The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

It's sad to think that there are actually people out there who will not understand what an astounding achievement The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time truly is. Nintendo's latest gift to the world is no mere videogame. This cartridge can not be legitimately compared to the other titles on the shelves this Christmas. You can't slap Zelda 64 and Twisted Metal 3 together in the same sentence. Don't even start with the Lara Croft crap. And I don't want to hear about Sonic Adventures either. Zelda is here. Zelda is now. Zelda is perfect.

Epic. Unstoppable. Unbeatable. Irresistible. Sensational. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time may be on a predestined, heavily marketed path to ubiquity but don't let that color your thoughts about this masterwork. If you don't own a Nintendo 64, buy one. If you own a Nintendo 64, get ready to stand in line. The fact that you're reading this review suggests that you are a fan of videogame entertainment. If that is the case, you must do everything in your power to make sure that you play this one.

SAY HELLO TO HYRULE

Zelda 64, like previous Zelda adventures, is set in the vast land of Hyrule. Split up into various sectors, Hyrule's geography is as rich and varied as they come. Throughout your many quests you'll be dodging falling rocks on Death Mountain, trying to retain your sense of direction in the Lost Woods and taming wild horses on Lon Lon Ranch. You'll also kill some time fishing in Lake Hylia, you'll learn how to high dive in Zora's Domain and you'll spend a lot of time talking with the town-folk in the villages of Hyrule Castle, Kokiri and Kakariko.

Also hidden in amongst the various locations of the game are a series of separate, complicated temples that are set up very much like the dungeons of Zelda's past. Only this time, of course, every puzzle, every ledge and every enemy is three-dimensional.

The story for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a prequel to the Super Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Once again, the legendary, magical Triforce - the symbolic three golden triangles representing the goddess' of courage, wisdom and power, respectively - plays an important role in the adventure.

The villain in Zelda 64 is actually a much younger (but still nasty) version of the SNES' Ganon (now he's known by his given name of Ganondorf). Just like in the 16-bit Zelda, Ganondorf wants to use the Triforce for evil and to enslave the inhabitants of Hyrule. And you, as both a child-age and adult hero known as Link, must stop him and bring peace back to the land.

You start the game as young Link, who is living among the peaceful forest people of Kokiri. You discover that you are the only citizen of Kokiri who doesn't have his own guardian fairy. All of this changes when the Deku Tree, the mystical guardian of the forest, sends the fairy, Navi, to summon you to him. The Deku Tree explains that the nightmares that you've been having are premonitions of the evil deeds about to occur in Hyrule. The Deku Tree urges you to step up and make sure that this evil presence will never win the Triforce.

So off you go on your dangerous exploits. After you defeat the Deku Tree's test, he grants you the first of the three Sacred Stones, Kokiri's Emerald, and then he encourages you to find Princess Zelda as quickly as possible to learn more about the difficult tasks that lie in store for you. Once you make your way into Hyrule Castle and talk with Zelda, she sends you out to find the remaining two Sacred Stones. Gathering these three jewels is the first chunk of gameplay you'll experience and even though it's just a taste of things to come, the three kid-Link levels are awesome.

As the young Link, you discover quickly that people don't take you too seriously as a fearless hero, even if you do carry around an impressive, albeit miniature, sword and shield. All the ledges and nifty objects that are just out of Link's reach will frustrate you and the lack of respect shone to you by the various townspeople might start to give you a bit of a complex. Once you complete the objectives necessary to open up the Temple of Time and become the adult Link, however, the enormity of Zelda 64 is exposed. Suddenly the game becomes much more than a standard action-RPG.

With the element of time travel and two different versions of Link to play, plus the element of being able to witness the repercussions of your decisions, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is truly an extraordinary undertaking.

TOYS 'R US KIDS

Unlike the super kid-friendly adventure of Mario 64, Zelda's domain has always been one of universal acceptance. The very same hard core, frag-fest-lovin' 20-something gamers who pooh-pooh the thought of bouncing on turtle shells, have squealed with delight upon discovering another useful secret in one of the Zelda games. It's somewhat ironic then that much of the new Zelda 64 looks every bit as cartoony and exaggerated as the world of Mario 64. However, Zelda 64's colorful exterior belies the extremely complex and rewarding gameplay at its core. I'm happy to report that even though the game is an esthetic marvel that is truly without peer on Nintendo's 64-bit machine, it is ultimately the play of the thing that will leave you awestruck.

Still, there's something to be said for graphics that force you to wipe tears from your eyes. There are moments of visual grandeur in this adventure that will send chills down your spine. The fact that you're able to witness some of the most magical sunsets and sunrises ever constructed for the digital world is important to note. More than once I found myself squinting as I looked into Zelda's sun.

