Gameplay

Gameplay examples

The child version of the game's protagonist, Link, stands in Hyrule field wearing his distinctive green
tunic and pointed cap. In each corner of the screen are icons that display information to the player. In
the upper left-hand corner, there are hearts, which represent Link's health, in the lower left-hand corner
is a counter that displays the number of Rupees (the in-game currency) possessed by the player. There is
a mini-map in the lower right-hand corner, and five icons in the upper right-hand corner, one green, one
red, and three yellow, which represent the actions available to the player on the corresponding buttons
of the N64 controller.

The player navigates the vast Hyrule Field, the central hub of the world. The on-screen display shows
actions mapped to context-sensitive buttons.

The adult version of Link, armed with a sword and shield and wearing a green tunic, is fighting a bipedal
wolf in front of the Forest Temple. Link's fairy companion, Navi, has turned yellow and hovers above the
creature, which is now surrounded by yellow crosshair-like arrows.

When the player uses Z-targeting, the view shifts to a letterbox format and arrows indicate the targeted
enemy. The player can then circle strafe around the enemy to keep their sight on them. In this particular
screenshot, Link is fighting a Wolfos at the entrance to the Forest Temple.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a fantasy action-adventure game set in an expansive
environment.[1] The player controls series protagonist Link from a third-person perspective in a three-
dimensional world. Link primarily fights with a sword and shield, but can also use other weapons such as
projectiles, bombs, and magic spells.[2]: 22–25  The control scheme introduced techniques such as
context-sensitive actions and a targeting system called "Z-targeting",[3][b] which allows the player to
have Link focus and latch onto enemies or other objects.[2]: 11–12 [c] When using this technique, the
camera follows the target and Link constantly faces it. Projectile attacks are automatically directed at
the target and do not require manual aiming. Context-sensitive actions allow multiple tasks to be
assigned to one button, simplifying the control scheme. The on-screen display shows what will happen
when the button is pushed and changes depending on what the character is doing. For e xample, the
same button that causes Link to push a box if he is standing next to it will have him climb on the box if
the analog stick is pushed toward it.[3] Much of the game is spent in battle, but some parts require the
use of stealth.

Link gains new abilities by collecting items and weapons found in dungeons or in the overworld. Not all
are required—Ocarina of Time has several optional side quests and minor objectives that the player can
choose to complete or ignore. Completing the side quests usually results in rewards such as new
weapons or abilities. In one side quest, Link trades items he cannot use himself among non-player
characters. This trading sequence features ten items and ends with Link receiving an item he can use,
the two-handed Biggoron Sword, the strongest sword in the game. In another side quest, Link can
acquire a horse. This allows him to travel faster but attacking while riding is restricted to arrows.[2]: 38 

Link is given an ocarina near the beginning of the game, which is later re placed by the Ocarina of Time.
Throughout the game, Link learns twelve melodies that allow him to solve music-based puzzles and
teleport to previously visited locations.[2]: 30  The Ocarina of Time is also used to claim the Master
Sword in the Temple of Time. When Link takes the sword, he is transported seven years into the future
and becomes an adult. Young Link and adult Link have different abilities. For example, only adult Link
can use the Fairy Bow, and only young Link can fit through certain small passages. After completing
certain tasks, Link can travel freely between the two time periods by replacing and taking the sword.[6]

Plot

Setting

Further information: Fictional chronology of The Legend of Zelda

Ocarina of Time is set in the fictional kingdom of Hyrule, the setting of most Legend of Zelda games.
Hyrule Field serves as the central hub connected to several outlying areas with diverse topography and
the races of Hyrule.[2]: 7–8 

Story

The fairy Navi awakens Link from a nightmare in which he witne sses a man in black armor pursuing a
young girl on horseback. Navi brings Link to the Great Deku Tree, who is cursed and near death. The
Deku Tree tells Link a "wicked man of the desert" cursed him and seeks to conquer the world, and that
Link must stop him. Before dying, the Great Deku Tree gives Link the Spiritual Stone of the Forest and
sends him to Hyrule Castle to speak with Hyrule's princess.[2]: 6 

