The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64, 1998)
A ground-breaking 3D classic that unfortunately hasn't aged so well.
Nostalgia Factor: Very high. I played this a lot as a kid at a friend’s house.
Difficulty: Easy to medium. Easier than most Zelda games, but a few temples can be frustrating. Don’t be ashamed if you need a guide on the Water Temple.
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I truly loved revisiting Ocarina of Time (OoT), but my nostalgia bubble was burst pretty hard when I first walked into Hyrule Field in my most recent playthrough. I hadn’t realized how poorly some of these early 3D games have aged. My eyes have been spoiled by modern games.
As a kid (20+ years ago), I remember the first time I walked into Hyrule Field. I was astonished. Utterly amazed. I had just walked into a lush, incredible fantasy wonderland full of frightening creatures, lively villages, and majestic castles. Now, after decades of modern gaming, I walked into Hyrule Field with excitement and thought, "It's so emptyyyy". Some rose colored glasses are definitely recommended to get full enjoyment out of OoT.
Even though my recent playthrough wasn’t quite as magical as I remember when I was young (is anything though?), I still very much enjoyed playing through OoT again. Early 3D will always be difficult to go back to now, but I was able to get over myself and enjoy a fantastic Zelda game. It helps to try to take yourself back to 1998.
In '98, the 3D spaces were so lifelike. This was a world you could interact with more than in other games that just felt like they were filled with a bunch of 3D props. The soundtrack from Koji Kondo is truly legendary. Plus, OoT equips you with a fully functioning virtual ocarina (possibly the first game to incorporate diegetic music as a part of the core gameplay). OoT has great dungeons, so many clever puzzles, and solid early-3D gameplay ("Z targeting" feels weird today, but it was super cool in '98).
Side note: OoT is waaaay creepier than I remember, haha. That “E” for everyone rating from ESRB was pretty generous. I remembered the ReDead clearly and Ganondorf spewing green blood, but my pre-teen brain must’ve glossed over the Shadow Temple and the horrifying Dead Hand.
Why not a perfect 10? In ‘98, OoT received absolutely raving reviews — loads of 10’s across the board from critics, and gamers were just as obsessed. This game still has one of the highest Metacritic scores of any Nintendo game. However, because of the nature of early-3D games like OoT and Mario 64, these titles have lost a bit of favor in the eyes of modern gamers. It is genuinely difficult for some newer gamers to enjoy these aging games without that thrust of nostalgia.
Nostalgia did carry me through, but I'm glad I stuck it out. This is truly an epic game by 1998 standards. Zelda fans definitely need to give this one a go.