I was playing Ocarina of Time before I could properly read so I would constantly have my parents read me certain things in the game. After a point they told me that I needed to start reading this myself and we practice with reading and eventually I could tell what was being said to me through the game. I 100% say that Ocarina of Time helped me learn how to read.
You know, it's funny you mention that... my mom always tells me about how when I was little, I learned how to read faster _because_ of wanting to try this game out.
I was six years old when this game came out and I remembered watching my mom play it. It was at the time I was only interested in generic cartoons so this was honestly my first insight into fantasy and gaming. I was literally awestruck when watching my mom fight though each dungeon because when she turned on the game she was instantly the coolest person in the world! When I finally got to create my own save file I was super overwhelmed but I wanted to show her I could beat it too. OoT wasn't just my childhood but my first memorable bonding moment i had with my mom.
That's awesome dude. Count yourself as lucky. I was raised by my grand parents and trust me... not only *didn't* they play video games, they treated me like some sort of leper for daring to be interested in them. The only reason I got an N64 to begin with was because one of my uncles bought me one for Christmas, which of course my grand parents saw as "the devil!" hahah
Zelda being Sheik was so iconic for her. She was a secondary guide to Link while also being helpful and cool, and clearly capable of holding her own. I think she should remain as Sheik of a Sheik like figure in future games, actually behaving as the triforce of wisdom in that way by offering more direct guidance to Link, even if she is often the one in danger - it makes sense she'd still use her magic to help as much as possible rather than just hide away until it's safe. Zelda has always had more potential as a character than we see, especially in her Sheik role.
100% agree with this. She's been wildly underutilized in most of the following games with her power from the Triforce of wisdom. Plus as Sheik she kind of got to be a badass and I would like to see more of the Zelda that was combat trained by a Sheikah warrior
Dawg, I kid you not, OoT’s opening title screen is literally one of (if not) my oldest memories. My cousins were about to play the game, and my little eyes looked up at the screen to see link riding on his horse on the horizon. It was beautiful, and it still is
I got the 3ds remake and I kinda got on and didn’t play I plugged in my headphones and sat listening to that starter music and did the same when talking to kid Zelda and first hearing her lullaby I just sat and didn’t think just calm tranquility
The hero of time is such a tragic hero among the Links. He saves two timelines and a parallel yet he can only pass on his techniques to his descendant well past his death.
Ohh, you mean Super Mario Bros 3 flute? (it appeared in Zelda 1 too). I also like the title screens of Wind Waker, Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess so much.
Bro, you weren't kidding. The wave of nostalgia the intro hits with was like reliving my entire childhood all in one moment. If only we could turn back the clock...
"You have to sort through your inventory, there isn't a correct answer here..." *Shows him hitting dark link with the hammer for 10 seconds straight winning the fight almost instantly*
I like to defeat dark Link with just the Master Sword, for a little bit of challenge. Usually I allready got the Biggoron Sword at this point and with that sucker, he's very easy. Hammer works well, too.
Dark Link is the one enemy that's significantly easier in the 3-heart challenge - even without picking up the magic meter upgrade when you do the Fire Temple, you've got more than enough for three casts of Din's Fire - dealing 1 heart per time, that's a trivial win.
When i was a kid i did the crouch stabbing not knowing about zelda 2, then i watched a video about deku nuts, being at one heart walking in, and stunning to get a cheap kill. Then watched PeanutButterGamer, and thats when i learned about megaton hammer cheap kills. Moral of the story: pick a god and pray dark link 😏
I was 7 when this game came out. I’m 31 now and this is still the one game I play almost annually. Is just so good. The story, the atmosphere, the music. Ironically, the game where we can turn back time and be a kid again is the closest thing I’ve experienced to actually letting me turn back time and capture that childhood bliss again. Edit: damn bro I wrote this before I finished and your closing bit about not being able to go back is exactly what I was getting at
I was 8 or 9 and I remember it was LITERALLY all that anyone talked about for the next few years, even people that weren’t really into gaming , it was like this huge cultural shift at the time
Same age here, same annual playthrough, same nostalgia/'journey back in time'. Peace love and light fellow hero of time, may the Goddess smile upon you !
Here we all find ourselves lol. 31 here too and I can’t stop playing it and my daughter is 5 and she now has jumped into playing OoT which just brings it even more full circle for me.
Being able to reflect Ganondorf's energy balls with a bottle most certainly isn't an oversight, but rather a deliberate reference to A Link to the Past where it was famously possible to reflect Aghanim's energy balls with the bug catching net 😊
People uploading vids of link using a bottle. I never even thought about using a bottle on ganon in ocarina of time. I used the bee catching net in A Link to the Past on Agahnim(Ganon).
@@Joe_334 I have a theory that the whole "kill Ganon with a bottle" thing is so well-known because of old video game forums from the early 2000s. Because otherwise, people must've been trying to kill every enemy with a bottle or something
36 yo, played this at age 14. Fantastic time, magical. Felt depressed when the credits rolled, and that's usually the mark of a good game for me. Bittersweet nostalgia. Can never play this game again, for the first time.
That's how I feel with dark souls. DS is my favorite game. I have put countless hours into it and never feel overwhelmingly oppressed by it. I am saddened that I will never feel that way when playing it. I played it in a time in my life when I was in a new place doing new things and there was only a single thing giving me light (like a lone bonfire). Games have an impact, even if we don't see it at the time.
@@brewski118sempire Dark Souls is awesome as well. ^^ I miss the days when it was super challenging and fun to play for the first time, as opposed to the other games available at the time. Like a breath of fresh air, in a time when I almost thought I had lost my love for video games. I just needed to broaden my horizon to re-ignite it. About to finish DS3 for the 4th time, and I find myself having an easier time overall with the bosses which in a weird way saddens me a little.
@@SolidMike84 I also felt sad when I played and finished it and saw navi fly away but I didn't understand why I was upset I was only 7 but this video might help explain ruclips.net/video/GyUcwsjyd8Q/видео.html
This was my first Zelda game. It will forever be special and nostalgic to me. The intro and innocence of childhood is capture perfectly in the Kokiri Forest. I can't wait to introduce the game to my son and his to his future kids.
I'm 20 years old now and am really starting to miss the good old days. I still remember sitting in my friends room, playing on the N64 he got from his older brother and playing OoT. Both of us in awe of the beauty the game has to offer and both of us scared out of our minds when the night comes and all the monsters come out... Simpler times back then My life isn't difficult or anything and I'd even go so far as to say I'm mostly happy, but hearing your interpretation of the game and it's sentiment about time, made me tear up a bit. Not entirely sure why, but damn... I miss those days Thanks, Liam. This Video made my day a bit better.
That's the result of a way to fast moving world. You speak if the good old days of 10 years ago 😁 In my ex job my colleague said to me: "Back then, we did (something work releated" I replied "I remember, but with back then you mean yesterday" 😂
I think a big part of that for me is the complete disintegration of couch co-op and just meeting up with friends to play games or generally do stuff together. Even know if you do it's a 70% chance they'll be constantly checking their phone or something.
@@ClumpypooCP I'm 20, I grew up with OOT. The N64 I played it on was purchased by my grandmother for my dad. When he moved out he left it at her house. Every weekend I went to her house she would let me play it. She passed away 3 weeks ago, but she still had that N64.
This game was the first I'd seen with a sky that changed with weather and time of the day. Blew my mind as a kids and I still remember the feeling of openness and freedom that sky gave me. It's a feeling that I get still when I look up to a blue sky with a few light clouds. That's my OOT
Watching this made me cry. The game's thesis of eventually having to grow up and face our fears deeply resonates with me. I am scared, I am frightened, but I have to try.
As a person very close to entering a new part of their life, this video made me tear up a bit. Time moves so fast to many of us and I don’t feel prepared to be independent and do adult things. I want to go back to my childhood where I had less to worry about and more time to be carefree and enjoy myself. But this game encourages me to grow up even though it might not be the easiest thing to do, a lot of the connections I made with people as an adolescent will separate and I will start making decisions that actually matter in the long run. Thank you for your insight on this game and thank you to everyone who enjoyed this game as a child just like how I used to.
You forgot to mention the most epic thing about the Anju side quest. When the girl tells you his fate she tells you anyone that enters the lost woods without a fairy will become a Stalfos and she asks you if you will become one yourself. I beat Twilight Princess before this game so reading that I knew that I was playing as the heroes shade that revelation made the hairs on my neck stand up that bit of lore will always stick with me so happy that Nintendo eventually confirmed it too.
I have the privilege of playing this absolutely amazing peice of art for the first time and I know why it is so highly regarded. Truly a masterpiece in every sense of the word.
32:50 So, I decided to try and look it up. Apologies if I got something wrong. In the Japanese version the dungeon is called 「井戸の底」(Ido no Soko) which means the same thing as Bottom of the Well basically. There is an idiom called 「井の中の蛙大海を知らず」(I no Naka no Kawazu Taikai wo Shirazu), its sometimes shortened to 「井の中の蛙」(I no Naka no Kawazu). It means a frog in a well does not know the great sea. It seems to come from a Chinese idiom. There is a story behind it where a frog was born in a dark well and had never been outside the well. One day a bird flew down into the well and came across the frog. The bird said, “Come up to the outside world where it is bright and warm”. The frog then laughed at the bird, thinking that the well was in fact the entire world. I also found that the inside the well part is sometimes expressed as 「井の内」(I no Uchi) or 「井底」(Seitei). So there are also expressions like 「井の内の蛙」(I no Uchi no Kaeru) and 「井底の蛙」(Seitei no A). Kawazu, Kaeru, and A are all readings referring to the character for frog. So, something like 「井底の蛙」may not be the exact same as 「井戸の底」but I think there are similarities. I’m also getting a kick out of imagining Link as the frog, just cause he’s green.
Fun enough, "井底之蛙" (jing di zhi wa), the Chinese idiom, was described to me as the frog only being able to see a tiny patch of the sky as opposed to the entire world around it. Same idea, slightly different interpretation. Cool!
That is fascinating. The frog in the well is basically the same concept as Plato's Cave. There's so many differences in Eastern and Western philosophy, it's surprising when the same idea comes up in both.
@@davidcrawford5324 This is actually really cool. Im curious, how did the narrative affect you playing it as a young adult opposed to a kid? For me, a lot of the deeper concepts went over my head until I replayed it as an adult. Now the gravity of it hits me like a megaton hammer to the head 😂
@@_theloremaster It was very intense for me playing in areas like the shadow temple beneath the graveyard in Kakariko as adult Link, as well as the dungeon inside the well as child Link. I fully understood the impact of the various areas of blood on the floor, and knew right away that the Redeads were people that were being held as prisoners and tortured by the Sheikah tribe at the behest of the royal family. I played the original version on the 64, so none of it was censored like the newer versions. It had a much better and more mature element to the game because of that fact IMO. I much preferred the aesthetic of the Crescent moon 🌙 and ⭐ on the Mirror Shield in the Spirit Temple over the generic one that Nintendo replaced it with post 9/11 as well. It saddens me that the political climate of our country is so bad that it's affecting the content of our games, movies, and TV shows just to avoid offending people who believe their feelings are more important than creative expression. During the 60s and 70s they tried to censor music too, but our 1st amendment rights were upheld in the end, so why doesn't that still hold true today??? What changed?? 🤔 I just wish we could go back to the American values and traditions I grew up with and was raised on 🇺🇲😔 Sorry for the rant, but I hope this answers your question
@@davidcrawford5324 thank you for the incredibly in-depth answer! I appreciate you sharing your perspective! I think one of the reasons we find it so replayable I because of those mature themes. I also have a copy of the game that includes the old symbols and music as well. in the example you gave about the shadow temple and bottom of the well, I believe it does a much better job of conveying how dire the situation was in Hyrule which made it feel so much better when you saved it. And I typically don’t get political on RUclips either, but I affirm everything you’ve said. I’m from the states too and it’s unsettling to think about the country as it was when we were kids vs where it’s at now
these can get very annoying, ecspecially when they make it overly long and just try way too hard to make it look and sound like one of those "artsy" video essays where they just drag things out waaaay too much just to sound more intelligent and give it more depth when it doesn't need it. the one by nexpo was perfect, even matt patt's videos can cram so much good content in a very short video, these ones just try way too hard and fall flat
You had me close my eyes and think about playing this game as a child in my bed. I want to thank you for making me remember those memories of the good old days. Zelda is truly an amazing series
Man I just came here for a light-hearted OoT video and instead I had a harsh realization for why this game means so much to me due to my fear of growing old and not wanting to become an adult 😂😂 fantastic video!
