The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the fifth game in the Legend of Zelda series; it's preceded by The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening and followed by The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Ocarina of Time was praised by critics and players alike for it's intuitive storyline and time travel mechanics and it's 3D graphical style, which was new technology at the time. Like previous Zelda titles Ocarina of Time was directed and produced by Shigeru Miyamoto, who also worked on Nintendo titles including the Super Mario series and Donkey Kong. Ocarina of Time was very well received by critics and is one of the few video game titles to have received a perfect score from gaming magazine Famitsu. Ocarina of Time has received numerous awards and perfect scores in multiple gaming magazines. Remakes of the title have been released on Nintendo Gamecube and the Nintendo Wii, and a remake was released for the Nintendo 3DS console.
The base game mechanic behind Ocarina of Time is it's titular "time travel" concept in which the hero travels backwards and forwards seven years in time by removing the Master Sword from it's pedestal in the Temple of Time or vice versa. This blade is in turn used to defeat the game's boss monsters and seal the villain Ganondorf in the sacred realm. Time travel is also used heavily in the various side stories and side quests. The other massive innovation is the use of the Ocarina of Time. The use of this instrument allows the hero to teleport to various locations, influence certain elements of the scenery, influence the time of day and the weather, speak with the hero's friend Saria, and summon your horse.
Story
The story of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time revolves around the evil wizard Ganondorf's rise to power and the hero's quest to defeat him and bring peace to the land of Hyrule once again. The game opens with the hero's mentor and protector, The Great Deku Tree, sending a fairy, Navi, to inform the hero about his new responsibilities. Navi escorts the hero to the Great Deku Tree who explains that Ganondorf has come to the land of Hyrule and is vying for power. He asks the hero to retrieve the spiritual stone of the forest that lies within him, thereby opening the first dungeon for exploration. After the hero retrieves the stone,the Great Deku Tree reveals that he is doomed to die because of a curse that Ganondorf cast upon him and asks that the hero travel to Hyrule Castle to meet the Princess Zelda after which he dies. The hero leaves his home in Kokiri Forest, but is stopped by Saria on the bridge leading out. She gives him an ocarina and tells him to remember her. The hero then travels to Hyrule Castle and indeed meets Princess Zelda, who asks him to travel to the Gorons' home to collect the spiritual stone of fire and the Zoras' home to collect the spiritual stone of water. She also explains to him about a dream that she had in which all of Hyrule is covered in dark clouds. After this meeting the hero is taught the song Zelda's Lullaby on his ocarina by Impa and is shown the way to Kakariko Village, which lies beneath the Gorons' home in Death Mountain. He collects the spiritual stone of fire from Dodongo's Cavern and the spiritual stone of water from inside the great fish Jabu Jabu and returns to Market Town. At the gate he is stopped by Ganondorf and warned not to interfere in his business. The hero receives the Ocarina of Time and continues, undaunted, to the Temple of Time where he receives the Master Sword.
After removing the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time, the hero falls into a deep sleep for seven years during which time he is trained and taught by Rauru, the sage of light. When he awakens he discovers that much has changed during the seven years he spent sleeping. He meets his equal, a mysterious hero named Sheik, who reveals that Ganondorf has taken over the world and released monsters to overrun it. She tells him that he must travel to and explore the five temples to awaken the five other sages, who will lend him their power to defeat Ganondorf. The hero travels to each of these temples and awakens its sage, often finding that the sage is a friend or acquaintance, and collects their power in the form of a medal. With these medallions in hand, the hero travels to the Temple of Time once more where he discovers that Sheik is actually Zelda. Ganondorf comes and captures the princess, but not before she provides the hero with her own power in the form of the Light Arrows. The hero travels to Ganondorf's castle and confronts him for a final showdown, in which he utilizes the power hidden in the Master Sword and the light arrows to weaken and then defeat Ganondorf. However Ganondorf, in his dying throes, uses the last of his power to damage the castle causing it to collapse. The hero and the Princess Zelda manage to escape, but before they can leave the ruins they are confronted by Ganon in his true form. The hero defeats him once again, and the hero, with the aid of the Princess Zelda and the six other sages, traps Ganon in the Sacred Realm. The Princess thanks the hero, but explains that he a bigger destiny than that which he has already faced and returns him to his childhood.
Characters
- Main article: Ocarina of Time Characters
Races
- Main article: Ocarina of Time Races
Enemies
- Main article: Ocarina of Time Enemies
Items
- Main article: Ocarina of Time Items
Locations
- Main article: Ocarina of Time Locations
In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time you start off in Kokiri Forest which is your home. In Kokiri Forest, you have your first dungeon, the Great Deku Tree. In Kokiri Forest there are many townsfolk and the leader Mido and your best friend, Saria lives there too. In Kokiri Forest, there is a place called the Lost Woods. Saria has a hideout there next to the Forest Temple, which is unreachable as a kid. Out of Kokiri Forest, there is a place called Hyrule Field,the largest area in the game. Every location is split out on the field. As a kid, you must run very far across the field. As an adult,you can have an optional event to get a horse, Epona that makes you run very fast.
Reception
Reviews for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time were extremely well. The most notable being IGN's review for the game which was a perfect 10/10.[1] This perfect score was the very first IGN had ever given out.