Ocarina of Time Give Up on It or Keep Going?

[PhantomTriforce]

I'd also strongly argue against the assertion that things have gotten better at all. Ocarina of Time offers so much that other Zelda games don't, with an atmosphere and narrative drive all its own. In what ways have Zelda games gotten better, anyway? Is being led by the nose through a series of dungeons and fetch quests better than what older games had to offer? How about an endless parade of 5-minute cutscenes that neither enrich the lore nor the shallow characters?

The ways Zelda has gotten better since Ocarina of Time:
- Better music
- Better graphics
- Better storytelling, because in my opinion, Ocarina of Time's storytelling is one of the weakest in the series
- Better gameplay (The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword offer superior gameplay to Ocarina of Time)

So in many aspects, Zelda has gotten better than Ocarina of Time. And I totally agree with winterbbytumblr. Ocarina of Time used to be special, it just is not anymore.

However, with regards to the OP, I would continue with the game like many people have said. Ocarina of Time is definitely an excellent game that you should keep playing till the end. But I am curious, on what system are you playing this on? Are you playing Ocarina of Time 3D?

 

[Seth]

The ways Zelda has gotten better since Ocarina of Time:
- Better music
- Better graphics
- Better storytelling, because in my opinion, Ocarina of Time's storytelling is one of the weakest in the series
- Better gameplay (The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword offer superior gameplay to Ocarina of Time)

So in many aspects, Zelda has gotten better than Ocarina of Time. And I totally agree with winterbbytumblr. Ocarina of Time used to be special, it just is not anymore.

However, with regards to the OP, I would continue with the game like many people have said. Ocarina of Time is definitely an excellent game that you should keep playing till the end. But I am curious, on what system are you playing this on? Are you playing Ocarina of Time 3D?

Besides graphics, I would argue against all of those assertions. Obviously OoT has aged but it absolutely is still a special game. That's not something you can just lose.

 

[Hanyou]

Besides graphics, I would argue against all of those assertions. Obviously OoT has aged but it absolutely is still a special game. That's not something you can jut lose.

Pfft, as I've said before, games don't age. People simply have different preferences, and some find it difficult to appreciate older styles.

Also, newer graphics may be better, but that hardly matters. Apart from The Wind Waker, The Minish Cap, and arguably Majora's Mask, how many games actually have a better visual style? Saying newer games have better graphics is like saying Peter Jackson's King Kong has more advanced special effects than the original. Maybe, in a sense (though King Kong was pretty damn impressive), but which movie looks better? The black and white one wins every time, so more advanced technology, in the end, means nothing in terms of artistic quality.

Music? Music is central to Ocarina of Time, and like A Link to the Past before it, it pioneered so many of the important tracks in the Zelda franchise. The newer games wouldn't be what they are without it. But moreso, I think it's very pretty and memorable while still being suitably ambitious and classy. It's hard to say which Zelda game has the best music, but it's hard to improve on something as good as OoT's music.

As for the storytelling, I think it's not only one of the strongest in the Zelda series, it's one of the most succinct and well-told hero's journey stories in gaming. It's not overwrought with exposition and overly long cutscenes, but it still has a substantial amount of material. Most of the prominent characters remain relevant throughout, and Link's growth is central to the storyline in ways only rivaled by The Wind Waker. I'd compare it to The Hobbit, Star Wars, or any other classic simple coming-of-age story. It had no pretentions, but didn't sell itself short either. I love it.

Gameplay? I won't try to argue, because it encompasses so many things. But I know the pointless restrictions of subsequent games, the slow, drawn-out portions, the lack of even pacing, has made me question whether their gameplay was consistently good at all. Ocarina of Time is reliable, polished, and consistent throughout in ways most newer Zelda games haven't managed.

 

[Shadsie]

I played the games in a weird order, too.

I *grew up on* the original Legend of Zelda and Adventure of Link. You know, things that are considered primative now. "It's dangerous to go alone! Take this!" "Pay me for the door repair." "Eyes of Ganon are everywhere." "I am Error." - I knew all of those things before they became Internet memes.

Then I didn't get new gaming systems or an interest in gaming for a long time. I played A Link to the Past on my guy's used console 10-15 years after its release and didn't get *intersted* in Zelda until I played a bit of a friend's Twilight Princess and I was given an unexpected birthday gift of a GameCube and TP. Then, I was off like a rocket...