You nailed it from beginning to end Back in 1998 i got ocarina of time day it came out And when i hear you talk about it, it took me back to that day. PLEASE DO MAJORA’S MASK🙏🏼 Thanks for this retrospective
I played it after several other Zeldas and it's still easily my favorite No idea why people rag on it nowadays, aged better than everything that came out alongside it
Last year I finally played every 3D Zelda(except BotW), and I feel like I would've enjoyed the game if I played when it was released. It's not like its bad or anything, it just feels.... "Vanilla" in comparison with the rest of the series and gaming as a whole.
@@ChristianWS. I'm planning on playing every 3d zelda too. I just finished Twilight Princess, I still have Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, and Skyward Sword to do
I was 19 when OoT released. It wasn’t my first Zelda game (that was LttP) but it was the first game I played on a system I bought for myself in my first apartment, living alone as an adult. I remember spooky nights playing the shadow temple alone in the dark. The Gerudo theme scored my young adulthood. I love this game.
Just played through OoT and Majora’s Mask a couple of weeks back, it was my first time actually finishing both of these games and man it just made me fully realize my love for both of these amazing games.
I really appreciated your bit on the ocarina inspiring people to play music. I know it's what first got my sister into playing cello, and since she passed away, remembering playing the ocarina in game together has a lot of weight and happiness and sadness, to the point where the two instruments are kind of inseparable in my head.
28 here. I'm in a rough patch myself recently and I don't know if it's that or your well-crafted video essay about this game, but your closing remarks near the end got me a bit teary eyed, I can't lie. And I'm sure I'm not alone in that. I'm very grateful that you took the time to approach this topic from as many different angles as you did. There is one minor nitpick I had though - when you mentioned Ganondorf ravaging Hyrule and Kokiri Forest remaining safe, I was a littel confused, because as an adult before beating the Forest Temple it is littered with enemies and the Kokiri are all hiding away. I don't mind it though. Perhaps it's just my failure to properly parse the sentences. Anyway. Solid video. I love Ocarina of Time retrospectives and I truly believe you brought something unique to the discussion.
I played this game for my first time much more recently (this year, actually--2022), as an adult, on my weekends off from my four-night weeks working fulltime at a local warehouse. But even I already feel nostalgia toward this game!
I will say, it is one of the rare games where I don't think it's lost much enjoyment over all these years .Even ALTTP you can feel the age a bit, but once you get used to the controls OoT is still so much fun. I'm saying this as someone who just played it for the first time a few years ago on 3DS.
Guys, idk if you knew this, but ocarina is also out on pc and android. And it's free! (My friend says you can get Mario, too, but IDK my friend is kind of a liar. He keeps claiming to be a "pirate" but he doesn't even _have_ syphilis.)
I appreciate this video so much, thanks for making it! Honestly no matter what flaws the critics might say this game has, nothing can ever take away the absolute POWER of the feelings this game gave me (and many others seemingly) This wasn’t just a game, it was a portal into the most immersive, wonderful world I had ever seen in a game. The adventure, the atmosphere, the magic of it all....just absolutely beautiful. When I was a kid I didn’t play games with the mind of a critic, looking for flaws.... I played games with the soul of an adventurer, an explorer, spirited away into a world of castles, monsters, swords and shields. Playing this game for the first time back in the day was like discovering electricity for the first time, like if you took someone from 1750 and brought them to modern day were they were blown away by airplanes and cell phones, cars, movies and internet (maybe a slight exaggeration) But the impact on the mind and soul of the kids playing this game was absolutely profound....giving an experience like we had never seen, that made us fall in love. Say what you want about it’s “flaws”, anyone who hates on this game simply isn’t aware of the impact it had on the hearts of so many
It really was a special moment in time. Everything came together in such a way that allowed us to experience something profound as a kid that shaped our journey into adulthood. I am so thankful for the memories. Thanks for sharing ☺️
This video legit got me choked up. It spoke to me more than any video on gaming as memories of traversing Hyrule Field, wondering how to make Darunia happy again, and being scared of the dungeons due to Kondo’s soundtrack, afraid something would jump out when I played at night resurfaced. The game is exciting, scary, lovely, and the experience always makes me emotional. Sharing how much this game meant to you, to many of us, it really hit those emotions. Thanks for the work put into this
OOT will always hold a special place in my heart. When I was young my cousins outgrew their N64 and gifted me it along with OOT, M64, and DK. Those three games helped get me into games as a kid, but OOT was something special for me. It was the only one of the three I beat as a kid and it helped build my love for medieval fantasy that represents a core of my personal tastes in media. I honestly love the game, and even though I think it has a lot of flaws, I always find myself feeling nostalgic while hearing those familiar sounds.
Speaking of phrases and the well, I think the well's name is a reference to Urusei Yatsura, an anime from the 80's. In it, a character who is claustrophobic often exclaims "kurai yo! semai yo! kowai yo!" meaning "Its dark! It's narrow! It's scary!" These are, of course, the three features listed about the well. Just a fun fact I think a lot of people don't notice.
This video brought tears to my eyes, your narration and the absolute thought behind everything is genius and perfect. You have displayed what we all feel. Thank you for making this video on behalf of everyone who grew up with this game.
Zelda music (but N64 Zelda music specifically) makes me so warm and emotional every time I hear it. Everything about the series is exceptional. I’ve watched a lot of OOT Retro’s on here. This is my favorite. Fantastic job.
The reason I ever started making music was because I wanted to learn the Song of Time. Way back in like late 2013 I found a piano app, I looked up the notes and kept practicing until I could play it... On my phone. I couldn't afford a piano at the time. Fast forward a few months and I found a free mobile DAW called Caustic. Imagine my excitement when I learned that I could load in the notes (MIDI) of the Song of Time. And how I could reshape it into whatever I wanted to! To this day I still enjoy making remixes and messing around with video game music. Whenever I play with a new instrument my first goal is to learn the Song of Time. It's been one of the funnest hobbies I ever picked up. All because I wanted to learn an old Zelda song! 💎
56:42 "Even as Ganondorf ravages the land, Kokiri Forest remains in its peaceful state, as if nothing had happened" That's not correct, it gets overrun by monsters after 7 years. It isn't until you complete the Forest Temple that it is restored.
@@tomrees82 What about Kakariko? Literally nothing changes there other than the completion of a building, and eventually a cutscene with Bongo Bongo. Nothing really happens in the Gerudo Desert either
@@Zeldarulah gerudo is ganadorf roots. They're badass lol. And kakariko was less active and the well was tainted by that black cluster of death thing lol.
@@Zeldarulah Kakariko is the last refuge of the survivors who escaped Hyrule Market. It's only really safe because Sheik was (probably) protecting it. As for Gerudo Valley, it's already a desert, so there's not much land to destroy. As for the people, they're Gerudo, so they're simply built different.
And the Biggoron Sword is completely obtainable before even starting the Forest Temple. When I replay this game, I usually grab it right after getting adult Link and then Epona just to make life easier.
I remember the game as a child. My uncle played it and I watched. He stopped one night right before placing the spiritual stones and I was kept up that night wondering what came next, it drove me crazy as a kid! Another time was right as he got to Phantom Ganon. I was already up past my bedtime watching and we received a call that my great grandmother's house was on fire. Turns out someone saw the chimney smoke and reported that...thanks, guy, for interrupting such a cool boss fight! "Very unlike the Ocarina of Time, we kinda can't go back. We don't get to go back seven years--or in this case twenty--we just keep on going. I hurt my back while trying to lie on my side...that's what getting older is like--we all have that to look forward to." --Vinny
47:28 The Goron sword quest isn't beatable just before the water temple. All you have to have done is got the Hookshot from Dampe, Epona from Lon Lon Ranch, & the blue fire from the Ice Cavern. As linear as Ocarina is, it's open enough that you can do all these things before entering any of the adult temples.
The hookshot is the only thing you really need. Even then getting epona will only cost you 50 rupees; the taller fences will net you 5 rupees each, refunding the 10 you paid Ingo to ride his horses. Thanks to master mode, I learned you could light deku sticks and ignite bomb flowers with them - though that makes sense in hindsight - so when you reach goron city, you only need to open darminia's room to open the shortcut to lost woods early--no bomb bag or goron bracelet needed. You have just enough time to roll as fast as possible before the deku stick burns out to reach the blocked path and light the bomb flowers. As soon as you become an adult--after getting the hookshot--you can complete the fire temple (it never requires arrows), complete the gerudo fortress (only need epona and hookshot) along with the piece of heart, open the water temple, or complete the ice cavern. As soon as you beat the forest temple and return to the temple of time, the bottom of the well is an immediate option upon your return as a child. You only need the long shot and lens of truth (no hover boots required or hammer) to cross the desert. The bow and arrows open up the ghost hunting and obtaining the (usually) final bottle in the game--Which incidently helps you at the archery that also opened up at gerudo. Oh yeah you can complete that biggoron sword questline so long as you had epona and blue fire, like you said. What I like too that regardless of your progression, sheik will teach you the songs necessary and if I'm going to get the blue flames anyway, might as well complete the ice cavern anyway. The song will be a shortcut for awhile to gerudo valley and fortress. Kind of crazy.
Probably almost two years late, but for the record, you can just _buy_ the blue fire. It requires the Giant's Wallet because it's 300 rupees, but you can get the Biggoron's Sword without setting foot in any adult dungeon at all, Ice Cavern included.
your channel is a gem who seriously deserves more recognition, you have intised me to try to seek out games such as PIKMIN and Sonic Riders. Your videos are amazing documentaries that I love to watch.
I was 10 when I played Ocarina of Time. It was the first game that made me go all day long without eating. I didn't want to stop playing...the music, the graphics, the story were absolutely perfect. I can still play today and get those feelings back. The move into 3D made it feel more than a game. And it blew all of our minds back then with talks of secrets to find and heart peice locations. Nintendo knocked it out of the park considering this was their first attempt as u said into 3D. Consider yourself lucky if Ocarina was your first 3d zelda.
I think it's a millennial thing why it's so big. However being a gen Xer I fell in love at part 1 mostly because of the memories it provides of lost family and friends and days past when things made sense. Now everytime I play an entry it still relives those memories that give our lives meaning and give us a reason to exist in this world. The game does show you that it can aid you in reliving a lost memory and time it says so right in the screen....PRESS START
this video made me so emotional for some reason. I'm not even an adult and don't have that big of an emotional attachment to this game, but i of course do have attachment to it on some level. Something about having the message of this game explained to me just... makes me cry lol. this video made me realize how much i absolutely adore this game with my entire heart.
