HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

is a 1998
action-adventure game An action-adventure game is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Definition An action adventure game can be defined as a game with a mix of elements from an action ...
developed and published by
Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles. The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
for the
Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, in North America on September 29, 1996, and in Europe and Australia on March 1, 1997. As the successor to the Super Nintendo E ...
. The game was the first in the ''
Legend of Zelda is a media franchise, video game series created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo; some portable installments and re-releases have been outsourced to Flags ...
'' series with
3D graphics 3D computer graphics, sometimes called CGI, 3D-CGI or three-dimensional computer graphics, are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data (often Cartesian) that is stored in the computer for the purposes of perfor ...
. It was released in Japan and North America in November 1998 and in
PAL region Phase Alternating Line (PAL) is a color encoding system for analog television. It was one of three major analogue colour television standards, the others being NTSC and SECAM. In most countries it was broadcast at 625 lines, 50 fields (25& ...
s the following month. ''Ocarina of Time'' was developed by Nintendo's
Entertainment Analysis & Development commonly abbreviated as Nintendo EAD and formerly known as Nintendo Research & Development No.4 Department (abbreviated as Nintendo R&D4), was the largest software development division within the Japanese video game company Nintendo. It was pr ...
division. It was led by five directors, including
Eiji Aonuma is a Japanese video game designer, director, and producer at Nintendo. He is a senior officer within their Nintendo EPD division and serves as the producer of the ''The Legend of Zelda, Legend of Zelda'' franchise. Career Aonuma was born as on ...
and
Yoshiaki Koizumi is a Japanese video game designer, director, producer, and business executive. He is a senior executive officer at Nintendo and a deputy general manager at Nintendo EPD, where he is known for his work within their ''Mario'' and ''The Legend of ...
, produced by series co-creator
Shigeru Miyamoto is a Japanese video game designer, video game producer, producer and Creative director#Video games, game director at Nintendo, where he has served as one of its representative directors as an executive since 2002. Widely regarded as one o ...
, and written by
Kensuke Tanabe is a Japanese video game producer and designer working for Nintendo, where he currently is Senior Officer at Nintendo EPD. After he had graduated from the Visual Concept Planning Department of Osaka University of Arts, he decided to enter the ...
. Series composer
Koji Kondo is a Japanese composer and senior executive at the video game company Nintendo. He is best known for his contributions for the '' Super Mario'' and ''The Legend of Zelda'' series, with his ''Super Mario Bros.'' theme being the first piece of mu ...
wrote its soundtrack. The player controls Link in the realm of
Hyrule ''The Legend of Zelda'' is a video game franchise created by video game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka and mainly developed and published by Nintendo. The universe of the ''Legend of Zelda'' series consists of various lands, th ...
on a quest to stop the evil king
Ganon is a character and the main antagonist of Nintendo's ''The Legend of Zelda'' video game series and franchise, as well as the final Boss (video games), boss in many ''Zelda'' titles. In his humanoid Gerudo form, he is known as A massive and male ...
dorf by traveling through time and navigating dungeons and an overworld. The game introduced features such as a target-lock system and context-sensitive buttons, which have since become common in 3D adventure games. The player must play songs on an
ocarina The ocarina (otherwise known as a potato flute) is a wind musical instrument; it is a type of vessel flute. Variations exist, but a typical ocarina is an enclosed space with four to twelve finger holes and a mouthpiece that projects from the bo ...
to progress. ''Ocarina of Time'' was acclaimed by critics and consumers, who praised its visuals, sound, gameplay, soundtrack, and writing. It has been ranked by numerous publications as the greatest video game of all time and is the highest-rated game on the review aggregator
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
. It was commercially successful, with more than seven million copies sold worldwide. In the United States, it received more than three times more pre-orders than any other game at the time. A sequel, '' The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask'', was released in 2000. ''Ocarina of Time'' has been re-released on every one of Nintendo's home consoles and on the
iQue Player The iQue Player () is a handheld TV game version of the Nintendo 64 console manufactured by iQue and released exclusively in China. It was developed as a joint venture between Nintendo and Wei Yen following China's ban on the sale of home video ...
in China. An enhanced version of the game for the
Nintendo 3DS The is a foldable dual-screen handheld game console produced by Nintendo. Announced in March 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS, the console was released originally on February 26, 2011 and went through various revisions in its lifetime, ...
, '' The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D'', was released in 2011. ''Master Quest'', an alternative version of the game including new puzzles and increased difficulty, is included in one of the
GameCube The is a PowerPC-based home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, in Europe on May 3, 2002, and in Australia on May 17, 2002. It is the suc ...
releases and the ''3D'' version.


Gameplay

''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'' is a fantasy
action-adventure game An action-adventure game is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Definition An action adventure game can be defined as a game with a mix of elements from an action ...
set in a three-dimensional world with an expansive environment. The game world is mostly rendered in
real-time Real-time, realtime, or real time may refer to: Computing * Real-time computing, hardware and software systems subject to a specified time constraint * Real-time clock, a computer clock that keeps track of the current time * Real-time Control Syst ...
polygonal 3D, while a few areas make use of
pre-rendered Pre-rendering is the process in which video footage is not rendered in real-time by the hardware that is outputting or playing back the video. Instead, the video is a recording of footage that was previously rendered on different equipment (typ ...
backgrounds. The player controls series protagonist Link from a third-person perspective. Link primarily fights with a sword and shield but can also use other weapons such as projectiles, bombs, and magic spells. The control scheme introduced techniques such as
context-sensitive Context-sensitive is an adjective meaning "depending on context" or "depending on circumstances". It may refer to: * Context-sensitive meaning, where meaning depends on context (language use) ** Context-sensitive grammar, a formal grammar in which ...
actions and a targeting system called "Z-targeting", which allows the player to have Link focus on enemies or objects. When using this technique, the camera follows the target and Link constantly faces it. Projectile attacks are automatically directed at the target and do not require manual aiming. Context-sensitive actions allow multiple tasks to be assigned to one button, simplifying the control scheme. The on-screen display shows what will happen when the button is pushed and changes depending on what the character is doing. For example, the button that causes Link to push a box if he is standing next to it will have him climb on the box if the analog stick is pushed toward it. Much of the game is spent exploring and fighting, but some parts require
stealth Stealth may refer to: Military *Stealth technology, technology used to conceal ships, aircraft, and missiles **Stealth aircraft, aircraft which use stealth technology ** Stealth ground vehicle, ground vehicles which use stealth technology ** Ste ...
. Link gains abilities by collecting items and weapons found in dungeons or in the overworld, including several optional side quests and minor objectives. Side quests can reward new weapons or abilities. In one side quest, Link trades items with
non-player character A non-player character (NPC) is a character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster (or referee) rather than by a ...
s in a trading sequence that features ten items and ends with him receiving the two-handed Biggoron Sword, which is the strongest sword in the game. In another side quest, Link can acquire a
horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...
who allows him to travel faster but restricts him to only attacking with arrows while riding. Link is given an
ocarina The ocarina (otherwise known as a potato flute) is a wind musical instrument; it is a type of vessel flute. Variations exist, but a typical ocarina is an enclosed space with four to twelve finger holes and a mouthpiece that projects from the bo ...
near the beginning of the game, which is later replaced by the
Ocarina of Time is a 1998 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. The game was the first in the '' Legend of Zelda'' series with 3D graphics. It was released in Japan and North America in November 1998 and in PAL regi ...
. Throughout the game, Link learns twelve melodies that allow him to solve music-based puzzles and teleport to previously visited locations. The Ocarina of Time is also used to claim the
Master Sword The is a fictional divine magic sword in Nintendo's ''The Legend of Zelda'' series. At times, it is referred to in-universe as the "blade of evil's bane" or the "sword that seals the darkness". It was introduced in the 1991 action-adventure vid ...
in the Temple of Time, which causes Link to be transported seven years into the future and become an adult. Young Link and adult Link have different abilities. For example, only adult Link can use the Fairy Bow, and only young Link can fit through certain small passages. After completing certain tasks, Link can travel freely between the two time periods by replacing and taking the sword.


