it is never overly explicit, thus, the ratings on any one game are not higher than they are. Though it is definitely present in the series, and it is not a new aspect, beginning as early as Link’s Awakening. This can be a somewhat controversial topic, as people all have very different ideas on what nudity adds or takes from the Zelda series, whether or not it is necessary, and if it should be continued in future games or not. Various aspects and depictions of nudity will be utilised as I further discuss the positives and negatives of nudity in the Zelda franchise.

Read more…

Well, now that I’ve finished taking a look at the major main characters, I’m putting the minor main characters, the Sages, under my magnifying glass. In order of appearance in Ocarina of Time, I’m starting with Saria, as there’s not terribly much to look at with Rauru. We only get brief amounts of time with Saria, but from these moments we can deduce many things about her, such as her relationships with Link and Mido, her place among the Kokiri, and her role in the future of the kingdom. These all depend on the type of person she is, and affect the choices she make, however minor or major they may be. Let us now poke at the various aspects of Saria.

Read more…

Hi, and welcome to the latest segment of Timeshift Thursday where I take you back to some of my favorite Zelda areas! It’s great to have you join me again and hopefully the topic this week is in your best interests. Ocarina of Time is back on the agenda as we look at a beautiful part of its glorious overworld and discover the race who inhabit its region.

Ocarina of Time was such a memorable game; especially for those who were introduced to the Legend of Zelda because of its stunning world of Hyrule, introduction of peculiar tribes, beautifully captivating story, and the immerse 3D environment it portrays. The most praised video game title, unfortunately, has cursed every Zelda game since to ultimate failure and disregard no matter how hard Nintendo tries to give us a nostalgic feeling about it. Hopefully brand new Zelda Wii U and 3DS titles agree with people’s expectations although the standard is, as mentioned, set quite high. Anyway, let this week’s feature roll!

Today, we’ll be taking a breathtaking look at Zora’s Domain from Ocarina of Time! This indoor water center hosts a group of fish-natured beings called Zoras and they happen to intertwine with Link’s quest in a very important way. Click the jump below and let’s take a good look at the glorious Zora’s Domain!

Read more…

Each Zelda tale is rich in puzzles, enemies, and overall solid gameplay. However, I have recently realized that my favorite Zelda games tell (what I perceive to be) the best stories in the lore. Maybe the writer in me makes me bias to liking one Zelda game over another based purely on this factor. It’s tough to justify this; video games should be enjoyable based mostly on how much fun you have actually playing the game. Stories are important, for sure, but I would argue that the most important aspect of any game is an enjoyable gameplay experience, story coming second or third. Some of my all-time favorite video games tell barely any story at all: TMNT: Turtles in Time, Super Mario Bros. 3, Donkey Kong Country, etc. But Zelda is different. I’ve always enjoyed writing and found storytelling fascinating; Examining everyday people handling larger-than-life problems. The Zelda series has, time and time again, excellently recycled the story of an average boy stepping up, embracing a daunting destiny, and saving the world. Hit the jump to see which Zelda games I feel have best told the tales of our favorite hero (in order of release).

Read more…

Hey! Listen! It’s time to dissect Navi! I’m sure many of you have dreamed of cutting up this lovable irritant from Ocarina of Time, but now it’s my turn! Navi is the blue fairy that accompanies Link on his adventure across Hyrule and through time itself… but never stops to help out. Many-a player have deemed Navi as annoying, though when I first played Ocarina of Time 3D, the only problem that I had with her was that she never helped, and felt only that she talked a lot. So, without further ado, let’s see why Navi finds it necessary to talk as much as she does.

Read more…

Hello everybody, and welcome back! Today on Windmill Hut, we have an extremely talented man that goes by the name Smooth McGroove.  You may remember a specific post I did a couple weeks ago that featured this guy’s Wind Waker “Over World Theme” video, and due to all the positive comments that post received, I thought I would show you some more of his musical genius available on his YouTube channel.  Now just a quick note, even though I’m only featuring his Zelda-related videos, he has plenty of other great video game covers that I fully recommend you check out, such as his Mega Man X ”Spark Mandrill” cover, so please go listen to those as well.

Jump inside for more!

Read more…

YouTube dynamic duo AttackingTucans and JoshJepson have recently added a Zelda game to their new VERSUS channel. They plan to face off against each other in a race through time, Ocarina of Time that is! Originally, JoshJepson and AttackingTucans hosted individual channels with websiodes containing similar content until recently when they decided to combine forces on February 2nd 2013.