Consequently, having played Twilight Princess before I played Ocarina of Time... I like it better. I still do. This makes me something of a "heretic" on this board, but I make up for it by my amazing writing abilities or something. I do *love* OoT, it's just... yeah, it's not my absolute fave. Seeing as I'd seen so much hype surrounding the game, I was *dissapointed* that it *didn't* supplant TP as my favorite! I was expecting some kind of magical thing to happen to my heart since so many love the game so much! At present, my favorite Zelda games are tied between Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword.

I think most of the "hype" you are seeing surrounding OoT comes from nostalgia, actually. As said before, it was the first 3D Zelda, one of the first 3D style videogames (that wasn't vector/monochrome. I can show you some old Atari 2600 stuff that tried to simulate three dimensons...) A lot of people here are of the age where OoT WAS their childhood in the same way that Super Mario Bros. 3 and the original Zelda and even the Atari 2600 were mine. Ocarina of Time was the first game many folks played that featured a world that felt "real" and a complex epic fantasy storyline. Oot was a "save the princess" game, but it was so much more layered than that, as you'll see if you play on through Jabu-Jabu and get to the "Second Stage" of the game.

As far as I'm concerned, the storyline isn't as layered and the characters are not as complex as Twilight Princess, or Wind Waker, or Skyward Sword, but Ocarina of Time is definitely the basis for them all and it has some mighty fine twists and some fun mini games to open up and wonderful places to explore. One of the latter-stage temples (the Shadow Temple) is my *favorite* of the ENTIRE series. (I find that it's some people's least favorite - I do have a bit of darkness fetish).

I'd say press on and at see some of the second stage. If by the time you fight the fire-dragonn with the big hammer you just aren't feeling it, then feel free to give up because the Water Temple is a frustrating mess that's not worth pressing through if you aren't genuinely enjoying the story.

 

[Hanyou]

I think most of the "hype" you are seeing surrounding OoT comes from nostalgia, actually. As said before, it was the first 3D Zelda, one of the first 3D style videogames (that wasn't vector/monochrome. I can show you some old Atari 2600 stuff that tried to simulate three dimensons...) A lot of people here are of the age where OoT WAS their childhood in the same way that Super Mario Bros. 3 and the original Zelda and even the Atari 2600 were mine. Ocarina of Time was the first game many folks played that featured a world that felt "real" and a complex epic fantasy storyline. Oot was a "save the princess" game, but it was so much more layered than that, as you'll see if you play on through Jabu-Jabu and get to the "Second Stage" of the game.

As I said before, how could you possibly know that that's the reason people hold it as their favorite Zelda game? It's my favorite game of all time, but I'd played plenty of games I loved before it. And again, as I said earlier, I'd played plenty of Mario games before Galaxy, one of which I still hold as a pivotal moment of my childhood (64), but Galaxy is my favorite Mario game. Obviously, I'm not that shallow, and I'm willing to bet most other people aren't.

Ocarina is something special. The nostalgia goggles argument simply doesn't work. I also find it odd that it's used against people who prefer older media...but you could just as well argue that people who played it later simply don't appreciate it because they lack perspective or are only partial to newer things. Obviously, that argument can't be made about you, but that's precisely why you can't chalk up anyone's preference for Ocarina to nostalgia unless they tell you that's the case. I guarantee you people's chief reasons for preferring it or any other Zelda game are not that simplistic.

 

[Shadsie]

Geeze, Hanyou, defensive much?

Of course nostalgia doesn't explain everyone who loves it loving it. If that were the case, my very favorite Zelda would be the original "Legend of Zelda" and it's not. I just think that nostalgia is a reason why many fans find it extra-special, to the point that newer games just don't live up for them. I don't think I ever said that it's the *only* reason.

Something has to be good to stand the test of time for people, even with the nostalgia-goggles on. I can talk up and down about how awesome "She-Ra: Princess of Power" was because I loved it when I was small. However, since the Internet has given me the ability to look it up/ download/ watch clips on Youtube, well... I still actually like it because of the nostalgia goggles, but a lot of me is going "Ew!" and cringing at the stilted animation and cheesey, cheesey puns and lines. My goodness! Animation writers have gotten so much better at giving us good villains. The stupid stuff I liked as a kid doesn't stand up to more recent offerings. I feel a bit of nostalgia for "Batman: The Animated Series," too, but unlike "She-Ra," I can go back to watching it and say it's *actually, objectively* GOOD.

