Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1717 in Video Games
• Brand: Nintendo
• Released on: 1999-02-15
• ESRB Rating: Everyone
• Platform: Nintendo 64
• Subtitled in: German

Editorial Review
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time may be the greatest single-player video game ever created in any genre. It's that good. Those new to Nintendo's enormously popular Zelda series will be glad to know this game stands completely on its own. Our hero, Link, starts the game as a young boy living in a magical forest village populated by elf-like children. But there is evil lurking in the world. Strange monsters are appearing, and the land is changing. It's up to Link to discover why, defeat the monsters, and stop the evil at its source.

The game world's ever-changing environment looks like a fairy tale come to life. Majestic waterfalls, towering castles, and magical forests are a feast for the eyes and ears. Rivers flow, rain falls, the sun and moon rise and set. There's even an erupting volcano! Exploring this world is half the fun of the game. Along the way, you learn musical tunes that you can play on the flute-like Ocarina, a magical device that helps you teleport, alter the weather, even control time itself.

Character interaction is important to gather clues. The fairy princesses, singing frogs, and dragons you'll meet can be cute, humorous, or somewhat terrifying. Sprinkled liberally throughout the game are hundreds of secret treasures and enjoyable minigames (one of which, the fishing game, would almost be worth buying by itself). Game controls are easy to learn. There's even an elaborate fight training course built right into the game. Controlling the hero quickly becomes instinctive, and you can concentrate on saving the world. To win the game, you'll have to use not only Link's sword, but your mind as well. This game's challenging and inventive puzzles really make you think. In fact, to keep from getting stuck, it's worth spending a few bucks on an official player's guide. With The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Nintendo has come up with an all-consuming adventure title that will provide days of engrossing gameplay. --Eric Fredrickson

Pros:

• Best single-player video game
• Freedom to explore a rich, complex world
• Helpful fairy guide gives hints
• Charming, humorous, lighthearted, yet challenging

• Some puzzles can be frustrating
• Only one saved game per player--don't save when you're stuck!
• Much more fun with Rumble Pack

GameSpot Review
The Legend of Zelda is one of those magical series of games that always cause huge amounts of excitement. It sprung onto the NES scene in 1987, and it was a runaway success. Remember the chip shortages that delayed the 1988 release of the Adventure of Link? Or what about the first time you saw pictures of the Japanese version of 1991's A Link to the Past? With the possible exception of Mario, no Nintendo series has caused such a level of hysteria or left behind so many great memories. Ocarina of Time definitely follows in the footsteps of the previous games, and the result is a game that can't be called anything other than flawless.

You begin the game as a child of the forest. But by the time you're done, you'll be a fisherman, an errand boy, the hero of time, and, yes, even a traveling mask salesman. The game is chock-full of minitasks and subgames that run alongside the main quest, saving Hyrule from Ganondorf's evil. This leads to an extreme feeling of freedom, even though a good portion of the game must be executed in a linear fashion. Stuck at the water temple? Then why not go scout around for some extra heart containers while you think about your dilemma?

The control really holds the game together. Most 3D game designers still haven't mastered the art of controlling characters in a 3D environment, but that's not the case here. Link moves beautifully, and controlling his various actions is a breeze. Essentially, your B button will always attack with the sword. The A button, however, acts as an action button, performing every non-item-related task in the game. At various times, A lets you climb, grab, dive, talk, and lots more. Three of the C buttons are used for items, any of which can be assigned to any of the three buttons. The top C button zooms in to a first-person perspective, which allows you to look around. The R shoulder button is used for blocking with the shield. The Z trigger is perhaps the most important button when it comes to dealing with enemies in the 3D realm. Hitting Z while looking at an enemy will cause you to lock on to that opponent. From there you can circle-strafe around them, hop from side to side, and always block in their direction. This is key to fighting all but the most basic of enemies and is extremely well conceived.

While there are some tough monsters, the main enemy in Zelda is the puzzle aspect of the game. Ocarina of Time forces you to think before you act, with numerous puzzles spread throughout the entire game. Some puzzles must be solved simply to exit a room, while other, larger puzzles sometimes cover an entire area. Some of the game's puzzles are totally optional, usually rewarding you with a piece of a heart container - which you'll need, but you won't have to collect every single one as long as you're quick with the Master Sword.

The game's items are the usual assortment you've come to expect from a Zelda game. The boomerang is an invaluable tool for young Link, as is the slingshot. These weapons are mere toys for Link's adult body, however, so you'll be using the bow and the hookshot (or grappling hook) for most of the game's latter portions. Bombs, of course, come in handy no matter how old you are. The ocarina is probably the most-used item in the game. Throughout the entire game, you'll learn various tunes for the ocarina. Playing these tunes does a lot of different things, such as turning night to day, opening certain doors, calling your horse, and warping from place to place. In a world as large as Hyrule, warping is an extremely useful time-saver.

Time plays an important role throughout the game. As you proceed, time passes, and day quickly becomes night. At night, the fields of Hyrule can be a dangerous place. Time travel also comes into play, allowing you to jump seven years into the future and back again. The two times act similarly to the light and dark worlds in the SNES Zelda game, A Link to the Past. Things you do as a child will affect locations, and a few puzzles require the use of both time periods.

Graphically, Ocarina of Time is simply unmatched. Everything about the game just looks fantastic. You can see Death Mountain in the background of some portions of the game, complete with various smoke effects depending on what stage of the game you're in. The cinematics, which, of course, use the game engine, look absolutely spectacular, and the effects used (the time travel sequence is especially sweet looking) really give the game a spectacularly majestic look. The game's sound is also really quite amazing. Every tune in the game perfectly relates to the onscreen action. Even the songs you play on the ocarina are hummable. The sound effects are also perfect. The speech consists of mostly laughter, gasps, and battle yelps (heavy on the "hi-yah!") and works very, very well. The game also takes your location into consideration. Dungeons and large canyons sound appropriately echoey, while underwater, noises are nice and warbled.

