The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME

This week, we will be going over the major 3D Zelda games, meaning Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, and Breath of the Wild. Also meaning . . . Sheeeesh, I'm in for a lot of work.

Ocarina of Time was the Legend of Zelda's first attempt at 3D gaming, and it came in swinging. To this day still considered one of the best games ever made, Ocarina of Time set the standard for what a 3D Zelda game was and what you could do with it. The plot followed a new Link, raised as an orphan in the forest before being led to leave his home to seek out Princess Zelda, learning of a plot by a thief named Ganondorf to take over the land of Hyrule. Under Zelda's guidance, Link would open the Temple of Time and jump forward seven years into the future, using time travel in creative ways to bring Ganondorf down.

Link is our main character, of course. This is also the first time that there has been a clear distinction between the 10-year-old Young Link and the 17-year-old Adult Link, with both versions being able to do things the other couldn't. Both are more than capable of jumping, rolling, and crawling, using a sword (Link with the Master Sword drawn from the Temple of Time, Young Link with his own Kokiri Sword), carry a shield (Hylian for Link, a wooden Deku shield for Young Link), and ride the horse Epona. Young Link often made use of more rustic items, such as his slingshot full of Deku Nuts, large sticks to light fires with, and the bomb flowers around Death Mountain, while Link could use more heavy-duty items like the Iron Boots and the Megaton Hammer. Other items include bombs, arrows of fire, ice, and light, the hookshot, the boomerang, the bombchu, and the lens of truth.

Two other types of items and abilities come straight from supporting characters, so we'll bring them up here to factor them in for both. The Great Fairy appears in a very uncomfortably iconic appearance, teaching Link the three abilities that would make up Zelda's current moveset in Smash: Din's Fire, Nayru's Love, and Farore's Wind, which would burn everything in Link's vicinity, protect Link with a barrier, and allow Link to teleport respectively. Likewise Link gains an Ocarina from, well, first Saria, but then the Ocarina of Time from Zelda. The mysterious character Sheik would then teach Link most of the Ocarina songs, including Zelda's Lullaby that has a variety of effects, the Sun Song to change the time of day, the Song of Storms to cause a storm, the Song of Time which lets Link affect elements of the Temple of Time and certain things around him, Epona's Song to summon Epona, Saria's Song which lets you talk to Saria at any time, and six songs that let you warp to the entrance of the various temples.

As for our supporting character, first I should mention Navi, the little fairy that acts as Link's constant companions. Then we have the eponymous Zelda herself, who can use the Ocarina of Time herself (and I would attribute at least Zelda's Lullaby to her), trap herself in a jewel, fire light arrows, use magic to remove bars blocking your way, cast a spell of light, and seal Ganon away. On top of that, she also takes on the guise of Sheik, a mysterious ninja who seems to teleport using a smoke bomb, plays a harp, and teaches Link many of the Ocarina songs (weirdly making the Hyrule Warriors moveset more accurate to the character than Smash).

After Zelda, the next most important figures are the six sages, specially chosen individuals who lend their spirit and magic to Link to help him on his quest. These include Rauru, an old sage who basically just hangs out in the sage's sanctuary; Saria, Link's childhood friend and representative of the Kokiri (meaning she can probably adopt all Kokiri-related items, including Deku Sticks, Deku Nuts, Deku Sprouts, and the Great Deku Tree); Darunia, chief of the Gorons and representative of the Goron race (meaning he can adopt their rolling and defensive curl, along with his own immense strength, bomb flowers, and hammer); Ruto, princess of the Zora and main representative of them (giving her access to their diving and swimming abilities at least); Nabooru, Ganondorf's second-in-command and representative of the Gerudo (giving her twin blades that she can slash and guard with, and a spear, alongside her brief brainwashing as an Iron Knuckle); and Impa in her first in-game appearance, Zelda's nurse and bodyguard, likewise able to disappear like Sheik, play Zelda's lullaby, and use the Lens of Truth to see hidden objects.

