The Best Zelda Game Ever: Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

I've played a lot of Zelda games. I played the original Zelda, also the Adventure of Link, Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess. Of all I've played, this is my favorite. And that's not just nostalgia talking; I just replayed it and it's still great.

What makes it so great? First of all, there's a ton of stuff to do. There's the main thread of the story which, if you fly through it, will take you about 7 hours to complete. The main story has you exploring dungeons, solving puzzles, an battling bosses. And, for your trouble, you get more health, and usually a weapon/item or two. But the real meat of the game, the part that will keep you playing for 30+ hours, comes in the side quests.

There's a collection aspect to Ocarina of Time that is very compelling to a guy like me. I usually find myself driven to collect all the hearts, the best armor, all the weapons, all the bottles, all the songs, all the items, etc. There's hours of enjoyment to be had exploring the world and participating in mini games as well.

Then there's the story. The inclusion of two time lines, young Link and adult Link, is a great plot device and allows you to explore the same areas over and over again without getting bored. There's some areas that only adult Link can visit, and some only young Link can visit. Also, some aspects of the world that you change when you're young Link will allow you to gain access to hidden areas as adult Link. It works very well and keeps me interested in developing Link's stats. In fact, I wish they'd revisit this type of plot in a future Zelda game because I always feel it's missing when it isn't there.



Wrap it all together, give it some good music, and sprinkle some variety on the tired, save-the-princess themed plot, and you have one of my favorite games ever. During my latest playthrough I achieved 100% completion. Walkthrough in hand, I played along with my 5-year-old daughter. She cried when it was over; because it was so happy, and because she wanted to keep playing.

(I wish Nintendo would make another one like this. Speaking of that, I really should pick up Majoras Mask!)