The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (w/ Master Quest)
From GameCube
Amazon Sales Rank: #2848 in Video Games Platform: GameCube
Two classic Zelda games on one little disk! To begin, I'd like to admit that I grew up on Zelda since the age of seven during the Christmas of '92 when I bought 'A Link to the Past' not too long after. I immediately became HOOKED!! When I was about nine, I gave the follow-up, 'Link's Awakening' a try (Yes, I've played BOTH the GB and GBC versions already now) and enjoyed it just as much. Finally, when 'Ocarina of Time' hit stores in '98, I was quite curious but a bit unsure if it would take away that good ol' classic feeling that I'd loved as a kid (I am a retro fan after all when it comes to gaming) so I decided to rent it for my N64. I wasn't in any way disappointed. Almost everything about the game resembled to that of the NES, SNES, & GBC originals, aside from the new and impressive 3D look. The dungeons were fun and challenging, the puzzles were well thought out, and the bosses were simply SPECTACULAR! In addition, the controls were easy to master and you could practically do more than before. (With the 64-bit graphics, how could you go wrong?) But most of all, the musical score was one of the most beautifully composed works I'd ever heard and nearly brought a tear to my eye a couple times. I'd play the game for hours on end and never get tired of it. It's possibly THE greatest Zelda of all time and creator, Shigeru Miyamoto had truly outdone himself with this one. In 2003 when 'The Windwaker' was hitting U.S. shores for Gamecube, those who pre-ordered it would receive this awesome Bonus Disk. Fortunately, I was one of the many who could get it for free, and I must say that it's splendid to see the rebirth of a classic. Despite some minor problems (e.g. the music may skip a little here and there) this is actually an excellent transfer straight from the N64 to the GC. In fact, it's almost better than what it used to be. For example, the picture quality is sharper and clearer than it once was and the graphics' animation is slightly improved over the N64 version. As a bonus, the game, 'Master Quest' is also included, which is the same story as 'Ocarina', only the dungeons are different and the overall gameplay is far more difficult than the original. (You may need to refer to a strategy guide for help on this one) Nevertheless, it's a special treat for those who are looking for an extra challenge. I HIGHLY recommend this game(s) to any and all Zelda fans that haven't gotten the chance to try it yet. For those of you who've already played through and beaten it, you can relive the adventure all over again in 'Master Quest'. Be sure to pick this one up wherever you can find it because it IS a very rare and hard-to-find lost gem. Better yet, just buy a copy here off amazon.com. You'll be happy you did! :) Awesome game, however, transfer is slightly slippery Now, let me star off by saying that I LOVE oot.It's graphics hold up quite well even for today's standards.The camera operation is real jerky and is not that great.The different catagories of the game and it's ratings will be in the gamecube's version review.Now let's talk about the gamecube version. In this package, there is a new, remixed, master-quest version of the game.It is the same game,only the dungeons are different. Now, the transfer from cartridge to disc is actually quite good, considering the technological differences, but in reality, it does have some errors. Errors: Music skips if you enter a different area with the same music. Sometimes the sharpness filter makes 2-D objects more visible. The filter they used is good and bad(sorta).It gives the game a slightly sharper look (which is good), but as said above, it makes the 2-D objects more visible.There is also a boost in resolusion which makes backgrounds and detail look alot better. Now for the pros and cons: pros: Sharper look Boost in resolution. Same Game Master quest cons: music skips 2-D objects mare visible Ratings: Gameplay: 9/10 Music 10/10 Sound effects 12/10 Voices 5/10 (because of navi) P.S. If you have a pro logic ll decoder, try the surround feature it is awesome (this was on the n64 version too, but I thought I'd mention it anyway) A wonderful blend of action and RPG Zelda I first got into Zelda in the 8th grade, when a couple of friends introduced me to Majora's Mask. Shortly after that, my brother got Majora's Mask as a birthday gift. When I started playing that, I was instantly hooked. The game was so cool! But where is my mind? I am reviewing Ocarina of Time - Master Quest, not Majora's Mask. This disc, as you already hav noticed, is two games in one. You can play the original and wonderful Ocarina of Time, emulated near-perfectly on the Gamecube, or you can take on the challenge of Master Quest, which is a revamped Ocarina of Time. Since I've already played Ocarina of Time, I'm going to review Master Quest. Master Quest is not completely different from Ocarina of Time. The story and goals are still the same: You play as the young hero Link (you actually get to name yourself with a name other than Link) and fight to save Hyrule from the grip of the evil Ganondorf (one of the coolest bad dudes in Zelda history). It is not the adventure that is harder, but the dungeons, or temples, that are more challenging. However, some of the temples are easier in Master Quest, so you won't have a completely hard time. Let me say that I mostly enjoyed all of the dungeons and temples, as they were all challenging in a good way. The gameplay was awesome, but there was one slight problem. It is a little harder to control Link with the Gamecube controller. By saying this, I mean it is harder to walk or aim properly with a 3rd person perspective weapon. This can make the game a little frustrating at times, which is why I gave the game a 4 out of 5 on the fun factor. But the game is still great. The music...WOW. Kojo Kondo (did I spell that right?) did a wonderful score for the game. Every place in the game has fitting music. I wish I could get the soundtrack for the game, just to listen to some of the music from the game. Awesome, awesome, awesome. This game has a high replayability, because not only will you want to relive the adventure, but there are so many things to do in this game that you'll just never want to stop playing. I'm addicted to it myself. All in all, a wonderful game. I would recommend this one to all Zelda fans like myself. And for anyone who wants a decent adventure, the original Ocarina of Time is worth playing.
