The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

THE BAD:
Since the game explains itself, the tutorials in the beginning of the game didn't serve too much of a good purpose other than to verify your suspisions and prove your suspicion right or wrong.

SUMMARY:
Detailed Summary:
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is about a little elf boy (you can name the kid, but his real name is Link) who has not yet had his fairy. A fairy named Navi talks with the Deku Tree and then Navi heads over to Link. Navi joins with Link, and then he explores around the Kokiri Forest to hone his skills. He gets a sword and shield, and then he has to save the Deku Tree from dying. Once he kills the infection, the Deku Tree dies anyway. But before the Deku Tree dies, he gives Link the Kokiri Emerald, and then tells Link about his journey to save the world from the evil Gerudo theif, Ganondorf. Ganondorf wants to rule the world of Hyrule with evil monsters, and Link must save Hyrule from them. First of all, Link must get to Zelda so that he can learn more of what the hell he's doing and why he's getting all these stones. After visiting Zelda and Impa, Link's journey truly begins...

This oughta be one of Nintendo's best games ever, even more so than their earlier releases (Super Mario World, Super Mario 64) and later releases (Super Mario Sunshine, Super Smash Brothers Melee). Why is this? Because the faults are so limited and there is so much good to this game. In fact, you'd be crazy not to like this game to be honest. Either crazy, or just mental. As far as the length of this game goes, it's kind of limited. It took around 15 hours, but those 15 hours are quite possibly the most memorable 15 hours ever. In fact, they would be the best 15 hours of your life (or second best if you had done something really exciting). Most of the time, you have to explore through dungeons, but you can explore around the fields and such. As well as that, you can kill a lot of small monsters, and big monsters, then you can finally kill Ganondorf and save Hyrule. I think that's about it for the summary.

Graphics: 4.5/5
The only bad thing you can pick out of the graphics would be the polygonal appearances. Although by today's date, that's abysmal. However, back then, this is all they can do, and there is much worse nowadays (coughgbanfscarboncough) so if I were you, I'd feel good. Besides, the blocky stuff is actually very appealing to look at. In fact, you can barely notice the blocks within the characters. You can already tell that these were the best graphics of their time, and quite good graphics these days. How? Well, normally, an N64 game of this calibre wouldn't normally be impressive, but these are still pretty impressive. In fact, I find these graphics to be really nice and smooth. No, you don't need an Expansion Pak to make this game look good; only better looking.

The character models are simply clusters of clay moulded together in a great way. The facial features are drawn quite well onto the characters and the mouths when they gasp or something like that are at the right precision, although talking is non-existant so it appears that they cannot do the lip-syncing at all. To be honest, it doesn't matter. The character models are done very well.

The landscapes are also very nicely done. The textures are very friendly on the eyes, and the colors suit the time, place and situation. Such as the lark, eerie tunnels within one of the first three dungeons, as well as the lava and rocks around and the colors you'd expect from rocks. Or the watery landscapes around the lake areas. Or the forest scenary of the Kokiri Forest. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the landscapes. Just a bit outdated IMO.

Sounds: 4.5/5
Again, sounds are done so well that words cannot express how good they are without me going on and on about how good they are. There's only one itty bitty problem I have with this section.

Where is the dialogue?

The only dialogue I heard in this game was from that fairy thing, Navi. Navi constantly says stuff like "Listen" or "Hey". Other than that, there is absolutely no dialogue. Why, Nintendo, why? Well, then again, this may mean that the game may be worse. But then again, this may get good. It really depends on the voice actors at the time, as they aren't as good as they are by today's standards.

The sounds are repeated, but they aren't annoying. In fact, they are quite good, even by today's standards.

Yeah, that's about all I can really say about this section.

Control: 5/5
User-friendly. Not only that, but it's also one where you don't mash buttons repeatedly. If you cannot grasp the control scheme of this game, you're not ready to play this game until you do understand the control scheme. There is absolutely nothing bad that can come out of this control scheme.

You have a button that you use to slash things with your sword. You can cut things down with it, or kill enemies. Be aware that there are a few enemies that are immune to your sword, so that's where your 4 C buttons come in. They hold your items and they allow you to perform special things with it. Your Fairy Slingshot/Bow can fire Deku Seeds/Arrows to far away enemies, while your Deku Nuts can stun enemies, and your Bombs can blow stuff up to tiny bits.

There is also a button where you can perform some neat stuff around certain objects, such as holding a rock while you're pushing it, or grabbing a pot to throw it and get the items out of it. You will learn of the functions of the A button while playing through the Kokiri Forest and Deku Tree.

