What defines a classic? Is it the inch thick coat of dust on its surface? Or is it the unmatchable feeling that it creates? Well Nintendo’s re-release of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is all of those things and more. While it doesn’t have the graphics of an X-Box game, it does posses the scale and depth of a fairy tale epic. Nintendo has had recent bumps including the eventual loss of the Playstation vs. Nintendo 64 war and its low Gamecube sales, but Nintendo has something that no other system has been able to pull off. It has a string of successful mascots. No console has ever made reputations for countless game characters better than Nintendo. One mascot though, tops them all, even Mario himself. Link! He is the epitome of every young child’s dreams. He represents courage and strength while also showing care and love. He fights the monsters and saves the princess. He is a true fairytale legend and will always be remembered for setting the video game world on fire. This new re-packaging of the game classic features a remixed version of the game called Master Quest. It features new puzzles and tougher dungeons while keeping everything else about the game fully intact. The new release of the game also includes an improved resolution that helps the game stand the test of time a little better, but for those who have grown up on the Gamecube, prepare for an eyesore.

    The story of The Ocarina of Time is epic and it never falters, even in the game’s slow spots. The story revolves around a young boy who was brought up by the forest people called the Kokiri. All the children around him have received fairies over time but young Link has yet to receive one. One day a small fairy named Navi comes and wakes Link up from a terrible foreshadowing. He brings young Link to the Great Deku Tree who tells him that the fate of the world is in his hands. Well I personally think that any kid told this would simple faint and eventually die of a heart attack. I mean who could possibly take on a task like that with a simple grin. The story takes Link to many different places and he meets many diverse cultures including the rock people named Gorons and the fish civilization called the Zoras. The evil plot of a man named Gannondorf will enthrall many young and old players alike and the climactic end battle will leave even the most hardcore gamers stunned. It may be slow and mundane in parts and it doesn’t have the depth of the new installment Wind Waker, but for its time and even now, it is one heck of a story.

    The gameplay in Ocarina is similar to all the other games in the series, but that is what makes it great. It combines simple combat mechanics with deep puzzle solving to make a hybrid RPG adventure game that is legendary. You attack with the B-Button and speak with the A-Button. You target with the Z-Button and use items with X, Y and Z. It’s as simple as that. Well don’t get me wrong, the game isn’t easy. It simply controls like a charm. The weapons include boomerangs, bombs, hookshots, arrows, hammers and even bombachus. The enemies are quite challenging and the puzzles will make you think quite hard. The boss battles are innovative as they are entertaining. Using your sword to deflect energy pulses and using your shield to reflect light makes use of many different ideas that all come together to make a great game. Even after the main game is completed, there are many side quests to pursue, including the trading of masks and even fishing. The game will take a hardcore gamer around twenty hours to complete and at least thirty to forty for a casual gamer. The gameplay is fine tuned and it is an aspect that most games lose with age, but not The Ocarina of Time.

    The Graphics and sound are two areas of the game that have not aged so well. In an attempt to resolve some issues that the Nintendo 64 faced in its past, Nintendo added an increased resolution to sharpen some of the games more blurry textures. It works well but it does not prevent the game from showing some not so pretty wrinkles. The cut-scenes are performed using the games own engine and while they are still striking, the emotions don’t seem to be expressed as much as they could be. The boss battles are still beautiful even though they are outdated. The lighting and shine effects have been boosted to add a little more flair to this port. The sound also lacks in some areas but it actually gets the better end of the stick. The music is still enthralling and the score is wonderfully done, but the sound effects often sound tinny as if they were processed through a major traffic tunnel. The graphics and sound hold up well enough as to keep the game as great as it has always been. If a little more of the Gamecube’s technology had been put into this port, they could have made a beautiful update. Now this does not detract from the gameplay at all because these visuals were created with the original hardware in mind so they should not be judged by today’s standards.

    The Legend of Zelda: Master Quest was a version of the game released in Japan for the failed CD add on to the Nintendo 64. It was never released in America for fear that it would not hold much appeal. It is basically a remixed version of Ocarina that takes the dungeons of the original and changes them around. While the architecture and blueprints of the dungeons are still the same, almost everything else has been changed making for a much more challenging experience. More often than not, you will find yourself starting at the end of a dungeon and make your way to the beginning. If it sounds odd, that is because this version is very odd. Some of the ideas they put into this are very strange. Things range from cows lodged in a whale’s skin to setting off a string of bombs using only one to set the rest off. This isn’t all; there are many other surprises that await. Is it better than the original version? In my opinion, it isn’t. There are just so many things that fit with the original that made it the classic it is today. Honestly if Master Quest was the original version, then it probably wouldn’t have done as well. It is still a great challenge, but many times these new things don’t fit. Master Quest is like the icing on the cake. It can’t get much better than that.

    Overall, the repackaging of The Ocarina of Time would be a great addition to any gamer’s collection. Unfortunately, it is close to impossible to get a new copy of this game anywhere as it has been released as an incentive to buy Wind Waker and came free with a pre-order. You may be lucky to find it pre-owned but it seems that this gem of a Gamecube game has already slipped from your grasp. For the lucky few who have this edition, good for you. You have just received a piece of video game history if you missed it the first time. While Wind Waker passes Ocarina in the end, there is no denying that Wind Waker pulled a few old tricks out of its dad’s pockets.