Is Ocarina of Time overrated? (PODCAST!)

Heya, guys!

Liah here, roundtable discussion lady for the podcast and co-producer. I'm putting together another discussion featuring The Missing Link from Zelda Blog and Power Shot, our very own admin ego ranger. There will be another guest, but I'm still getting around that.

Anyway! This month's topic is:

Is the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time overrated?

I want to know your thoughts! I'll pick three posts to read out on the podcast, credit given to you, of course, and we'll discuss it. So! Let's hear your thoughts. I don't care what your opinion is; it's all valid!

So, lemme know!

hmm..
i think in a way it is very overrated. it is basically Alttp with time travel.
despite this, it still set the standard for 3d zelda games.
so basically i think the story is overrated, but the graphics, for its time, are not.

Cool idea! Thanks for giving us the privilege.

I say not overrated. It's perfect, epic, medieval, and fantastic and an excellent representation of what The Legend of Zelda games are like. Throw all the locations, the characters, the items, the bosses, the sidequests, the minigames, and the rest into a big pot and you'll get it steamin' like hotcakes. Sure, A Link to the Past set some great examples as far as what kind of items, dungeons, and the like should be featured in a successful Zelda game, but Ocarina of Time made it even more appealing and with perfect timing, at that. Nintendo 64 was all the rage, and might I add that Zelda: OoT was the very first video game to feature horseback riding? It deserves props. It just didn't go wrong.

So anyway, when do you think this podcast will be released, and where?

YES.

I think it is. Its an awesome game, thats a fact, but people blow it way out of porportion. Sorta like Final Fantasy VIII. People seem to view it with a Nostalgia Filter and i guess i can understand that since i do that to some extent with ALttP. Maybe its because i was older when i played OoT when it came out. (17 years old) I also played the crap out of that game to the point where it got a bit old. The game did revolutionize the way Zelda is viewed by the gaming community and thats both a blessing and a curse. (See Twilight Princess debates and Unpleasable Fanbase)

I personally believe people are saying that it's overrated because they want to rebel against its popularity. The game is well rounded overall and generally pleasing. One of the arguments I see from people that call it overrated is that the game is "easy". I ask these people to look back and remember when they first played it and were kids. Was it easy then? No. I know many people who had a very difficult time beating it the first time around. The only reason it's easy is because it's been played and beaten so many times that you are used to it. Younger children who are playing it for the first time NOW are struggling. We act like they are simpletons, but in reality we merely forget that this game was once difficult for us as well.

Ocarina of Time features horseback riding, a 3-D world with various settings to please the eye (examples being a lake, a graveyard, a lagoon type cavern, a desert, a volcano, a forest, two towns, a ranch, and a giant field in the middle), remakes of old characters, introductions of new fun characters, hidden little secrets, time passing in the Zelda series for the first time, many changes from when you were a child to when you took the master sword and became an adult, side quests, mini games, up-grades... the list goes on and on. This game is both a classic and is yet fresh and new at the same time. In my personal opinion, it's a masterpiece.

Those who complain, saying it's overrated, too easy, or even "has a lame plot" are just trying to complain because they really have nothing better to do in your free time. Zelda games aren't for everyone, but you cannot like the series and dislike this game. It gave the things everything they had been asking for and then some back int he 90s.

I have yet to see ANY RPG in recent years that is anywhere near as well rounded as Ocarina of Time. Overrated? No. It's a special gem that will maintain a warm place in my heart for years to come.

For its time, not necessarily. But many of the elements of it that are considered innovative, are not so. The transition to 3D was not an innovation so much as it was an evolutionary step, one that had been done before with previous titles from Nintendo; all the fans calling it the most revolutionary/influential/innovative game to the genre of action/adventure/platformer are wrong what with all that belonging to Super Mario 64. The most praise worthy innovation Nintendo is known for, too, belongs to the Super Mario series.

But in the end, it doesn't take being influential to the genre to be a masterful game within at least the series itself. Depending on the series, it may branch out to the rest of the crowd, though in the case of Mario and Legend of Zelda, it's not something that really needs to be brought up given their being some of the most enduring symbols of quality in video gaming to gamers at large.