There's also the R button, where you can lower yourself and put your shield out to defend against stuff like nuts or swords. However, there are things it cannot guard against. The elements and spiders will hurt you unless you get away from it through evasive methods.

And lastly, you have a Z button which targets the enemy. If you're surrounded by enemies, it's best that you don't use it. However, if you want to kill a specific enemy, it's best to use this function. If you want to do a stronger strike, you should lock on, have your sword out and then press A, then you can kill them a little quicker. Z can also be used for strafing, which is useful for hiding from enemies in situations such as getting to the Forest Temple and having to get through the hedge maze to get there while avoiding the enemies, or in tight spots.

If that's an easy system for you, then that's to be expected since it is an easy system, even for the casual gamer.

Gameplay: 5/5
Who would've known a game which is 8 years old got the same score for this section that a game which got released about 2 months ago. You have a sword, shield and assault of items that you find or buy along the way to kill Ganondorf, up against monsters which are licensed to kill at different shapes and sizes.

Gameplay is simple and easy to master. Simply target your enemy, and press C Up. That way, you can get a hint on an easier way to kill an enemy other than slashing your sword and getting yourself hurt. You can also dodge attacks by leaping back, but some enemies may leap forward and then hit you hard. You can get sideways, but some enemies have sweeping attacks which hurt you if you do that. And some enemies have other enemies surrounding you so dodging isn't good. As for blocking, you can only block frontward attacks that aren't related to spiders or elements. The behind enemies can simply wail on you and kill you. This causes you to actually think before you start fighting.

As well as fighting, there are some puzzle-solving elements. Doing this requires you to look around before activating switches or you can simply try all the items you have on many suspicious looking things, like the dragon guard thing at the beginning of the Fire Temple when you have the Megaton Hammer.

This is an area that was fairly easy to do back then, so if I were to have done this earlier, I would've given this at least a 4 and not a 5, but since Gameplay isn't an easy thing to do these days if you're not part of Capcom, I thought this deserved one.

Replay Value: 4/5
Well...once you're done with Ganondorf's final form, all you can do is view the credits and the game is done. Beforehand, you could always increase your supplies of Deku Seeds/Arrows, Deku Nuts, and so forth. You can also kill all the Gold Skulatas, and also grow 10 Magic Beans. You can also get special ghosts for some evil guy who will give you prizes for those ghosts in a bottle. Other than those, you could always restart the game and go through the painful beginning. However, if you minus the beginning, this ends up being a very fun game to play over and over again. I've been playing this for about as long as it's been released and I'm only a bit tired of it. It's quite enjoying to repeat over and over again.

Overall: 23/25
This game is nearly perfect in all aspects, however, the very minor faults minorly hurt the overall score. This game is the genius that made Twilight Princess look very good. If it wasn't for this game, Twilight Princess wouldn't make any sense and it'd have absolutely no inspiration other than some guys getting Link older (and uglier if it wasn't for this game making the original Adult Link) having to kill some monsters. A very good game, though.

Jak's Rating System: 23/25
Neoseeker's Rating System: 4.8/5

THE BAD:
There aren't many bad qualities in this game. It may seem hard towards the end of the game but its actually too easy in my opinion. The game can also get extremely frustrating if you leave it alone for a while. The dungeons are very large and annoying. But the boss battles are always promising. The game also isn't open ended enough. The freedom it gives you to ride your horse isn't as large as many players would want it. Of course there's the Hyrule fields and the Ranch, but the game just doesn't support enough riding areas for you to visit at your leisure. The open ended world doesn't give you enough things to even do! Riding your horse is a fun activity, but whats the point of having a Hyrule fields if there isn't anything to do? The desert is home to the Spirit Temple, but the only things there are a desert puzzle, monsters and a guy who rides a carpet. >.< Other than that this game has no flaws.

SUMMARY:
I loved this game every step of the way. And as long you have a Nintendo, love action/adventure games and just want an awesome game to play, check this one out. Every Nintendo fan I've met fell in love with this game from the start as I have. If you're looking for an older Zelda game to play, aside from the NES days, then this is the game for YOU. Check it out now.

THE BAD:
Bad:
1. Frame-rate: during intense graphical/battle sequences it drops.

SUMMARY:
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is by far the best Zelda game available and very may be the greatest adventure game of all time.

There is nearly nothing bad about the game. The frame-rate may slow a bit during intense battle sequences, but otherwise it is perfectly smooth. It also doesn't challenge you as much during most battles, but the bosses usually give you a run for your money if you do not know how to go about defeating them. I'd say that the true challenge of the game is figuring out the puzzles and figuring out how to go about collecting the medallions and gems necessary to complete the game. There are also many challenging mini-games and side-quests, which keeps you coming back for more. There are tons of collectibles such as item upgrades, inventory items/weapons, heart pieces, golden skulltulas, etc.

