Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (n64: 1998): Reviews

> Switch to Advanced Search

Games Homepage
Best of 2008 | 2007 |2006 |2005
Advanced Search

PS3 | PS2 | PS One | PSP

Xbox 360 | Xbox

Wii | DS | GBA | Cube | N64

PC | N-Gage | Dreamcast

How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Games In Our Forums

sort by name

sort by score

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time


9.2

based on 22 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 630 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game

GAMES:

Official Website

Considered by many to be the greatest single-player video game ever created in any genre, Ocarina of Time features young Link who lives in a magical forest populated by elf children. Link must defeat strange monsters lurking in the area and stop a growing evil spreading in the complex land.

PUBLISHER:	Nintendo
DEVELOPER:	Nintendo
GENRE(S):	Adventure
PLAYERS:	1
ESRB RATING:	E (Everyone)
RELEASE DATE:	October 31, 1998

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

GameSpot

A game that can't be called anything other than flawless...This is the masterpiece that people will still be talking about ten years down the road.

100

Weekly Famitsu

10 / 10 / 10 / 10 - platinum [first ever perfect score]

100

GameShark

This is, without a doubt, one of the all-time greatest games made. 50 years from now people will still be playing and enjoying this game... thoroughly.

100

IGN

Call us crazy, but when the final version of Zelda 64 arrived in the IGN64 offices, we stopped working, locked ourselves into a room with a big-screen TV and a surround system and played 17 hours straight. After only a few hours of sleep, we were back for more and we couldn't stop until we finished the game. Then, we started over again to find all the secrets.

100

All Game Guide

The amount of secrets and little things will astound you if you take the time to fully appreciate the vast world that lies before you. No matter how skeptical you are, do yourself a favor and try this title for five minutes. That's about how long it will take to get you completely drawn into this incredible adventure.

100

Electronic Gaming Monthly

An epic adventure that is among the best N64 games. [Jan 2004, p.189]

100

Games Domain

A truly remarkable achievement. Nintendo have created a beautiful game world and breathed life into it with puzzles, secrets, enemies, and loveable characters that will completely engross gamers around the globe. Stunning attention to detail is present throughout the game and is constantly evident in the visuals, audio and gameplay.

100

Game Revolution

The N64 is a 3D workhorse, and Zelda proves it with great textures, lighting, tons of little environmental effects, and smooooth framerates with no slowdown. Faces, the toughest graphical challenge on 3D characters, are fantastic in Zelda. Characters blink, look around and change expressions with surprising grace.

100

Nintendojo

[Review Score = 110] What’s significant about this convergence of audio, graphics and gameplay is that you are COMPLETELY IMMERSED in Zelda’s world. Why? Because everything is meticulously thought out. Each character and event plays a role in a storyline that sprawls like a J.R. Tolkien masterpiece...It's certainly the game of the decade.

100

Adrenaline Vault

Ocarina of Time is the complete package appealing to one and all, and is the definitive accomplishment in game design.

100

Gaming Maxx

Nothing but pure 100% fun, challenging, and lengthy.

100

GamePro

This is Zelda supreme. It's fun. One hitch, however, is that the skill level gets progressively harder - so hard that casual gamers might give up rather quickly.

100

Cincinnati Enquirer

This Zelda adventure will undoubtedly withstand the test of time and take its place as one of the best games to ever grace a home system.

100

Game Critics

High praise goes to them for also managing to fit joy, creativity and discovery into the game and doing so without the use of Full-Motion Video (FMV) and the CD soundtrack his critics said was needed. This game is simply the most complete experience of any game ever made making Ocarina Of Time the game I've always dreamed of playing.

100

Nintendophiles

My favorite game of all Time. It is the perfect example of a perfect and polished game. Every aspect of the game is virtually flawless.

100

Electric Playground

Perfect. Epic. Unstoppable. Unbeatable. Irresistible. Sensational...The best videogame I have ever played. It is the crowning jewel of the industry. It is Nintendo's finest achievement.

100

Hot Games

A slightly flawed masterpiece, but a masterpiece nonetheless.

100

Nintendorks

The biggest, most heartpounding and awe-inspiring quest of all. Oh yes, Zelda 64 does indeed own your soul.

TotalGames.net

When it comes to what people will now demand of a top videogame, Nintendo has moved the goalposts off the pitch, into a lorry, down the road, into the airport, onto a plane and halfway round the world to a different continent entirely.

Gaming Age

Featuring unparalleled 3D environments, a deep and involved quest, brilliant and intuitive play controls, and a well-developed cinematic quality that enhances rather than overwhelms the whole game experience, Miyamoto's latest soon-to-be-classic title deserves to be played by each and every person who might deign to consider themselves a fan of great games.