At the Hyrule Castle garden, Link meets Princess Zelda, who believes Ganondorf, the evil Gerudo king, is
seeking the Triforce, a holy relic that gives its holder godlike power. Zelda asks Link to obtain the three
Spiritual Stones so he can enter the Sacred Realm and claim the Triforce before Ganondorf reaches it.[7]
Link collects the other two stones: the first from Darunia, leader of the Gorons, and the second from
Ruto, princess of the Zoras. Link returns to Hyrule Castle, where he sees Ganondorf chase Zelda and her
caretaker Impa on horseback, like in his nightmare, and unsuccessfully attempts to stop hi m.[8] Inside
the Temple of Time, he uses the Ocarina of Time, a gift from Zelda, and the Spiritual Stones to open the
door to the Sacred Realm. There he finds the Master Sword, but as he pulls it from its pedestal,
Ganondorf, having snuck into the Temple after Link, appears and claims the Triforce.[9]
Seven years later, an older Link awakens in the Sacred Realm and is met by Rauru, one of the seven
Sages who protects the entrance to the Sacred Realm. Rauru explains that Link's spirit was sealed for
seven years until he was old enough to wield the Master Sword and defeat Ganondorf, who has now
taken over Hyrule.[10] The seven sages can imprison Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm, but five are
unaware of their identities as sages. Link is returned to the Temple of Time, where he meets the
mysterious Sheik, who guides him to free five temples from Ganondorf's control and allow each
temple's sage to awaken.[11] Link befriended all five sages as a child: his childhood friend Saria, the Sage
of the Forest Temple; Darunia, the Sage of the Fire Temple; Ruto, the Sage of the Water Temple; Impa,
the Sage of the Shadow Temple; and Nabooru, leader of the Gerudos in Ganondorf's absence, the Sage
of the Spirit Temple. After the five sages awaken, Sheik reveals herself to be Zel da in disguise, and the
seventh sage. She tells Link that Ganondorf's heart was unbalanced, causing the Triforce to split into
three pieces. Ganondorf acquired only the Triforce of Power, while Zelda received the Triforce of
Wisdom and Link the Triforce of Courage.[12]

Ganondorf appears and captures Zelda, imprisoning her in his castle. The other six sages help Link
infiltrate the stronghold; Link frees Zelda after defeating Ganondorf, who destroys the castle in an
attempt to kill Link and Zelda. After they escape the collapsing castle, Ganondorf emerges from the
rubble and transforms into a boar-like beast named Ganon using the Triforce of Power, knocking the
Master Sword from Link's hand; with Zelda's aid, Link retrieves the Master Sword and defeats Ganon .
The seven sages seal Ganondorf in the Dark Realm; still holding the Triforce of Power, he vows to take
revenge on their descendants.[13] Zelda uses the Ocarina of Time to send Link back to his childhood.
Navi departs and young Link meets Zelda in the castle garden once more, where he retains knowledge of
Hyrule's fate, starting with Hyrule's decline.[14]

Development

The Nintendo 64 with 64DD attached

Ocarina of Time was developed concurrently with Super Mario 64 and Mario Kart 64 for the Nintendo 64
(N64) by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis & Development (EAD) division.[15] The game had a budget
in excess of $12 million.[16] More than 200 people worked on the game.[16]

Originally developed for the 64DD, a disk drive peripheral for the system,[17][18] development was
eventually migrated from disk to cartridge media due to the high data performance requirements
imposed by continuously reading 500 motion-captured character animations throughout gameplay.[19]
Initially planned as a 16-megabyte game, it was later increased to 32 megabytes, making it the largest
game Nintendo had created at the time.[20][21] Early in development, the team had concerns about the
data storage constraints of the N64 cartridge; in the worst-case scenario, Ocarina of Time would follow a
similar structure to Super Mario 64, with Link restricted to Ganondorf's castle as a central hub, using a
portal system similar to the paintings that Mario uses to traverse the realm.[22] An idea that arose from
this stage of development, a battle with a doppelganger of Ganondorf that rides through paintings, was
used as the boss of the Forest Temple dungeon.[22]