Plot


Setting

''Ocarina of Time'' is set in the fictional kingdom of
Hyrule ''The Legend of Zelda'' is a video game franchise created by video game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka and mainly developed and published by Nintendo. The universe of the ''Legend of Zelda'' series consists of various lands, th ...
, the setting of most ''
Legend of Zelda is a media franchise, video game series created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo; some portable installments and re-releases have been outsourced to Flags ...
'' games. Hyrule Field serves as the central hub, and is connected to several outlying areas with diverse topography which are home to the races of Hyrule. On the outskirts of Hyrule are the Kokiri, a race living as children with fairies, and the Zora, fish-like creatures in the middle of a crisis. North is Kakariko Village and Death Mountain, home of the Gorons, rock-consuming creatures. The secluded desert belongs to the Gerudo, a population mostly consisting of women who serve the king, a man that is born once every century, and Lake Hylia serves as a touristic fishing attraction where the Water Temple resides.


Characters

Players control Link, a young boy living in the Kokiri Forest, at the outskirts of Hyrule, guarded by the ill-fated Great Deku Tree. Unknown to him, Link is not given a fairy similar to the other Kokiri, such as his friend Saria. Given the fairy Navi as a guide, the fairy is used to explain the player the gameplay mechanics. Later on his quest, Link befriends Malon, daughter of the Lon Lon Ranch's owner, and Zelda, Hyrule's princess, and learns of the King of the Gerudo, Ganondorf, serving as the game's main antagonist. Darunia, the leader of the Gorons, and Ruto, Zora's princess, later assist Link in various ways. During his adulthood, Link learns that his childhood friends are "Sages", powerful beings holding mysterious powers. Aside from Saria, Darunia, and Ruto, Link encounters Rauru, Zelda's caretaker Impa, Gerudo's new leader Nabooru, and Ganondorf's servant Twinrova. On his ways, Link is aided by the mysterious Sheik.


Story

Navi awakens Link from a nightmare in which he watches a man in black armor pursuing a young girl on horseback, and is brought to the
Great Deku Tree '' The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'' is the fifth main entry in ''The Legend of Zelda'' series, and the first to both be on the Nintendo 64 and in 3D. It was developed by Nintendo, with series protagonist Link tasked with rescuing Princess Ze ...
, who has been cursed by a "wicked man of the desert" and that Link must stop him. Before dying, the Great Deku Tree gives Link the Spiritual Stone of the Forest and sends him to Hyrule Castle to speak with Hyrule's princess. At the Hyrule Castle garden, Link meets Princess Zelda, who believes
Ganondorf is a character and the main antagonist of Nintendo's ''The Legend of Zelda'' video game series and franchise, as well as the final boss in many ''Zelda'' titles. In his humanoid Gerudo form, he is known as A massive and malevolent porcine cre ...
, the evil
Gerudo The are a fictional race of people in ''The Legend of Zelda'' series. The race was first established in '' The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'' in 1998, though a member of its race, Ganondorf, was conceived in the original ''The Legend of Zeld ...
king, is seeking the
Triforce The is a fictional artifact (archaeology), artifact and icon of Nintendo's ''The Legend of Zelda'' video game franchise. It first appeared in the original ''The Legend of Zelda (video game), The Legend of Zelda'' video game (1986) and has app ...
, a holy relic that gives its holder godlike power. Zelda asks Link to obtain the three Spiritual Stones to enter the Sacred Realm and claim the Triforce before Ganondorf reaches it. Link collects the other two stones: the first from Darunia, leader of the Gorons, and the second from Ruto, princess of the Zoras. Link returns to Hyrule Castle, where he sees Ganondorf pursue Zelda and her caretaker
Impa is a high-fantasy video game series created by Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo, although some portable installments have been outsourced to Capcom, Vanpool and ...
on horseback, like in his nightmare, and unsuccessfully attempts to stop him. Inside the Temple of Time, he uses the Ocarina of Time, a gift from Zelda, and the Spiritual Stones to open a door. There, he finds the Master Sword, but as he pulls it from its pedestal, he is incapacitated. Ganondorf, who snuck into the Temple after Link, appears and claims the Triforce. Ganondorf reveals that when Link pulled the Master Sword, he opened the Sacred Realm, allowing Ganondorf to take the Triforce. Seven years later, an older Link awakens in the Sacred Realm and is met by Rauru, one of the seven Sages who protect the entrance to the Sacred Realm. Rauru explains that Link's spirit was sealed for seven years until he was old enough to wield the Master Sword and defeat Ganondorf, who has taken over Hyrule. The seven sages have the ability to imprison Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm, but five are unaware of their identities as sages. Link is returned to the Temple of Time and meets the mysterious Sheik, who guides him to free five temples from Ganondorf's control and allow their sages to awaken. Link befriended all five sages as a child: his childhood friend Saria, the Sage of the Forest Temple; Darunia, the Sage of the Fire Temple; Ruto, the Sage of the Water Temple; Impa, the Sage of the Shadow Temple; and Nabooru, leader of the Gerudo in Ganondorf's absence, the Sage of the Spirit Temple. After the five sages awaken, Sheik reveals himself to be Zelda in disguise and the seventh sage. Zelda explains that Ganondorf's heart was unbalanced, causing the Triforce to split into three pieces. Ganondorf acquired only the Triforce of Power, while Zelda received the Triforce of Wisdom and Link the Triforce of Courage. Ganondorf appears and captures Zelda, imprisoning her in a large crystal in his castle. The other six sages help Link enter the stronghold, where he frees Zelda after defeating Ganondorf, who destroys the castle in an attempt to kill Link and Zelda. After they escape the collapsing castle, Ganondorf emerges from the rubble and transforms into a boar-like beast named Ganon using the Triforce of Power. He knocks the Master Sword from Link's hand, but with Zelda's aid, Link retrieves the Master Sword and defeats Ganon. The seven sages seal Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm, but he vows revenge on their descendants using the Triforce of Power. Zelda uses the Ocarina of Time to send Link back to his childhood. Navi departs and young Link meets Zelda in the castle garden once more, where he retains knowledge of Hyrule's fate, preventing its decline.