In a way, Ocarina of Time is a textbook example of retro done right. It manages to combine small aspects from all the previous Zelda games, giving you the same Zelda feel but in an entirely new way. Even in its huge, fiercely 3D world, the game retains a truly classic feel. This is a sequel at its finest, expanding on previous themes and bringing plenty of new stuff to the table.

Even if you're specifically looking for it, it's hard to find fault in Ocarina of Time. OK, to be fair, there's a slight bit of slowdown in a couple locations, such as the water temple, but it isn't frequent or harmful enough to even matter. The game offers a nice challenge, a stunningly well-told story, and the gameplay to back it all up. This game is the real thing. This is the masterpiece that people will still be talking about ten years down the road. This is the game that perfectly exhibits the "quality not quantity" mantra that Nintendo has been touting since the N64 was released. In a word, perfect. To call it anything else would be a bald-faced lie. --Jeff Gerstmann
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc.

From Parents' Choice®
The Legend of Zelda is one of the most in-depth graphic action/adventure games ever created for any gaming system. It's as close to an interactive movie as you can get. The detailed story unfolds as players achieve specific goals while guiding the main character, Link. This tale of good versus evil involves action, strategy, and puzzle-solving. The game is designed for advanced players and requires over 40 hours to complete. There is minimal violence, and no graphically depicted blood or gore. A 1999 Parents' Choice® Approved winner.

Reviewed by Jason R. Rich, Parents' Choice® 1999

Customer Reviews

Zelda Rules...Again!
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is such a perfect game. When I heard that a new zelda sequel was coming out, I was afraid that it would have a hard time living up to the greatness of the other zelda games, but I was definitely proven wrong.

First of all, the world which you explore is gorgeous. Ever felt like exploring a fairy-tale forest of elf-children? What about a cavern that lies behind a magical waterfall, or maybe a sunny medieval marketplace, or how about an adobe desert fortess, or even a simple peaceful mountain village? It's all in Zelda 64.

The gameplay itself is awesome. Link is easy to control, and the 3-D motion of the game is great. The challenge level is perfect too. I played the game without a strategy guide, and I'll admit the infamous Water Temple took me seven days to beat, but the puzzles are respectably challenging and you feel great when you solve them. The bosses are also nicely challenging; it's rare to beat them on the first try. Also, you have a wide variety of weapons and items to find along the way, and there are plenty of extra-hard side quests for the hardcore zelda players, like the never-ending quest to kill those elusive skulltullas, or the always-present goal of finding all the heart containers.

The music is great too. New themes such as the bouncy new Lost Woods theme, the sultry Gerudo Valley (gotta love those castanets and Spanish guitar), or the relaxing massage-for-the-ears Zora's Domain join the soundtrack in addition to old favorites from SNES' "A Link to the Past", like Zelda's Lullaby, the Fairy's Fountain theme, the Ganon theme, and Kakariko Village.

My only two small and pointless complaints with the game are that you can't go in the majestic Hyrule Castle, and the recognizable classic Zelda themesong was left out. However, the new overworld theme is cheerful and catchy too, and after a few minutes into it the careful listener can hear the first few notes of the old zelda theme woven into the new one, a subtle homage to the game's historical predecessors.

Basically, the game is a masterpiece. My friend has the sountrack and we always listen to the songs to cheer up, especially the "Shop" theme :) And when we think about the final scene in the ending of the game, we always cry! Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time sets the standard for a quality video game. You're sure to love it!

Danger - it might consume you!
This is undoubtably the best game I have ever played. Everything everyone says above is true. Fantastic graphics, game-play, story, character development, mystery, suspense. You name it. I'm a computer graphics pro - I know a good thing when I see it.

OK, someone has to say what the negatives are. I am a very busy 47 year old computer professional. I rarely, if ever, have more than a few minutes to play a video game any more these days. I got this game for my 12 year old daughter, but one day decided to try it out for myself.

BANG! I was hooked within the hour. I had to finish the game. Over the next two months (yes, it is THAT DEEP), I spent hundreds of hours, well into the wee hours of the night, playing this game. I would spend 4 to 8 hours at a stretch. I pulled two all-nighters, not even realizing what time it was, till I noticed the sun coming up (haven't done that since I was in college). I was totally consumed and addicted to this game, and had to finish no matter what the cost. My work suffered, my sleep suffered, and I was probably lucky not to make myself sick.

I have instructed my wife and daughter to NEVER BUY another game like this again. I can't afford that much of a distraction again!

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

If You Have a N64, Get This Game!
Once again, Hyrule is being threatened by the forces of evil! As Link, the chosen hero you solve countless puzzels, and fight many, many, monsters!This game has about everything! Good graphics, great gameplay, and a wonderful story.
Ganondorf, the evil in the game, needs to get the tree spiritual stones to open the Tempe of Time. He threatened the people who have them, but they didn't give him the stones. Link goes on quests to get the tree stones. Once he gets them and Zelda, the princess, gives him the Ocarina of Time, he opens the Temple of Time. But little does he know, Ganondorf followed him.
Seven years later link wakes up and Ganondorf rules Hyrule. He spreaded five of the six medallions and had monsters gaurd them. You get the only medallion Ganondorf didn't have and go on a quest to find the others.
This game is great and has a wonderful selection of weapons and other things. I highly recommend it and for anyone who has a Nintendo 64, get this game for your 64 collection isn't complete without it.