Zelda 64 : the ocraina of time
Format : N64
Review by : The Ragin Cajun
Players : 1
Type : RPG
This game has been many years coming. It was in development for around four years, but in truth its been about seven years since the last zelda game, suffice to say this game was worth the wait. Before its release and the hype and expectations it had to live up to were usually the kind reserved for big screen Hollywood block- busters, not video games. Unlike most blockbusters Zelda actually lived up to the hype that preceded it and in many ways was better than anyone could have imagined.
Set in the mystical land of Hyrule, the game concerns it's self with a young boy named link ( Zelda is actually the princess he has to rescue, not the character whom you control) and the struggle to control the mythical triforce, and through the triforce, the world.
Starting in links home of koriki forest you are awakened by a fairy ( which for most would be worrying , but this is RPG land after all) and leads you to the great deku tree ( a talking lump of oak, no less ) from there your mammoth quest begins.
I cannot put into words the sheer scale of this game, from the moment you start your quest within the great deku tree until the final showdown, you are never short of things to do, from side quests to minigames there is always something to occupy you as you try to save Hyrule from destruction.
All RPG have a plot, that's a universal rule, but Zeldas is in a league of its own. Not supriseing since it comes from master Nintendo game designer and story teller, Shigeru Miamato. The story slowly unfurls itself as you play with cut scenes formed from the game engine ( no mood spoiling FMV here) and you are constantly uncovering the truth about you and your origins as well as the creation of Hyrule, the triforce and just about everything else. To call the plot a bit engrossing would be like calling water a bit wet.
The graphics are among some of the best on the N64. Form the detail on the main characters to the towns themselves, the cannot be faulted ( they are a bit fuzzy around the edges but that is a fault of the N64 , not of this game). The Hyrule field area, (the area that joins all the levels) must get special praise. Here is where time actually runs. In the space of about five minuets the place changes from day to night. This is accompanied by the sun( and at night the moon) actually moving across the sky and the shadows changing accordingly. The first time you see the almost F.M.V quality sun set over Hyrule you know that this game is very special.
The sound is, like the rest of the game, is of the highest quality, with the tunes from the levels both memorable and very fitting. Also the Ocarina can actually be played like a real instrument, while having no real bearing on the gameplay is a very neat touch (infact most N64 magazines have a list of tunes that can be played with the ocarina, including the themes to starwars and the simpsons)
You might be thinking that this is the first game ever to earn a full 10/10 from me, and you'd be wrong.
Despite the sheer brilliance of the game, it has its faults and the biggest one is it's lastability. To put is simply the games has no replay value. "The Find all the gold skultulas" quest is tedious in the extreme and has nothing like the addictive quality of marios 120 stars. Although the game isn't a push over to complete, once cleared it leaves you wanting more, which there isn't. Also there are tiny problems with the virtual cameral that follows you. It can become trapped behind objects and lead to unnecessary loss of life, seeing that its completely automatic there is very little you can do about it. The game can be at times very patronising, especially when you have just picked up a new weapon.
Despite all that this is probably the N64's finest moment, and as such all N64 owners should own this , as for everyone else playing this game is something you must do, I even bought an N64 just for this game. Despite its flaws it is a excellent game that everyone should experience.
Sound : In one word fantastic
10/10
Gameplay : Perfectly balanced
9/10
Difficulty : Not easy to compleate, but no replay value
7/10
Graphics : Match the sound and gameplay
9/10
9/10
Overall : Genius game but lacks long time apeal
Review by : The Ragin Cajun