Development

''Ocarina of Time'' was developed concurrently with ''
Super Mario 64 ''Super Mario 64'' is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan and North America in 1996 and PAL regions in 1997. It is the first ''Super Mario'' game to feature 3D gameplay, combini ...
'' and ''
Mario Kart 64 is a 1996 kart racing game for the Nintendo 64 (N64). Developed and published by Nintendo, it is the second installment in the ''Mario Kart'' series after 1992's '' Super Mario Kart''. The game retains the gameplay of its predecessor: the play ...
'' for the
Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, in North America on September 29, 1996, and in Europe and Australia on March 1, 1997. As the successor to the Super Nintendo E ...
by Nintendo's
Entertainment Analysis & Development commonly abbreviated as Nintendo EAD and formerly known as Nintendo Research & Development No.4 Department (abbreviated as Nintendo R&D4), was the largest software development division within the Japanese video game company Nintendo. It was pr ...
(EAD) division in 1994, for more than $12 million with a staff of more than 200. Development was migrated from the
64DD The is a peripheral developed by Nintendo to expand the capabilities of the Nintendo 64 with rewritable magnetic disks and online connectivity. Announced in 1995 before the Nintendo 64's 1996 launch, it faced multiple delays before its release ...
disk drive peripheral to cartridge due to the high data throughput of streaming 500 motion-captured character animations throughout gameplay. Initially targeting 16-
megabyte The megabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. Its recommended unit symbol is MB. The unit prefix ''mega'' is a multiplier of (106) in the International System of Units (SI). Therefore, one megabyte is one million bytes ...
s, it was increased to 32 megabytes, as Nintendo's largest game ever. Early in development, the team had concerns about the data storage constraints of the cartridge; in the worst-case scenario, ''Ocarina of Time'' would follow a similar structure to ''Super Mario 64'', with Link restricted to Ganondorf's castle as a central hub, using a portal system similar to the paintings that Mario uses to traverse the realm. An idea that arose from this stage of development, a battle with a doppelganger of Ganondorf that rides through paintings, was used as the boss of the Forest Temple dungeon. While series co-creator
Shigeru Miyamoto is a Japanese video game designer, video game producer, producer and Creative director#Video games, game director at Nintendo, where he has served as one of its representative directors as an executive since 2002. Widely regarded as one o ...
had been the principal director and producer of ''Super Mario 64'', he was involved in the game's production and now in charge of five directors by acting as a producer and supervisor of ''Ocarina of Time''. Different parts were handled by different directors, a new strategy for Nintendo EAD. Four or five initial teams grew over time, each working on different basic experiments, including scenario and planning, Link's actions, transforming classic 2D items into improved 3D form, camera experiments, motion capture, sound, special effects, and the flow of time. The dungeons were designed by
Eiji Aonuma is a Japanese video game designer, director, and producer at Nintendo. He is a senior officer within their Nintendo EPD division and serves as the producer of the ''The Legend of Zelda, Legend of Zelda'' franchise. Career Aonuma was born as on ...
. Although the development team was new to 3D games, assistant director Makoto Miyanaga recalled a "passion for creating something new and unprecedented". The towns in ''Ocarina of Time'' were based on
medieval Europe In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
. When creating Hyrule Castle's market, Miyamoto traveled to
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
for inspiration of its half-timbered architecture in
Lower Franconia Lower Franconia (, ) is one of seven districts of Bavaria, Germany. The districts of Lower, Middle and Upper Franconia make up the region of Franconia. It consists of nine districts and 308 municipalities (including three cities). History After ...
, spending a few weeks in northern
Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
. Despite the setting being a "medieval tale of
sword and sorcery Sword and sorcery (S&S), or heroic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. Elements of Romance (love), romance, Magic (fantasy), magic, and the supernatural are also ...
", Miyamoto used the
chanbara , also commonly spelled "''chambara''", meaning "sword fighting" films,Hill (2002). denotes the Japanese film genre called samurai cinema in English and is roughly equivalent to Western and swashbuckler films. ''Chanbara'' is a sub-category of '' ...
(
samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
) genre of Japanese sword fighting as a model for the game's combat and was content with the positive worldwide reception. The development involved more than 120 people, including
stunt performer A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...
s used to capture the effects of sword fighting and Link's movement. Miyamoto initially intended ''Ocarina of Time'' to be played in a first-person perspective to enable players to take in the vast terrain of Hyrule Field better and let the team focus more on developing enemies and environments. The concept was abandoned once the idea of a child Link was introduced, and Miyamoto believed it necessary for Link to be visible on screen. Originally Z-targeting involved a generic marker, but Koizumi changed the design to that of a fairy to make it less "robotic". The fairy gained the name of the "Fairy Navigation System" amongst staff, and ultimately, this turned into the nickname "Navi", which in turn resulted in the "birth" of Navi's character. The "birth" of Navi was a pivotal point in the story's development. Miyamoto wanted to make a game that was cinematic yet distinguished from films. Takumi Kawagoe, who creates
cutscene A cutscene or event scene (sometimes in-game cinematic or in-game movie) is a sequence in a video game that is not interactive, interrupting the gameplay. Such scenes are used to show conversations between characters, set the mood, reward the ...
s for Nintendo, said that his priority was to have the player feel in control of the action. To promote this instantaneous continuity of cinematic gameplay, the cutscenes in ''Ocarina of Time'' are completely generated with
real-time computing Real-time computing (RTC) is the computer science term for Computer hardware, hardware and software systems subject to a "real-time constraint", for example from Event (synchronization primitive), event to Event (computing), system response. Rea ...
on the Nintendo 64 and do not use prerendered
full-motion video Full-motion video (FMV) is a video game narration technique that relies upon pre-recorded video files (rather than sprites, vectors, or 3D models) to display action in the game. While many games feature FMVs as a way to present information duri ...
. Miyamoto's vision required this real-time architecture for the total of more than 90 minutes of cutscenes, regardless of whether the console had a vast medium like CD-ROM on which to store prerendered versions. Toru Osawa created the scenario for the game, based on a story idea by Miyamoto and
Yoshiaki Koizumi is a Japanese video game designer, director, producer, and business executive. He is a senior executive officer at Nintendo and a deputy general manager at Nintendo EPD, where he is known for his work within their ''Mario'' and ''The Legend of ...
. He was supported by ''
A Link to the Past is a 1991 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the third game in ''The Legend of Zelda'' series and was released in 1991 in Japan and 1992 in North America and Europe. The ...
'' and ''
Link's Awakening ''The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening'' is a 1993 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. It is the first installment in ''The Legend of Zelda'' series to be released on a handheld game console. ''Link's A ...
'' script writer
Kensuke Tanabe is a Japanese video game producer and designer working for Nintendo, where he currently is Senior Officer at Nintendo EPD. After he had graduated from the Visual Concept Planning Department of Osaka University of Arts, he decided to enter the ...
. Miyamoto said the real-time rendering engine allowed his small team of 3 to 7 cinematic developers to rapidly adjust the storyline and to focus on developing additional gameplay elements even up to the final few months of development, instead of waiting on a repeated prerendering process. Some of Miyamoto's ideas were instead used in ''Super Mario 64'', since it was to be released first. Other ideas were not used due to time constraints. A storytelling shopkeep character named "
Hobbit Hobbits are a fictional race of people in the novels of J. R. R. Tolkien. About half average human height, Tolkien presented hobbits as a variety of humanity, or close relatives thereof. Occasionally known as halflings in Tolkien's writings, ...
" that was initially to be cut was eventually repurposed as the Deku Scrubs later in development. ''Ocarina of Time'' originally ran on the same
engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power ge ...
as ''Super Mario 64'' but was so heavily modified that Miyamoto considers the final products different engines. One major difference between the two is camera control; the player has a lot of control over the camera in ''Super Mario 64'', but the camera in ''Ocarina of Time'' is largely controlled by the game AI. Miyamoto said the camera controls for ''Ocarina of Time'' are intended to reflect a focus on the game's world, whereas those of ''Super Mario 64'' are centered on the character of
Mario Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...
. Miyamoto wanted the difficulty to be easy enough to make the game accessible to all players and said in particular that he wanted it to be easier than ''Super Mario 64''.


