Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Nintendo 64
RPG
1 player
$59.95
Available Now
Where to buy
—by Keith Rhee
|
|
Nintendo may be losing the war against the PlayStation juggernaut, but they
still have an ace up their sleeve. His name is Miyamoto Shigeru, the videogame
genius with the touch of Midas. He is the mastermind behind many a smash hit
that made Nintendo the former titan of gaming. And Miyamoto just might help
Nintendo regain some of its former glory with his new achievement:
THE OCARINA OF TIME.
This is no longer your 16-bit ZELDA. After over
a decade of adventures on the NES, Super Nintendo,
and even the Game Boy, the Miyamoto Shigeru classic has made a daring leap
into the realm of 3D. As Link wanders from the the fiery
crater of Death Mountain to the shimmering depths of the Water Temple, the
player can't help but notice the sheer scale and beauty of the environment,
and after a few hours will find himself totally immersed in the surroundings.
The visuals are perhaps some of the best on Nintendo 64 yet, and the real-time
lighting makes the environment seem that much more real.
But it is the gameplay where THE OCARINA OF TIME
truly shines. Learning from the quirks of SUPER MARIO 64,
Miyamoto has improved on the camera and controls, and as a result THE OCARINA OF
TIME plays amazingly well, surpassing the likes of TOMB
RAIDER. (Lara Croft, eat your heart out!) The Z-trigger system is an
especially nice touch, as it allows you to lock onto objects and enemies,
helping to solve many of the control and camera problems inherent with many
3D titles. The game affords a great deal of freedom in exploring and
interacting with the environment, and the player's exploration is rewarded with
many hidden secrets. Puzzles seamlessly blend into the environment, feeling like
a natural extension of the surroundings rather than something tossed in for the
sake of an obstacle. Oftentimes there are more than one way to approach a puzzle,
and they're all solvable with common sense, a testament to the brilliant design
of the game.
In addition to the solid gameplay, THE OCARINA OF
TIME comes with several nice touches that add further value to the experience.
There's a slew of diversions throughout the quest, such as the horseback archery range
and the extremely nice fishing game. Equip the Rumble Pak, and a special item
called "The Stone of Agony" alerts the player to the presense of hidden secrets
in a tactile manner. Of special note is the role of the ocarina (a
clay flute) in the puzzle-solving process, as certain songs allow you to summon
rainstorms, open gateways, move objects, and turn night into day. It is attention
to details such as these that distinguishes Miyamoto's games from the rest of the
pack.
The story is equal parts prequel and sequel, dealing with Link both
as a child and as an adult. It starts out pretty lighthearted, and it's quite
comical to watch Link scurry around the countryside while being ridiculed by
the grown-ups. The game takes off in earnest once Link opens the Temple of Time
and travels into the future, as the fully mature Link now has to
explore a nightmare version of Hyrule and bring together the forces of Good,
before he and his allies can wrest Hyrule back from the clutches of Evil incarnate.
The theme of friendship is a recurring theme in the ZELDA
series, and though the story isn't comparable to that of a FINAL
FANTASY, it proves enough to keep the player immersed in the gameplay.
Along with Square's FINAL FANTASY VII, Miyamoto's brilliant effort
achieves the coveted rank of a "system-seller." If any one title were reason
enough to consider the purchase of a Nintendo 64, this would be it—in fact,
as of this writing THE OCARINA OF TIME has sold in the
millions and even helped to increase sales of the Nintendo 64. Miyamoto Shigeru
proves to the gaming world once again that it takes vision and
brilliance, not sex and violence, to create a truly excellent game. Without a
doubt, THE OCARINA OF TIME is the work of a
genius. 
Rating: **** out of 4 |