I just beat Ocarina of Time for the first time ever a month away from my 30th birthday, and I found this video a delightful capstone to the experience. It's amazing how well it holds up after all this time. Thank you for giving voice to how I felt playing it very, very late!
Fun fact: the title theme was actually based on the warp flute sound from super mario bros 3! Also I still think the flames around the logo are still such a cool effect for the time.
@@lupinthethird5784 Yep, and it was also vital in making the Digdogger boss vulnerable so that he could be killed. As explained in the game manual, he "hates noise" ; )
You talked about that part where people where inspired to play music because of Ocornia of Times freedom with its music mechanics and it struck a chord with me. When I was young I was trying to remember how to play eponas song and accidentally got the notes wrong but found a tune that I really liked. I had a little guitar because my grandfather gave it to me. He was an amazing guitarist and was trying to teach someone in the family the talent so he could pass it on but he couldn't get anyone to strum. I memorized that tune and tried hard to reincorporate it on the guitar but I didnt know how, so I went to him and asked him to teach me. To this day I'm the only person in the family he was able to pass down this talent too, and I play consistently to this day. I just had to stand up on a stage and play a song at his funural a few weeks ago. I forgot what pushed me to even want to learn until you unlocked that memory for me, thank you.
39:58 I played this game religiously and I still didn't know about this skip. I love this game and the fact that I'm still learning new things about it to this day is incredible.
@RajunCajun34 I think it more has to do with the fun factor to me, I'd rather try and get it the unintended way than the intended one. Doesn't hurt that I despise the fishing hole in this game. It's not hard it's just... really, really boring
I was born in 2003 and I played this game on the 3DS, me and my brother shared the game cartridge and together we would play together and take turns, my dad played the original on the n64 so we played with him to and he had the nostalgia even then. I was about 8 or 9 and I haven’t played it for about 7-8 years and this video really brought to perspective how much it affected us both and I wanted to thank you for letting me relive that. I didn’t understand the entire meaning of the game but it affected us both, and now it really puts into perspective how important it was to our childhood. This video made me tear up so much because now being in highschool and trying to figure out what I’m doing and yea it really hit home. Thank you for letting me revisit this game
From a Muslim perspective: I agree that the chanting added a greater depth to the atmosphere of the Fire Temple, but in my opinion a better solution would have been to replace the chants with some more generic vocals or an instrumentation with a similar timbre. I don't think Koji Kondo meant any offense with his use of the chants, and I remember reading that they were actually part of a sound library he used in the making of the soundtrack which makes sense, but to be honest the context of having religious chanting in the volcano fire hell dungeon of all places doesn't feel great to me. I agree that the replacement track isn't as good as the original, but I think they made the right call in altering the original track. Just wanted to comment on this before I continued the video, but great work as always man. Love your videos.
I heard a theory by gaijin goomba about the chant. he makes the point that if other music is played during that chant, then an ifrit appears. volvagia is that ifrit, so the chant helps connect the dungeon and the final boss together thematically. so what was meant to be a sign of cultural knowlege/respect is now being taken as potentially offensive.
I think that's a fair reply, Shamii, I do believe the chant was the best music track for the dungeon in regards to how it sounded, but using the track from any religion in a dungeon is sketchy. As a Christian, similar monk-style motifs were used in the Temple of Time and that didn't offend me but I also understand they were more vague and the Temple of Time was more angelic in nature. I would say I never saw the Fire Temple as "hellish" or evil, more "elemental" is how I would describe it. Ultimately I wish they found a better chant - but still a chant.
@@mattblom3990 i mean halo used christian choirs as the voice of the prophets, do you have a problem with that? like organized religion has been proven time and time again to be a load of poppy cock and treating it as above criticism or deconstruction doesnt have a good track record
@@mr.orangeaide5260 I don't personally have a problem with it but I barely notice. We're talking religious tropes in games and mostly I don't notice them unless it's a post like Shamii's.
Thank you so much for this one Liam. Ocarina of Time has ALWAYS been my favourite Zelda game, and I think it is in large part thanks to my mom. She was never a gamer herself, but she loved the puzzle solving and world building of Zelda, and for the two weekends per month I spent at her place as a kid, I got to explore the land of Hyrule and its people. My relationship with my mom has always been close, but in recent years she's started declining. She is now in hospital with Stage 4 COPD, and I frankly don't know how long we have left. So when Sheik says "the flow of time is always cruel," that hits me deep in the core of my being. Soon, memories of younger years may be all I have left of my mom, but within that there's a certain peace and freedom. No one can get off the river of time - only ride it to where it wants to take us and cherish each moment. As sad as I am that my younger years with my mom are but a memory, I am also finding myself feeling grateful that they happened at all. And I think there's an element of THAT in Ocarina of Time too. Of cherishing every moment and being grateful for them. This game really grew up with a lot of us, and I'm so grateful to have been 10 when this gem came out. Thanks again for this video, friend.
I'm not a guy who crys a lot, but man you made me tear up! Although I am only 16, I remember listening to the music of OoT way before I played the game when I was little, and when I finally did, all those songs were put into perspective for me. Your video further put the meaning of the game into perspective for me, and I just want to thank you for that. I can still say that this is my 2nd favorite game ever, second only to Dark Souls 1, but the story and meaning of OoT doesn't even come close to any other game.
I was seven years old the first time ai played Ocarina of Time shortly after it came out. I would play it for hours every day. My greatest feeling of nostalgia is remembering a warm spring day when my mom would open the doors in the house to let in fresh air and light and I would play Zelda, take a break to play outside, then come back to play some more! This was almost my daily reality in the summers for much of my childhood! Ocarina of Time was a formative game for me and The Legend of Zelda as a whole continues to this day to influence who I am as a person. I heavily identify with Link and Hyrule in many ways feels like home. I have nothing but love for Ocarina of Time, even if it did give me as many nightmares as it gave dreams of adventure. Hearing you read the words of the other fans nearly brought me to tears.
Thank you, this was a great video. Made me nostalgic for Nintendo, grade school and the 90s. My mind kept thinking of all the great memories of orcarina of time. I remember being so amazed by the beauty 3D world of Hyrule, many countless hours spent all across the lands of Hyrule. Rumors of secret dungeons in the desert (my friends older brother told me that there's a pyramid in the desert and you had to get lost in the right spot to find it). Far to many memories are dragged up when I hear the music from the game, or see footage or screen shots of it. I will never forget all the great time i had with my childhood friends with this game. To my friend Stan who didn't get to grow up, I shed a tear everytime I play it. To him RIP dude I'll see you when it's my game over.
Masterfully done, sir! Great service for the greatest game of all time! I was in high school when this game came out and I remember the hype. Now that I am much older, I appreciate the retrospective even more than ever. Thank you for presenting this precious gift with such care and precision. This hit me right in the childhoods. Subscribed!
That was beautifully done. The epilogue was really introspective and put so well into words, what many of us have felt but never put a description to from this game and its nostalgic effects. Bravo 👏
One thing i really liked about OOT was that it introduced the world of hyrules different races or groups and gave a little backstory to them. The gerudos, gorons, zoras, kokiri etc. I know they had instances of these groups in the first 4 zelda games but this time they were shown to be interconnected with each other in hyrule I think that aspect made hyrule feel like more of a real synergetic world that depended on cooperation of the species
It was 2004, i'd guess. I just moved from Venezuela back to Colombia in order to flee the persuit of my dad, as he was one of the main opposition voters of the city. There I was, in a town I bearly knew, in a school where i was bullied even for my accent or my handwritting. Then, summer came and my dad took me to the city center: A long pasage of informal stores, where i could have one cartridge of the old N64 my cousin gave to me. I tried Mario Kart, but didn't like. Then, i changed it by this rare looking Zelda cartridge. At home, I booted on my N64 and It already had an advanced playthrough, so I, accidently, erased it. I started a new playthrough and couldnt pass through gohma. New school, some older brother of a new friend told me how to beat her, so I did it. I discovered hyrule but then, my parents got divorced, and it was... harmful, for put it into words. I seek in Ocarina the universe where everything is gonna be Ok, where I can save everyone. Getting into teenage was... Was like the shock of pulling out the master sword and getting out of the temple of time. The realization of an usless, irresponsably dad, on the reasons why, on how growing up and going to another school was at the time... Those were difficult times, again. Now, Im finishing my undergraduate studies. I cant say ive overcome depression or anxiety, but when I look at the memories this game gave to me, the feelings and now, the message... I can only think kindly towards this game. I thank it gave me the objective to made me a better person, and to look for the well being of everyone I know. Thank you for getting this Retrospective, it is really objective and I look forward to your other videos.
I'm glad you brought up Arins point of view on the game. It's often used and quoted by the contrarian crowd who have not even played the game. It's not my favorite game of all time, not my favorite Zelda, hell not even my favorite Zelda on the N64, but as you said in your conclusion, it changed lives more than the players, it started an era of games trying to copy it. Every old developing technique used by oot was used one way or another by the growing industry, just because the industry outgrew oot doesn't mean it's not THE video game. It deserves the spot of greatest game of all time, because time itself is what the game is about. People completely missed the point that time doesn't stop and isn't kind to anyone, just how time wasn't great for oot.
OoT's cartridge was 32 megabyte as is MM's. There are only a few cartridge's there were 64MB and it wasn't till after OoT that the 64MB cart was available.
Man, I need to go back and play it again. I haven't played it for almost five years now, and now that I'm an adult I'll really be looking for those themes you pointed out. Thanks for a great video essay :)
"Koizumi named her Navi respecting the simple yet meaningful naming traditions of the Zelda series." That certainly explains Sahahrhsahrhsahahrla from a Link to the Past.
Been watching your channel grow for nearly half a year. There’s something to be said about the depth of perception you have analyzing video games and the community around them. The ideology behind the game makes it more than what many perceive video games to be. Rather than distractions from the real world they are reincarnations of lessons and stories. Keep making videos Liam. I’ll always return to listen to what you have to say. Thank you.
Ever since I grown up, I tear up after beating Ocarina of Time (and even more when beating Majora's Mask). For some reason, the ending credits are the biggest nostalgia punch of the hole game for me. It's not like the ending is nostalgic, in reality there are plenty of moments in the game that is more nostalgic, but the feeling of beating the game brings me an odd glance of my childhood and the certainty that it's never coming back. This is the feeling that makes me cry like a baby, and hearing the experience of the game by other people in the end of this video, made me cry just like that. It is like all we Zelda fans have a strong connection, even tho we don't know each other.
I’d love to know why I get that comfort feeling from OoT and MM...every time I hear the music or pick it up again, I’m instantly transported back to my 8 year old self, fully enveloped in that world. Still can’t believe it’s been a little over 20 years since I first played them.
Discovering how to get the two Zora River heart pieces without the beans or having someone tell me was SO immensely satisfying!! Proud of figuring out the Dodongo Cavern fence jump as well. :D And accidentally completing the Fire before the Forest temple on my first playthrough lol! Ahhhh, nostalgia...
i’m only 18 and first played this beautiful game back when i was 11 years old on the 3ds. during this time my family was probably at its worst and was falling apart. when my parents argued, or if i was stressed out from school, i just plugged my headphones into my 3ds and continued to complete my journey. back then the game to me was something completely new as i had never played a zelda game before, but every time i booted the game up my problems would simply fade away, and i mean that. the world of OoTs hyrule was so immersive i felt like i was really Link himself helping these people and when solving a tough puzzle, the jingle for finally completing it was like the game saying “i’m proud of you”. looking back i needed this game at that point in my life and for as long as i live i’ll never forget it. it is undoubtedly my favorite game of all time. thank you zelda.