After that, we have a number of minor NPCs floating around. Mido is an antagonistic Kokiri to Link, who prevents him from passing certain ways (tempted to have Saria use him as a shield move). Malon is a young girl working at the Lon Lon Ranch with her father Talon and the disgruntled ranch hand Ingo. The whole ranch together, we can pull in her training of Epona and the ability to summon her with a song, the Cuccos and their ability to float and penchant to attack, and the healing Lon Lon Milk. Dampe is a grave digger who passes away during the seven year timeskip, becoming a ghost that throws fireballs from a lantern. The Great Deku Tree and the owl Kaepora Gaebora both serve as mentors/exposition dumpers, with the owl able to carry Link a certain distance. The Kokiri, Gorons, Zoras, and Gerudos all serve as races inhabiting Hyrule alongside the Hylians, most represented above by a sage above. Also, I should mention that the major players Skull Kid and the Happy Mask Salesman from Majora's Mask make their first appearance here, though they don't do much yet.

Ganondorf is our main villain, giving the pig demon of the original games a human origin and backstory, as the only male born to the Gerudo thieves in a hundred years, who sets his sights on the opulent power and wealth of Hyrule and hatching a plot to take it all. On his own, he rides a horse, throws a blast of light, creates waves of darkness, pounds the ground, and throws a ball of lightning. One boss is a phantom duplicate of himself, that can ride in and out of paintings and can float in the air, playing the infamous game of lightning tennis with Link. After his defeat, Ganondorf uses dark magic to transform himself into his original pig form of Ganon, wielding two giant swords and creating a barrier of fire.

Our bosses across the game include: Gohma, our giant spider-crab creature, that climbs around on the ceiling and drops eggs that hatch into smaller Gohmas; Dodongo, which digs up out of the ground, leaps into the air, breathes fire, rolls around like a ball, and swallows bombs whole; Barinade, a hive full of Bari jellyfish that spins and shoots electricity; Volvagia, a dragon that flies around, breathes fire, and whips its long hair; Morpha, a blobby water creature that lashes with tentacles; Bongo Bongo, a strange drumming ghostly creature; and Kotake and Koume, a pair of witches who raised Ganon, who can create a pit of quicksand, fly around on brooms, cast fire and ice magic respectively, and can combine into a more powerful witch Twinrova. It should be noted that Dark Link appears as a mini-boss, mirroring all of Link's own moves, and Nabooru is brainwashed and forced to fight you as an Iron Knuckles, swinging around a giant axe, slamming hard, and collapsing pillars.

Various enemies include the returning: Stalfos, Poes (though heavily altered from their original appearance, now constantly disappearing, throwing flames from their lanterns, spinning to hit you with their lanterns, disappearing into paintings, using puzzle blocks, and creating illusions to trick you), Tektites, Armos, Keese, Octoroks, Moblins (now huge unbeatable things that charge with spears and use clubs to send shockwaves along the ground), Bubbles, Wallmasters, Like Likes, Leevers, and Peahats. New enemies include: the Piranha Plant knockoffs Deku Babas; giant spiders called Skulltulas; Deku Scrubs, who hide in shrubs and shoot Deku Nuts at you, and can also act as merchants; Wolfos, basically just wolves; ReDeads, zombies that shriek to stun you and then latch onto you; Lizalfos, squeaky lizards that jump around and attack with swords; Biris, basically jellyfish; Stingers, basically stingrays; Tailparasans, which are basically Lanmolas, just not called that; blobs of fire called Torch Slugs; Shell Blades, which are basically clams; Dead Hands, creepy looking mf'ers that try to grab you; Gibdos, basically ReDeads but mummified; Flare Dancers, who spin around while on fire; Beamos, kinda like Armos but they shoot lasers at you; and Anubis statues.