While series co-creator Shigeru Miyamoto had been the principal director and producer of Super Mario
64, he was involved in the game’s production and now in charge of five directors by acting as a producer
and supervisor of Ocarina of Time.[23][24] Different parts were handled by different directors, a new
strategy for Nintendo EAD. Four or five initial teams grew over time, each working on different basic
experiments, including scenario and planning, Link's actions, transforming classic 2D items into
improved 3D form, camera experiments, motion capture, sound, special effects, and the flow of
time.[25]

The developers were inspired by chanbara (samurai) sword techniques, as seen in this photo.

Although the development team was new to 3D games, assistant director Makoto Miyanaga recalled a
"passion for creating something new and unprecedented".[26] Despite the setting being a "medieval
tale of sword and sorcery", Miyamoto used the chanbara (samurai) genre of Japanese sword fighting as
a model for the game's combat and was content with the positive worldwide reception.[27] The
development involved more than 120 people, including stunt performers used to capture the effects of
sword fighting and Link's movement.[28] Miyamoto initially intended Ocarina of Time to be played in a
first-person perspective[29] to enable players to take in the vast terrain of Hyrule Field better and let
the team focus more on developing enemies and environments. The concept was abandoned once the
idea of a child Link was introduced, and Miyamoto believed it necessary for Link to be visible on
screen.[30] Originally Z-targeting involved a generic marker, however Koizumi changed the design to
that of a fairy to make it less "robotic". The fairy gained the name of the "Fairy Navigation System"
amongst staff, and ultimately, this turned into the nickname "Navi", which in turn resulted in the "birth"
of Navi's character. The "birth" of Navi was a pivotal point in the story's development.[31]

Some of Miyamoto's ideas were instead used in Super Mario 64, since it was to be released first.[15]
Other ideas were not used due to time constraints.[23] Ocarina of Time originally ran on the same
engine as Super Mario 64, but was so heavily modified that Miyamoto considers the final products
different engines.[32] One major difference between the two is camera control; the player has a lot of
control over the camera in Super Mario 64, but the camera in Ocarina of Time is largely controlled by
the game AI. Miyamoto said the camera controls for Ocarina of Time are intended to reflect a focus on
the game's world, whereas those of Super Mario 64 are centered on the character of Mario.[23]
Miyamoto wanted the difficulty to be easy enough to make the game accessible to all players, and said
in particular he wanted it to be easier than Super Mario 64.[33]

Miyamoto wanted to make a game that was cinematic, yet distinguished from films.[23] Takumi
Kawagoe, who creates cutscenes for Nintendo, said that his priority was to have the player feel in
control of the action.[34] To promote this instantaneous continuity of cinematic gameplay, the
cutscenes in Ocarina of Time are completely generated with real-time computing on the Nintendo 64
and do not use prerendered full-motion video.[23] Miyamoto's vision required this real-time
architecture for the total of more than 90 minutes of cutscenes, regardless of whether the console had a
vast medium like CD-ROM on which to store prerendered versions.[25] Toru Osawa created the scenario
for the game, based on a story idea by Miyamoto and Yoshiaki Koizumi.[35][36][37][38][39] He was
supported by A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening script writer Kensuke Tanabe.[39][40] Miyamoto
said the real-time rendering engine allowed his small team of 3 to 7 cinematic developers to rapidly
adjust the storyline and to focus on developing additional gameplay elements even up to the final few
months of development, instead of waiting on a repeated prerendering process.[25] The dungeons were
designed by Eiji Aonuma.[41]

Music

Ocarina of Time's music was written by Koji Kondo, the composer in charge of music for most of the
games in The Legend of Zelda series.[42] In addition to characters having musical themes, areas of
Hyrule are also associated with pieces of music.[43] This has been called leitmotif in reverse —instead of
music announcing an entering character, it now introduces a stationary environment as the player
approaches.[44] In some locations, the music is a variation of an ocarina tune the player learns, related
to that area.[44]

