I've been a casual gamer since high school but never got around to playing any of the original Legend of Zelda games. My first experience with the beloved series was quite pitiful, actually.
I tried playing Twilight Princess on the Wii but froze at the sight of a bulblin, a goblin-like creature whose only goal is to whack you with a club. It took me a few months to work up the courage to give the simple battle another shot. I eventually warmed up to the game but never finished it. Years later, however, I raved over the franchise's most recent and critically acclaimed open-world game, Breath of the Wild.
Whenever I mention how much I love the story and gameplay of Breath of the Wild, it's often followed with, "Have you played Ocarina of Time?!"
Well, no. Despite being born the same year the fifth game in the Zelda series was released (1998), I've never laid eyes on what's considered the best Zelda game — much to the bemusement of fellow gamers.
Their astonishment is backed by the fact that Ocarina also tells the origin story of Link, Hyrule Kingdom's bravest warrior, and the character who gamers embody as they play the Zelda series. Before Ocarina of Time, fans had little knowledge of the history of Hyrule, its Princess Zelda and the story's hero, Link.
Ocarina of Time has been rereleased since the Nintendo GameCube era, with versions compatible with almost every Nintendo console. So, I decided to dive into the origins of Link and Hyrule.
Normally I consume video games through my gaming laptop or Nintendo Switch. Going from a Switch to a 3DS handheld device posed some challenges, the biggest being the camera controls. I've been spoiled with the Switch having left and right control sticks — the left for navigating the character and the right for the camera view. It's a perfect design for modern video games.
But the camera in Ocarina of Time is terrible. Understanding the automatic camera angles and aiming became my true first quest. But once I got past these horrendous mechanics, I couldn't put the game down.
A fairy ocarina — a vital tool in the game — is a magical instrument that opens hidden passages, charms villagers and plays sweet music. To defeat the evil king, Link (ie. you, the player) uses the fairy ocarina to collect three spiritual stones from different regions of Hyrule and the much more powerful ocarina of time.
Simple enough, right? Psych! There's a whole other piece to the story, but you can play for yourself to find out.
Despite the dated graphics and lack of guidance, getting to explore a simpler map of Hyrule compared to Breath of the Wild was refreshing. I was able to focus on the story and characters, which is one of my favorite things about the franchise.
I loved playing through this game — the plot twists and gameplay — despite the terrible camera. It was fun getting to finally enjoy such a monumental game in The Legend of Zelda franchise history. I finally understand what the Ocarina hype is all about — this was the missing link to my favorite video game fandom.
I'm excited to download the next chapter in the Zelda series, Majora's Mask, and continue playing. ♦