OoT is like that. It's a GOOD game. I just think that the nostalgia really adds to it for some - and for some people, it's even to the point where they aren't willing to give newer games a fair shake because they want everything to give them that magic feeling that their first play of OoT did rather than taking the games on their own terms. Eh, it could even be something on my end: I put something up on my blog here - a rant about Zelda-hype. I think that I enjoyed TP and SS as much as I did because I either wasn't around for or actively avoided the rumors. However, when I came into Zelda fandom and heard people yelping about how OoT is the "Best Thing Ever!" and going on about the hype (and, well, having known the spoilers heard 'round the world already), I enjoyed it, but not as much as I had hoped I would.

I was the same way with Majora's Mask. Seriously, that game had everything I like in fiction -- including the Apocalypse. Then its save system annoyed me to the point I've only ever completed it once. I know I *should* like it more than I do and I'm dissapointed in that.

 

[bspurka]

Honestly, if you keep going it is worth it, it is one of the best if not the best Zelda game ever made. But you can be the judge of that in your own opinion.

 

[PhantomTriforce]

Besides graphics, I would argue against all of those assertions. Obviously OoT has aged but it absolutely is still a special game. That's not something you can just lose.

Unless you can tell me how and why you would argue against my points, then it can be something you just lose.

Pfft, as I've said before, games don't age. People simply have different preferences, and some find it difficult to appreciate older styles.

Also, newer graphics may be better, but that hardly matters. Apart from The Wind Waker, The Minish Cap, and arguably Majora's Mask, how many games actually have a better visual style? Saying newer games have better graphics is like saying Peter Jackson's King Kong has more advanced special effects than the original. Maybe, in a sense (though King Kong was pretty damn impressive), but which movie looks better? The black and white one wins every time, so more advanced technology, in the end, means nothing in terms of artistic quality.

Music? Music is central to Ocarina of Time, and like A Link to the Past before it, it pioneered so many of the important tracks in the Zelda franchise. The newer games wouldn't be what they are without it. But moreso, I think it's very pretty and memorable while still being suitably ambitious and classy. It's hard to say which Zelda game has the best music, but it's hard to improve on something as good as OoT's music.

As for the storytelling, I think it's not only one of the strongest in the Zelda series, it's one of the most succinct and well-told hero's journey stories in gaming. It's not overwrought with exposition and overly long cutscenes, but it still has a substantial amount of material. Most of the prominent characters remain relevant throughout, and Link's growth is central to the storyline in ways only rivaled by The Wind Waker. I'd compare it to The Hobbit, Star Wars, or any other classic simple coming-of-age story. It had no pretentions, but didn't sell itself short either. I love it.

Gameplay? I won't try to argue, because it encompasses so many things. But I know the pointless restrictions of subsequent games, the slow, drawn-out portions, the lack of even pacing, has made me question whether their gameplay was consistently good at all. Ocarina of Time is reliable, polished, and consistent throughout in ways most newer Zelda games haven't managed.

You have your reasons, and I have mine. Your argument for Ocarina of Time seems to be very biased because you feel it is a special game. I feel it is a special game too, but I realize that it is time for the spotlight to be taken off Ocarina of Time.

In terms of graphics, all console Zelda games have better graphics undeniably. It's just the truth. True, it doesn't matter much, but I was stating this because you said "In what ways have Zelda games gotten better, anyway?".

For your music point, I can see where you are coming from. I just feel that the music from games like the Wind Waker and Spirit Tracks is more memorable than Ocarina of Time's music.

I disagree very much with your statement on storytelling though. Let's look at A Link to the Past's story. Evil dude kills the king and kidnaps the princess. Link has to go get the Master Sword. Plot twist - there is the Dark World. No plot development till the end. Another plot twist - Ganon is Agahnim. Ganon dies. Now Ocarina of Time's. There is an evil dude, but he hasn't done anything evil yet. But since Zelda has a hunch, Link goes to get the Master Sword. Plot twist - Link is an adult now. Evil dude kills the king, the princess escapes but eventually gets kidnapped. No plot development till the end. Another plot twist - Sheik is Zelda. Ganon gets sealed. The plots are very, very similar, especially in the latter bulk of the game. Many fans have already seen this story, and the storytelling didn't differ from A Link to the Past's. Other Zelda games carry this story too, but their storytelling is changed and improved.

As for gameplay, fine, I don't have any objections to your opinion. I just think that no Zelda game really has trouble with its pacing, barring Skyward Sword.

Remember - I still think that Ocarina of Time is a very special and fantastic game, it's just time for it to more out of the spotlight.

 

[Shadsie]

Just to get back on topic...