I saw egoraptor's video about Ocarina of time many years ago. I was almost convinced for some time but after playing both games again (he compared Ocarina of time to A Link to the past) I watched his video once more and it looked much worse. I think that he was looking at the game with the wrong context, and with a very arbitrary focus. He looked at some things and not at others for unknown reasons, just because. His point was heavily biased. All of us may be biased but some people make an effort to jump out of that juice. His efforts kept very short. Ocarina of time is not perfect but for the standards of that time it was pretty amazing.
I've been playing retro games that I was never able to as a kid, and I can definitively say I found OoT infinitely more enjoyable than ALTTP, despite the top down 2D style being my favorite genre of games. OoT is just brilliant and tons of fun.
Tbh I think his points in that video are mostly correct, but he judges too harshly. The switch to 3D that everyone was doing was pulled off well only a handful of times. For every time it was done well, there were 100 examples of it being ugly, clunky, and awkward. Taking this into consideration, it stands to reason that even a game like OoT wouldn't be perfect. In addition, every game dev at the time was trying to take advantage of the jump in tech; this led to all the waiting Egoraptor complained about for doors and chests opening, and all the other little mini-cutscenes. What he forgets is that we're looking at it in hindsight, with the knowledge of 2 decades of game and tech development, thus it looks outdated at parts. But at the time, it was a marvel of game design and pioneered a ton of stuff in addition to being a fun and memorable experience, even if it was frustrating at times. It stood out in an age of growing pains and experimentation in gaming, and accomplishing that is way more impressive than making a "perfect" game in an age when the standard for perfection is doing what everyone else has already seen.
@@echobase6372 Just finished his video, most of it seemed like silly nitpicking or personal preference to me. Like I don't really get the deal with the waiting, it was annoying at some parts but I never found the chest opening build up sequence annoying or anything, I always liked the dramatic tension of the reveal. His need to have everything instantaneously available seemed pretty arbitrary to me, and arbitrary is how I'd describe a lot of his complaints tbh. There were, however, some very well reasoned complaints mixed in there, it's not like he was totally unfair or anything. It's just that a lot of what bothered him I didn't even notice or care about when I played it.
I have not played this game once. The only times I've seen gameplay of this particular Zelda game is through RUclips videos. But my God, this video made my face soaked in tears from the message it gave... And now as I sit here, face still wet, I'll tell you why. My computer I had bought last year, had unfortunately bit the dust today. I was extrmely upset and crying when I realized what happened. All of my art pieces, stories, and specific screenshots of events that'll never happen again. All of that is gone, never to be seen again. My dad does plan on getting me a new laptop next month... But, now I realize, that it just means I get to do that all over again. The memories, the stories, the art... It can all happen again on a new, blank slate of a laptop. The aching in my heart is now less painful of what I'll miss, and more bittersweet in realization that those moments aren't truely lost. They'll just be done again, in a slightly different way... It doesn't matter who, or what, you are... Time will take all. Time makes no exceptions for anyone, or anything. Thank you so much for this video.
Thanks for this! I was searching for a video to send to my friend, because I was trying to explain to her how much I love all the details of OOT and I don't think she's ever played a Zelda game. This video does such a great job of summarizing the aspects of the game, and explaining the story in a way that someone who hasn't played it can get a feel for why it's so impactful. Plus it does it in a fairly short time, while still having so many details. OOT is one of those games that is just as fascinating to watch someone else play, as it is to play yourself. I spent countless hours watching my older brothers play, and still feeling that emotional attachment. As a kid, I never got to the Forest Temple, but I'd play the first three dungeons over and over again. Then I'd beg my brothers to let me play on one of their saves so I could swim in Lake Hylia or ride around on Epona. It definitely lit that spark of exploration in me. Plus music is such a crucial part of my life, I still use these songs for ringtones, or while studying and writing. They evoke such strong feelings, and do a fantastic job at condensing what that environment would sound like as a song. 🥰 As much as new mechanics make games easier or solve issues, I still come back to this one over and over again.
I never played OoT when I was younger but I finally got to play and beat it during the lockdown with my roommate acting as my guide through out my adventure. Once I finally beat the game and got sent back to the title screen I was hit with such a massive wave of nostalgia that it nearly hurt, I’ve wasn’t nostalgic for the game I had just beaten but for my childhood, of not worrying about bills, a job, or the current state of the world. As a kid I used to listen to a lot of OoT’s music even without having played the game (A testament to how timeless and iconic the soundtrack now is) and now Lost woods never fails to ease and relax me after a stressful day. OoT truly is a timeless masterpiece that conveys its messages of the passing of time masterfully and its now one of my favorite games of all time
Do you maybe think that a reason for Majora's Mask being so dark is because of Link looking for Navi at the beginning, or to put it another way, Link is in an adult world with his main goal to find childlike nostalgia which in turn makes everything become more scary, deep and confusing. If this is the case then maybe Majora's Mask is a continuation of Ocarina of Time's story meaning but this time to show what to much reflection can do if you don't pay attention to the present.
I mean, he was a child in an adult world in oot, but he is more of an adult in an adultworld in majoras mask. Zelda wanted him to get his seven years back, but he ends up spending the time being just a dude on the journey that is life instead. He looks for a friend for days, then decides to be a hero again when he stumbles across a random problem, then appearently gives up on finding his friend and then coming back to hyrule to marry and become a knight.
Hm, I agree to a point but I come to a different conclusion. In my mind, OoT is about Link learning how to become an adult. The one thing he never has to do however, is learn how to process loss. Majora's Mask is just an extension of OoT's theme of "growing up", except it's the final stage of growing up: learning how too accept loss.
It's an interesting thought, but I don't think it holds up. Part of growing up is having to work to maintain friendships - at school, you stay with the same peer group for years; in adult life, each of you moves in different directions at different times and you need to make making time for your friends a priority otherwise you drift apart and lose touch. And, as has been thoroughly discussed by others, elsewhere, the game does fit well with the Kubler-Ross model of grief - which the games narrative (such as it is) would point toward Link's loss of his companion, Navi.
Wish I could forget this game. This was literally the first game I ever played, and I think as a result other games have struggled to deliver the same feeling this game gave me. Now, after 20 years, and at least twice as many playthroughs, I still love this game. I only wish I could experience the magic it once had that has since faded as I've grown older. Zelda will forever be my favorite game franchise, and replayimg them has become a sort of tradition for me. These games are like comfort food for the soul, and give me the strength to keep going by providing a brief glimpse back to my childhood.
The scene with Darunia dancing was the first time I ever understood reading. Seeing HOT HOT and understanding it, it blew my little mind.
Probably helped by the camera cutting to the lit torch. _Context_
I was playing Ocarina of Time before I could properly read so I would constantly have my parents read me certain things in the game.
After a point they told me that I needed to start reading this myself and we practice with reading and eventually I could tell what was being said to me through the game.
I 100% say that Ocarina of Time helped me learn how to read.
You know, it's funny you mention that... my mom always tells me about how when I was little, I learned how to read faster _because_ of wanting to try this game out.
... I think you just unlocked a core memory for me
i know for a fact i was old enough to read when i first played Oot because i spent more time reading a walkthough than playing the damn game
I was six years old when this game came out and I remembered watching my mom play it. It was at the time I was only interested in generic cartoons so this was honestly my first insight into fantasy and gaming. I was literally awestruck when watching my mom fight though each dungeon because when she turned on the game she was instantly the coolest person in the world! When I finally got to create my own save file I was super overwhelmed but I wanted to show her I could beat it too. OoT wasn't just my childhood but my first memorable bonding moment i had with my mom.
That's awesome dude. Count yourself as lucky. I was raised by my grand parents and trust me... not only *didn't* they play video games, they treated me like some sort of leper for daring to be interested in them. The only reason I got an N64 to begin with was because one of my uncles bought me one for Christmas, which of course my grand parents saw as "the devil!" hahah
@@0rnery0verwatch that’s awesome dude, count yourself as lucky. I didn’t have parents, or grandparents, or uncles or an N64 haha
Emotional story, thanks for sharing it
I never get tired of hearing fellow OOT fans talk about why they love it too.
That's what I can say about my favorite game of all time - DKC 2. I've watched so many reviews about the game and David Wise soundtrack
Same here.
Same with Majora’s Mask
Yep oot is the best game of all time, and I’d like to play a game that surpasses this but there’s none
Same. Always. That's why I loved cosmo. Not so much with Narcisse.
Zelda being Sheik was so iconic for her. She was a secondary guide to Link while also being helpful and cool, and clearly capable of holding her own. I think she should remain as Sheik of a Sheik like figure in future games, actually behaving as the triforce of wisdom in that way by offering more direct guidance to Link, even if she is often the one in danger - it makes sense she'd still use her magic to help as much as possible rather than just hide away until it's safe. Zelda has always had more potential as a character than we see, especially in her Sheik role.
100% agree with this. She's been wildly underutilized in most of the following games with her power from the Triforce of wisdom. Plus as Sheik she kind of got to be a badass and I would like to see more of the Zelda that was combat trained by a Sheikah warrior
Very true
So how have yall been enjoying zeldas role in TOTK? Did it deliver in what youve wanted from zelda?
@@lizklein2926 I thought it was pretty good, loved the tragic tone with it.
I really enjoy how the zelda community seems to be the only non spoiler community
Dawg, I kid you not, OoT’s opening title screen is literally one of (if not) my oldest memories. My cousins were about to play the game, and my little eyes looked up at the screen to see link riding on his horse on the horizon. It was beautiful, and it still is
I got the 3ds remake and I kinda got on and didn’t play I plugged in my headphones and sat listening to that starter music and did the same when talking to kid Zelda and first hearing her lullaby I just sat and didn’t think just calm tranquility
Literally same, dude. I'm 23 now but had to be 2-5 when I remember seeing that title screen. Wild.
Yes! ❤ timeless opening scene ❤️
51:44 the fire temples warp song has stuck with me for life❤️ so good
The hero of time is such a tragic hero among the Links. He saves two timelines and a parallel yet he can only pass on his techniques to his descendant well past his death.
He’s the goat for sure
I want to cosplay the Hero's Shade.
@@Thor-Orion do it
You're gonna have to stop eating for a while
A long while
OOT's title screen is one of the best ever. Its so emotional
I mean, Majora's Mask did a pretty good job also
That OOT title screen is the basis of my entire career. When child me saw that screen I immediately knew that the developers were making art.
OOOO that starter music I can’t man
It is the best title screen ever in my opinion
Ohh, you mean Super Mario Bros 3 flute?
(it appeared in Zelda 1 too).
I also like the title screens of Wind Waker, Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess so much.
There are NEVER enough Zelda Ocarina of time Retrospectives or reviews. This game is a masterpiece.
I agree wholeheartedly!
It gets deep when you start analyzing it, amazing game and these videos are great to see how the game affects people.
Pretty much every Zelda game is a masterpiece.
There're so many of them now
Same goes for majora's mask!
The message of OoT is timeless. Poetry that resonates within the hearts of all across many centuries of love, hate, and suffering.
"HYUHHG! HYAAAH!!!"