Much like the rest of the game, Ocarina of Time firmly established a lot of locations that would become staples of the series while still building on what came before. We start the game in the Lost Woods, in a Kokiri Village hidden within it. We then travel across Hyrule Field, which features the Lon Lon Ranch, to Hyrule Castle and the Castle Town surrounding it, the Temple of Time located nearby. You can then travel to Kakariko Village, and Death Mountain above it, or to Zora's Domain and Lake Hylia, or out to Gerudo Valley in the middle of the desert. The game features nine dungeons, first inside the Great Deku Tree, then into Dodongo's Cavern, then into the belly of Lord Jabu-Jabu, a fish worshipped by the Zora. To awaken the sages, you must work your way through the Forest Temple, Fire Temple, Water Temple, Shadow Temple, and Spirit Temple, before finally gaining access to Ganon's Castle, the final level.

Most of our items have been listed, but other than that, we have rupees, heart pieces, potions, and fairies all returning, as well as a few masks sold by the Happy Mask Salesman, and a number of items involved in a trading quest.

Phew! Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Link: Master Sword, Hylian Shield, Epona, Iron Boots, Megaton Hammer, Pegasus Boots, bombs, fire arrows, ice arrows, light arrows, hookshot, boomerang, bombchu, lens of truth

Young Link: jumping, rolling, crawling, Kokiri Sword, Deku shield, Epona, slingshot, Deku stick, bomb flowers, hookshot, boomerang, bombchu, Navi

Princess Zelda: Zelda's Lullaby, jewel, light arrows, remove bars, spell of light, seal Ganon

Sheik: Zelda's Lullaby, Sun Song, Song of Storms, Song of Time, Epona's Song, Saria's Song, warp songs, disappear, leap, harp

Impa: disappear, Zelda's lullaby, Lens of Truth

Saria/Kokiri: Deku Sticks, Deku Nuts, Deku Sprouts, Great Deku Tree, Saria's song, slingshot, Mido

Darunia/Goron: rolling, defensive curl, strength, bomb flowers, hammer, dance

Ruto/Zora: swim, dive

Nabooru/Gerudo: twin blades, guard, spear, Iron Knuckle

Great Fairy: Din's Fire, Farore's Wind, Nayru's Love

Malon: Epona, Epona's song, Cuccos, Lon Lon Milk

Dampe: dig, float, fire

Skull Kid

Happy Mask Salesman

Ganondorf: horse, blast of light, waves of darkness, ground pound, ball of lightning

Phantom Ganon: ride horse, float, lightning tennis

Beast Ganon: two giant swords, barrier of fire.

Gohma: climbs, drops eggs

Dodongo: dig, leap, breathe fire, roll around, swallow bombs

Kotake and Koume/Twinrova: quicksand, fly around on brooms, fire and ice magic, combine.

Dark Link

Iron Knuckle/Darknut: giant axe, slam, collapsing pillars.

Stalfos

Poe: disappearing, throwing flames, spinning with lanterns, paintings, puzzle blocks, illusions

Armos: Beamos

Octoroks

Moblins: charge with spears, clubs shockwaves

Deku Baba

Deku Scrub: hide, shoot Deku Nuts, merchants

Wolfos

Lizalfos: jump, swords

Gibdos

Bosses:

Gohma

Dodongo

Barinade

Phantom Ganon

Volvagia

Morpha

Bongo Bongo

Twinrova

Beast Ganon

Stages:

Lost Woods

Kokiri Village

Hyrule Field

Lon Lon Ranch

Hyrule Castle

Castle Town

Temple of Time

Kakariko Village

Death Mountain

Zora's Domain

Lake Hylia

Gerudo Valley

Great Deku Tree

Dodongo's Cavern

Lord Jabu-Jabu's Belly

Forest Temple

Fire Temple

Water Temple

Shadow Temple

Spirit Temple

Ganon's Castle

Thanks for reading! Next up, the game's direct sequel Majora's Mask!