Ocarina of Time is and was a fantastic title, and it deserved all the acclaim and popularity it recieved at the time. Even until this day, it is still an amazing game, and the influence and standard it provided is impossible to ignore. Is it overrated? Or maybe the opposite? I argue that it doesnt matter, or that the question itself is of little worth. Ocarina is of such a calibre that it may indeed be over valued, but nor can that truly be a negative, because it was brilliant. It has been exceeded, obviously, even by it's direct sequel, but gaming itself is better for it.

Anyone who would claim that Ocarina has not been exceeded I would regard as jaded, because by concequence the quality games that followed in it's wake, and from it's influence, were better because of it's influence. Observe some of the titles that came about in the subsequent generation. Okami, Ico, ect. Ocarina's value is not inherent to itself, but to the gaming industry as a whole. Great work begets great work.

Is Ocarina of Time overrated? Perhaps if you neglect it's legacy, or don't see the many ways in which the gaming industry has succeeded it.

Whoa, didn't expect replies this fast! <3 I'm readin' through them, guys.

CWP--The due date to have the 'cast out is November 15. If ya wanna check out our most recent podcast, check the ZUBC headquarters on the main page! We'd love to hear feedback (:

Thank you all for your opinions!

I think it's a little overrated, people say it's the best zelda game out there when theres a few i think are just as good eg. Majoras mask, Wind Waker. and alot of people would agree with Majoras mask but it dosent get as much praise like oot does well with what ive seen anyway.

In my opinion, Ocarina of Time is by no means an overrated game - it deserves every bit of critical acclaim it has received.

I think people tend to forget just how revolutionary the game was when it was first released. With Ocarina of Time, Hyrule and its people came vividly to life. However, this game was much, much more than just A Link to the Past in 3 dimensions. One way to measure just how revolutionary a game it was is to look at its legacy - namely, the impact that it has had on later games. The Z-targeting system introduced by Ocarina of Time worked so well when it was first established, that each 3D console game that has followed it (Majora's Mask, Wind Waker and Twilight Princess) has used the same system without needing to make any significant improvements to it.

I also feel compelled to mention that Ocarina of Time had wonderful cinematics, and they still remain my favourites of the Zelda series so far. I still remember feeling a chill go down my spine when the giant King Dodongo advanced on Link - the camera was initially shown from the great lizard's towering perspective, making Link look helpless and fragile. Suddenly, the camera swung back to Link's viewpoint, just as the Dodongo opened its gaping mouth in a menacing roar. What a perfect introduction to this ancient adversary! Of course, even this could not match up to the epic finale, in which the shadowy form of beast Ganon slowly rises, a great sword in each hand, with lightning crackling in the sky behind him, to face Link one last time. For emotional impact, I'm not sure that any game I've ever played has managed to top this.

Furthermore, Ocarina of Time's soundtrack was wonderfully advanced and varied, ranging from the strident overworld music to the ambient dungeon themes. Think, for instance, of the splendid Spanish flamenco music of the Gerudo Valley and Desert Colossus, and then remember the haunting, echoing music of the Forest Temple, or the mysterious and evocative sounds of the Spirit Temple. Such different tunes - such perfect fits. Ocarina of Time introduced many musical motifs that have become recurring symbols of the Zelda series as a whole - Zelda's Lullaby, Saria's Song and the Sun's Song being prime examples.

Storywise, there's no denying that Ocarina of Time borrowed much from its predecessor, A Link to the Past. However, in a sense, this scarcely seems to matter, since Ocarina of Time's story is merely the framework that holds the soul of the game together. It is an archetypal story of the lonely boy, who rises in power to defeat the dark king of evil and save the captured princess. Perhaps it is this very lack of originality that works, in the case of Ocarina of Time - by sticking to the heart of previous games, Ocarina of Time could provide the purest introduction to Hyrule for new gamers. The game did not need to rely on a fresh plot to feel original for older fans of the series, since the new and powerful features that it brought to the series - its controls, its music, its 3 dimensional graphics and overworld, cinematics and gameplay - ensured that it felt as fresh as the games preceding it. Thus, Ocarina of Time has superceded A Link to the Past as the most memorable game in the Zelda series.