Beyond providing a backdrop for the setting, music plays an integral role in gameplay. The button layo ut
of the Nintendo 64 controller resembles the holes of the ocarinas in the game,[45] and players must
learn to play several songs to complete the game. All songs are played using the five notes available on
an ocarina, although by bending pitches via the analog stick, players can play additional tones.[45]
Kondo said that creating distinct themes on the limited scale was a "major challenge", but feels that the
end result is very natural.[42] The popularity of Ocarina of Time led to an increase in ocarina s ales.[46]
The official soundtrack of Ocarina of Time was published by Pony Canyon and released in Japan on
December 18, 1998.[47] It comprises one compact disc with 82 tracks.[47] A U.S. version was also
released, although with fewer tracks and different packaging artwork. Many critics praised the music in
Ocarina of Time, although IGN was disappointed that the traditional Zelda overworld theme was not
included.[45] In 2001, three years after the initial release of Ocarina of Time, GameSpot labeled it as o ne
of the top ten video game soundtracks.[43] The soundtrack, at the time, was not released in Europe or
Australia. In 2011, however, a 51-track limited edition soundtrack for the 3DS version was available in a
free mail out through a Club Nintendo offer to owners of the 3DS edition, as an incentive to register the
product. The original musical theme for the Fire Temple area was altered before release of the game,
due to Nintendo's policy of not including real religious references in their products, with th e altered
theme simply removing the chanting samples.[48]

Hero of Time, an orchestral recording of Ocarina of Time's score performed by the Slovak National
Symphony Orchestra, was released by video game label Materia Collective in 2017. A vinyl version was
published by iam8bit.[49] It was nominated for "Best Game Music Cover/Remix" at the 16th Annual
Game Audio Network Guild Awards.[50]

Release

Ocarina of Time was first shown as a technical and thematic demonstration video at Nintendo's
Shoshinkai trade show in December 1995.[3][51] Nintendo planned to release Super Mario 64 as a
launch game for the Nintendo 64 and later release Ocarina of Time for the 64DD, a disk drive peripheral
for the system that was still in development.[17][18] Issues regarding perf ormance of the 64DD
peripheral led to development being moved from disk to cartridge media,[19] and thus the game would
miss its scheduled 1997 holiday season release and was delayed into 1998.[27] They planned to follow
its release with a 64DD expansion disk.[52] Miyamoto additionally attributed the delay to Nintendo
prioritizing development efforts to Yoshi's Story after that game missed its planned second quarter
release slot.[33]

Throughout the late 1990s, the Nintendo 64 was said to lack hit first-party games. Next Generation
wrote that "Nintendo absolutely can't afford another holiday season without a real marquee title" and
that Zelda was "one of the most anticipated games of the decade", upon which the Nintendo 64's fate
depended.[53] Nintendo spent $10 million on Ocarina of Time's marketing.[54] In March 1998, it was
the most anticipated Nintendo 64 game in Japan.[55] Chairman Howard Lincoln insisted at E3 1998 that
Zelda ship on time and become Nintendo's reinvigorating blockbuster, akin to a hit Hollywood
movie.[53]
Customers in North America who pre-ordered the Ocarina of Time received a limited-edition box with a
golden plastic card reading "Collector's Edition". This edition contained a gold-colored cartridge,[56] a
tradition that began with the original Legend of Zelda (1986) for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
Demand was so great that Electronics Boutique stopped pre-selling the game on November 3, 1998.[57]

Several versions of Ocarina of Time were produced, with later revisions featuring minor changes such as
glitch repairs, the recoloring of Ganondorf's blood from crimson to green, and the alteration of the
music heard in the Fire Temple dungeon to remove a sample of an Islamic prayer chant.[58][59] The
sample was taken from a commercially available sound library, but the developers did not realize it
contained Islamic references. Although popularly believed to have been changed due to public outcry,
the chanting was removed after Nintendo discovered it violated policy of avoiding religiou s material,[59]
and the altered versions of Ocarina of Time were made prior to the original release.[60]