Music

''Ocarina of Time'' music was written by
Koji Kondo is a Japanese composer and senior executive at the video game company Nintendo. He is best known for his contributions for the '' Super Mario'' and ''The Legend of Zelda'' series, with his ''Super Mario Bros.'' theme being the first piece of mu ...
, the composer in charge of music for most of the games in ''The Legend of Zelda'' series. In addition to characters having musical themes, areas of Hyrule are also associated with pieces of music. This has been called
leitmotif A leitmotif or () is a "short, recurring musical phrase" associated with a particular person, place, or idea. It is closely related to the musical concepts of ''idée fixe'' or ''motto-theme''. The spelling ''leitmotif'' is a partial angliciz ...
in reverse—instead of music announcing an entering character, it now introduces a stationary environment as the player approaches. In some locations, the music is a variation of an ocarina tune the player learns, related to that area. Beyond providing a backdrop for the setting, music plays an integral role in gameplay. The button layout of the Nintendo 64 controller resembles the holes of the ocarinas in the game, and players must learn to play several songs to complete the game. All songs are played using the five notes available on an ocarina, although by bending pitches via the analog stick, players can play additional tones. Kondo said that creating distinct themes on the limited scale was a "major challenge" but feels that the result is very natural. The popularity of ''Ocarina of Time'' led to an increase in ocarina sales. The official soundtrack of ''Ocarina of Time'' was published by
Pony Canyon , also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese company, established on October 1, 1966, which distributes music, films, home video, and video games. It is affiliated with the Japanese media group Fujisankei Communications Group. Pony Canyo ...
and released in Japan on December 18, 1998. It comprises one compact disc with 82 tracks. A U.S. version was also released, although with fewer tracks and different packaging artwork. Many critics praised the music in ''Ocarina of Time'', although ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'' was disappointed that the traditional ''Zelda'' overworld theme was not included. In 2001, three years after the initial release of ''Ocarina of Time'', ''
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady, and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'' labeled it as one of the top ten video game soundtracks. The soundtrack, at the time, was not released in Europe or Australia. In 2011, however, a 51-track limited edition soundtrack for the 3DS version was available in a free mail out through a
Club Nintendo Club Nintendo was a customer loyalty program and magazine that was provided by Nintendo. The loyalty program was free to join and provided rewards in exchange for consumer feedback and loyalty to purchasing official Nintendo products. Members o ...
offer to owners of the 3DS edition, as an incentive to register the product. The original musical theme for the Fire Temple area contained a
sample Sample or samples may refer to: * Sample (graphics), an intersection of a color channel and a pixel * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of something * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample ...
of the Islamic call to prayer and was altered for later revisions of the game, due to Nintendo's policy of not including real religious references in their products; the altered theme simply removed the sample. ''Hero of Time'', an orchestral recording of ''Ocarina of Time''s score performed by the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra, was released by video game label Materia Collective in 2017. A vinyl version was published by
iam8bit iam8bit, Inc. is an American merchandising company, video game publisher, and artist collective based in Los Angeles, California. iam8bit hosts an online store that primarily sells collectible vinyl records of video game soundtracks, but also ...
. It was nominated for "Best Game Music Cover/Remix" at the 16th Annual Game Audio Network Guild Awards.


Release

''Ocarina of Time'' was first shown as a technical and thematic demonstration video at Nintendo's Shoshinkai trade show in December 1995. Nintendo planned to release ''Super Mario 64'' as a
launch game Since the origin of video games in the early 1970s, the video game industry, the players, and surrounding culture have spawned a wide range of technical and slang terms. 0–9 A ...
for the Nintendo 64 and later release ''Ocarina of Time'' for the 64DD, a disk drive peripheral for the system that was still in development. Issues regarding performance of the 64DD peripheral led to development being moved from disk to cartridge media, and thus the game would miss its scheduled 1997 holiday season release and was delayed into 1998. They planned to follow its release with a 64DD expansion disk. Miyamoto additionally attributed the delay to Nintendo prioritizing development efforts to ''
Yoshi's Story ''Yoshi's Story'' is a 1997 platform game published and developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan in December 1997, and worldwide the following year. The game has been subsequently re-released on the Wii, Wii U, and Nint ...
'' after that game missed its planned second quarter release slot, as well as the desire to better compete with ''
Banjo-Kazooie ''Banjo-Kazooie'' is a platform game series developed by Rare, a British company. The games feature a male bear named Banjo and his friend, a large female red bird named Kazooie, both of whom are controlled by the player. Banjo originally mad ...
''. Throughout the late 1990s, the Nintendo 64 was said to lack hit first-party games. ''Next Generation'' wrote that "Nintendo absolutely can't afford another holiday season without a real marquee title"; they further wrote that ''Zelda'' was "one of the most anticipated games of the decade", upon which the Nintendo 64's fate depended. Nintendo spent $10 million on ''Ocarina of Time''s marketing. In March 1998, it was the most anticipated Nintendo 64 game in Japan. Chairman
Howard Lincoln Howard Charles Lincoln (born February 14, 1940) is an American lawyer and businessman, known primarily for being the former chairman of Nintendo of America and the former chairman and chief executive officer of the Seattle Mariners baseball tea ...
insisted at E3 1998 that ''Zelda'' ship on time and become Nintendo's reinvigorating blockbuster, akin to a hit Hollywood movie. Customers in North America who
pre-order A pre-order is an order placed for an item that has not yet been released. The idea for pre-orders came because people found it hard to get popular items in stores because of their popularity. Companies then had the idea to allow customers to r ...
ed the ''Ocarina of Time'' received a limited-edition box with a golden plastic card reading "Collector's Edition". This edition contained a gold-colored cartridge, a tradition that began with the original ''
Legend of Zelda is a media franchise, video game series created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo; some portable installments and re-releases have been outsourced to Flags ...
'' (1986) for the
Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...
. Demand was so great that
Electronics Boutique EB Games (formerly known as Electronics Boutique, EBX, and EB World) was an American computer and video games retailer. First established as an American company in 1977 by James Kim with a single electronics-focused location in the King of Prus ...
stopped pre-selling the game on November 3, 1998. Several versions of ''Ocarina of Time'' were produced, with later revisions featuring minor changes such as
glitch A glitch is a short-lived technical fault, such as a transient one that corrects itself, making it difficult to troubleshoot. The term is particularly common in the computing and electronics industries, in circuit bending, as well as among pl ...
repairs, the recoloring of Ganondorf's blood from crimson to green, and the alteration of the music heard in the Fire Temple dungeon to remove a sample of an Islamic prayer chant. The sample was taken from a commercially available sound library, but the developers did not realize it contained Islamic references. Although popularly believed to have been changed due to public outcry, the chanting was removed after Nintendo discovered it violated policy of avoiding religious material, and the altered versions of ''Ocarina of Time'' were made prior to the original release.


