16. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
This crazy issue was, like, 10% Zelda by mass. If you took a centrifuge and spun this issue into its components, you’d have to fish a big ol’ blob of Triforce-shaped crud out of the pulp. My heart is warmed by the fact that Ocarina of Time wasn’t the most popular Zelda to make the list by a longshot. It’s a good game, but is it the best game? Or even the best Zelda? Nah. It’s still pretty OK!
6 thoughts on “GameSpite Quarterly 2, #16: Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time”
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Nice article… I only wish it was longer. Long enough to keep me from feeling like I should go back and replay the game :)
But that seems to be a common feeling after I read these articles… and I guess that’s the point.
I figured this one would show up. And it’s a great game. I remember beating it the night before I went on my first overseas trip, because I certainly couldn’t sleep.
The author gets it right: subsequent entries have improved the formula. Despite what others may say, I think that Twilight Princess is the pinnacle of the 3D set. However, as an adherent to the old-school entries, I find those to be more palatable. In particular, Link’s Awakening is one the the greatest Zelda games ever made, despite the limitations of the platform.
Don’t take this as a diatribe against the 3D entries, though. Almost every Zelda game brings a level of quality most other games can only aspire to achieve.
Pointing out the irrelevance of OoT’s apparent LTTP reskinning is only outstripped here by the lovely comment that it wasn’t ‘just nostalgia talking’. The only constant I’ve been able to pinpoint in the series is that people’s subjective takes on it center significantly around which Zelda title they played first (not meaning to imply that gamers simply love the first title they play). Even more so than other franchises, Zelda represents a weird tie to what gamers experience first in the series.
Possibly true. That being said, I started with Zelda 2, but most people wouldn’t count that as a true Zelda. It was still a good game, though.
The first “traditional” Zelda I experienced was the first, followed by Link’s Awakening, then Link to the Past, although I had a bit of time to play LttP before LA over a friend’s house. I don’t count that, since it was only around 30 minutes, tops.
I suspect that since my overall gaming perspective was shaped by the 2D classics, and not only in the Zelda series, but pretty much across the board, my biases lie in that direction. But I enjoy all well-crafted games, so as stated before, this is not necessarily an indictment on the quality of the game, just more of a statement of personal preference, predicated on my experiences.
So, yeah, you’re mostly correct, I think. Probably not universally true, but then, what is?
I’m disappointed that the header pictures were actually appropriate this time. was expecting maybe some CD-i Zelda header pictures. Unless they’re being saved for the inevitable article about Link: The faces of evil & Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon double feature.
I didn’t have access to an N64 on a regular basis, and I never got big into emulation, so my first real experience with OoT was as the bonus disc that came with Wind Waker. It’s the only game I’ve ever purchased that gave me more enjoyment from the pre-order goodies than from the game itself.