Ryu Shimazu
Smash Master
Link to original post: [drupal=3526]Review: Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time[/drupal]
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time!
I rated the GCN one, but it is all the same thing in the end[/img]
Short Summary:
I think the smartest thing to do before I even give this review out is to give out some background information. There are usually three types of reviews: fanboy, flaming, and good reviews. The third is always the rarest to find, especially with games like this. This game is a very delicate and special classic, so I feel its review should be handled with care.
That being said, I can assure you I am the third category. Though I think Zelda is an amazing series; I never played Ocarina of Time until this summer. I played it for the sole sake of having it done to play Majora's Mask, and honestly I have only heard praise from this game. I do tend to believe the latest DS releases of Zelda show examples of games "riding the titles", however I do not believe this game was the case. Placed in the 1998 setting and technology, this was a example of beauty created by man, and a game I could easily play and enjoy a few months from now yet again...
Storyline:
Typical Zelda storyline is to thwart Ganondorf's evil ambitions. The game itself includes being a child and finding your way to the temple of time, as well as being an adult to confront the final battle. Along your journey you meet several friends, several hardships, and gain several ambitions. By the end of the game your desire to see Ganon fall in his own failure rises to a climax no other game of that decade could deliver. The power of the story (no pun intended) brought the N64 into competition in terms of games, and probably helped seal the deal of Sega's demise.
It all starts with a fairy...
To pull the sacred sword, the Master Sword.
Gameplay:
The most notable thing would be the gameplay. A new feature was added where you can hold three items on display, which until streamlining was recently brought about, this was still the item section used in Twilight Princess. It looks a little bit like this:
Take a look at the item section on the Northeastern section of the screenshot. Those item selections allowed up to three items to be displayed, a very valuable addition.
Being 3D the gameplay was also vastly upgraded. Now you could grab onto ledges, and the environment was much more real and not just placed to be there. The game itself not just ran well, but made an excellent transcend into 3D.
On top of that, it also had various good sidequests and minigames aside from the main game itself. The gameplay is what makes or break the series, and Ocarina of Time was not short on the deliver.
Aside from channges and expectations, the gameplay brought back several classics. Items like Hookshot, the Bow, Slingshot, and Bottles were brought back with additions like an Ocarina, a Horse, and cloths/sword upgrades. The new additions as well as the old being rebirthed made the Zelda feel as great as ever. The gameplay is what makes or break the series, and Ocarina of Time was not short on the deliver.
Graphics:
If you play a 1998 game and expect 2010 graphics, you're obviously a fool. If you are mature and/or capable of playing the game with a 1998 mindset however, the game is stunning. The transcend to 3D could be rivaled as more outstanding than the gameplay. When I saw my mother play this among others, we all were wowed with Cinematics and Cutscenes that never really existed in the Zelda series. This game not just ushered these to be repeated in the future, but set the bar for how lush and expansive the games would appeal and be. Now you could run through Hyrule Feild and see the day change to night while riding a horse, and it's all in the 3D.
Just take a look and think to the SNES, this is truly revolutionary.[/img]
Sound:
I can't really post any clips of the sound to attest to it's success, but this is by far one of my top five soundtracks. Only rivaled by Nobue Umetsu's success with Final Fantasy, this soundtrack can stand alone. All of the songs burn in your heart, especially the temple access songs. You will spend hours trying to find these songs on playlist, and even longer finding the soundtrack. I'm not usually picky about music, but I'm rarely impressed, and this knocked me off my feet.
Everything Else:
Controls are fine, as mentioned in gameplay. If games had value like art, I'd say it's priceless. I can't add much more, except if you haven't played this play it, it easily gets a 10.
The Facts:
10/10 100%
Rank: S (S/A/B/C/D/F)
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time!
I rated the GCN one, but it is all the same thing in the end[/img]
Short Summary:
I think the smartest thing to do before I even give this review out is to give out some background information. There are usually three types of reviews: fanboy, flaming, and good reviews. The third is always the rarest to find, especially with games like this. This game is a very delicate and special classic, so I feel its review should be handled with care.
That being said, I can assure you I am the third category. Though I think Zelda is an amazing series; I never played Ocarina of Time until this summer. I played it for the sole sake of having it done to play Majora's Mask, and honestly I have only heard praise from this game. I do tend to believe the latest DS releases of Zelda show examples of games "riding the titles", however I do not believe this game was the case. Placed in the 1998 setting and technology, this was a example of beauty created by man, and a game I could easily play and enjoy a few months from now yet again...
Storyline:
Typical Zelda storyline is to thwart Ganondorf's evil ambitions. The game itself includes being a child and finding your way to the temple of time, as well as being an adult to confront the final battle. Along your journey you meet several friends, several hardships, and gain several ambitions. By the end of the game your desire to see Ganon fall in his own failure rises to a climax no other game of that decade could deliver. The power of the story (no pun intended) brought the N64 into competition in terms of games, and probably helped seal the deal of Sega's demise.
It all starts with a fairy...
To pull the sacred sword, the Master Sword.
Gameplay:
The most notable thing would be the gameplay. A new feature was added where you can hold three items on display, which until streamlining was recently brought about, this was still the item section used in Twilight Princess. It looks a little bit like this:
Take a look at the item section on the Northeastern section of the screenshot. Those item selections allowed up to three items to be displayed, a very valuable addition.
Being 3D the gameplay was also vastly upgraded. Now you could grab onto ledges, and the environment was much more real and not just placed to be there. The game itself not just ran well, but made an excellent transcend into 3D.
On top of that, it also had various good sidequests and minigames aside from the main game itself. The gameplay is what makes or break the series, and Ocarina of Time was not short on the deliver.
Aside from channges and expectations, the gameplay brought back several classics. Items like Hookshot, the Bow, Slingshot, and Bottles were brought back with additions like an Ocarina, a Horse, and cloths/sword upgrades. The new additions as well as the old being rebirthed made the Zelda feel as great as ever. The gameplay is what makes or break the series, and Ocarina of Time was not short on the deliver.
Graphics:
If you play a 1998 game and expect 2010 graphics, you're obviously a fool. If you are mature and/or capable of playing the game with a 1998 mindset however, the game is stunning. The transcend to 3D could be rivaled as more outstanding than the gameplay. When I saw my mother play this among others, we all were wowed with Cinematics and Cutscenes that never really existed in the Zelda series. This game not just ushered these to be repeated in the future, but set the bar for how lush and expansive the games would appeal and be. Now you could run through Hyrule Feild and see the day change to night while riding a horse, and it's all in the 3D.
Just take a look and think to the SNES, this is truly revolutionary.[/img]
Sound:
I can't really post any clips of the sound to attest to it's success, but this is by far one of my top five soundtracks. Only rivaled by Nobue Umetsu's success with Final Fantasy, this soundtrack can stand alone. All of the songs burn in your heart, especially the temple access songs. You will spend hours trying to find these songs on playlist, and even longer finding the soundtrack. I'm not usually picky about music, but I'm rarely impressed, and this knocked me off my feet.
Everything Else:
Controls are fine, as mentioned in gameplay. If games had value like art, I'd say it's priceless. I can't add much more, except if you haven't played this play it, it easily gets a 10.
The Facts:
10/10 100%
Rank: S (S/A/B/C/D/F)