Third GOTM finished for April 2024. Does it show its age as an early 3D game from the 90's going back to it now? Absolutely. Is it still one of the most incredible, influential games ever made? Absolutely. The Ship of Harkinian port made this one feel like I remember playing it as a kid, with the improvements really heightening my experience revisiting this one. Hard to say much about arguably one of the most talked about games to ever exist, but I had an absolute blast revisiting my childhood in the world of Hyrule!

Just like in the case of something like a Resident Evil 4, it's hard to really have anything interesting to say about a game like Ocarina of Time because everything that could be said about it has already been said. It's a classic, one of the best games ever made, with one of the most unexpected but best soundtracks (and sound effects!) of all time, that uses space in a way that it makes a fairly small world feel big, and despite having such a sparse story manages to be this really interesting, melancholic rumination on aging and how the innocence of youth can never be reclaimed.

There are smarter and more eloquent people than I who you should probably seek out for more in-depth opinions on on all things OoT, but what I can say is that going back to the N64 original (and I actually thought about digging out my actual N64 for this, but it's too convenient to just play it on my Switch) is that it feels... A bit rough after having played the 3DS remake (remaster? Remakester?) It's still a great game and the most important parts of what make Ocarina of Time are still intact here and just as good as in any other version, but actually playing it just doesn't feel super good. The very low frame rate I can mostly live with without any issues, but the supremely poor aiming, the criminally slow text scrolling, and what at least feels like a much less reliable lock-on (which might be related to the frame rate, not that I think about it) did drag down my experience with the original version in a way that I honestly wasn't expecting. Combat against enemies with a shield is also just kind of a drag, but I guess that's an issue no matter which version of the game I'm playing.

But it's still very good! Not as good as I know it can be with future releases (I should probably play the PC port at some point), but no matter the flaws that do become very apparent at certain points, it's still a game that's very hard to put down one one gets into it, and I even enjoyed going through Jabu-Jabu's Belly this time around which was a first. I probably prefer the new, BotW-style Zeldas we get every six years now over the classic 3D Zelda structure, but I can't deny that it's nice sometimes to just take a relaxing stroll through a hostile temple, doing some light puzzling, wondering where to find the next small key while marveling over some of the genius design choices made (that twisted corridor in Forest Temple!!!) and listening to great music. The introduction of every boss having their name and some kind of title was also so smart to build up the fight against them as something major, even when it's just a Giant Aquatic Amoeba I'm fighting and they can easily be stunlocked.

I should probably replay Majora's Mask as well at some point this year.

Ocarina of Time is the quintessential videogame. The influence of OoT over the medium is immeasurable and would grant it a place in history by itself. However, the game is also damn good, and holds up to today's standards.

OoT is a masterclass in both game design and storytelling and lays the foundation to the modern videogame. The item-dungeon loop, the quasi-open world, the hub areas integrated into the worldbuilding aspects and the time-related plot twists and implementation of quests and sidequests integrating the game's main gimmick in such a natural manner were basically the template for most major game created ever since.

The use of soundtrack in ambience and storytelling is also extremely inspired and helps the game in its longstanding legacy. The musical and audio motif introduced in OoT are, in fact, one of the more important factors in the series identity up to the most recent entries.

The Kingdom of Hyrule feels alive, which is a feat and a half considering the technical hurdles of the time. The clever use of hub locations contrasting with the ample Hyrule Fields makes the populated areas feel that more important and full of points of interest.

Locations are, in fact, the most important part of the storytelling in OoT. The dungeons all have some significance that is alluded to but explicitly told - a not pioneering, but definetly daring move at the time. And the identity of the locales merges with the level design, capabilities acquired and soundtrack of the dungeons in a manner seldom replicated from then to now.

