For full disclosure, I played this back when it first came out on the Nintendo 64, back when it was hailed as one of the best games of all time. I was quite fond of it back then, and still am, years later, enough to consider it my favorite Zelda game.
The plot is standard fare. Link, hearing of the threat that Ganon (now known as Ganondorf the thief) presents to the world, sets out on a journey to stop him by collecting two sets of MacGuffins and various weapons and tools. It's not particularly original, even for Zelda, but the story has a talent for showing emotional moments without all that much dialogue, from saying goodbye to your childhood friend to meeting your former bully now that he's come to regret his actions.
The various areas of the game make good use of the jump to 3D. The dungeons are, with some exceptions(Water Temple) well designed, and have a good variety of puzzles that force you to use the items at your disposal.
There's a lot to do in this game. In addition to the main quest and the search for various powerups and treasure troves across Hyrule, you can do various sidequests, from selling masks to people to a series of deliveries that will eventually get you a better sword.
The combat is a simple yet effective system that allows you a few options for attacking, defending or evading. It's somewhat bare-bones compared to the newer Zelda games, but it works quite well. There's a good variety of enemies, from weak enemies you can kill in one or two hits to stronger enemies that serve as minibosses to the bosses themselves, ,who require special tactics to defeat. Combat, like the puzzles, is challenging without being frustrating, and the game does well at providing a reasonable level of difficulty.
The music nicely sets the mood for the game, from riding through Hyrule Field to fighting a boss monster. As for the graphics, while they're fairly dated (even on the 3DS), they do a serviceable job of showing the game's environments, and never quite come off as ugly.
Perhaps Ocarina of Time may not be as groundbreaking as it was back when it was first released, but it's also quite well-made in its own right. I can't promise that you'll see it as the greatest game ever made, but if you don't set your expectations impossibly high, you should have a good time with this one.
My favorite Zelda game
For full disclosure, I played this back when it first came out on the Nintendo 64, back when it was hailed as one of the best games of all time. I was quite fond of it back then, and still am, years later, enough to consider it my favorite Zelda game.
The plot is standard fare. Link, hearing of the threat that Ganon (now known as Ganondorf the thief) presents to the world, sets out on a journey to stop him by collecting two sets of MacGuffins and various weapons and tools. It's not particularly original, even for Zelda, but the story has a talent for showing emotional moments without all that much dialogue, from saying goodbye to your childhood friend to meeting your former bully now that he's come to regret his actions.
The various areas of the game make good use of the jump to 3D. The dungeons are, with some exceptions(Water Temple) well designed, and have a good variety of puzzles that force you to use the items at your disposal.
There's a lot to do in this game. In addition to the main quest and the search for various powerups and treasure troves across Hyrule, you can do various sidequests, from selling masks to people to a series of deliveries that will eventually get you a better sword.
The combat is a simple yet effective system that allows you a few options for attacking, defending or evading. It's somewhat bare-bones compared to the newer Zelda games, but it works quite well. There's a good variety of enemies, from weak enemies you can kill in one or two hits to stronger enemies that serve as minibosses to the bosses themselves, ,who require special tactics to defeat. Combat, like the puzzles, is challenging without being frustrating, and the game does well at providing a reasonable level of difficulty.
The music nicely sets the mood for the game, from riding through Hyrule Field to fighting a boss monster. As for the graphics, while they're fairly dated (even on the 3DS), they do a serviceable job of showing the game's environments, and never quite come off as ugly.
Perhaps Ocarina of Time may not be as groundbreaking as it was back when it was first released, but it's also quite well-made in its own right. I can't promise that you'll see it as the greatest game ever made, but if you don't set your expectations impossibly high, you should have a good time with this one.