The effort put into Ocarina of Time is simply outstanding. The graphics and effects in this game are amazing for a Nintendo 64 title, especially without the use of the N64 Expansion Pack. Combat is loads of fun, boss battles are each unique, fun, and challenging in their own way. There are a total of 10 dungeons to explore and complete, as well as a vast land full of secrets to explore. And what better way to travel the land than a horse? Yes, you can summon your horse at will after you unlock her via a sidequest. The Ocarina you receive also helps you traverse the land easily, for you can play songs on it that instantly teleport you to far away places.

The sound effects are very good. However, the music is generally not my style... but it fits the game well. The story line in the game always stays fresh. It is simple, yet enthralling all the same. You have to travel the land of Hyrule defeating monsters summoned by an evil dark lord named Ganondorf. After each dungeon you complete, the world becomes that much closer to becoming peaceful again. The ultimate goal of the game is simply to defeat the dark lord and restore peace.

This game is truly a work of art. It never failed to impress me. If you like adventure games, then go pick yourself up a copy of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It is available on Gamecube also, via a collectors edition Zelda game. However, this can easily be found on EBay.

THE BAD:
The only weakness that I'd say about this game is the simplicity of enemies. After getting to know the game, they become pretty easy, but I'm not saying that affects too much, of course.

SUMMARY:
Ocarina of Time is of course one of the best N64 games ever. It took long to develop too. Against Majora's Mask, this one is a bit better since it's longer and doesn't have that time limit. But it's also a bit easier. You control either young or adult Link, depending on the usage of the Master Sword and the Ocarina of Time, each has strengths and weaknesses. There are a variety of weapons and combat strategies and numerous puzzles and extra adventures. There's even fishing! Overall, this game boosts the honour of the Legend of Zelda series.

THE BAD:
Are you kidding me nothing at all!! Well maybe the Water Temple.

SUMMARY:
This is my all time favorite game. I only started liking Zelda when I played this. I still don't like the earlier games. I only like this one and Wind Waker. The graphics are good and the gameplay/strategy is awesome. This game really opened new fans to the Zelda series. It did for me atleast. I love the Occarina, it's such a cool concept, and is greatly placed in the storyline. Seeing a new villain was great. Instead of a hog looking Gannon, we no see a pickle looking mad man . But seriously, one of my favorite parts was seeing him cough up blood. lol.

THE BAD:
Okay, this is my most favorite game in the world, but I did dislike the Water Temple

SUMMARY:
Basically, this is the greatest game of all time. Its a classic. I remember I got this game for my 7th birthday, and I am now 14 and I still love it. Wow. How time flies. The first time I set my 7-year old eyes on this game, it was instantly my favorite. It was, is, and always will be. No matter how many new games and consoles come out, this will always be my favorite game until I die. Yeah I am being kind of deep, but I love this game. It is so good, I do not even no where to begin. The worlds, the different races like the zoras, it is just an amazing game. I could go on for hours. Even if you do not feel like going into a temple, you just ride around on your horse for hours, in search of poes to catch and sell.
I play the game to this day, and always will until my N64 craps out. Then I will buy another if I can. I would not sell this game for 10 million dollars. No exaggeration.

THE BAD:
I really couldnt say. This game is just that good.

SUMMARY:
At the very start of the game your already in the action and storyline which, might I add, is extraordinarily long. With the best graphics the Nintendo 64 can have, this game might number one on my list. However, if you do not have an imagination, I don't think this game is right for you. You need to do some serious thinking to even get past the first temple. And if you do get tired of the storyline, there are so many side quests, you will never be left with nothing to do.

I give this game a 5 out of 5. From a Russian judge, a 9.8. But here in America (where i live), a 5 out of 5.

THE BAD:
There isn’t anything; except, some of the dungeons and bosses can get hard for younger people.

SUMMARY:
Nintendo did it with this game. To everyone who doesn’t really like Zelda, then they haven’t really played games yet, especially Ocarina of Time. First of all, the graphics. The graphics are really well and nice eye-candy for games of this this era. The gameplay is what is really fun about it though. If you’ve played past Zelda games, then its much better than those, even though they are basically perfection in every way. The bosses are fun, the music is good, and the enemies are fun to kill, since some of them can get annoying at times.

Other than that, I don’t know what else to say about it, except for the fact that its just downright a masterpiece. Its also not a short game that you can beat in one sitting, which is a good thing, because it keeps you entertained and kept with something to do for a while. Although the graphics might discourage you from this era of gaming since it is an old game, that is no reason not to play it, because it still is literally a masterpiece. I’ve never played anything like it before.