Rereleases

Nintendo
ported In software engineering, porting is the process of adapting software for the purpose of achieving some form of execution in a computing environment that is different from the one that a given program (meant for such execution) was originally desig ...
''Ocarina of Time'' to its next console, the
GameCube The is a PowerPC-based home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, in Europe on May 3, 2002, and in Australia on May 17, 2002. It is the suc ...
, as part of '' The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition'', a compilation of ''Zelda'' games. This port is an emulation of the original Nintendo 64 version. The emulated port runs at a resolution of 640×480, quadruple that of the original, and supports
progressive scan Progressive scanning (alternatively referred to as noninterlaced scanning) is a format of displaying, storing, or transmitting moving images in which all the lines of each frame are drawn in sequence. This is in contrast to interlaced video us ...
. Another GameCube release included the original game and a second, more difficult version titled '' Master Quest'' that was included as a pre-order bonus with '' The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker'' (2002) in Japan and North America and included in GameCube bundles worldwide. It was also given to those who registered certain hardware and software or subscribed to official magazines and clubs. In November 2003, ''Ocarina of Time'' was ported to China's
iQue Player The iQue Player () is a handheld TV game version of the Nintendo 64 console manufactured by iQue and released exclusively in China. It was developed as a joint venture between Nintendo and Wei Yen following China's ban on the sale of home video ...
as one of the five games available on its release. In February 2007, ''Ocarina of Time'' was released for the
Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...
Virtual Console The Virtual Console was a line of downloadable retro video games for Nintendo's Wii and Wii U home video game consoles and the Nintendo 3DS family of handheld systems. The Virtual Console lineup consisted of titles originally released on pa ...
service for 1000 Wii Points. This version is also an emulation of the Nintendo 64 version. Because this version does not support controller vibration, the "Stone of Agony" itemwhich employs vibrations via the
Rumble Pak The is a removable device from Nintendo that provides force feedback while playing video games. Games that support the Rumble Pak cause it to vibrate in select situations, such as when firing a weapon or receiving damage, to immerse the player i ...
controller accessoryhas no function. A five-minute demo of the game can be unlocked in ''
Super Smash Bros. Brawl ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' is a 2008 crossover fighting game developed by Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Wii. The third installment in the '' Super Smash Bros.'' series and the successor to '' Super Smash Bros. Melee'', it wa ...
'' (2008). ''Ocarina of Time'' was rereleased on the
Wii U The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4. The W ...
Virtual Console worldwide on July 2, 2015, this time including the original controller vibration. It was also released on the
Nintendo Classics Nintendo Classics is a line of Video game console emulator, emulated retro games distributed by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch family of systems and Nintendo Switch 2. Subscribers of the Nintendo Switch Online service have access to games for ...
service on October 25, 2021.


Nintendo 3DS remake

In June 2011, Nintendo released ''Ocarina of Time 3D'', an
enhanced port In software engineering, porting is the process of adapting software for the purpose of achieving some form of execution in a computing environment that is different from the one that a given program (meant for such execution) was originally desig ...
for the
Nintendo 3DS The is a foldable dual-screen handheld game console produced by Nintendo. Announced in March 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS, the console was released originally on February 26, 2011 and went through various revisions in its lifetime, ...
handheld console. It was developed by Nintendo EAD with
Grezzo is a Japanese video game developer. It was founded in December 2006. Koichi Ishii, known for his work on the ''Mana (series), Mana'' series of games by Square Enix, was hired as CEO and president of the company in April 2007. The company's name ...
, an independent Japanese studio headed by
Koichi Ishii , sometimes credited as Kouichi Ishii, is a video game designer best known for creating the ''Mana'' series (known as ''Seiken Densetsu'' in Japan). He joined Square (now Square Enix is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational hol ...
. The game includes ''Master Quest'' and adds features including touchscreen and gyroscope controls, a "Boss Challenge" mode, instructional videos to guide stuck players, and a modified version of the Water Temple with reduced difficulty.


''Master Quest''

After completing ''Ocarina of Time'', Nintendo developed a new version of the game for the then-unreleased 64DD peripheral with the working title ''Ura Zelda'', commonly translated as "Another Zelda". Described as a second version of ''Ocarina'' with rearranged dungeons, it contains new content, some that had been cut from ''Ocarina'' due to time and storage constraints. In 1998, ''Ura Zelda'' was delayed indefinitely following problems with the development of the 64DD, and was canceled due to the 64DD's commercial failure. In August 2000, Miyamoto stated that ''Ura Zelda'' had been finished and that no online functions had ever been planned. ''Ura Zelda'' was released on the GameCube in 2002 in Japan as and in 2003 in North America and Europe as ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest''. According to Miyamoto, ''Ura Zelda'' was simple to port as it used few of the 64DD features. ''Master Quest'' uses the same engine and plot of ''Ocarina of Time'' but with increased difficulty and altered dungeons and puzzles. IGN's Peer Schneider gave ''Master Quest'' a mostly positive review, likening the concept to the second quest of the original ''Legend of Zelda''. He said that some redesigned areas were poorer than the original ''Ocarina of Time'' and speculated that they may have been constructed from "second choice" designs created during development. He described the port as graphically improved but containing no substantial improvement to the frame rate. He also expressed that controls translated to the GameCube controller felt clumsy. Nonetheless, he summarized ''Master Quest'' as a "sweet surprise for any ''Zelda'' fan" and wrote that he would have recommended it even at full price. Zachary Lewis of RPGamer praised the revised puzzles, which require precise timing and find new uses for the ''Ocarina'' items, but wrote that players would be enthralled or frustrated by the increased difficulty.


