Post by The Boss on Oct 2, 2005 15:55:44 GMT -5
Players:1
Genere:Adventure
Platform:N64/GC
Publisher:Nintendo
The Zelda series. One of the greatest series known to the gaming world. Shigeru Miyamoto’s brainchild. The game that is probably the biggest incentive to buy a Nintendo system. Hell, if Miyamoto decided to go Sony on us, I’d probably move too.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is no different. This was my first huge 3D adventure game, and at first I was amazed at the amount of stuff you could do, then I was introduced to the huge Hyrule Field and it blew me away. The massiveness of this game, especially at the time it came out, is astounding. This was my first ever Zelda game, and it has all the makings of a classic. And whaddya know? It became a classic.
Oh, and if this is your first Zelda game, the main character is called Link, not Zelda. Okay? Zelda is a princess. You play some dude who looks like an elf, not a princess. His name is Link. Good. Now that that’s settled, let’s get on with this shall we?
Gameplay 10/10
The core of the game. It’s great. The dungeons flow together and make sense. Exploration and discovery is emphasized greatly. You must walk around, do some side-quests and then find out how to get to the next dungeon or the next side-quest that will get you to the dungeon. Nothing is too hard or too easy with the exception of maybe one dungeon. Anyone from the age of ten to sixty can enjoy this game. It’s accessible to all.
The dungeons are designed wonderfully. They’re perfect. The battle system is also something that must have been designed by a perfectionist. You can use the “Z” button (“L” button in the Bonus Disc and Collector’s Edition for the Gamecube) to target your enemy and create a little battle mode. You can perform acrobatic movements to dodge and attack. The controls play a large role in keeping it fun and exciting. You can also go another route by not using the Z Targeting feature and just attacking. It makes it less accurate, but lets you use some moves that you couldn’t use in Z Targeting, and keeps you from performing some moves that you could have done using Z Targeting.
Ocarina of Time also features a lot of variety. You explore, fight, and even get to horseback race! Well into the game, you will befriend a horse and use it to travel long distances faster than you could on foot. It’s a very nice addition, and the horse has enough personality for many fans to become emotionally attached to it, especially with the events of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, a direct sequel.
A new addition to Ocarina of Time was a small internal clock, every few minutes day would turn to night and vice versa. This makes events unique to certain times of day, making exploration a thing you do twice in each area. Sure that sounds tedious, but nightlife sometimes makes a town very different from how it was in the day!
Control 10/10
The controls are spectacular! You’re in full control of your actions. Letting you assign your items to the “C” buttons was a great idea. You can have a maximum of three items excluding your sword and shield equipped at all times. And it’s just a quick switch in your inventory to exchange the equipped item! The Z button is also at a great place as for most N64 games for its feature (Z Targeting). The control stick is quick and responsive. Some may complain however that the auto jumping is a bit annoying, but it’s for the best. Platform jumping in 3D games have not proven to be a great success. Except I guess I sorta wish Roc’s Feather was in it, jumping around doing nothing was darn fun ^_^ Like most games, many functions are done with the A button. You can talk, pick things up, open doors etc. all with the A button depending on the situation. It’s also used to advance in menus.
Story 10/10
Don’t worry no spoilers here. Most of this is even contained within the instruction manual! The epic story is told piece by piece throughout the game. I’ll try and summarize without saying too much, you are the lone Kokiri (a race in Hyrule) that does not have a fairy. You’re thought to be a bit odd by the others, and then one day you are called upon by the guardian of the Kokiri Forest, the Great Deku Tree. This is where you play in your first dungeon. Dungeons are the “levels” of Zelda. After lifting the curse, the real game begins. You will be pushed into an immersive world that makes the average “hero saves princess” theme an epic. The game is so much more than save the world from destruction, you will meet many faces that will remain throughout the game. You’ll see them grow alongside you. Those you fought with as a child will be there for you when you’re an adult. It really warms the heart.
