I think my favourite moment has to be leaving the Temple of Time as an adult for the first time, seeing Hyrule Town all barren and desolate as a result of your actions. Such a shockingly sombre, heavy twist in contrast to the lighthearted whimsicality of what you played leading up to it. And the final boss, his intro cutscene, the music, the way he’s shrouded in darkness, occasionally illuminated by the lightning, his roars, Zelda’s screams, it’s one of the most unforgettable finales ever in a video game. It’s a powerful story about growing up and the loss of childhood innocence and it’s a masterclass in ludonarrative storytelling, something that can only work as well as it does as a video game.

When it comes to story and atmosphere, this game is absolutely top notch and I understand why it’s considered a masterpiece. But me, I’m a gameplay first kind of guy, and on that front, I don’t think it holds up quite as well. It’s not even that I think it’s dated, I just think combat in this game is really awkward, with enemies being pretty repetitive in design (exceptions being bosses) and Z-targeting often bugging out on me. I also think there’s a lot of padding, be it how it gives cutscenes to things that really don’t need them, the way Navi and the owl yell completely obvious things at you (yet NEVER have anything to say when you’re actually stuck), or just how slow animations are in this game, remember that staircase in Dodongo’s Cavern where you have to take the time to vault up every step? The biggest thing keeping this game down for me though is how guided it is. Not to the extremes of say, Skyward Sword, but there really isn’t much reason to venture off the main path outside of a couple fairy fountains because most areas are gated off until you get up to a certain point.

Despite these hiccups though, the game is still fun, and I still think that what’s good about this game is so above and beyond that it needs to be experienced by everyone hands-on.