Reception

Upon its initial Nintendo 64 release, ''Ocarina of Time'' received unprecedented critical acclaim. It garnered perfect review scores from the majority of gaming publications that reviewed it, including ''
AllGame RhythmOne , a subsidiary of Nexxen, is an American digital advertising technology company that owns and operates the web properties AllMusic, AllMovie, and SideReel. Blinkx was founded in 2004, went public on the Alternative Investment Market, ...
'', '' CVG'', ''
Famitsu , formerly , is a line of Japanese Video game journalism, video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly f ...
'', ''
Next Generation Next Generation or Next-Generation may refer to: Publications and literature * ''Next Generation'' (magazine), video game magazine that was made by the now defunct Imagine Media publishing company * Next Generation poets (2004), list of young ...
'', ''
Edge Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
'', ''
Electronic Gaming Monthly ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews. History The magazine was fou ...
'', ''
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady, and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'', ''
GamePro ''GamePro'' was an American multiplatform video game magazine media company that published online and print content covering the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software. The magazine featured content on various video ...
'', ''
GameRevolution Mandatory (formerly CraveOnline Media) is a lifestyle website based in Los Angeles with sales offices in New York City, Chicago and San Francisco. The site is owned by media company Evolve Media, LLC. Mandatory focuses its contents into the male ...
'', ''
Nintendo Life Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British digital media company based in London. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and ot ...
'', and ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
''. The review aggregator websites
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
and
GameRankings GameRankings was a video gaming review aggregator that was founded in 1999 and owned by CBS Interactive. It indexed over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 video games. GameRankings was discontinued in December 2019, with its staff bei ...
both rank the original Nintendo 64 version as the highest reviewed game of all time, with average scores of 99/100 from Metacritic and 98% from GameRankings. The reviews praised multiple aspects of the game, particularly its
level Level or levels may refer to: Engineering *Level (optical instrument), a device used to measure true horizontal or relative heights * Spirit level or bubble level, an instrument designed to indicate whether a surface is horizontal or vertical *C ...
design, gameplay mechanics, sound, and cinematics. ''GameSpot'' reviewer
Jeff Gerstmann Jeff Gerstmann (born August 1, 1975) is an American video game journalist. Former editorial director of the gaming website ''GameSpot'' and the co-founder of the gaming website '' Giant Bomb'', Gerstmann began working at ''GameSpot'' in the fal ...
wrote that ''Ocarina of Time'' is "a game that can't be called anything other than flawless", and ''IGN'' called it "the new benchmark for interactive entertainment" that could "shape the action RPG genre for years to come". Editors of ''
GameTrailers ''GameTrailers'' (''GT'') was an American video gaming website created by Geoffrey R. Grotz and Brandon Jones in 2002. The website specialized in multimedia content, including trailers and gameplay footage of upcoming and recently released v ...
'' called it a "walking
patent office A patent office is a governmental or intergovernmental organization which controls the issue of patents. In other words, "patent offices are government bodies that may grant a patent or reject the patent application based on whether the applicati ...
" due to the number of features it contains that became "industry standard". Scott Alan Marriott of ''
AllGame RhythmOne , a subsidiary of Nexxen, is an American digital advertising technology company that owns and operates the web properties AllMusic, AllMovie, and SideReel. Blinkx was founded in 2004, went public on the Alternative Investment Market, ...
'' described it as "completely unforgettable" and "an incredible adventure". The graphics were praised for their depth and detail, although reviewers noted they were not always the best the console had to offer. ''
GameRevolution Mandatory (formerly CraveOnline Media) is a lifestyle website based in Los Angeles with sales offices in New York City, Chicago and San Francisco. The site is owned by media company Evolve Media, LLC. Mandatory focuses its contents into the male ...
'' noted the characters' faces, the "toughest graphical challenge on 3D characters", saying that the characters' expressions and animation featured "surprising grace". ''IGN'' believed that ''Ocarina of Time'' improved on the graphics of ''Super Mario 64'', giving a larger sense of scale. Impressive
draw distance Draw, drawing, draws, or drawn most commonly refer to: * Draw (terrain), a terrain feature formed by two parallel ridges or spurs with low ground in between them * Draw (tie), in a competition, where competitors achieve equal outcomes * Drawi ...
s and large
boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, ...
characters were also mentioned as graphical highlights. Although excelling in the use of color and the visibility and detail of the environment, reviewers noted that some graphical elements of ''Ocarina of Time'' did not perform as well as ''
Banjo-Kazooie ''Banjo-Kazooie'' is a platform game series developed by Rare, a British company. The games feature a male bear named Banjo and his friend, a large female red bird named Kazooie, both of whom are controlled by the player. Banjo originally mad ...
'', a game released for the same platform earlier that year. ''IGN'' said that the
frame rate Frame rate, most commonly expressed in frame/s, or FPS, is typically the frequency (rate) at which consecutive images (Film frame, frames) are captured or displayed. This definition applies to film and video cameras, computer animation, and moti ...
and textures of ''Ocarina of Time'' were not as good as those of ''Banjo-Kazooie'', particularly in the marketplace of Hyrule Castle, which was called "blurry". Gameplay was generally praised as detailed, with many side quests to occupy players' time. ''IGN ''said players would be "amazed at the detail" of the environment and the "amount of thought that went into designing it". ''IGN'' praised the cinematics, citing great emotional impact and "flawless camera work". ''EGM'' enjoyed that Nintendo was able to take the elements of the older, 2D ''Zelda'' games and "translate it all into 3D flawlessly". ''
Nintendo Power ''Nintendo Power'' was a video game news and strategy magazine from Nintendo of America, first published in July/August 1988 as Nintendo's official print magazine for North America. The magazine's publication was initially done monthly by Ninte ...
'' cited ''Ocarina of Time'', along with ''Super Mario 64'', as two games that "blazed trails" into the 3D era. The context-sensitive control system was seen as one of the strongest elements of the gameplay. Reviewers noted that it allowed for simpler control using fewer buttons but that it occasionally caused the player to perform unintended actions. The camera control was quoted as making combat "second nature", although the new system took time for the player to get used to. The game's audio was generally well received, with ''IGN'' comparing some of Koji Kondo's pieces to the work of
Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...
. Many atmospheric sounds and
surround sound Surround sound is a technique for enriching the fidelity and depth of sound reproduction by using multiple audio channels from speakers that surround the listener ( surround channels). Its first application was in movie theaters. Prior to ...
were designed to effectively immerse the player in the game world. Some reviewers complained that the audio samples used in the game sounded dated; others considered this a benefit, calling them "retro". ''GameRevolution'' called the sound "good for the Nintendo, but not great in the larger scheme of things" and noted that the cartridge format necessitated "
MIDI Musical Instrument Digital Interface (; MIDI) is an American-Japanese technical standard that describes a communication protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, ...
tunes that range from fair to terrible". ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...
'' gave the official soundtrack album a 9 out of 10.


Sales

Assisted by a large marketing campaign, ''Ocarina of Time'' was a commercial success. In the United States, over 500,000 pre-orders were placed, more than tripling the number of pre-orders for any previous game,Editors, Business. "Nintendo Promises More 'Zelda' on the Way; Retail Shortages of Video Game should be Rectified Soon". Business Wire: 1. November 27, 1998. ProQuest. Web. July 23, 2013. for which it was awarded the
Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...
for Most Advance Orders for a Game. Upon release, more than 1 million copies were sold there in less than a week. In 1998, 2.5 million copies were sold, although it was released only 39 days before the end of the year; it earned in U.S. revenues, higher than any
Hollywood film The cinema of the United States, primarily associated with major film studios collectively referred to as Hollywood, has significantly influenced the global film industry since the early 20th century. Classical Hollywood cinema, a filmmakin ...
in the last six weeks of 1998. It was the best-selling video game of 1998 in the United States. In Japan, 920,000 copies were sold in 1998, becoming the eighth best-selling game of that year; a reported 386,234 copies were sold in its first week there, surpassing the 316,000 first-week sales of ''
Metal Gear Solid is a franchise of stealth games created by Hideo Kojima. Developed and published by Konami, the first game, ''Metal Gear'', was released in 1987 for MSX home computers. The player often takes control of a special forces operative (usually S ...
''. In Europe, ''Ocarina of Time'' was the fifth best-selling game of 1998, grossing more than €39,000,000 or . In the UK, it was the fastest-ever-selling game until the release of ''
Gran Turismo 2 ''Gran Turismo 2'' is a 1999 sim racing video game developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. It is the sequel to '' Gran Turismo'', the second installment of the '' Gran Turismo'' series, a ...
'' in 2000, selling 61,232 copies during its first weekend. 1.14 million Nintendo 64 copies were sold in Japan and 7.6 million copies worldwide. By 2000, ''Ocarina of Time'' had sold 7 million cartridges and grossed about worldwide.


Awards

In 1998, ''Ocarina of Time'' won the Grand Prize in the Interactive Art division at the
Japan Media Arts Festival The Japan Media Arts Festival was an annual festival held since 1997 by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs. The festival begins with an open competition and culminates with the awarding of several prizes and an exhibition. Based on judging by ...
. ''Ocarina of Time'' won six awards at the
2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards The ''2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards'' was the 2nd edition of the Interactive Achievement Awards, an annual awards event that honored the best games in the video game industry within the last nine months of 1998 and the first three mon ...
: "
Game of the Year Game of the Year (GotY) is an award given to a video game by various award events and media publications that they feel represented the pinnacle of gaming that year. Events and ceremonies British Academy Games Awards (BAFTA Games Awards) ...
", "Console Game of the Year", " Console Adventure Game of the Year", " Console Role-Playing Game of the Year", " Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Design", and " Outstanding Achievement in Software Engineering"; it also received a nomination for " Outstanding Achievement in Character or Story Development". At the
BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards The British Academy of Film and Television Arts ( BAFTA) annually hosted the BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards for multimedia entertainment between 1998 and 2002. In 2003, BAFTA announced the award would be split into two separate ceremonies � ...
, ''Ocarina of Time'' won in four categories - "The Games Award" (precursor to the British Academy's " Best Game" award), "Innovative Game Award", "The Interactivity Award" and "The Computer Programming Award". ''
Electronic Gaming Monthly ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews. History The magazine was fou ...
'' gave it both the editors' choice and readers' choice awards for "Game of the Year for All Systems", "Nintendo 64 Game of the Year" and "Action RPG of the Year" as well as the readers' choice awards for "Best Music" and "Best Graphics", and it was runner-up for the reader's choice "Best Sound Effects" award. ''
Edge Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
'' gave it the awards for "Game of the Year" and "Gameplay Innovation" and placed it 2nd place for "Graphical Achievement" (behind '' Virtua Fighter 3tb'').