Rereleases

Nintendo ported Ocarina of Time to its next console, the GameCube, as part of The Legend of Zelda:
Collector's Edition, a compilation of Zelda games. The port runs at a resolution of 640×480, quadruple
that of the original, and supports progressive scan.[58][61] Another GameCube release included the
original game and a second, more difficult version titled Master Quest that was included as a pre-order
bonus with The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002) in Japan and North America[62] and included
in GameCube bundles worldwide. It was also given to those who registered certain hardware and
software or subscribed to official magazines and clubs.[63][64] In November 2003, Ocarina of Time was
ported to China's iQue Player as one of the five games available on its release.[65][66]

In February 2007, Ocarina of Time was released for the Wii Virtual Console service for 1000 Wii
Points.[67] This version is an emulation of the Nintendo 64 version; as controller vibration is
unsupported, the "Stone of Agony" item, which employs vibrations via the Nintendo 64 Rumble Pak
controller accessory, has no function.[68] A five-minute demo of the game can be unlocked in Super
Smash Bros. Brawl (2008). Ocarina of Time was rereleased on the Wii U Virtual Console worldwide on
July 2, 2015,[69] this time including the original controller vibration.[70] It was also released on the
Nintendo Switch on October 25, 2021 as part of the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service.

Nintendo 3DS remake

Main article: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

Link swims in the Water Temple while wearing the Zora Tunic, which allows him to breathe underwater.

In June 2011, Nintendo released Ocarina of Time 3D, an enhanced port for the Nintendo 3DS handheld
console.[71] It was developed by Nintendo EAD with Grezzo, an independent Japanese studio headed by
Koichi Ishii.[71] The game includes Master Quest and adds features including touchscreen and
gyroscope controls,[72] a "Boss Challenge" mode,[73] instructional videos to guide stuck players,[74]
and a modified version of the Water Temple with reduced difficulty.[75]

Master Quest

After completing Ocarina of Time, Nintendo developed a new version of the game for the then -
unreleased 64DD peripheral with the working title Ura Zelda,[76] commonly translated as "Another
Zelda".[77] Described as a second version of Ocarina with rearranged dungeons,[76] it contains new
content, some that had been cut from Ocarina due to time and storage constraints.[78][79][80] In 1998,
Ura Zelda was delayed indefinitely following problems with the development of the 64DD,[79] and was
canceled due to the 64DD's commercial failure.[81] In August 2000, Miyamoto stated that Ura Zelda had
been finished and that no online functions had ever been planned.[82]

Ura Zelda was ported to the GameCube in 2002 in Japan as Zeruda no Densetsu: Toki no Okarina GC Ura
(ゼルダの伝説 時のオカリナ GC裏) and in 2003 in North America and Europe as The Legend of Zelda:
Ocarina of Time Master Quest.[76][81][83] According to Miyamoto, Ura Zel da was simple to port as it
used few of the 64DD features.[81] Master Quest uses the same engine and plot of Ocarina of Time, but
with increased difficulty and altered dungeons and puzzles.[58]

IGN's Peer Schneider gave Master Quest a mostly positive review, likening the concept to the second
quest of the original Legend of Zelda. He felt that some redesigned areas were poorer than the original
Ocarina of Time, and speculated that they may have been constructed from "second choice" designs
created during development. He described the port as graphically improved, but containing no
substantial improvement to the frame rate. He also expressed that controls translated to the GameCube
controller felt clumsy. Nonetheless, he summarized Master Quest as a "sweet surprise for any Zelda fan"
and wrote that he would have recommended it even at full price.[58] Zachary Lewis of RPG Gamer
praised the revised puzzles, which require precise timing and find new uses for the Ocarina items, but
wrote that players would be enthralled or frustrated by the increased difficulty.[84]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores

Aggregator Score

GameRankings 98%[85]

Metacritic 99/100[86]

Review scores

Publication Score

Edge 10/10[87]

EGM 10/10[88]

Famitsu40/40[89]

GamePro [90]

GameSpot 10/10[91]

IGN 10/10[45]

Next Generation [92]

Nintendo Power 9.5/10[93][94]

RPGamer 5/5[84]

Awards

Publication Award

CESA Award,[95] Edge,[96] EGM,[97] Games,[98] GameSpot,[99] Interactive Achievement Award,[100]

Japan Media Arts Festival,[101] MMCA,[102] VSDA Award[103] Game of the Year

Computer and Video Games,[104][105] Edge,[106][107][108][109] Entertainment Weekly,[ 105]

GameTrailers,[105] IGN,[110][111] Metacritic,[112] Next Generation,[105] Nintendo
Power,[112][113][114] GameStats,[115] GameFAQs,[116] GamingBolt,[117] VideoGamer,[118] Game
Informer,[119] Slant,[120] FHM,[121] Joystik,[122] PALGN[123] Greatest Game of All Time

On its initial Nintendo 64 release, Ocarina of Time received critical acclaim. It gained perfect review
scores from the majority of gaming publications that reviewed it,[85][112] including Famitsu,[89] Next
Generation,[92] Edge,[87] Electronic Gaming Monthly,[88] GameSpot,[91] and IGN.[45] The review
aggregator websites Metacritic and GameRankings rank the original Nintendo 64 version as the highest
and second-highest reviewed game of all time, respectively,[124][125] with average scores of 99/100
from Metacritic[d] and 98% from GameRankings.[86][85] The reviews praised multiple aspects of the
game, particularly its level design, gameplay mechanics, sound, and cinematics. GameSpot reviewer Jeff
Gerstmann wrote that Ocarina of Time is "a game that can't be called anything other than flawless",[91]
and IGN called it "the new benchmark for interactive entertainment" that could "shape the action RPG
genre for years to come".[45] Editors of GameTrailers called it a "walking patent office" due to the
number of features it contains that became "industry standard".[126]

The graphics were praised for their depth and detail, although reviewers noted they were not always the
best the console had to offer. Game Revolution noted the characters' faces, the "toughest graphical
challenge on 3D characters", saying that the characters' expressions and animation featured "surprising
grace".[127] IGN believed that Ocarina of Time improved on the graphics of Super Mario 64, giving a
larger sense of scale.[45] Impressive draw distances and large boss characters were also mentioned as
graphical highlights.[45] Although excelling in the use of color and the visibility and detail of the
environment, reviewers noted that some graphical elements of Ocarina of Time did not perf orm as well
as Banjo-Kazooie,[45][88] a game released for the same platform earlier that year. IGN said that the
frame rate and textures of Ocarina of Time were not as good as those of Banjo-Kazooie, particularly in
the marketplace of Hyrule Castle, which was called "blurry".[45]

Gameplay was generally praised as detailed, with many side quests to occupy players' time. IGN said
players would be "amazed at the detail" of the environment and the "amount of thought that went into
designing it". IGN praised the cinematics, citing great emotional impact and "flawless camera work".[25]
EGM enjoyed that Nintendo was able to take the elements of the older, 2D Zelda games and "translate it
all into 3D flawlessly".[88] Nintendo Power cited Ocarina of Time, along with Super Mario 64, as two
games that "blazed trails" into the 3D era.[128] The context-sensitive control system was seen as one of
the strongest elements of the gameplay.[45] Reviewers noted that it allowed for simpler control using
fewer buttons, but that it occasionally caused the player to perform unintended actions.[3][45] The
camera control was quoted as making combat "second nature",[45] although the new system took time
for the player to get used to.[45][88]

