Nintendo

Nintendo

Nintendo 64

1998

Games can be great for a lot of reasons. Some games are artistically pleasing, and satisfy us by offering great visuals, great music, or a great story. Some games provide us with a challenge, which we can take pride in completing. Some games can really suck us in, letting us forget our troubles- at least for while. Some games take what we already know to be fun, and refine it or improve upon it in some way. And still some games are great simply by breaking the mold, and offering something new and exciting- something we could have never predicted. I have played so many great games that have, in one or more of these ways, entertained and captivated me. However, it takes a rare kind of greatness for a game to successfully combine all of these traits. Only an elite minority push themselves beyond your standard "great game", and truly become something more. And it can be extremely difficult to differentiate the games among this group, as they all provide everything you could want so well. However, one game alone sets itself apart from even this elite group. One game alone has been so pleasing on all fronts- and usually in ways we couldn't have imagined before playing it. One game alone single handedly pushed the entire industry forward by leaps and bounds. And that game is none other than The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

And that's only the beginning of it. Every single component of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is straight up perfect when considered individually. The amazing thing, however, is that's not even the most amazing thing about the game. Sure, without these pieces Ocarina of Time would not be the game that it is. But it's how it combines these pieces into one unifying whole, how it uses everything it has so thoroughly, that really makes it such a great game. It somehow manages to be so much more than the sum of its perfect parts. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the game that always works with you, never being frustrating and always being rewarding. This is the game that provides the freedom that allows you to explore in your own way, yet provides the structure that delivers a completely epic and unforgettable quest. This is the game that contains so much heart, managing to be gritty and lighthearted at all the right moments. This is the game that pushed the industry forward, with its 3D combat, presentation, and open ended world. And ultimately, this is the game that creates a magical adventure in its purest form- one that anyone can enjoy. And that, right there, is its true accomplishment. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is quite simply the defining adventure in all of gaming, and no combination of words can do justice to this masterpiece.