Legacy

After publication, ''Ocarina of Time'' was featured on a number of compiled lists of best or most influential games. It was ranked the greatest video game of all time by numerous publications including ''
Computer and Video Games ''Computer and Video Games'' (also known as ''CVG'', ''Computer & Video Games'', ''C&VG'', ''Computer + Video Games'', or ''C+VG'') is a British-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot web ...
'', ''
Edge Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
'', ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'', ''
GameTrailers ''GameTrailers'' (''GT'') was an American video gaming website created by Geoffrey R. Grotz and Brandon Jones in 2002. The website specialized in multimedia content, including trailers and gameplay footage of upcoming and recently released v ...
'', ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'', ''
Next Generation Next Generation or Next-Generation may refer to: Publications and literature * ''Next Generation'' (magazine), video game magazine that was made by the now defunct Imagine Media publishing company * Next Generation poets (2004), list of young ...
'', ''
Nintendo Power ''Nintendo Power'' was a video game news and strategy magazine from Nintendo of America, first published in July/August 1988 as Nintendo's official print magazine for North America. The magazine's publication was initially done monthly by Ninte ...
'', ''
Game Informer ''Game Informer'' (''GI'' is an American monthly Video game journalism, video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and video game console, game consoles. It debuted in August 1991, when the video game reta ...
'', ''
Slant Slant can refer to: Bias *Bias or other non- objectivity in journalism, politics, academia or other fields Technical * Slant range, in telecommunications, the line-of-sight distance between two points which are not at the same level * Slant ...
'', ''
FHM ''FHM'' (For Him Magazine) was a printed British multinational men's lifestyle magazine that was published in several countries. It contained features such as the ''FHM'' 100 Sexiest Women in the World. The final printed issue of British ''F ...
'', and ''PALGN''. It also appeared on other lists of greatest games including those of ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' and ''IGN''. The game was placed second in ''
Official Nintendo Magazine ''Official Nintendo Magazine'', or ''ONM'', was a British Video game journalism, video game magazine that ran from 2006 to 2014 that covered the Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, and Wii U video game consoles released by Nintendo. Originally p ...
''s "100 greatest Nintendo games of all time", behind only ''
Super Mario Bros. is a 1985 Platformer, platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It is the successor to the 1983 arcade game ''Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series. It was origi ...
'' ''
Game Informer ''Game Informer'' (''GI'' is an American monthly Video game journalism, video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and video game console, game consoles. It debuted in August 1991, when the video game reta ...
'' ranked it as its 11th favorite game of all time and described it as "untouchable". In May 2011, ''IGN'' held a tournament-style competition celebrating the 25th anniversary of the original ''The Legend of Zelda''s release in which fans voted ''Ocarina of Time'' the greatest ''Zelda'' game; it beat ''
Majora's Mask is a 2000 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was the second ''The Legend of Zelda'' game to use 3D computer graphics, 3D graphics, following ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Ocarina of Time' ...
'' in the final round. ''Ocarina of Time'' has consistently been placed at number one in ''Edge''s "top 100 games" lists: a staff-voted list in January 2000, * Reprinting material from ''
Edge Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
'' issue 80.
a staff- and reader-voted list in July 2007, a list of "The 100 Best Games to Play Today" in March 2009, and a 2013 readers' poll selecting the 20 best games released since the magazine's launch in 1993. ''Edge'' concluded its 2009 list with: "''Ocarina of Time'' is here in the list not because Nintendo had the power and wisdom to make a great game, but because it had the courage to make a unique one". In 2022,
The Strong National Museum of Play The Strong National Museum of Play (also known as just The Strong Museum or simply the Strong) is part of The Strong in Rochester, New York, United States. Established in 1969 and initially based on the personal collection of Rochester native Ma ...
inducted ''Ocarina of Time'' to its
World Video Game Hall of Fame The World Video Game Hall of Fame is an international hall of fame for video games. The hall's administration is overseen by The Strong's International Center for the History of Electronic Games, and is located at The Strong National Mus ...
. Reception for the ''Master Quest'' and Virtual Console rereleases was positive; while some considered aspects of the graphics and audio to be outdated, most thought that the game had aged well. The ''Master Quest'' version holds an average score of 89.50% on GameRankings and 91/100 on Metacritic. ''IGN'' said in their review that "''Ocarina of Time'' has aged extremely well", and noted in regard to the game's graphics, while the textures and models look dated, the game's visual presentation stood the test of time. GameRevolution said that although the game has "noticeably aged compared to brand new RPGs ... it's still a terrific game", awarding 91 out of 100. In 2007, former ''GameSpot'' editor
Jeff Gerstmann Jeff Gerstmann (born August 1, 1975) is an American video game journalist. Former editorial director of the gaming website ''GameSpot'' and the co-founder of the gaming website '' Giant Bomb'', Gerstmann began working at ''GameSpot'' in the fal ...
gave the Virtual Console port 8.9 out of 10: "Even after nine years, ''Ocarina of Time'' holds up surprisingly well, offering a lengthy and often-amazing adventure". In November 2021, enthusiasts fully
decompile A decompiler is a computer program that translates an executable file back into high-level source code. Unlike a compiler, which converts high-level code into machine code, a decompiler performs the reverse process. While disassemblers translate e ...
d ''Ocarina of Time'''s
ROM Rom, or ROM may refer to: Biomechanics and medicine * Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient * Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac * ...
into human-readable C code. In March 2022, a group called "Harbour Masters" publicly released a PC port under the name
Ship of Harkinian Ship of Harkinian is an unofficial open source port of the 1998 Nintendo 64 video game '' The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'' that runs on Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, Wii U, and Nintendo Switch. It has also been ported to the Android oper ...
, which includes widescreen support and an increased framerate, among other features.