Currently they are on a mission to outrun each other by competing temple to temple, collecting weapons, skulltulas, maps, masks, side quests, minigames, compasses and of course the spiritual stones and sage medallions. Defeat or victory is decided when only one walks into the blue light of warping at the end of each race. Currently they are 3 to 1, but who is winning?

Hit the jump below to find out what these guys are playing at!?

Read more…

In almost every Zelda game since Ocarina of Time, Link has fought side by side with an invaluable partner, who grows with him and provides him with special abilities. In a way, each partner is really the protagonist of their respective game. The impact we feel from Link’s transformation from average boy to fabled hero falls a little short. Sure, Link grows in spirit and power dramatically by the end of each of his adventures, but his personality rarely goes through much of a metamorphosis. From beginning to end, he is kind, brave, bold, unflappable, athletic, and naturally gifted as a fighter. An effective protagonist needs a little more depth. And that’s exactly what we get from many of his sidekicks. Before we pick our favorites, let’s look back at the many companions that have aided Link on his adventures. (WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD)

Read more…

Hello and welcome to another edition of the Fanart Spotlight. This week we are taking a look at some gorgeous models by Swedish artist Linda. Her speciality is creating spiders that look real enough to scare any arachnophobe. She creates hand made models from super sculpey, using wires and foil for the skeleton, and painting the sculpey with acrylics. For added effect she also uses features to simulate fuzz which gives the model an added sense of realism.

Read more…

Almost every individual who considers themselves a “gamer” and has half-decent taste expresses a great respect towards Ocarina of Time or just Zelda in general.  And why shouldn’t they?  Ocarina of Time is arguably the best Zelda game to date.  Also, Ocarina of Time was a pinnacle in gaming history, marking the beginning of 3D graphics and gameplay.  So with that said, it comes with no surprise that Miyamoto had the most fun creating this wonderful N64 masterpiece that will go down in gaming history.

Jump inside for more!

Read more…

One of my favorite moments in Ocarina of Time was this sequence. When you visit Kakariko Village after completing the Water Temple, you’ll find the village on fire and Sheik standing by the well. He warns Link to get back, before a creepy immaterial force comes out of the well and subdues both Link and Sheik. After which, Sheik explains that this “evil shadow spirit” has been released, and Impa has gone to seal it in the Shadow Temple but will be in danger without you. He then teaches you the Nocturne of Shadow so you can teleport to the temple behind Kakariko Graveyard.

That means that this entire sequence is just the Shadow Temple’s extended version of one of the Link/Sheik jam sessions for learning the warp songs… but man, is it ever extended! Perhaps it’s partially because of bias that I say this, but this is my favorite of all the Sheik scenes by far (I’m a beast; of course I gotta love a good old fashioned Phantom Shadow Beast). But it’s not just because of Bongo Bongo that I like it. Look, I’m not knocking any of the jam session scenes when I say this — because they’re all wonderful and Sheik is a cool character through and through — but I love this sequence for how much more it piles onto the interactions between these two characters.

Read more…

Princess Zelda is the eponymous character of the Zelda series, but as we all should know, not the main, playable character. The stereotypical idea of Princess Zelda from the community outside Zelda fandom, and unfortunately, often within the Zelda fandom as well, is that she gets captured and Link has to go and save her. This usually isn’t correct though, particularly in the case of the Princess Zelda of Ocarina of Time. She escapes capture and remains hidden for seven long years, while she awaits Link’s return to save Hyrule. But why? Is she better off waiting for seven years? Is there anything she could have done in Link’s absence? If so, why didn’t she do it? These questions and more shall be answered as we delve deeper into the mechanics of Princess Zelda’s mentality in Ocarina of Time.

Read more…

Howdy, and welcome to the next segment of my weekly Timeshift Thursday feature! Most long-time Zelda fans usually have childhood memories either remembering the original NES self-titled adventure or Ocarina of Time as their first played game in the critically-acclaimed series. I fall under the latter category as my Ice Blue N64 regularly loaded up that special limited edition gold cartridge delivering the entertainment and fun I had drifting away form the real world into the land of Hyrule. Sometimes, I wish I could head back in time and do it all again; that would be such a privilege! Thankfully, with the powerful Nintendo 3DS handheld, I can now take the magnificent Ocarina of Time anywhere I want to and enjoy the beautiful stereoscopic 3D I love so much.

Today, I’d like to take you to the beautiful Gerudo Valley and its mysterious fortress which features prominently near the end of Ocarina of Time and houses one of the greatest Zelda compositions ever created in the series. There’s plenty to discover about this stunning area included in the land of Hyrule so hit the jump below if you’d like to learn more!