The result of the game's fantastic controls, cinematics, music and gameplay is that even today, Ocarina of Time still holds up well compared to its modern rivals, which have had the chance to improve on what Ocarina of Time first introduced. Perhaps it's that perfect blend, that synthesis of music and gameplay, that combines to make it such a unique game. In any case, there's no denying that Ocarina of Time struck a chord in the hearts of many gamers when it was first released. The game itself has also been rereleased more times than any other Zelda game - first as a Gamecube game with a new Master Quest edition, then as a Collectors edition and finally as a Virtual Console title.

This is a telling fact. Ocarina of Time has truly been the defining game of the Zelda series - no other game has had such an impact on the hearts of Zelda fans. Thus, it is in no sense overrated.

Ocarina of Time is not untouchable, but a lot of the criticism it gets is, unfortunately, because of its popularity. And to be honest, few Zelda games have come close to achieving the same amount of influence and managed to define the Zelda series like Ocarina of Time has. To many, this was the first Zelda game they played, and Nintendo has made sure to keep it living through remakes like Master Quest and the Virtual Console.

It's impossible to be purely objective with a game like Ocarina of Time, because a lot of its good (or bad) sides come from opinion, and from a technical standpoint it was an impressive title for the Nintendo 64 system. Therefore, it is difficult to say why it deserves the praise it gets (or it does NOT deserve it).

It is a fact though - many fans hold Ocarina of Time in a high regard, for numerous reasons. I have yet to come across anyone who would say that the music is anything but great. The story was simple, but immersive and at the same time giving you enough room to play by yourself. The items and dungeons challenged your skills and your brain with puzzles entirely different from what we saw in the 2D titles.

Ocarina of Time may or may not be overrated, but it's definitely plagued by nostalgia. For many, this was the defining game in the series, and a most satisfying source for some fantasy adventuring.

I think OoT is pretty overatted.

It was good, mind you, but not too good. I don't really know why, but I didn't really like it that much. I also get tired of people saying that its their favorite game ever. Personally I think Majora's Mask is better, but thats just my biased opinion.

Ugh...

I hate it when people use the term "overrated", because it suggests that their opinions are somehow worth more than the opinions of the people who rated it highly. And that's stupid. Everyone's opinions are equally valid.

Now, I don't like Ocarina of Time as much as some people do, but I'm in no position to suggest that it's "overrated".

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It's not overrated in the least. With everybody always saying its overrated, they're underrating the game, and not allowing it the attention it deserves.
And with a game that has demanded so much attention over the last 10 years, I'd say it's for a little more than being "overrated" People wouldn't bother with such an old game unless it truly did deserve the attention.

It's not overrated, the game simply deserves the attention and it's place on the games hierarchy.

The whole 3D system and game's freedom and multiple types of exploration was inovative in that time, considering that most 3D games where just FPS in that time, OOT utilized an completely unique formula to the genre and was later an source of inspiration for more similar games, such as god of war... prince of persia, etc...

As for the story, I think it's not the title's forte, I mean... saving the world from an villain aiming for world domination is simply cliched... but the manner they applied the plot was favourable and satisfactory for the game... the story is simple but very involvent...

The graphics were decent and with an nice resolution... the whole game's atmosphere and soundtracks were nicely done... there are memorable tracks such as the forest temple's or gerudo valley... the game's textures were also pretty detailed...

As for the replay value... it's an high point of the title... because of the exploration degree and quantity of items to collect, as well as challenges that the player can impose to make the game more exciting...

People make it's popularity out to be somehting it isn't. OoT was so popuar and sucessful because of when it was released.

To start, it was the first 3D Zelda game. There have been many games which when going from 2D to 3D did not handle well and were made worse. However Nintendo handle this extreamly well and made a very smooth transition into 3D. This was also right at the begining of the 3D console move, which just made it an even bigger bonus.

It was also the first Zelda game to have a darker theme. I don't mean like the dark world, but I mean it had an ominous, evil feel to it. This was of course outdone by it sucsessor MM, but OoT was the first one to make that step, while still being light hearted at times and inviting to all audiences.

DOn't get me wrong, OoT also had a reallt good story length and was all around a great game. But those aren't why it was mainly praised. It was the first of it's kind in the Zelda franchise, one of the first in general gamming and was nearly flawless. It was a truly quality game.

=/
I agree that it is waaaay to hyped. Whenever I ask someone what their favorite Zelda game is 95% answer Ocarina of Time. And I don't just ask people within one age group, I've ask people 20-25 10-15 25-35. etc. I'm serious, they always say OoT.