The UI and UX factors of the game are harder to evaluate. The field has developed tremendously and OoT utilized dated conventions - which still work, as most average gamers even today can navigate without any issues - but the use of c-buttons to alleviate the clutter of so many tools was a functional and perfectly able solution. The menuing can get quite annoying, especially during areas where the boots are used frequently. The d-pad should-ve been better utilized - and this was one of the first QoL solutions implemented by current-day modders. Hindsight is 20-20, however. During its day, there were few 3D games which utilized solutions as effectively as OoT - the Z-targeting was one of the greatest legacies for gameplay UX, and is now ubiuitous because of the great implementation made by OoT.

The story is an apt retelling of the Chosen One trope. While not groundbreaking as a general motif, the time-travelling twist is extremely effective in its implementation. Link is a blank slate and does not impede the player immersion into the story being told. That is very much a good thing, and contributes to the longevity of the game's enjoyability and it's perpetuity in history.

While being prey to the curse of the early 3D graphics, it is one of the least offensive polygons of the era. The artstyle is fantastical enough to make the graphics not too dated for today's standards - there is a kind of charm in them. Of course, in it's heyday OoT was considered an impressive technical feat. There were few games of it's scope back then and the graphical fidelity was amongst the top of its class, especially considering the N64 library - and not using pre-rendered graphics as much and as overtly as the jRPGs of the era. It's use of pre-rendered graphics was, in fact, subtle and melded well with the real-time polygonal graphics. The camera is generally acceptable, but it's finnicky sometimes - a problem that was much more felt in Majora's Mask -, an issue of the times. The ability to move the camera in the way OoT did, however, was extremely innovative.

All in all, OoT is one of those rare games that can be considered a true masterpiece. It is the template for all current open-world action-adventure games and is the starting point to videogames being taken seriously as a medium. It holds up well as an entertainment piece and is legendary as turning point in videogame history.

Few games can survive the destructive tendencies of time, but Ocarina of Time remains as astounding today as when it was first released.

I was not there when at that time, I didn’t play this entry until nearly 15 years later. While its series has remained an important part of my childhood, this was not an entry I touched for a long time. I was amazed to discover in this cartridge an experience as powerful as any game I’ve seen played in the years before or since.

What Ocarina of Time conveys is an unbridled passion for all aspects of its own existence. The wonder of exploration and childhood. The conflicting nature of young adulthood. The darkness and light inherit in individuals. There is a story here about the totality of growing up, all encompassing but somehow not messy.

It understands perfectly not the game that it is, but the game that it wants to be, and we are forever grateful for it.

It's kind of strange how this is the highest rated game of all time, yet still manages to often be undercredited. I think a lot of people I come across now don't realize how much of the groundwork this laid for 3D action games as a whole; Devil May Cry is essentially a Z-Targeting game, Souls combat is basically 3D Zelda (except worse, lacking the creative interactions OoT offers through item usage), etc
Every time I replay this and expect that maybe my opinion of it would be weathered by time, I always find that contrarily, the older I get the more I appreciate it. Gameplay, presentation, and story are all great.

O primeiro contato que eu tive com este jogo foi por meio de um emulador de N64 que veio no meu primeiro PC, máquina que ganhei de presente no meu aniversário de 8 anos lá em 2009. Sendo uma criança leprosa e desprovida de qualquer habilidade, não consegui zerá-lo na época então abandonei o jogo por um bom tempo. Até que em 2015 após assistir um vídeo de glitches e bugs do jogo feito pelo YouTuber Jiraiya, despertara em mim a vontade de revisitar esta obra. Já não tinha mais o PC que tinha ido de vascão, mas tinha um notebook vagabundo com 2GB de RAM da Itautec e um controle genérico comprado na feira. Agora menos burro, mas ainda desprovido de qualquer habilidade consegui enfim terminar o jogo pela primeira vez, e sim, tive o auxílio de um guia, mas ainda assim a experiência foi maravilhosa. O mundo, as músicas, as dungeons e os chefes... Foi tudo tão lindo e épico. E desde então, zero OoT todos os anos. Certamente um dos jogos da minha vida