The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64) review "If you play your cards right, don't abandon the classic formulas, and continue to innovate, anything is possible, as shown in this, one of the best games ever created - on any system - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time."

The name 'Zelda' has always been one of valor, of admiration, of sheer brilliance. Shigeru Miyamoto's simple franchise has evolved into one of the best series in video game history, beginning with The Legend of Zelda on the Nintendo Entertainment System, continuing through a sequel and a prequel, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, as well as a few handheld titles. And now, Nintendo attempts to take the same basic story and transform it into a lush, 3D world and somehow make it just as fun as the 2D overhead-view Zeldas that everyone has come to know and love. How is this possible, you say? Well, if you play your cards right, don't abandon the classic formulas, and continue to innovate, anything is possible, as shown in this, one of the best games ever created - on any system - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

By now, you know the story: a young boy, Link, must save the world from an evil Gerudo thief named Ganon(dorf) by recovering the Master Sword from its pedestal in the Temple of Time and gathering the Sage Medallions from around the world of Hyrule. It's been done in almost every Zelda game, with a little variance in each title. And the story is told brilliantly and with enthusiasm through cutscenes.

The gameplay takes the 2D formula, advances it, and puts it in 3D. The game's main innovation is the Z-targeting system, highly-applauded and wonderfully designed. Good job, Shiggy. Instead of the traditional RPG format, OoT follows a more adventurous feel. People tell you this is the best game ever - you know why? It's because the gameplay is absolutely flawless.

The graphics are great for the N64 (before the 4MB Expansion Pak), and everything is greatly detailed. A lot of effort went into the graphics engine alone, and it shows. Some textures are a little bland, however, but that's expected on the N64's now-inferior hardware. The Master Sword looks a little short and obese, instead of being long and elegant, and the characters look a little blocky. But the atmosphere is wondeful, and everything gives it that classic Zelda feel.

The sound is also great. The soundtrack is awesome, despite the absence of the original Hyrule overworld theme, including such favorites of mine as the Kakariko Village music and Zelda's ''Rescue'' theme. The sound effects have no problems, either, but Link's random ''SCAAAAAG!''s can get quite annoying.

Overall, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is one of the best games of all time, yes. It's a wonderful masterpiece, and an excellent showcase of the brilliance of arguably one of the best imaginations in the world, Shigeru Miyamoto.

Staff review by Zack M (Date unavailable) A bio for this contributor is currently unavailable, but check back soon to see if that changes. If you are the author of this review, you can update your bio from the Settings page.