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The legend of Zelda: Ocarina of time has today 20 years! The classic Nintendo 64 was released on November 21, 1998.
Well, I guess I should say something … but it's honestly a bit odd to try to write why Ocarina of Time is good. I mean … it's Ocarina of Time! It took Zelda's formula in A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening to turn it into a 3D world.
I love Super Mario 64. This is one of my favorite games of all time. But compared to Super Mario World, it's a pretty different game. 2D Mario games involve running right and collecting bonuses to help you stay alive. Super Mario 64 involves exploring and using a vast arsenal of acrobatic moves, like jumping from one wall to the other.
Ocarina of Time, meanwhile, is pretty much a 3D version of A Link to the Past. You travel in a vast world of hubs to discover the dungeons, in which you will have to fight monsters and solve puzzles. And each dungeon will give you a new item that will help you on your quest (including helping you solve puzzles and kill the boss in the same dungeon).
But Ocarina of Time is far more than a technological leap for the Zelda franchise. Nintendo has added more story to the game, giving Ocarina of Time the feeling of a true epic. Anyone who has played the game will have a hard time forgetting characters such as Ganondorf, Great Tree Deku and Saria. And the game world is huge, especially for the 1998 standards. You can spend hours riding on your horse and looking for hidden objects.
In time
Even with improved visuals and history, Ocarina of Time has always been creative. After having beaten the first three dungeons, you have the opportunity to travel in the future. Not only do you become an older version of Link, but the world itself is different.
Of course, this sounds like a link to the past made with its light and dark worlds. But traveling between the two epochs of Hyrule is still great. The characters you met as a child grew up, the inaccessible areas became available, and you could see what would happen if Gandondorf managed to conquer the kingdom.
Play me a song
And then you have the Ocarina itself, which turns the Nintendo 64 controller into a musical instrument. It's the coolest thing Ocarina of Time does. You have a magic object that can do crazy things, like invoking a storm, turning night into a day or teleporting you. But you do not just select a spell in a menu. You must play a song on your Ocarina to trigger the desired effect.
Each piece is relatively simple. They are also catchy (you are probably humming Saria's Song now). Pressing these C keys to play a song remains one of the most rewarding experiences of any video game.
The shadow of Ocarina
Ocarina of Time has been so successful that she has come up with a formula that the series has followed for nearly two decades. The following games, including Wind Waker, Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword, are essentially successors to Ocarina of Time.
It was only until last year's Breath of the Wild that Nintendo finally stirred up Zelda's formula. And that was the moment. Part of the problem with Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword (which I still consider to be great games) is that they have to live up to the best. Ocarina of Time did such a good job that she did not leave much room for improvement. That's why Wind Waker is the most memorable sequel, as its unique artistic style and concentration on sailing help to differentiate it.
Basically, you can not get out of Ocarina of Time. Even 20 years later, the adventure remains smart, fun and epic. I mean, come on. It's Ocarina of Time.
RetroBeat is a weekly column that examines the past of the game, delves into classics, new retro titles, or examines how old favorites – and their design techniques – inspire the market and current experiences. If you have projects or projects on the retro theme that you want to send, please contact me.
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