Lighting plays a tremendously important role in the overall graphic makeup of Zelda 64. As the sun passes across the landscape of Hyrule, Link's shadow is appropriately distorted beneath his feet and the soft colors blooming on the surrounding foliage are altered on the fly. Walk into a dungeon and see the glow of a torch flickering against the cobbled wall. In the Water Temple you'll be taken aback by the ethereal swirl of luminescent waves flowing from the pools of water. Nighttime in Kakariko village is lovely. The moon casts a cool blue filter on the village, which is beautifully contrasted by the golden-glow windows on each of the homes. One of the most enjoyable, and oddly soothing, things to do in Zelda 64 is to stand on a high ledge, toggle to the first person viewpoint and gaze at the majestic scenery before you.

The world of Zelda 64 is enormous, certainly much bigger than any 3-D action title before it. Consider that during your quest to save Hyrule, you'll be travelling through at least 8 massive dungeons/temples, each of which will take you hours to explore, but you'll also have to traverse great expanses of land just to reach those temples. Nintendo's team has done a remarkable job of creating the illusion of huge spacious fields that lead right into towns or through forests and up into the mountains. Although the game screen blackens for a moment as you pass between some locations, the sense that you are in a tremendously large and picturesque environment is never lost.

SURROUNDED BY SOUNDS

Zelda's graphics are not the only coup de grace in the esthetic department. The sound design of this cartridge is exemplary. Players with N64s hooked up to surround sound systems are in for a treat. Rushing water, encroaching enemies, the skitter of tiny insect feet, far off explosions and of course, the clomping of approaching hooves will fill your living room as the rich and varied sound effects in Zelda 64 bring the game to life.

Zelda's music flutters through light playful tones to overbearing symphonic blasts. In some areas of the game, the music score is dropped in favor of subtle ambience. I enjoyed the castanets that welcomed me into the Gerudo Valley as well as the joyous Lost Woods music that the Gorons love so much. The music changes on the fly throughout the adventure and really helps to accentuate every predicament.

One of the great things about Zelda 64 is the ability to make your own music using the Ocarina. There are specific tunes that you'll learn that will activate switches and even teleport Link from location to location but in typical Nintendo fashion, the Ocarina can also be used to jam. The analog thumbstick acts as a provisional real-time pitch-shifter, while pressing on the "Z" or "R" triggers will allow you to toy with sharp and flat notes. You pipe out music using the "C" and "A" buttons. Ingenious.

SWORDSMANSHIP

The gameplay of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time seems so obvious, so patterned and well thought out that it almost subverts itself. You're fooled into thinking that it's just more of the same. In fact, it really is more of the same great gameplay that kept us attached to our SNES controllers and our Game Boys for months and months. The intricate maze constructs, the perfectly measured jumps, the cleverly placed weapon power-ups, the frustrating reappearing monsters � it's all there. Just like the Zelda you've always known.

What's amazing is that Nintendo's developers have captured the exact feel of the 2-D Zelda games in the 3-D architecture of the Nintendo 64. This is no easy feat. Just thinking about coding all of that 3-D math, those perfectly positioned camera angles and all of the insane control issues gives me a headache. It's so much more enjoyable to just get lost in the game and forget about its skeletal make-up. That's the beauty of Zelda 64. Even though it is, without a doubt, the most impressive technical showcase any of the console systems have ever received, you don't think about it. You just want to find the damned key so you can open up the next chained door and finish off the boss.

Controlling Link takes a little adjusting to. The character is capable of so many different moves and is outfitted with such a vast array of weapons and tools, you may feel a little clumsy at first trying to get a bead on things like the innovative "Z"-Targeting system. Once you've gotten accustomed to cycling through the various menu screens, selecting your tools and slicing your enemies into thin strips of baloney, however, Link becomes a killing machine that is able to leap tall buildings in a single bound (with the help of a Hookshot, that is). By the time you've finished your first dungeon, you'll have Link's moves down like an old pro. And incidentally, that "Z"-Targeting thing? It rocks. It allows you to always stay centered on the bad guy, so you can quickly and easily dish out the hurt. Use it or you'll keep getting stabbed in the back.

Like every other Zelda freak in the world, I started to squirm when I heard that the plan for Zelda 64 was to make the jumps automatic. After all, I liked having to jump across the gaps before. To be honest, I kind of missed being able to jump on demand in Zelda 64. However, the action in the game is non-stop and with the 360 degree concentration required to stay alive in the adventure, not to mention all of the weapons and objects you have to concern yourself with, maybe eliminating one action from the Link repertoire wasn't such a bad idea.

THE NEW CHAMPION

There is no end to the excellence of Zelda 64. I could continue blathering on and on about its many, many charms but this is only keeping me away from selfishly playing the game itself. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the best videogame I have ever played. It is the crowning jewel of the industry. It is Nintendo's finest achievement. And it's a hell of game to start a new century with.

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