My Gamer

The player will be drawn into the Zelda fantasy world from the moment the opening sequence bursts onto the screen, and the game won’t let go—not even after finishing the quest.

Happy Puppy

Realism is one of the major reasons this title is so amazing. After playing for a while it feels as though you have actually been to Hyrule.

The average user rating for this game is 9.2 (out of 10) based on 630 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

luis g gave it a10:
This game made me a fan of miyamoto and nintendo for life. I enjoyed so much this game that i play it like once every year, since then i had (and still have) every game of zelda that has came out and i will continue to do it until the end of the serie or until i die.im working on my skills in 3d and animation to some day hopefully work in nintendo and be a part of a future zelda release. PD: maybe is just me, but i would love to see ( and play) a game from the ganondorf perspective, the story of his past.

Eirik M. gave it a10:
This game will, without a doubt, go down in history as the greatest game ever made. It's in every way perfect, with great controls, great graphics, and something for each and every one. The amount of secrets in this game will astound you. I, personally lost my n64 game, but luckily I got a new one in the Wind Waker collectors edition package. If you are skeptical to even try this game, give it 5 minutes. No matter what, you will be hooked. Enjoy.

Sean K gave it a10:
Ocarina of Time Is without a doubt my favorite game I have ever played. When I was little all we had was a N64 I played less than an hour a day back then. When I got this game I started playing probaly 3hours. The first time I even just watched the game my eyes were glued to the screen. It had good graphics for its day, an amazing plot line, lovable characters, wonderful puzzles, frightning monsters and reat fighting mechanics. I've never played a better game and probably never will.

Geoffrey H gave it a10:
Best game of all time, everything is perfect basically. And to the people who give this game such a low rating: You obviously don't have a brain stem because everybody knows this game is one of the best games of all time, and to a lot of people including me, the best game of all time.

Jordan gave it a10:
This game is hands down the best single player game ever. I have replayed it more than 10 times, and it's still fun. Those who are giving it 0-2 scores have obviously never played the game. If you think that the graphics are bad, go to hell. The game was made in 1998, probably before most of those people who are giving it 0's were even born. I know that the game was challenging, but that's what made it fun. Seriously, would the game really be fun if you could walk out of Kokori Forest, and right into Ganon's Castle? I have played this game since it first came out, and it's still my favorite game of all time, and will reamin that way. If I had the choice, I would have Nintendo remake this game with better graphics so that all you crybabies giving it low scores would shut the hell up. Flawless for it's time, and it will forever remain the best game in the Zelda series.

Michael L. gave it a10:
This game is the one and only perfect game. I can't believe some people are saying the game was hard. Right after my first time ever fighting(and beating) Ganon, I went back, popped on the iron boots and broken goron sword and fought him that way without finding near the challenge I was expecting. I'm guessing most people who say it was hard never took advantage of the Z-targeting, side-step, back flip, and lunge attacks. The only games I could say that have improved sword fighting gameplay are windwaker and twilight princess for the same mechanics with more moves. The music is perfect, the dungeons are fun, the bosses feel like epic fights, and somehow the game has one of the most imersive stories despite its simplicity. I had really never played a zelda game either when I first rented this. Rather than return it I just payed for the game. I remember when I first put the three stones in at the temple of light when I was probably 8 years old, I thought this would be the last boss, the end of the game. I could not believe that 7 more dungeons yet awaited me. The first three dungeons were about the length of the average game back then. Me and my friends took turns playing this game nonstop until we beat it. My favorite game ever. Cannot be called anything less than perfect. Anyone who has never played it needs to.

Thomas Pshyk gave it a10:
There is nothing that can be said about this game that has not been said already, perfection is what it is. From the second you see Link waking up and you begin to explore the village, to when you get to the start screen and see the clouded world map and all the slots for more weapons and items, to when you get to your first dungeon, you don't know what to say, its just such a good game I don't know how there is nothing that comes close to this game yet (sure score wise there are games that come close but game play wise good luck). This game should be pulled apart bit by bit (pun intended =P) to discover how perfection is achieved. Those who rate this game lower than a 9 at the absolute minimum missed something in the game, and those of you giving 0-2, do you have any taste at all? I still remember when I first got the 3 gems together at the temple of time and went rocketing into the future and step into the town square surrounded by zombies, I called up all my friends telling them of my achievement, you could almost say I was way to happy for what I had accomplished. I have so many fond memories of this game that I will definitely pass this down to my kids. Long live The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, for you have earned your spot in the halls of time.