Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Out of all the crap seen on the N64 comes a bright gleam of hope called Zelda. And in the end it proves to be a testament to Nintendo's game designing despite obvious cart limitations. At first, the game feels like a mere 3D upgrade to SNES Zelda. But after a couple of hours you realize with just the game being in 3D, it opens up a new world of play possibilites. Some of these new experiences come in the form of horse back riding, young/teen Link world shifting, & 3D forms of gameplay classics like Arrow Shooting & Hook Shot. All familar, but different enough to create a new flavor. However there's some issues with the fighting/targeting tactics. Often times you'll find it difficult to target the exact monster you want. And usually those monsters are too far away to be targeted even though they don't seem that distant. Talk about getting frustrated! And if that wasn't bad enough the camera never gives you a good view of both the monster & the background at the same time. If you can get past these few rough spots you'll most likely enjoy the rest of the game. The new character designs seem kinda odd (even wierder than most anime-styles), but they are pretty damn cool. Just wait till you find a Queen Fairy & you'll see what I'm talking about. And for the most part the towns are intricately designed & made to realistic scales. Though there are a few spots were you'll swear you need glasses to see. They're just so blurry & look out of place compared to the citizens. No other title can quite match the gameplay experience like Zelda. So if you're stuck with an N64, this a must have title for you.

Overall 8.4