Daily Debate: Did A Link to the Past or Ocarina of Time Have a Greater Impact on the Zelda Series?

If you’ve been anywhere near Zelda-focused Twitter lately, chances are you’ve seen people participating in a two-week long celebration of the flagship Nintendo series.  The celebration comes in the form of an event created by Zelda GIF World known as “Zelda Weeks” where a certain day is set aside to honor a specific title in the franchise.

The event has me feeling loads of nostalgia and got me reflecting on the impact various Zelda games have had on the franchise over the years. There are two in particular that I believe had an out-sized role in shaping the series, without which we wouldn’t have the games we love and enjoy today. Those two games are A Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time. While both have had enormous impact on the Zelda universe, which one has had the greatest legacy?

Many of the staples fans expect to see in new installments of the franchise actually trace back to A Link to the Past. It’s the first game in which the Master Sword appears and can be drawn from its pedestal after players collect the three Pendants of Virtue (the model for the three Spiritual Stones in Ocarina of Time). It’s also the first time a dual world is introduced, in this instance the Light World and Dark World. Many games thereafter utilize this mechanic (Normal/Twilight World, Child/Adult World, World Above/Beneath the Sea, Past/Present, etc). This title also introduces the idea of the seven Sages, though in this case it’s the descendants of the Sages whereas in Ocarina of Time we get the Sages themselves.

Iconic items such as the Hookshot, Pegasus Boots, usable Bottles, and Bug Net all make first appearances in A Link to the Past too. The game is also the first to introduce the Zora as a functioning society and not merely animals. Some of the most iconic songs, such as “Zelda’s Lullaby” began here as well. Finally, though he only appears in his boar form, this is the first game in which players learn of Ganondorf the man (though only by a reference to his full name in the instruction manual — “Ganondorf Dragmire”). Even the classic “tennis match” battle style with bosses originated with the SNES classic, specifically in Link’s battles with Agahnim. Ultimately, A Link to the Past defined what top-down, two-dimensional Zelda means.

On the other hand, Ocarina of Time is also responsible for some of the most iconic elements of Zelda lore and game-play. Perhaps most significant is that the game literally defines the series timeline, splitting it into three paths as a result of Link pulling the Master Sword from its pedestal in the Temple of Time and emerging seven years later as an adult. Beyond this controversial element, the game brought the Zelda experience into a three-dimensional environment for the first time and has been the basis for nearly all 3D adventure games since, not just Zelda games. It’s design gave us Z-targeting, 3D block puzzles and dungeons, and re-imagined beloved items like the Hookshot in this new environment. Without Ocarina of Time, we also wouldn’t have had iconic characters like Epona, Sheik, Skull Kid, the entire notion of companions (Navi), and perhaps most significant, a fully fleshed Ganondorf as Link’s antagonist. It’s also the first time we meet the Gorons and Gerudo. Finally, we are gifted with the Ocarina and so many important songs that are inseparable from the Zelda series.

Tell us what you think! Did A Link to the Past or Ocarina of Time have the greater impact on the Zelda series? Whatever your view is, it will likely be difficult to see beyond the thick lenses of nostalgia; we all wear them! Share your ideas in the comments below.

Featured Image: Loboborges

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