Read more…

Zelda-themed music albums are usually a delight to listen to and this uniquely created composition work is worth taking a look at. Converging Ocarina of Time Zelda melody with popular rap artists, producer Team Teamwork turns this album, The Ocarina of Rhyme, into a never-heard-before music experience. Even if you’re not a big fan of hip hop conversing with Zelda be sure to check this out as it is quite a good listen; the production work is brilliant!

You can take a listen to the full 34 minute album after the jump!

Read more…

Now, as we all know (hopefully): Link is the protagonist in every canonical Zelda game there is, and on the rare occasion, he is depicted as something of a tragic hero. But none of us really know who he actually is. To know this, we would have to know his motives, his desires, and his ideas about the world and everything in it. Due to being the playable character, the player controls Link and even has the choice of his name in most of the games. In Ocarina of Time, Link (under the control of the player) simply goes through the world overcoming obstacles to defeat Ganondorf and save the world. Due to this, if Ocarina of Time was a novel or a film, Link would serve as the introduction to the land of Hyrule, and would need to have his own personality, his own motives, his own desires, and ideas about the world. The manga gives us a good idea of Link and everything about him. However, the manga is not considered canon. But aspects of his personality in the manga shall be utilized, as well as in-game prompts that send Link on his grand adventure, to figure out exactly what makes the Link of Ocarina of Time tick.

Read more…

Advertising is everywhere. An average walk down the street typically yields at least a dozen or two advertisements begging people to walk into X store and buy Y item. Having seen most everyday items get pitched to us a million ways, sometimes we have to wonder just how some of our favorite video games would advertise items. There are occasionally examples to be found in the games themselves, but they are not always easy to see.

Enter graphic designer Steph Chow. Having been inspired to pursue art by the video games she grew up with, Chow elected to return the favor by paying tribute to those games. The result? A lineup of clever and well-designed advertising posters for numerous iconic items from Zelda and other series. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to have Heart Pieces and Magic Beans marketed to you by posters, make the jump to check out Steph Chow’s work!

Read more…

Today’s Zelda Fanart Spotlight is on deviantART artist gabirotcho‘s Ocarina of Time fanart “Hyrule -TLoZ Ocarina of Time“. In this fanart it shows the entire layout of Hyrule during its existence in Ocarina of Time. Just about every location that is seen in the game is located on this picture: Hyrule Castle and Castle Town, Death Mountain, Lake Hylia, Kokiri Forest, Gerudo Valley, Lon Lon Ranch, and Kakariko Village are some examples of what can be seen. Another thing that is quite interesting to see is that of the Hero of Time that can be found towards the bottom center of the picture. He is overlooking the land with his trusty steed, Epona. Perhaps he is reminiscing on all the adventures he had while he traveled all the areas in this legendary land in his quest to save it from the one who wanted to destroy it.

Either way I think it’s best that I just stop talking and let you look at it yourself.

Read more…

Many people consider Ocarina of Time to be not only the best game of the Zelda franchise, but also the best game of all time! With the announcement of a new Zelda game to be released on the Wii U comes high expectations and pressure to find out which direction Nintendo plans to go next. GenGAME writer, Alex Plant, goes into greater detail about features from the Zelda franchise that belong in the new Wii U title by covering games individually in an ongoing series.

In this article he writes how some of those expectations can be met by exploring strengths held sacred in Ocarina of Time, beginning with how the game possesses a triforce of these three essential elements making a near-flawless balance: Gameplay, Content and Story.

Read more…

There seems to be an uprise in popularity for a cappella and, well, singing in general these days. With movies like Pitch Perfect and shows such as Glee and Smash, it was only a matter of time before the singing infection hit the Zelda franchise. Jump in and feast your ears upon the latest in Zelda fandom: “Song of Storms A Cappella.”

Read more…

I don’t remember a lot about the Wind Waker and that’s probably because I’ve only played it once. That being said, there was at least one special area I shan’t ever forgot on my first playthrough of this stunning gem. This area is the reason why I want to give the Wind Waker another shot and in doing so learn a lot about the different tribes and regions which remained after the flooding of Hyrule which occurred in the past after the events of Ocarina of Time. So, today I’d like us to use a timeshift stone to travel back and take a detailed look at the thoughts and theories revolving around the visually impressive Dragon Roost Island!

Read more…

With The Wind Waker Wii U on the horizon, Nintendo certainly has Zelda fans wondering about how many other favorite games in the series would look in HD or with updated graphical styles. While we have already seen Ocarina of Time in better detail thanks to the 3DS, Redditor maxenizer has given us a glimpse of how the game could have looked on Wii U with a more detailed style. Maxenizer’s awesome render depicts the Hero of Time’s finding of the Master Sword from Link’s point of view. Jump in to see this incredible work of computer art!

Read more…