You forgot the most important message, the one true commandment brought to us by the messenger, Navi: "Hey! Listen!"
@@rmsgrey That's new testament stuff, bro.
WAHHAAAHHHHHHHHH
@@rmsgrey Also: "Watch out!"
@@Kevin-jb2pv lol
Bro, you weren't kidding. The wave of nostalgia the intro hits with was like reliving my entire childhood all in one moment. If only we could turn back the clock...
Better put the Master Sword back in the pedestal, am I right?
Welp, time to go back down into the "*Game Title* Retrospective" rabbit hole.
So you're a man of culture as well...
KingK?
@@naobi666 kingk is weird.
Same here :3
*inserst KingK retrospectives here*
Oh my god and the fact that Link continues to search for Navi years after his adventure ends...
"You have to sort through your inventory, there isn't a correct answer here..."
*Shows him hitting dark link with the hammer for 10 seconds straight winning the fight almost instantly*
my personal favourite is the crouch stab, its hilarious that the same method in zelda 2 works here and in the 3DS remake as well
I like to defeat dark Link with just the Master Sword, for a little bit of challenge. Usually I allready got the Biggoron Sword at this point and with that sucker, he's very easy. Hammer works well, too.
Dark Link is the one enemy that's significantly easier in the 3-heart challenge - even without picking up the magic meter upgrade when you do the Fire Temple, you've got more than enough for three casts of Din's Fire - dealing 1 heart per time, that's a trivial win.
When i was a kid i did the crouch stabbing not knowing about zelda 2, then i watched a video about deku nuts, being at one heart walking in, and stunning to get a cheap kill. Then watched PeanutButterGamer, and thats when i learned about megaton hammer cheap kills. Moral of the story: pick a god and pray dark link 😏
real niggas only use the master sword against dark link
even as a kid, i never used any other weapon bc it just felt wrong
I was 7 when this game came out. I’m 31 now and this is still the one game I play almost annually. Is just so good. The story, the atmosphere, the music. Ironically, the game where we can turn back time and be a kid again is the closest thing I’ve experienced to actually letting me turn back time and capture that childhood bliss again.
Edit: damn bro I wrote this before I finished and your closing bit about not being able to go back is exactly what I was getting at
I was 8 or 9 and I remember it was LITERALLY all that anyone talked about for the next few years, even people that weren’t really into gaming , it was like this huge cultural shift at the time
Same age here, same annual playthrough, same nostalgia/'journey back in time'. Peace love and light fellow hero of time, may the Goddess smile upon you !
Serendipitous
Here we all find ourselves lol. 31 here too and I can’t stop playing it and my daughter is 5 and she now has jumped into playing OoT which just brings it even more full circle for me.
@@mookiestewart3776 I was 10 and you're not wrong; it's ALL everyone talked about for years.
Being able to reflect Ganondorf's energy balls with a bottle most certainly isn't an oversight, but rather a deliberate reference to A Link to the Past where it was famously possible to reflect Aghanim's energy balls with the bug catching net 😊
People uploading vids of link using a bottle. I never even thought about using a bottle on ganon in ocarina of time. I used the bee catching net in A Link to the Past on Agahnim(Ganon).
@@Joe_334 I have a theory that the whole "kill Ganon with a bottle" thing is so well-known because of old video game forums from the early 2000s. Because otherwise, people must've been trying to kill every enemy with a bottle or something
and you can bottle puppet Zelda's attacks in TP clearly as a reference to OoT.
Navi's “Hey! Listen!" is my text tone and it always fills me with such sweet nostalgia, even though I haaaaated it when I was a kid
Is Navi also saying "Clue!!"
36 yo, played this at age 14.
Fantastic time, magical.
Felt depressed when the credits rolled, and that's usually the mark of a good game for me.
Bittersweet nostalgia.
Can never play this game again, for the first time.
That's how I feel with dark souls. DS is my favorite game. I have put countless hours into it and never feel overwhelmingly oppressed by it. I am saddened that I will never feel that way when playing it. I played it in a time in my life when I was in a new place doing new things and there was only a single thing giving me light (like a lone bonfire). Games have an impact, even if we don't see it at the time.
@@brewski118sempire
Dark Souls is awesome as well. ^^
I miss the days when it was super challenging and fun to play for the first time, as opposed to the other games available at the time.
Like a breath of fresh air, in a time when I almost thought I had lost my love for video games.
I just needed to broaden my horizon to re-ignite it.
About to finish DS3 for the 4th time, and I find myself having an easier time overall with the bosses which in a weird way saddens me a little.
This was persona 5 for me.
Greatest GAME OF ALL TIME
@@SolidMike84 I also felt sad when I played and finished it and saw navi fly away but I didn't understand why I was upset I was only 7 but this video might help explain ruclips.net/video/GyUcwsjyd8Q/видео.html
This was my first Zelda game. It will forever be special and nostalgic to me. The intro and innocence of childhood is capture perfectly in the Kokiri Forest. I can't wait to introduce the game to my son and his to his future kids.
Fun fact: hitting the poes with a deku nut causes them to reappear!
Hell yeah! Now I know, yet another way to create an opening.
WHAT
it's amazing how i still learn new stuff about this over 20 years old game
To clarify you mean the forest temple poes correct?
@@bignerd7683 Yeah, it works on the Poe Sisters, at least. I don't recall if it works on other types of poes.
This has become one of my main bedtime stories.
This video has given me plenty of good sleep
Same boys...put this on and fall fast asleep
I'm 20 years old now and am really starting to miss the good old days. I still remember sitting in my friends room, playing on the N64 he got from his older brother and playing OoT. Both of us in awe of the beauty the game has to offer and both of us scared out of our minds when the night comes and all the monsters come out... Simpler times back then
My life isn't difficult or anything and I'd even go so far as to say I'm mostly happy, but hearing your interpretation of the game and it's sentiment about time, made me tear up a bit. Not entirely sure why, but damn... I miss those days
Thanks, Liam. This Video made my day a bit better.
That's the result of a way to fast moving world. You speak if the good old days of 10 years ago 😁
In my ex job my colleague said to me: "Back then, we did (something work releated" I replied "I remember, but with back then you mean yesterday" 😂
Just wait til you’re 42! The nostalgic sentiments cut even deeper then. I mean, especially because it’s 2020, so most times seem better than that.
Yeah Im 27 looking at elder dudes like "how tf do you bear with THE UNENDING NOSTALGIA AAAHHH"
I think a big part of that for me is the complete disintegration of couch co-op and just meeting up with friends to play games or generally do stuff together. Even know if you do it's a 70% chance they'll be constantly checking their phone or something.
@@ClumpypooCP I'm 20, I grew up with OOT. The N64 I played it on was purchased by my grandmother for my dad. When he moved out he left it at her house. Every weekend I went to her house she would let me play it. She passed away 3 weeks ago, but she still had that N64.
This game was the first I'd seen with a sky that changed with weather and time of the day. Blew my mind as a kids and I still remember the feeling of openness and freedom that sky gave me. It's a feeling that I get still when I look up to a blue sky with a few light clouds. That's my OOT
Watching this made me cry. The game's thesis of eventually having to grow up and face our fears deeply resonates with me. I am scared, I am frightened, but I have to try.
This is what makes you courageous. That's what Ocarina of time trained us for, you'll get this shit done. Whatever it may be!
@@DarthAles I cannot thank you enough. I got some positive news today so I believe my luck will soon turn around!
@@josephsantiago2862 happy for you 👍🏼
No shit I got some tears myself
No. You don't *have* to try.
But you _choose_ to. For the betterment of yourself and those around you.
And that's what makes you an adult :)
As a person very close to entering a new part of their life, this video made me tear up a bit. Time moves so fast to many of us and I don’t feel prepared to be independent and do adult things. I want to go back to my childhood where I had less to worry about and more time to be carefree and enjoy myself. But this game encourages me to grow up even though it might not be the easiest thing to do, a lot of the connections I made with people as an adolescent will separate and I will start making decisions that actually matter in the long run. Thank you for your insight on this game and thank you to everyone who enjoyed this game as a child just like how I used to.
I couldn’t agree more. This video was therapeutic in a way I never expected. I hope you’re doing well ☺️
You forgot to mention the most epic thing about the Anju side quest. When the girl tells you his fate she tells you anyone that enters the lost woods without a fairy will become a Stalfos and she asks you if you will become one yourself. I beat Twilight Princess before this game so reading that I knew that I was playing as the heroes shade that revelation made the hairs on my neck stand up that bit of lore will always stick with me so happy that Nintendo eventually confirmed it too.
Well put,sir.
Wow
I have the privilege of playing this absolutely amazing peice of art for the first time and I know why it is so highly regarded. Truly a masterpiece in every sense of the word.
32:50 So, I decided to try and look it up. Apologies if I got something wrong.
In the Japanese version the dungeon is called 「井戸の底」(Ido no Soko) which means the same thing as Bottom of the Well basically. There is an idiom called 「井の中の蛙大海を知らず」(I no Naka no Kawazu Taikai wo Shirazu), its sometimes shortened to 「井の中の蛙」(I no Naka no Kawazu). It means a frog in a well does not know the great sea.
It seems to come from a Chinese idiom. There is a story behind it where a frog was born in a dark well and had never been outside the well. One day a bird flew down into the well and came across the frog. The bird said, “Come up to the outside world where it is bright and warm”. The frog then laughed at the bird, thinking that the well was in fact the entire world.
I also found that the inside the well part is sometimes expressed as 「井の内」(I no Uchi) or 「井底」(Seitei). So there are also expressions like 「井の内の蛙」(I no Uchi no Kaeru) and 「井底の蛙」(Seitei no A). Kawazu, Kaeru, and A are all readings referring to the character for frog.
So, something like 「井底の蛙」may not be the exact same as 「井戸の底」but I think there are similarities. I’m also getting a kick out of imagining Link as the frog, just cause he’s green.
Fun enough, "井底之蛙" (jing di zhi wa), the Chinese idiom, was described to me as the frog only being able to see a tiny patch of the sky as opposed to the entire world around it. Same idea, slightly different interpretation. Cool!
That is fascinating. The frog in the well is basically the same concept as Plato's Cave. There's so many differences in Eastern and Western philosophy, it's surprising when the same idea comes up in both.
Interestingly frogs are part of the architecture in the ?fire? Temple in skyward sword.
35 years old here and this game takes me back to the late 90s, great times. Still love to play it once or twice a year, just like Link to the Past.
Same, but I'm 43. I was 20 when OoT came out in 98
@@davidcrawford5324 Cheers to that. Here's to plenty more years to gaming!
@@davidcrawford5324 This is actually really cool. Im curious, how did the narrative affect you playing it as a young adult opposed to a kid? For me, a lot of the deeper concepts went over my head until I replayed it as an adult. Now the gravity of it hits me like a megaton hammer to the head 😂
@@_theloremaster It was very intense for me playing in areas like the shadow temple beneath the graveyard in Kakariko as adult Link, as well as the dungeon inside the well as child Link.