Graphics 10/10
Very good really, especially for the time of its release, but it could be improved. Links face is just too emotionless for most of the game; also the faces of most of the characters are a bit blurry and blocky. Same goes for their hands and feet. The cinemas could also have had a better job done on them. But the backgrounds and dungeons were very well done, overshadowing most of the problems. There are a few rendered backgrounds that look pretty well done. The slowdown is also minimal. The special effects that happen when your sword hits another object are also a great addition. Anyway, it was 1996, so I gotta cut them some slack ~_^
Sound 10/10
The music really sets the mood in this game. Koji Kondo did a magnificent job of composing music that would make the gamer feel how he wanted them to. The music in the Light Temple actually gave me a weird feeling in my stomach of sadness, fear, and anxiety all at the same time no matter how many times I went there… A bit freaky really.
Sound plays a very large role in Ocarina of Time. If you didn’t know, an ocarina is a musical instrument! You play songs throughout the game to achieve certain objectives. Even though they are short, the tunes are really catchy for some reason. This is the first Zelda game that sound has played such a large role in, all the games following it have incorporated music as a major force to manipulate.
There aren’t any annoying voice overs in this one folks! Thanks to Shigeru Miyamoto we won’t have to go through what we’ve had to go through in the 3D Sonic games!
Lifeline 10/10
Though it shouldn’t take too long if you are over the age of 13 or so, it’ll still take you a good two or three weeks to finish. And that’s if you play at every possible moment! It took me about a year and a half to finish this when I was about eleven. But I had no internet access so I had to figure everything out on my own, I didn’t have these helpful little walkthroughs until I was stuck on the mind boggling Water Temple for a few months! The game is fun enough to play through at least twice, especially if you want to complete the Master Quest, found on the Bonus Disc for the Gamecube.
Final Rank 10/10
This is the greatest game in the history of gaming in my opinion. It was the first huge game I played, before that it was all side scrollers and small time 3D games. I came from a line of Sonic the Hedgehog and Mario Kart. The biggest game I’d played before this was Super Mario 64! But it proved to be a great challenge for my mind and one of the best games out there. Do not rent this game for Pete’s sake; you’re not going to finish it in seven days time unless you play 24/7. It’s definitely a buy. It’s even a collector’s item! You could own the first release with the gold cartridge, the second with the chants and red blood, the third without the chants and blood, the Bonus disc for the GCN, or the Collectors Edition for the GCN! I own quite a few of these, having beaten the Master Quest and the original, I’d just like to say, this is one game you do not want to miss.
Genere:Adventure
Platform:N64/GC
Publisher:Nintendo
The Zelda series. One of the greatest series known to the gaming world. Shigeru Miyamoto’s brainchild. The game that is probably the biggest incentive to buy a Nintendo system. Hell, if Miyamoto decided to go Sony on us, I’d probably move too.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is no different. This was my first huge 3D adventure game, and at first I was amazed at the amount of stuff you could do, then I was introduced to the huge Hyrule Field and it blew me away. The massiveness of this game, especially at the time it came out, is astounding. This was my first ever Zelda game, and it has all the makings of a classic. And whaddya know? It became a classic.
Oh, and if this is your first Zelda game, the main character is called Link, not Zelda. Okay? Zelda is a princess. You play some dude who looks like an elf, not a princess. His name is Link. Good. Now that that’s settled, let’s get on with this shall we?
Gameplay 10/10
The core of the game. It’s great. The dungeons flow together and make sense. Exploration and discovery is emphasized greatly. You must walk around, do some side-quests and then find out how to get to the next dungeon or the next side-quest that will get you to the dungeon. Nothing is too hard or too easy with the exception of maybe one dungeon. Anyone from the age of ten to sixty can enjoy this game. It’s accessible to all.
The dungeons are designed wonderfully. They’re perfect. The battle system is also something that must have been designed by a perfectionist. You can use the “Z” button (“L” button in the Bonus Disc and Collector’s Edition for the Gamecube) to target your enemy and create a little battle mode. You can perform acrobatic movements to dodge and attack. The controls play a large role in keeping it fun and exciting. You can also go another route by not using the Z Targeting feature and just attacking. It makes it less accurate, but lets you use some moves that you couldn’t use in Z Targeting, and keeps you from performing some moves that you could have done using Z Targeting.
Ocarina of Time also features a lot of variety. You explore, fight, and even get to horseback race! Well into the game, you will befriend a horse and use it to travel long distances faster than you could on foot. It’s a very nice addition, and the horse has enough personality for many fans to become emotionally attached to it, especially with the events of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, a direct sequel.