The game's audio was generally well received, with IGN comparing some of Koji Kondo's pieces to the
work of Philip Glass.[45] Many atmospheric sounds and surround sound were designed to effectively
immerse the player in the game world. Some reviewers complained that the audio samples used in the
game sounded dated;[45] others considered this a benefit, calling them "retro".[127] Game Revolution
called the sound "good for the Nintendo, but not great in the larger scheme of things" and noted that
the cartridge format necessitated "MIDI tunes that range from fair to terrible".[127] Pitchfork gave the
official soundtrack album a 9 out of 10.[129]
Sales

Assisted by a large marketing campaign, Ocarina of Time was a strong commercial success. In the United
States, over 500,000 pre-orders were placed, more than tripling the number of pre-orders for any
previous video game,[130] for which it was awarded the Guinness World Record for Most Advance
Orders for a Game.[131] Upon release, more than 1 million copies were sold there in less than a
week.[102] In 1998, 2.5 million copies were sold, although it was released only 39 days before the end
of the year; it earned $150,000,000 (equivalent to $250,000,000 in 2021) in U.S. revenues, higher than
any Hollywood film in the last six weeks of 1998.[132] It was the best-selling video game of 1998 in the
United States.[133][134] In Japan, 920,000 copies were sold in 1998, becoming the eighth best-selling
game of that year;[135] a reported 386,234 copies were sold in its first week there, surpassing the
316,000 first-week sales of Metal Gear Solid.[136]

In Europe, it was the fifth best-selling game of 1998 with over €39,000,000 or $44,000,000 (equivalent
to $73,000,000 in 2021) grossed that year.[137] In the United Kingdom, 61,232 copies were sold during
its first weekend,[102] becoming the UK's fastest-selling title up until it was surpassed by Gran Turismo 2
in 2000.[138] By 2000, Ocarina of Time had sold 7 million cartridges and grossed about $400,000,000
(equivalent to $670,000,000 in 2021) worldwide.[139] During its lifetime, Ocarina of Time for the
Nintendo 64 saw 1.14 million copies sold in Japan,[140] and 7.6 million copies worldwide.[141]

Awards

In 1998, Ocarina of Time won the Grand Prize in the Interactive Art division at the Japan Media Arts
Festival.[101] It won six honors at the 2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, including "Game of
the Year", "Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Design", "Outstanding Achievement in Software
Engineering", "Console Game of the Year", "Console Adventure Game of the Year" and "Console Role-
Playing Game of the Year", along with a nomination for "Outstanding Achievement in Character or Story
Development".[100] Electronic Gaming Monthly gave it both the editors' choice and readers' choice
awards for "Game of the Year for All Systems", "Nintendo 64 Game of the Year" and "Action RPG of the
Year" as well as the readers' choice awards for "Best Music" and "Best Graphics", and it was runner-up
for the reader's choice "Best Sound Effects" award.[142] Edge gave it the awards for "Game of the Year"
and "Gameplay Innovation" and placed it 2nd place for "Graphical Achievement" (behind Virtua Fighter
3tb).[96]

Legacy

A rendering of the Ocarina of Time

After publication, Ocarina of Time was featured on a number of compiled lists of bes t or most influential
games. It was ranked the greatest video game of all time by numerous publications including Computer
and Video Games,[104][105] Edge,[106][107][108][109] Entertainment Weekly,[105] GameTrailers,[105]
IGN,[110][111] Next Generation,[105] Nintendo Power,[112][113][114] Game Informer,[119] Slant,[120]
FHM,[121] and PALGN.[123] It also appeared on other lists of greatest games including those of
Electronic Gaming Monthly[143] and IGN.[110][111][144][145] The game was placed second in Official
Nintendo Magazine's "100 greatest Nintendo games of all time", behind only Super Mario Bros.[146]
Game Informer ranked it as its 11th favorite game of all time and described it as "untouchable".[147] In
May 2011, IGN held a tournament-style competition celebrating the 25th anniversary of the original The
Legend of Zelda's release in which fans voted Ocarina of Time the greatest Zelda game; it beat Majora's
Mask in the final round.[148] Ocarina of Time has consistently been placed at number one in Edge's "top
100 games" lists: a staff-voted list in January 2000,[106] a staff- and reader-voted list in July 2007,[107] a
list of "The 100 Best Games to Play Today" in March 2009,[108] and a 2013 readers' poll selecting the 20
best games released since the magazine's launch in 1993.[109] Edge concluded its 2009 list with,
"Ocarina of Time is here in the list not because Nintendo had the power and wisdom to make a great
game, but because it had the courage to make a unique one."[149] In 2022, The Strong National
Museum of Play inducted Ocarina of Time to its World Video Game Hall of Fame.[150]