I fully understood the impact of the various areas of blood on the floor, and knew right away that the Redeads were people that were being held as prisoners and tortured by the Sheikah tribe at the behest of the royal family. I played the original version on the 64, so none of it was censored like the newer versions. It had a much better and more mature element to the game because of that fact IMO. I much preferred the aesthetic of the Crescent moon 🌙 and ⭐ on the Mirror Shield in the Spirit Temple over the generic one that Nintendo replaced it with post 9/11 as well. It saddens me that the political climate of our country is so bad that it's affecting the content of our games, movies, and TV shows just to avoid offending people who believe their feelings are more important than creative expression. During the 60s and 70s they tried to censor music too, but our 1st amendment rights were upheld in the end, so why doesn't that still hold true today??? What changed?? 🤔
I just wish we could go back to the American values and traditions I grew up with and was raised on 🇺🇲😔
Sorry for the rant, but I hope this answers your question
@@davidcrawford5324 thank you for the incredibly in-depth answer! I appreciate you sharing your perspective! I think one of the reasons we find it so replayable I because of those mature themes. I also have a copy of the game that includes the old symbols and music as well. in the example you gave about the shadow temple and bottom of the well, I believe it does a much better job of conveying how dire the situation was in Hyrule which made it feel so much better when you saved it.
And I typically don’t get political on RUclips either, but I affirm everything you’ve said. I’m from the states too and it’s unsettling to think about the country as it was when we were kids vs where it’s at now
Honestly this is one of the best OOT retrospectives ive seen. Great job.
This is the best oot retrospective i haven't seen. I'm gonna watch it now tho
I watched it now it's a pretty good retrospective
these can get very annoying, ecspecially when they make it overly long and just try way too hard to make it look and sound like one of those "artsy" video essays where they just drag things out waaaay too much just to sound more intelligent and give it more depth when it doesn't need it. the one by nexpo was perfect, even matt patt's videos can cram so much good content in a very short video, these ones just try way too hard and fall flat
I like how OoT’s been the best game evur for so long that “OoT Retrospective” is it’s own subgrnre.
Has anybody here seen good bloods?
You had me close my eyes and think about playing this game as a child in my bed. I want to thank you for making me remember those memories of the good old days. Zelda is truly an amazing series
Man I just came here for a light-hearted OoT video and instead I had a harsh realization for why this game means so much to me due to my fear of growing old and not wanting to become an adult 😂😂 fantastic video!
You nailed it from beginning to end
Back in 1998 i got ocarina of time day it came out
And when i hear you talk about it, it took me back to that day.
PLEASE DO MAJORA’S MASK🙏🏼
Thanks for this retrospective
I recently played through this game fully for the first time during the summer and I loved it. So much personality....
Same here. It's my new favorite game
I played it after several other Zeldas and it's still easily my favorite
No idea why people rag on it nowadays, aged better than everything that came out alongside it
@@meyes5671 Yeah I feel like some people hate on it just because it's so I universally liked and has such a high rating on metacritic
Last year I finally played every 3D Zelda(except BotW), and I feel like I would've enjoyed the game if I played when it was released. It's not like its bad or anything, it just feels.... "Vanilla" in comparison with the rest of the series and gaming as a whole.
@@ChristianWS. I'm planning on playing every 3d zelda too. I just finished Twilight Princess, I still have Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, and Skyward Sword to do
The opening scene literally makes me tear up everytime as a 33 year old man. Absolute masterpiece of a game that changed the lives of so many people.
"In 2020, is looking for an eye on the wall really a puzzle?"
*looks at the 2011 Game Skyrim*
Its a step up.
i never beat skyrim bc the "adventure" aspect was wayyy too easy and boring...
Is that fun?? Is that what you want??
@@konraddromero Are you channeling your inner Egoraptor?
@@TheSorrel I just thought I'd get my 2 cents in there
@@konraddromero Well I'd like to hear them. Go ahead.
I was 19 when OoT released. It wasn’t my first Zelda game (that was LttP) but it was the first game I played on a system I bought for myself in my first apartment, living alone as an adult. I remember spooky nights playing the shadow temple alone in the dark. The Gerudo theme scored my young adulthood. I love this game.
Just played through OoT and Majora’s Mask a couple of weeks back, it was my first time actually finishing both of these games and man it just made me fully realize my love for both of these amazing games.
I really appreciated your bit on the ocarina inspiring people to play music. I know it's what first got my sister into playing cello, and since she passed away, remembering playing the ocarina in game together has a lot of weight and happiness and sadness, to the point where the two instruments are kind of inseparable in my head.
28 here. I'm in a rough patch myself recently and I don't know if it's that or your well-crafted video essay about this game, but your closing remarks near the end got me a bit teary eyed, I can't lie. And I'm sure I'm not alone in that.
I'm very grateful that you took the time to approach this topic from as many different angles as you did. There is one minor nitpick I had though - when you mentioned Ganondorf ravaging Hyrule and Kokiri Forest remaining safe, I was a littel confused, because as an adult before beating the Forest Temple it is littered with enemies and the Kokiri are all hiding away. I don't mind it though. Perhaps it's just my failure to properly parse the sentences.
Anyway. Solid video. I love Ocarina of Time retrospectives and I truly believe you brought something unique to the discussion.
I hope your dark days start to brighten soon ☺️
I played this game for my first time much more recently (this year, actually--2022), as an adult, on my weekends off from my four-night weeks working fulltime at a local warehouse. But even I already feel nostalgia toward this game!
I haven't even played Ocarina of Time and I'm feeling nostalgic from this video. Another great analysis Liam.
You need to play it. Hell if I still had my N64 I'd lend you it just to play.
I will say, it is one of the rare games where I don't think it's lost much enjoyment over all these years .Even ALTTP you can feel the age a bit, but once you get used to the controls OoT is still so much fun. I'm saying this as someone who just played it for the first time a few years ago on 3DS.
Guys, idk if you knew this, but ocarina is also out on pc and android. And it's free!
(My friend says you can get Mario, too, but IDK my friend is kind of a liar. He keeps claiming to be a "pirate" but he doesn't even _have_ syphilis.)
@@Kevin-jb2pv droid n64 emulators kinda all suck but PC for sure
You should
I tried watching this a couple of times while nursing a hangover but kept falling asleep because dude's voice is soothing
I appreciate this video so much, thanks for making it!
Honestly no matter what flaws the critics might say this game has, nothing can ever take away the absolute POWER of the feelings this game gave me (and many others seemingly)
This wasn’t just a game, it was a portal into the most immersive, wonderful world I had ever seen in a game. The adventure, the atmosphere, the magic of it all....just absolutely beautiful.
When I was a kid I didn’t play games with the mind of a critic, looking for flaws....
I played games with the soul of an adventurer, an explorer, spirited away into a world of castles, monsters, swords and shields.
Playing this game for the first time back in the day was like discovering electricity for the first time, like if you took someone from 1750 and brought them to modern day were they were blown away by airplanes and cell phones, cars, movies and internet (maybe a slight exaggeration)
But the impact on the mind and soul of the kids playing this game was absolutely profound....giving an experience like we had never seen, that made us fall in love.
Say what you want about it’s “flaws”, anyone who hates on this game simply isn’t aware of the impact it had on the hearts of so many
It really was a special moment in time. Everything came together in such a way that allowed us to experience something profound as a kid that shaped our journey into adulthood. I am so thankful for the memories. Thanks for sharing ☺️
I'm 36 now and I'm right there with you 🙌. The music still gives me the feels
This video legit got me choked up. It spoke to me more than any video on gaming as memories of traversing Hyrule Field, wondering how to make Darunia happy again, and being scared of the dungeons due to Kondo’s soundtrack, afraid something would jump out when I played at night resurfaced. The game is exciting, scary, lovely, and the experience always makes me emotional. Sharing how much this game meant to you, to many of us, it really hit those emotions. Thanks for the work put into this
OOT will always hold a special place in my heart. When I was young my cousins outgrew their N64 and gifted me it along with OOT, M64, and DK. Those three games helped get me into games as a kid, but OOT was something special for me. It was the only one of the three I beat as a kid and it helped build my love for medieval fantasy that represents a core of my personal tastes in media. I honestly love the game, and even though I think it has a lot of flaws, I always find myself feeling nostalgic while hearing those familiar sounds.
I think you are the only one who accurately described my experience with the Water Temple and how I feel about it as well. Amazing video
Speaking of phrases and the well, I think the well's name is a reference to Urusei Yatsura, an anime from the 80's. In it, a character who is claustrophobic often exclaims "kurai yo! semai yo! kowai yo!" meaning "Its dark! It's narrow! It's scary!" These are, of course, the three features listed about the well. Just a fun fact I think a lot of people don't notice.
That’s SO COOL! Thank you for sharing this!
Oh, that's an awesome detail. Ty for sharing!
You have a great voice
Some people are just good commentators and some aren't.
You have a great channel. cool stuff.
Bandstand is everywhere there’s no escape
Was just about to say the same thing. It’s so calming
Fuck genius
This video brought tears to my eyes, your narration and the absolute thought behind everything is genius and perfect. You have displayed what we all feel. Thank you for making this video on behalf of everyone who grew up with this game.
I agree wholeheartedly. I’ve never heard someone put words to my feelings so precisely
Zelda music (but N64 Zelda music specifically) makes me so warm and emotional every time I hear it. Everything about the series is exceptional.
I’ve watched a lot of OOT Retro’s on here. This is my favorite. Fantastic job.
The reason I ever started making music was because I wanted to learn the Song of Time.
Way back in like late 2013 I found a piano app, I looked up the notes and kept practicing until I could play it... On my phone. I couldn't afford a piano at the time.
Fast forward a few months and I found a free mobile DAW called Caustic. Imagine my excitement when I learned that I could load in the notes (MIDI) of the Song of Time.
And how I could reshape it into whatever I wanted to!
To this day I still enjoy making remixes and messing around with video game music. Whenever I play with a new instrument my first goal is to learn the Song of Time.
It's been one of the funnest hobbies I ever picked up. All because I wanted to learn an old Zelda song! 💎
56:42 "Even as Ganondorf ravages the land, Kokiri Forest remains in its peaceful state, as if nothing had happened"
That's not correct, it gets overrun by monsters after 7 years. It isn't until you complete the Forest Temple that it is restored.
Still less dangerous than the rest of Hyrule.
@@tomrees82 What about Kakariko? Literally nothing changes there other than the completion of a building, and eventually a cutscene with Bongo Bongo. Nothing really happens in the Gerudo Desert either
@@Zeldarulah gerudo is ganadorf roots. They're badass lol. And kakariko was less active and the well was tainted by that black cluster of death thing lol.
@@Zeldarulah Kakariko is the last refuge of the survivors who escaped Hyrule Market. It's only really safe because Sheik was (probably) protecting it. As for Gerudo Valley, it's already a desert, so there's not much land to destroy. As for the people, they're Gerudo, so they're simply built different.
And the Biggoron Sword is completely obtainable before even starting the Forest Temple. When I replay this game, I usually grab it right after getting adult Link and then Epona just to make life easier.
"And these are all of the dungeons." I absolutely lost my shit at that
I remember the game as a child. My uncle played it and I watched. He stopped one night right before placing the spiritual stones and I was kept up that night wondering what came next, it drove me crazy as a kid!
Another time was right as he got to Phantom Ganon. I was already up past my bedtime watching and we received a call that my great grandmother's house was on fire. Turns out someone saw the chimney smoke and reported that...thanks, guy, for interrupting such a cool boss fight!
"Very unlike the Ocarina of Time, we kinda can't go back. We don't get to go back seven years--or in this case twenty--we just keep on going. I hurt my back while trying to lie on my side...that's what getting older is like--we all have that to look forward to."
--Vinny
47:28 The Goron sword quest isn't beatable just before the water temple. All you have to have done is got the Hookshot from Dampe, Epona from Lon Lon Ranch, & the blue fire from the Ice Cavern.
As linear as Ocarina is, it's open enough that you can do all these things before entering any of the adult temples.