Guy... only press on in Ocarina of Time if you want to, it's your life and your gaming time, but here are some things you have to look forward to if you keep on going:

Fighting ghosts in a twisted mansion!

Beating up on a giant dragon with a giant hammer!

The most frustrating dungeon in all of gaming which will give you *bragging rights* if you complete it. Ooh, it feels good to accomplishh it! Also, see fish-girl become sexy.

Confusing the hell out of a musician and doing other loopy-screwy things with Time!

Dodging guillotines in a temple of the dead!

Riding your horse (or just walking through, if you don't get the horse) through a gorgeous desert with the most awesome background music evah! (Seriously, get the horse. The music runs in time to her hoofbeats).

And the most awesome muliti-stage boss battle evah! (I really do think the final Ganon battle was at its best in this game). --- The only boss battles I think I've ever found cooler are the Colossi in Shadow of the Colossus which isn't even Zelda.

 

[TrueChaos]

As you're only in Jabu Jabu, keep going. There's SO much great stuff to come. Plus Barinade (the boss of Jabu Jabu) is one of my favourite bosses in the game

 

[misskitten]

OoT definitely improves once you reach adulthood and even more once you can travel back and forth between child and adult and you get to enjoy both worlds. Some of my favorite bits in adulthood outside of the temples are getting Epona and rescuing the workers from the Gerudo tribe. In childhood, it's fun to figure out who to sell all the masks to. So I definitely recommend going back to OoT after you finish playing MM (which is a lot of fun due to the masks all having some form of power) - at least make it to adulthood and try that out before you fully decide whether or not you like the game. If it doesn't improve for you after reaching adulthood and doing some exploration (certain areas that aren't available as a kid are available as an adult) - then at least then you can say for sure it isn't a game for you.

 

[cherold]

I'm playing the GameCube version on my Wii.

The ways Zelda has gotten better since Ocarina of Time:

However, with regards to the OP, I would continue with the game like many people have said. Ocarina of Time is definitely an excellent game that you should keep playing till the end. But I am curious, on what system are you playing this on? Are you playing Ocarina of Time 3D?

 

[The Jade Fist]

Keep going, its easily the most epic Zelda ever made, from all the semi love interest to the showdown with Ganon at the end. The games pace really picks up after the third dungeon, and you get alot more freedom.

And if you find it not fun enough, you could just do a 3 heart run, and then the first time you fight some of these bosses like a dragon and such will really be exciting, and keep you on edge.

The ways Zelda has gotten better since Ocarina of Time:
- Better music
- Better graphics
- Better storytelling, because in my opinion, Ocarina of Time's storytelling is one of the weakest in the series
- Better gameplay (The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword offer superior gameplay to Ocarina of Time)

So in many aspects, Zelda has gotten better than Ocarina of Time. And I totally agree with winterbbytumblr. Ocarina of Time used to be special, it just is not anymore.

However, with regards to the OP, I would continue with the game like many people have said. Ocarina of Time is definitely an excellent game that you should keep playing till the end. But I am curious, on what system are you playing this on? Are you playing Ocarina of Time 3D?

Graphics are omitable when really judging an older game to newer ones.
Better Gameplay is arguable, I liked the hack and slash , and just how smooth the game engine was, something that has definitely gotten worse with time.
And story telling, still, pretty good for its day, and console limitations. If they wanted to do much more story telling it would have taken walls of text or real voice acting. And the story was told pretty good , it wasn't overly long and drawn out, it wasn't as simple was walk to point B, it was quite well put together as whole, now its not as in depth as majora's masks world, but, the main story itself, being the cliche' save the princess and the world was done in such a way, that it just gave that overwhelming beowulf sensation at the end, that as has since yet to matched in the series.

 

[Lord Carlisle]

After the first reply I thought, maybe I'll check out the other Zelda game I have, Majora's Mask. It's phenomenal so far. It's the first Zelda game I've ever played that is immediately exciting, and a few hours in I absolutely love it. Since a lot of people suggest things will open up a lot after the fish section I probably will go back and try some more of OoT at some point, but for now it's MM all the way.

The reason for that is because MM is among the most original Zelda games. Somebody here, I think it was Ventus, mentioned that the current Zelda games all try to mimic OOT. IT's true. MM is great because it's so different.

...GOD, I hope the Wii U Zelda will stand on its own like MM!

 

[Night Owl]

OoT does get a little bit better after you draw the Master Sword, But if you want to put it down that is fine.

The best bet is to try to enjoy it for what it is. Forget the hype, It does not live up to the hype surrounding it... at least for me it doesn't anyway.