Reception for the Master Quest and Virtual Console rereleases was positive; while some considered
aspects of the graphics and audio to be outdated,[84][151] most thought that the game had aged well.
The Master Quest version holds an average score of 89.50% on GameRankings and 91/100 on
Metacritic.[152][153] IGN said in their review, "Ocarina of Time has aged extremely well",[58] and noted
in regard to the game's graphics, "While the textures and models look dated, the game's wonderful
visual presentation stood the test of time." Game Revolution said that although the game has
"noticeably aged compared to brand new RPGs ... it's still a terrific game", awarding 91 out of 100.[154]
In 2007, former GameSpot editor Jeff Gerstmann gave the Virtual Console port 8.9 out of 10, writing,
"Even after nine years, Ocarina of Time holds up surprisingly well, offering a lengthy and often -amazing
adventure".[68]

In November 2021, enthusiasts fully decompiled the ROM into human-readable C code.[155] In January
2022, a group called "Harbour Masters" announced that their PC port was 90% complete.[156] The port
was later publicly released in March 2022.[157]

Impact

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's gameplay system popularized features such as a target lock
system and context-sensitive buttons that have since become common elements in 3D adventure
games.[3][158]
Multiple members of the video game industry have expressed how the game impacted them and the
industry. Rockstar Games vice president of creativity Dan Houser stated in 2012, "Anyone who makes 3-
D games who says they've not borrowed something from Mario or Zelda [on the Nintendo 64] is
lying."[159] Rockstar founder and Grand Theft Auto director Sam Houser also cited the game's influence,
describing Grand Theft Auto III as "Zelda meets Goodfellas".[160] Ōkami director Hideki Kamiya
(Capcom, PlatinumGames) said that he had been influenced by Zelda when he developed Okami.[161]
Soul Reaver and Uncharted director, Amy Hennig (Crystal Dynamics and Naughty Dog), cited Zeld a as an
influence for the Legacy of Kain series, noting Ocarina of Time's influence on Soul Reaver.[162]

Dark Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki (FromSoftware) said "The Legend of Zelda became a sort of
textbook for 3D action games."[163] Ico director Fumito Ueda (Team Ico) cited Zelda as an influence on
Shadow of the Colossus.[164] Darksiders director David Adams (Vigil Games) cited Zelda as an influence
on his work.[165] CD Projekt Red (The Witcher, Cyberpunk 2077) cited Zelda as an influence on The
Witcher series, including The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015).[166] Final Fantasy and The 3rd Birthday
director Hajime Tabata (Square Enix) cited Ocarina of Time as inspiration for the seamless open world of
Final Fantasy XV.[167]

Notes

Known in Japan as Zelda no Densetsu: Toki no Ocarina (Japanese: ゼルダの伝説 時のオカリナ,

Hepburn: Zeruda no Densetsu: Toki no Okarina) or The Legend of Zelda: Toki no Ocarina (Japanese: The
Legend of Zelda 時のオカリナ, Hepburn: Za Rejendo obu Zeruda: Toki no Okarina)

So named because it was executed by the Z button; Z-targeting is referred to as L-targeting in the
GameCube and Nintendo 3DS rereleases.[4][5]

In the GameCube port of Ocarina of Time and the Wii's Virtual Console version, targeting is done with
the L button instead of the Z button due to the position of the Z button on the GameCube controller and
Classic Controller.

The game earned a 'Metacritic: Must-Play' certification in 2018.[86]

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