The hookshot is the only thing you really need. Even then getting epona will only cost you 50 rupees; the taller fences will net you 5 rupees each, refunding the 10 you paid Ingo to ride his horses. Thanks to master mode, I learned you could light deku sticks and ignite bomb flowers with them - though that makes sense in hindsight - so when you reach goron city, you only need to open darminia's room to open the shortcut to lost woods early--no bomb bag or goron bracelet needed. You have just enough time to roll as fast as possible before the deku stick burns out to reach the blocked path and light the bomb flowers.
As soon as you become an adult--after getting the hookshot--you can complete the fire temple (it never requires arrows), complete the gerudo fortress (only need epona and hookshot) along with the piece of heart, open the water temple, or complete the ice cavern. As soon as you beat the forest temple and return to the temple of time, the bottom of the well is an immediate option upon your return as a child. You only need the long shot and lens of truth (no hover boots required or hammer) to cross the desert. The bow and arrows open up the ghost hunting and obtaining the (usually) final bottle in the game--Which incidently helps you at the archery that also opened up at gerudo. Oh yeah you can complete that biggoron sword questline so long as you had epona and blue fire, like you said. What I like too that regardless of your progression, sheik will teach you the songs necessary and if I'm going to get the blue flames anyway, might as well complete the ice cavern anyway. The song will be a shortcut for awhile to gerudo valley and fortress.
Kind of crazy.
Probably almost two years late, but for the record, you can just _buy_ the blue fire. It requires the Giant's Wallet because it's 300 rupees, but you can get the Biggoron's Sword without setting foot in any adult dungeon at all, Ice Cavern included.
@@jemolk8945 Can't you only buy it in Zora's Domain, where you'd need to thaw out the shop first (with blue fire from the Ice Cavern)?
@@bluess1508 You buy it from the potion shop, which is in Castle Town as a child and Kakariko as an adult.
@@jemolk8945 Ah, forgot the Potion Shop sold it. I only remembered the shop in Zora's Domain.
your channel is a gem who seriously deserves more recognition, you have intised me to try to seek out games such as PIKMIN and Sonic Riders. Your videos are amazing documentaries that I love to watch.
I was 10 when I played Ocarina of Time. It was the first game that made me go all day long without eating. I didn't want to stop playing...the music, the graphics, the story were absolutely perfect. I can still play today and get those feelings back.
The move into 3D made it feel more than a game. And it blew all of our minds back then with talks of secrets to find and heart peice locations.
Nintendo knocked it out of the park considering this was their first attempt as u said into 3D.
Consider yourself lucky if Ocarina was your first 3d zelda.
I think it's a millennial thing why it's so big. However being a gen Xer I fell in love at part 1 mostly because of the memories it provides of lost family and friends and days past when things made sense. Now everytime I play an entry it still relives those memories that give our lives meaning and give us a reason to exist in this world. The game does show you that it can aid you in reliving a lost memory and time it says so right in the screen....PRESS START
The feeling of getting a game you know you're going to love... and you do, you do....
this video made me so emotional for some reason. I'm not even an adult and don't have that big of an emotional attachment to this game, but i of course do have attachment to it on some level. Something about having the message of this game explained to me just... makes me cry lol. this video made me realize how much i absolutely adore this game with my entire heart.
I just beat Ocarina of Time for the first time ever a month away from my 30th birthday, and I found this video a delightful capstone to the experience. It's amazing how well it holds up after all this time. Thank you for giving voice to how I felt playing it very, very late!
Fun fact: the title theme was actually based on the warp flute sound from super mario bros 3! Also I still think the flames around the logo are still such a cool effect for the time.
The SMB3 warp flute is based off of the Zelda 1 warp flute
@@lupinthethird5784 Yep, and it was also vital in making the Digdogger boss vulnerable so that he could be killed. As explained in the game manual, he "hates noise" ; )
@@lupinthethird5784 Beat me to the punch
You talked about that part where people where inspired to play music because of Ocornia of Times freedom with its music mechanics and it struck a chord with me. When I was young I was trying to remember how to play eponas song and accidentally got the notes wrong but found a tune that I really liked. I had a little guitar because my grandfather gave it to me. He was an amazing guitarist and was trying to teach someone in the family the talent so he could pass it on but he couldn't get anyone to strum. I memorized that tune and tried hard to reincorporate it on the guitar but I didnt know how, so I went to him and asked him to teach me. To this day I'm the only person in the family he was able to pass down this talent too, and I play consistently to this day. I just had to stand up on a stage and play a song at his funural a few weeks ago. I forgot what pushed me to even want to learn until you unlocked that memory for me, thank you.
39:58
I played this game religiously and I still didn't know about this skip. I love this game and the fact that I'm still learning new things about it to this day is incredible.
Bro same here, gonna use that in my next playthrough
@RajunCajun34 I think it more has to do with the fun factor to me, I'd rather try and get it the unintended way than the intended one. Doesn't hurt that I despise the fishing hole in this game. It's not hard it's just... really, really boring
I was born in 2003 and I played this game on the 3DS, me and my brother shared the game cartridge and together we would play together and take turns, my dad played the original on the n64 so we played with him to and he had the nostalgia even then. I was about 8 or 9 and I haven’t played it for about 7-8 years and this video really brought to perspective how much it affected us both and I wanted to thank you for letting me relive that. I didn’t understand the entire meaning of the game but it affected us both, and now it really puts into perspective how important it was to our childhood. This video made me tear up so much because now being in highschool and trying to figure out what I’m doing and yea it really hit home. Thank you for letting me revisit this game
From a Muslim perspective: I agree that the chanting added a greater depth to the atmosphere of the Fire Temple, but in my opinion a better solution would have been to replace the chants with some more generic vocals or an instrumentation with a similar timbre. I don't think Koji Kondo meant any offense with his use of the chants, and I remember reading that they were actually part of a sound library he used in the making of the soundtrack which makes sense, but to be honest the context of having religious chanting in the volcano fire hell dungeon of all places doesn't feel great to me. I agree that the replacement track isn't as good as the original, but I think they made the right call in altering the original track.
Just wanted to comment on this before I continued the video, but great work as always man. Love your videos.
Thanks for the perspective on this!
I heard a theory by gaijin goomba about the chant. he makes the point that if other music is played during that chant, then an ifrit appears. volvagia is that ifrit, so the chant helps connect the dungeon and the final boss together thematically. so what was meant to be a sign of cultural knowlege/respect is now being taken as potentially offensive.
I think that's a fair reply, Shamii, I do believe the chant was the best music track for the dungeon in regards to how it sounded, but using the track from any religion in a dungeon is sketchy. As a Christian, similar monk-style motifs were used in the Temple of Time and that didn't offend me but I also understand they were more vague and the Temple of Time was more angelic in nature. I would say I never saw the Fire Temple as "hellish" or evil, more "elemental" is how I would describe it. Ultimately I wish they found a better chant - but still a chant.
@@mattblom3990 i mean halo used christian choirs as the voice of the prophets, do you have a problem with that? like organized religion has been proven time and time again to be a load of poppy cock and treating it as above criticism or deconstruction doesnt have a good track record
@@mr.orangeaide5260 I don't personally have a problem with it but I barely notice. We're talking religious tropes in games and mostly I don't notice them unless it's a post like Shamii's.
Thank you so much for this one Liam. Ocarina of Time has ALWAYS been my favourite Zelda game, and I think it is in large part thanks to my mom. She was never a gamer herself, but she loved the puzzle solving and world building of Zelda, and for the two weekends per month I spent at her place as a kid, I got to explore the land of Hyrule and its people. My relationship with my mom has always been close, but in recent years she's started declining. She is now in hospital with Stage 4 COPD, and I frankly don't know how long we have left. So when Sheik says "the flow of time is always cruel," that hits me deep in the core of my being. Soon, memories of younger years may be all I have left of my mom, but within that there's a certain peace and freedom. No one can get off the river of time - only ride it to where it wants to take us and cherish each moment. As sad as I am that my younger years with my mom are but a memory, I am also finding myself feeling grateful that they happened at all. And I think there's an element of THAT in Ocarina of Time too. Of cherishing every moment and being grateful for them.
This game really grew up with a lot of us, and I'm so grateful to have been 10 when this gem came out. Thanks again for this video, friend.
I'm not a guy who crys a lot, but man you made me tear up! Although I am only 16, I remember listening to the music of OoT way before I played the game when I was little, and when I finally did, all those songs were put into perspective for me. Your video further put the meaning of the game into perspective for me, and I just want to thank you for that. I can still say that this is my 2nd favorite game ever, second only to Dark Souls 1, but the story and meaning of OoT doesn't even come close to any other game.
I was seven years old the first time ai played Ocarina of Time shortly after it came out. I would play it for hours every day. My greatest feeling of nostalgia is remembering a warm spring day when my mom would open the doors in the house to let in fresh air and light and I would play Zelda, take a break to play outside, then come back to play some more! This was almost my daily reality in the summers for much of my childhood!
Ocarina of Time was a formative game for me and The Legend of Zelda as a whole continues to this day to influence who I am as a person. I heavily identify with Link and Hyrule in many ways feels like home.
I have nothing but love for Ocarina of Time, even if it did give me as many nightmares as it gave dreams of adventure. Hearing you read the words of the other fans nearly brought me to tears.
The N64 will live on forever in the hearts and minds of all who grew up playing this masterpiece. Still the best game ever crafted.
My time with this game is one of the things that are closest to my heart in all the world, and this video moved me to tears! Thank you!
Very minute note: OoT had the Fairy Bow, not the Hero's Bow, that was MM.
Ya mm also had the fairy sword
Thank you, this was a great video. Made me nostalgic for Nintendo, grade school and the 90s. My mind kept thinking of all the great memories of orcarina of time. I remember being so amazed by the beauty 3D world of Hyrule, many countless hours spent all across the lands of Hyrule. Rumors of secret dungeons in the desert (my friends older brother told me that there's a pyramid in the desert and you had to get lost in the right spot to find it). Far to many memories are dragged up when I hear the music from the game, or see footage or screen shots of it. I will never forget all the great time i had with my childhood friends with this game. To my friend Stan who didn't get to grow up, I shed a tear everytime I play it. To him RIP dude I'll see you when it's my game over.
This is a fantastic video Liam. Thank you so much for this. Thanks to your hard work, I was able to escape to my childhood again for a little while.
Shiek’s Theme is one of my all-time favorite video game tracks. Makes me cry just hearing it. Thank you Zelda.
Masterfully done, sir! Great service for the greatest game of all time! I was in high school when this game came out and I remember the hype. Now that I am much older, I appreciate the retrospective even more than ever. Thank you for presenting this precious gift with such care and precision. This hit me right in the childhoods. Subscribed!
That was beautifully done. The epilogue was really introspective and put so well into words, what many of us have felt but never put a description to from this game and its nostalgic effects. Bravo 👏
"Swimmingly"
*shows footage of link swimming*
One thing i really liked about OOT was that it introduced the world of hyrules different races or groups and gave a little backstory to them.
The gerudos, gorons, zoras, kokiri etc.
