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This is the game that many people of the modern gaming generation consider the "first" Zelda game. Although the graphics look dated today, it began the revolution in 3D gaming for Nintendo. This game was originally designed for the Nintendo 64DD (disk drive) add-on, but was later moved to the standard cartridge format. The extras that were to be used for the Nintendo 64DD, rumored to be called "Ura Zelda" was later turned into the Master Quest. The other add-on, called "Zelda Gaiden" eventually became Majora's Mask.

Ocarina of Time introduced many tropes that would be used in later games. The idea of a companion would be repeated in the forms of Tatl, Ezlo, Midna, Ciela, etc. Ocarina of Time also made heavy use of a musical instrument, which would become common in later games, such as Majora's Mask and the Wind Waker. Ocarina of Time is also the recipient of several Guinness records. The 2000 version of Guinness World Records awarded the game a record for "Most Advance Orders for a Game" at 325,000 for the US. The 2008 Gamer's Edition of Guinness listed Ocarina as the highest ranked game of all time, and the 2010 Gamer's Edition listed Ocarina as "the most critically acclaimed game of all time."

Ocarina of Time was also subject to wild rumors and speculation for years about the attainability of the Triforce as an item. In the early years, numerous people would give strange and convoluted stories about how to receive the Triforce. There were secret songs, the Temple of Light, and all sorts of other crazy rumors. None of these were true. The Triforce was not, and never will be attainable as an item. Early beta videos of the game showed Link opening a chest with the Triforce, but that was never used in the finished game. After over a decade, it seems laughable that anyone would think the Triforce is hidden in the game. But at the time, it seemed plausible.

Another interesting tidbit about Ocarina of Time is the release of several different versions of the US game for the Nintendo 64. Three known versions exist for this game, 1.0, 1.1, and 1.2. The 1.0 version consists of all the gold cartridges and is rumored to include a few gray ones. Many of the famous glitches, such as the "swordless Link trick" work only in version 1.0. The music for the Fire Temple is also different in version 1.0. It had very strange chanting in the background that was rumored to be the chanting of Muslim prayers. This music is gone from later versions. Also, Ganondorf coughs red blood at the end of the game instead of green. The gold version 1.0 cartridge is the definitive version to own if you want to take advantage of the numerous glitches for fun.

A new version of the game with new puzzles and reworked dungeons, call the Master Quest was released as a special bonus collector's disc for people who pre-ordered the Wind Waker. Master Quest was one of the add-ons designed for the Nintendo 64DD. It featured much tougher puzzles than the original version. I personally think the frustration of the Desert Colossus made the original Water Temple seem positively tame by comparison.

US Title: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Japanese Title: ゼルダの伝説 時のオカリナ [Zeruda no Densetsu: Toki no Okarina]

Release Dates:

Ocarina of Time for Nintendo 64:
Japan: November 21st, 1998
US: November 23rd, 1998
Europe: December 11th, 1998
Australia: December 18th, 1998

Ocarina of Time Gamecube Collector's Disc (with Master Quest):
Japan: November 28th, 2002
US: February 18, 2003
Europe: May 3rd, 2003

Wii Virtual Console:
Japan: February 23rd, 2007
US: February 26th, 2007
Europe: February 27th, 2007


Features

  • The complete instruction manual for Ocarina of Time. Originally scanned and posted by Zelda Shrine. Go here to view the original source.
  • A complete walkthrough for Ocarina of Time. This has everything you need to know to beat the game and find all the little hidden secrets. This walkthrough was painstakingly written and submitted by Arthur Dent.
  • This section contains, you guessed it, Gameshark codes. It currently has all the codes I could find for all three versions of the US game. Codes for the other formats will come soon.
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