A new addition to Ocarina of Time was a small internal clock, every few minutes day would turn to night and vice versa. This makes events unique to certain times of day, making exploration a thing you do twice in each area. Sure that sounds tedious, but nightlife sometimes makes a town very different from how it was in the day!
Control 10/10
The controls are spectacular! You’re in full control of your actions. Letting you assign your items to the “C” buttons was a great idea. You can have a maximum of three items excluding your sword and shield equipped at all times. And it’s just a quick switch in your inventory to exchange the equipped item! The Z button is also at a great place as for most N64 games for its feature (Z Targeting). The control stick is quick and responsive. Some may complain however that the auto jumping is a bit annoying, but it’s for the best. Platform jumping in 3D games have not proven to be a great success. Except I guess I sorta wish Roc’s Feather was in it, jumping around doing nothing was darn fun ^_^ Like most games, many functions are done with the A button. You can talk, pick things up, open doors etc. all with the A button depending on the situation. It’s also used to advance in menus.
Story 10/10
Don’t worry no spoilers here. Most of this is even contained within the instruction manual! The epic story is told piece by piece throughout the game. I’ll try and summarize without saying too much, you are the lone Kokiri (a race in Hyrule) that does not have a fairy. You’re thought to be a bit odd by the others, and then one day you are called upon by the guardian of the Kokiri Forest, the Great Deku Tree. This is where you play in your first dungeon. Dungeons are the “levels” of Zelda. After lifting the curse, the real game begins. You will be pushed into an immersive world that makes the average “hero saves princess” theme an epic. The game is so much more than save the world from destruction, you will meet many faces that will remain throughout the game. You’ll see them grow alongside you. Those you fought with as a child will be there for you when you’re an adult. It really warms the heart.
Graphics 10/10
Very good really, especially for the time of its release, but it could be improved. Links face is just too emotionless for most of the game; also the faces of most of the characters are a bit blurry and blocky. Same goes for their hands and feet. The cinemas could also have had a better job done on them. But the backgrounds and dungeons were very well done, overshadowing most of the problems. There are a few rendered backgrounds that look pretty well done. The slowdown is also minimal. The special effects that happen when your sword hits another object are also a great addition. Anyway, it was 1996, so I gotta cut them some slack ~_^
Sound 10/10
The music really sets the mood in this game. Koji Kondo did a magnificent job of composing music that would make the gamer feel how he wanted them to. The music in the Light Temple actually gave me a weird feeling in my stomach of sadness, fear, and anxiety all at the same time no matter how many times I went there… A bit freaky really.
Sound plays a very large role in Ocarina of Time. If you didn’t know, an ocarina is a musical instrument! You play songs throughout the game to achieve certain objectives. Even though they are short, the tunes are really catchy for some reason. This is the first Zelda game that sound has played such a large role in, all the games following it have incorporated music as a major force to manipulate.
There aren’t any annoying voice overs in this one folks! Thanks to Shigeru Miyamoto we won’t have to go through what we’ve had to go through in the 3D Sonic games!
Lifeline 10/10
Though it shouldn’t take too long if you are over the age of 13 or so, it’ll still take you a good two or three weeks to finish. And that’s if you play at every possible moment! It took me about a year and a half to finish this when I was about eleven. But I had no internet access so I had to figure everything out on my own, I didn’t have these helpful little walkthroughs until I was stuck on the mind boggling Water Temple for a few months! The game is fun enough to play through at least twice, especially if you want to complete the Master Quest, found on the Bonus Disc for the Gamecube.
Final Rank 10/10
This is the greatest game in the history of gaming in my opinion. It was the first huge game I played, before that it was all side scrollers and small time 3D games. I came from a line of Sonic the Hedgehog and Mario Kart. The biggest game I’d played before this was Super Mario 64! But it proved to be a great challenge for my mind and one of the best games out there. Do not rent this game for Pete’s sake; you’re not going to finish it in seven days time unless you play 24/7. It’s definitely a buy. It’s even a collector’s item! You could own the first release with the gold cartridge, the second with the chants and red blood, the third without the chants and blood, the Bonus disc for the GCN, or the Collectors Edition for the GCN! I own quite a few of these, having beaten the Master Quest and the original, I’d just like to say, this is one game you do not want to miss.