I know they had instances of these groups in the first 4 zelda games but this time they were shown to be interconnected with each other in hyrule
I think that aspect made hyrule feel like more of a real synergetic world that depended on cooperation of the species
It was 2004, i'd guess. I just moved from Venezuela back to Colombia in order to flee the persuit of my dad, as he was one of the main opposition voters of the city. There I was, in a town I bearly knew, in a school where i was bullied even for my accent or my handwritting. Then, summer came and my dad took me to the city center: A long pasage of informal stores, where i could have one cartridge of the old N64 my cousin gave to me. I tried Mario Kart, but didn't like. Then, i changed it by this rare looking Zelda cartridge. At home, I booted on my N64 and It already had an advanced playthrough, so I, accidently, erased it. I started a new playthrough and couldnt pass through gohma. New school, some older brother of a new friend told me how to beat her, so I did it.
I discovered hyrule but then, my parents got divorced, and it was... harmful, for put it into words. I seek in Ocarina the universe where everything is gonna be Ok, where I can save everyone.
Getting into teenage was... Was like the shock of pulling out the master sword and getting out of the temple of time. The realization of an usless, irresponsably dad, on the reasons why, on how growing up and going to another school was at the time... Those were difficult times, again.
Now, Im finishing my undergraduate studies. I cant say ive overcome depression or anxiety, but when I look at the memories this game gave to me, the feelings and now, the message... I can only think kindly towards this game. I thank it gave me the objective to made me a better person, and to look for the well being of everyone I know.
Thank you for getting this Retrospective, it is really objective and I look forward to your other videos.
So sorry to hear all that.
Well. Look on the bright side, at least you're not in Venezuela anymore.
@@JZStudiosonline As it is right now... it was a blessing in disguise.
Wow. What a story. Prayers for you and your home country as well. 🙏
I'm glad you brought up Arins point of view on the game.
It's often used and quoted by the contrarian crowd who have not even played the game.
It's not my favorite game of all time, not my favorite Zelda, hell not even my favorite Zelda on the N64, but as you said in your conclusion, it changed lives more than the players, it started an era of games trying to copy it.
Every old developing technique used by oot was used one way or another by the growing industry, just because the industry outgrew oot doesn't mean it's not THE video game.
It deserves the spot of greatest game of all time, because time itself is what the game is about. People completely missed the point that time doesn't stop and isn't kind to anyone, just how time wasn't great for oot.
It's weird how they can fit a game like this in under 64 megabytes, which was the cartridge limit.
OoT's cartridge was 32 megabyte as is MM's. There are only a few cartridge's there were 64MB and it wasn't till after OoT that the 64MB cart was available.
Thank you for this video. I didn’t grow up with OOT so this answered a ton of questions I had about its legacy and why we still talk about so much.
Man, I need to go back and play it again. I haven't played it for almost five years now, and now that I'm an adult I'll really be looking for those themes you pointed out. Thanks for a great video essay :)
"Koizumi named her Navi respecting the simple yet meaningful naming traditions of the Zelda series."
That certainly explains Sahahrhsahrhsahahrla from a Link to the Past.
Been watching your channel grow for nearly half a year. There’s something to be said about the depth of perception you have analyzing video games and the community around them. The ideology behind the game makes it more than what many perceive video games to be. Rather than distractions from the real world they are reincarnations of lessons and stories. Keep making videos Liam. I’ll always return to listen to what you have to say. Thank you.
Ever since I grown up, I tear up after beating Ocarina of Time (and even more when beating Majora's Mask).
For some reason, the ending credits are the biggest nostalgia punch of the hole game for me. It's not like the ending is nostalgic, in reality there are plenty of moments in the game that is more nostalgic, but the feeling of beating the game brings me an odd glance of my childhood and the certainty that it's never coming back. This is the feeling that makes me cry like a baby, and hearing the experience of the game by other people in the end of this video, made me cry just like that. It is like all we Zelda fans have a strong connection, even tho we don't know each other.
I’d love to know why I get that comfort feeling from OoT and MM...every time I hear the music or pick it up again, I’m instantly transported back to my 8 year old self, fully enveloped in that world. Still can’t believe it’s been a little over 20 years since I first played them.
Discovering how to get the two Zora River heart pieces without the beans or having someone tell me was SO immensely satisfying!! Proud of figuring out the Dodongo Cavern fence jump as well. :D And accidentally completing the Fire before the Forest temple on my first playthrough lol! Ahhhh, nostalgia...
A thing that does not change with time is a memory of younger days...
i’m only 18 and first played this beautiful game back when i was 11 years old on the 3ds. during this time my family was probably at its worst and was falling apart. when my parents argued, or if i was stressed out from school, i just plugged my headphones into my 3ds and continued to complete my journey. back then the game to me was something completely new as i had never played a zelda game before, but every time i booted the game up my problems would simply fade away, and i mean that. the world of OoTs hyrule was so immersive i felt like i was really Link himself helping these people and when solving a tough puzzle, the jingle for finally completing it was like the game saying “i’m proud of you”. looking back i needed this game at that point in my life and for as long as i live i’ll never forget it. it is undoubtedly my favorite game of all time. thank you zelda.
I saw egoraptor's video about Ocarina of time many years ago. I was almost convinced for some time but after playing both games again (he compared Ocarina of time to A Link to the past) I watched his video once more and it looked much worse. I think that he was looking at the game with the wrong context, and with a very arbitrary focus. He looked at some things and not at others for unknown reasons, just because. His point was heavily biased.
All of us may be biased but some people make an effort to jump out of that juice. His efforts kept very short.
Ocarina of time is not perfect but for the standards of that time it was pretty amazing.
I've been playing retro games that I was never able to as a kid, and I can definitively say I found OoT infinitely more enjoyable than ALTTP, despite the top down 2D style being my favorite genre of games. OoT is just brilliant and tons of fun.
rule #1 of knowing anything about video games: never listen to arin hanson
Egoraptor sucks? who would thunk
Tbh I think his points in that video are mostly correct, but he judges too harshly. The switch to 3D that everyone was doing was pulled off well only a handful of times. For every time it was done well, there were 100 examples of it being ugly, clunky, and awkward. Taking this into consideration, it stands to reason that even a game like OoT wouldn't be perfect. In addition, every game dev at the time was trying to take advantage of the jump in tech; this led to all the waiting Egoraptor complained about for doors and chests opening, and all the other little mini-cutscenes.
What he forgets is that we're looking at it in hindsight, with the knowledge of 2 decades of game and tech development, thus it looks outdated at parts. But at the time, it was a marvel of game design and pioneered a ton of stuff in addition to being a fun and memorable experience, even if it was frustrating at times. It stood out in an age of growing pains and experimentation in gaming, and accomplishing that is way more impressive than making a "perfect" game in an age when the standard for perfection is doing what everyone else has already seen.
@@echobase6372 Just finished his video, most of it seemed like silly nitpicking or personal preference to me. Like I don't really get the deal with the waiting, it was annoying at some parts but I never found the chest opening build up sequence annoying or anything, I always liked the dramatic tension of the reveal. His need to have everything instantaneously available seemed pretty arbitrary to me, and arbitrary is how I'd describe a lot of his complaints tbh. There were, however, some very well reasoned complaints mixed in there, it's not like he was totally unfair or anything. It's just that a lot of what bothered him I didn't even notice or care about when I played it.
I have not played this game once. The only times I've seen gameplay of this particular Zelda game is through RUclips videos. But my God, this video made my face soaked in tears from the message it gave... And now as I sit here, face still wet, I'll tell you why.
My computer I had bought last year, had unfortunately bit the dust today. I was extrmely upset and crying when I realized what happened. All of my art pieces, stories, and specific screenshots of events that'll never happen again. All of that is gone, never to be seen again.
My dad does plan on getting me a new laptop next month... But, now I realize, that it just means I get to do that all over again. The memories, the stories, the art... It can all happen again on a new, blank slate of a laptop.
The aching in my heart is now less painful of what I'll miss, and more bittersweet in realization that those moments aren't truely lost. They'll just be done again, in a slightly different way...
It doesn't matter who, or what, you are... Time will take all. Time makes no exceptions for anyone, or anything. Thank you so much for this video.
I didn't even realize this game was so old, it was just my favorite game on the Zelda collectors addition that came with my GameCube.
Thanks for this! I was searching for a video to send to my friend, because I was trying to explain to her how much I love all the details of OOT and I don't think she's ever played a Zelda game. This video does such a great job of summarizing the aspects of the game, and explaining the story in a way that someone who hasn't played it can get a feel for why it's so impactful. Plus it does it in a fairly short time, while still having so many details.
OOT is one of those games that is just as fascinating to watch someone else play, as it is to play yourself. I spent countless hours watching my older brothers play, and still feeling that emotional attachment. As a kid, I never got to the Forest Temple, but I'd play the first three dungeons over and over again. Then I'd beg my brothers to let me play on one of their saves so I could swim in Lake Hylia or ride around on Epona. It definitely lit that spark of exploration in me.
Plus music is such a crucial part of my life, I still use these songs for ringtones, or while studying and writing. They evoke such strong feelings, and do a fantastic job at condensing what that environment would sound like as a song. 🥰 As much as new mechanics make games easier or solve issues, I still come back to this one over and over again.
That music takes me back to my early teens. Oh, how I miss those years!
I never played OoT when I was younger but I finally got to play and beat it during the lockdown with my roommate acting as my guide through out my adventure. Once I finally beat the game and got sent back to the title screen I was hit with such a massive wave of nostalgia that it nearly hurt, I’ve wasn’t nostalgic for the game I had just beaten but for my childhood, of not worrying about bills, a job, or the current state of the world. As a kid I used to listen to a lot of OoT’s music even without having played the game (A testament to how timeless and iconic the soundtrack now is) and now Lost woods never fails to ease and relax me after a stressful day. OoT truly is a timeless masterpiece that conveys its messages of the passing of time masterfully and its now one of my favorite games of all time
Do you maybe think that a reason for Majora's Mask being so dark is because of Link looking for Navi at the beginning, or to put it another way, Link is in an adult world with his main goal to find childlike nostalgia which in turn makes everything become more scary, deep and confusing. If this is the case then maybe Majora's Mask is a continuation of Ocarina of Time's story meaning but this time to show what to much reflection can do if you don't pay attention to the present.
I mean, he was a child in an adult world in oot, but he is more of an adult in an adultworld in majoras mask. Zelda wanted him to get his seven years back, but he ends up spending the time being just a dude on the journey that is life instead. He looks for a friend for days, then decides to be a hero again when he stumbles across a random problem, then appearently gives up on finding his friend and then coming back to hyrule to marry and become a knight.
I was thinking about this too. You are probably correct.
Hm, I agree to a point but I come to a different conclusion. In my mind, OoT is about Link learning how to become an adult. The one thing he never has to do however, is learn how to process loss. Majora's Mask is just an extension of OoT's theme of "growing up", except it's the final stage of growing up: learning how too accept loss.
Excellent analysis!
It's an interesting thought, but I don't think it holds up. Part of growing up is having to work to maintain friendships - at school, you stay with the same peer group for years; in adult life, each of you moves in different directions at different times and you need to make making time for your friends a priority otherwise you drift apart and lose touch.
And, as has been thoroughly discussed by others, elsewhere, the game does fit well with the Kubler-Ross model of grief - which the games narrative (such as it is) would point toward Link's loss of his companion, Navi.
Wish I could forget this game. This was literally the first game I ever played, and I think as a result other games have struggled to deliver the same feeling this game gave me. Now, after 20 years, and at least twice as many playthroughs, I still love this game. I only wish I could experience the magic it once had that has since faded as I've grown older. Zelda will forever be my favorite game franchise, and replayimg them has become a sort of tradition for me. These games are like comfort food for the soul, and give me the strength to keep going by providing a brief glimpse back to my childhood.