Impact

''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time''s gameplay system popularized features such as a target lock system and context-sensitive buttons that have since become common elements in 3D adventure games. The game has also been credited with increasing the popularity and sales of the ocarina. Multiple members of the
video game industry The video game industry is the tertiary industry, tertiary and quaternary industry, quaternary sectors of the entertainment industry that specialize in the video game development, development, marketing, distribution (marketing), distribution, ...
have expressed how the game impacted them and the industry. Former
Rockstar Games Rockstar Games, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in New York City. The company was established in December 1998 as a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, using the assets Take-Two had previously acquired from BMG Interactive. Foun ...
vice president of creativity
Dan Houser Daniel Houser (born November 1973) is an English video game writer and producer. He is one of the co-founders of Rockstar Games alongside his brother Sam Houser. He served as the head writer and vice president of creativity until his resignation ...
stated in 2012 that "anyone who makes 3-D games who says they've not borrowed something from ''Mario'' or ''Zelda''
n the Nintendo 64 N, or n, is the fourteenth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages, and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''. History ...
is lying". Rockstar founder and ''Grand Theft Auto'' director
Sam Houser Samuel Houser (born November 1971) is an English video game producer. He is a co-founder and the current president of Rockstar Games, and is one of the creative driving forces behind the ''Grand Theft Auto'' franchise, having been its producer ...
also cited the game's influence, describing ''
Grand Theft Auto III ''Grand Theft Auto III'' is a 2001 action-adventure game developed by DMA Design and published by Rockstar Games. It was the first 3D game in the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series. Set in Liberty City, loosely based on New York City, the story follo ...
'' as "Zelda meets '' Goodfellas''". ''
ÅŒkami is a 2006 action-adventure game developed by Clover Studio and published by Capcom. It was released for PlayStation 2 in 2006 in Japan and North America, and in 2007 in Europe and Australia. After the closure of Clover Studio a few months afte ...
'' director
Hideki Kamiya is a Japanese video game designer and director. He began his career in 1994 with Capcom, where he directed '' Resident Evil 2'' (1998), ''Devil May Cry'' (2001), '' Viewtiful Joe'' (2003), and '' ÅŒkami'' (2006). From 2004 to 2006, he worked ...
(
Capcom is a Japanese video game company. It has created a number of critically acclaimed and List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil'', ''Monster ...
,
PlatinumGames PlatinumGames Inc. is a Japanese video game developer based in Osaka. It was founded in October 2007 as result of a merger between Seeds Inc. and Odd Inc. Capcom alumni Shinji Mikami, Atsushi Inaba, and Hideki Kamiya founded Seeds Inc. after ...
) said that he had been influenced by ''Zelda'' when he developed ''Okami''. '' Soul Reaver'' and ''
Uncharted ''Uncharted'' is an action-adventure video game series and media franchise published by Sony Interactive Entertainment and developed by Naughty Dog. Created by Amy Hennig, the ''Uncharted'' franchise follows a group of treasure hunters who trav ...
'' director,
Amy Hennig Amy Hennig (born August 19, 1964) is an American video game writer and director, formerly for the video game company Naughty Dog. She began her work in the industry on the Nintendo Entertainment System, with her design debut on the Super Ninten ...
(
Crystal Dynamics Crystal Dynamics, Inc. is an American video game developer based in San Mateo, California. The studio is best known for its games in the ''Tomb Raider'', '' Legacy of Kain'', and '' Gex'' series. Madeline Canepa, Judy Lange, and Dave Morse ...
and
Naughty Dog Naughty Dog, LLC (formerly JAM Software, Inc.) is an American first-party video game developer based in Santa Monica, California. Founded by Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin in 1984, the studio was acquired by Sony Computer Entertainment in 2001. G ...
), cited ''Zelda'' as an influence for the ''
Legacy of Kain ''Legacy of Kain'' is a series of dark fantasy action-adventure video games primarily developed by Crystal Dynamics and formerly published by Eidos Interactive. The first title, '' Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain'', was created by Silicon Knights in ...
'' series, noting ''Ocarina of Time''s influence on '' Soul Reaver''. ''
Dark Souls is a dark fantasy action role-playing game series developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Created by Hidetaka Miyazaki, the series began with the release of ''Dark Souls (video game), Dark Souls'' (2011) and has ...
'' creator
Hidetaka Miyazaki is a Japanese video game director, designer, writer, and president of the game developer FromSoftware. He joined the company in 2004 and was a designer for the '' Armored Core'' series before receiving wider recognition for creating the ''Dark ...
(
FromSoftware FromSoftware, Inc. is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. Founded by Naotoshi Zin on November 1, 1986 as a business software developer, the company released their first video game, '' King's Field'', for the PlayStation in 1994. Its s ...
) said that "''The Legend of Zelda'' became a sort of textbook for 3D
action game An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction time. The genre includes a large variety of sub-genres, such as fighting games, beat 'em ups, shooter games, rhythm games and ...
s". ''
Ico is a 2001 action-adventure game developed and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. It was designed and directed by Fumito Ueda, who wanted to create a minimalist game based on a "boy meets girl" concept. Originally ...
'' director
Fumito Ueda is a Japanese video game designer, game director and visual artist. Ueda is best known as the director and lead designer of ''Ico'' (2001) and ''Shadow of the Colossus'' (2005) while leading Team Ico at Japan Studio, and ''The Last Guardian'' (20 ...
(
Team Ico Japan Studio was a Japanese video game developer of Sony Interactive Entertainment based in Tokyo. It was best known for the ''Ape Escape'', ''LocoRoco'', '' Patapon'', '' Gravity Rush'', and '' Knack'' series, ''Ico'', ''Shadow of the Colossus ...
) cited ''Zelda'' as an influence on ''
Shadow of the Colossus ''Shadow of the Colossus'' is a 2005 action-adventure game developed and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. It takes place in a fantasy setting and follows Wander, a young man who enters an isolated and abandoned r ...
''. ''
Darksiders ''Darksiders'' is a hack and slash action-adventure video game franchise created by Vigil Games, now developed by Gunfire Games, which consists of some of the original members of Vigil. The series is set on a post-apocalyptic Earth, where ma ...
'' director
David Adams David Adams may refer to: Government officials * David S. Adams (State Department) (born 1961), Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs * David Adams (Labour politician) (1871–1943), British Labour Party Member of Parliament, 1922� ...
(
Vigil Games Vigil Games was an American game development company owned by THQ. It was formed by comic artist Joe Madureira and David Adams (video game designer), David Adams in 2005. History Vigil Games was founded in 2005 by Joe Madureira, David Adams, Mar ...
) cited ''Zelda'' as an influence on his work.
CD Projekt Red CD Projekt S.A. () is a Polish video game company based in Warsaw, founded in May 1994 by Marcin Iwiński and Michał Kiciński. Iwiński and Kiciński were video game retailers before they founded the company, which initially acted as ...
(''
The Witcher ''The Witcher'' (, ) is a series of 9 fantasy novels and 15 short stories by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. The series revolves around the eponymous witcher, Geralt of Rivia. Witchers are monster hunters given superhuman abilities for the ...
'', ''
Cyberpunk 2077 ''Cyberpunk 2077'' is a 2020 action role-playing game developed by CD Projekt Red and published by CD Projekt. Based on Mike Pondsmith's ''Cyberpunk (role-playing game), Cyberpunk'' tabletop game series, the plot is set in the fictional metrop ...
'') cited ''Zelda'' as an influence on ''The Witcher'' series, including '' The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt'' (2015). ''
Final Fantasy is a Japanese fantasy Anthology series, anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi which is owned, developed, and published by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fanta ...
'' and ''
The 3rd Birthday is a 2010 action role-playing game developed by HexaDrive and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable. It was released in Japan in 2010 and in North America and Europe in 2011. The game is the third entry in the ''Parasite Eve'' vi ...
'' director
Hajime Tabata is a Japanese game director, the previous Luminous Productions COO and head of studio who formerly worked for Square Enix and currently the CEO of JP Games. He was the head of Square Enix's Business Division 2 and part of the ''Final Fantasy' ...
(
Square Enix is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational holding company, video game publisher and entertainment conglomerate. It releases role-playing video game, role-playing game franchises, such as ''Final Fantasy'', ''Dragon Quest'', and '' ...
) cited ''Ocarina of Time'' as inspiration for the seamless
open world In video games, an open world is a virtual world in which the Gamer, player can approach objectives freely, as opposed to a world with more linear and structured gameplay. Notable games in this category include ''The Legend of Zelda (video game ...
of ''
Final Fantasy XV is a 2016 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix. The fifteenth main installment of the ''Final Fantasy'' series, it was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in November 2016, Windows in March 2018, and as a lau ...
''.


Notes


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The 1998 video games Action-adventure games BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Award for Best Games winners Cancelled 64DD games GameCube games IQue games Japan Game Awards' Game of the Year winners
Ocarina of Time is a 1998 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. The game was the first in the '' Legend of Zelda'' series with 3D graphics. It was released in Japan and North America in November 1998 and in PAL regi ...
Nintendo 64 games Nintendo Classics games Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development games Open-world video games Single-player video games Video games about time travel Video games designed by Shigeru Miyamoto Video games developed in Japan Video games directed by Eiji Aonuma Video games directed by Yoshiaki Koizumi Video games produced by Shigeru Miyamoto Video games scored by Koji Kondo Video games with pre-rendered 3D graphics Video games with time manipulation Virtual Console games for Wii U Virtual Console games for Wii VSDA Game of the Year winners World Video Game Hall of Fame Coming-of-age fiction