There is nothing wrong with Ocarina in general, it's a fantastic game no doubt, but it isn't the best. There are plenty of other Zelda games just as good and even better. I'm sure nostalgia is a big part of why people pick it, but seriously, don't base games off nostalgia. Base it off gameplay, story, graphics. Because when you base things off nostalgia, it becomes a big cluster fudge of favorite games.

No it's not.

It's an amazing game for the N64.

Overrated? That's a loaded question.

Everything it has is excellent, but there are some issues that could be improved upon:

- more enemies (you climb death mountain and find what, 4 tektites and 3 skullwalltulas? more please-
_ this is death mountain after all)
- larger landscapes
- have a higher difficulty level (the enemies are pretty weak for the most part)
- replace the 2D elements with 3-D ones (fences, bones, skeletons, ropes, some trees, etc)

But the overall experience remains jaw-dropping, with the amazing music, atmosphere- all
the story/audio/visual elements are wonderful

The level of immersion in this game is undeniable.

Originally Posted by kreebby

...One of the arguments I see from people that call it overrated is that the game is "easy". I ask these people to look back and remember when they first played it and were kids. Was it easy then? No. I know many people who had a very difficult time beating it the first time around. The only reason it's easy is because it's been played and beaten so many times that you are used to it. Younger children who are playing it for the first time NOW are struggling. We act like they are simpletons, but in reality we merely forget that this game was once difficult for us as well.

I have to disagree here. It's hard for beginners, and has some head-scratching puzzles, but the
action is very simplified and easy. Not only that, but the shield blocks nearly everything in the game,
and the Z-targeting makes it difficult to miss. Plus, you just don't really die much at all, especially
compared to the high death rates in ALttP.

I played lots of NES games before OoT. You died over and over again, but this challenge only
made you come back to improve yourself. Think Castlevania, Mega Man, Super Mario Bros.,
and Ghosts n' Goblins. Was Ocarina of Time easy? In comparison to NES (and even some SNES)
games, the answer is a resounding yes!

Originally Posted by Mattocks

To start, it was the first 3D Zelda game. There have been many games which when going from 2D to 3D did not handle well and were made worse. However Nintendo handle this extreamly well and made a very smooth transition into 3D.

I think the genre of a game makes far more impact on transition than anything else.
The original Legend of Zelda, although it had 2-D graphics, was designed as a 3-D
world. You had the vertical and horizontal action, (X and Y) and up to 3 stories (Z):
- Overworld
- Dungeon
- Dungeon basement

The game is presented from a top-down perspective, as if the camera could just swing down
to another view at any time. and Item Cellars are presented in a side view perspective. Even in
the first LoZ, Link climbs mountains and visits towering waterfalls. This is a game whose design
from the start was one that would easily translate to 3-D.

Not so for Mario. His world was entirely two-dimensional. X and Y are the only dimensions
hinted at. Think about the walking goombas and the speeding koopa shells, these would hardly
be much of a threat in a 3-dimensional world, all you have to do is step aside. but in a 2-D universe,
you either jump or get hit. The challenge in Mario is critical to its 2-dimensional existence. When
Mario finally went 3-D, it became an exploratory adventure type game of collecting objects and
finding secrets. Soon New Super Mario Bros. Wii will come out, which only goes to show that
Super Mario Bros.' style of gameplay never made the transition to 3-D, although Mario himself did
(as well as the mushroom kingdom).

Street Fighter is another great example, where everything in the game happens relative to the
2-Dimensional plane. You can add 3-D graphics, but unless the characters are locked in a side
view perspective, the whole nature of the beast changes immensely.

In the original LoZ's top down view, the character's interaction is not changed very much when
you shift to a 3-dimensional world, Mario and Street Fighter face much more radical shifts when
they enter the third dimension.

Most people praise it for being the defining backbone of modern Zeldas. That is only true in the 3D element, which has nothing to do with the game itself, but the fact that it was the first 3D Zelda. I you ignore that it was the first to tackle 3D, you can observe that most of the features reused today (i.e. the music, formula, etc.) was actually first used in A Link to the Past. People need to go back and play the older Zeldas before overpraising something for what it's not.

Don't get me wrong, Ocarina of Time is a great game that deserves a top spot in video game history, but it all it really brought to the table was 3D, which any game could have done.