Home > Reviews > Gamecube > #381

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Master Quest) Review - Gamecube

Gather the power of the seven sages and seal Ganondorf in the dark world forever.

Recently this reviewer spent a few restless nights with a trusty friend battling through the evil dungeons and temples of the Masters Quest of one of the best games ever, the Ocarina of Time to bring you an in-depth review. You all know the storyline, and you all know how excellent the game is, but are you ready for the Masters Quest? Or should the Ocarina of Time remain as a best-selling game of 1999?

Gameplay

The storyline is identical to the original game. Link wakes up in his bed with his newly found fairy, Navi. They then start the epic journey to save Hyrule from the evil Ganon. Throughout their journey, they meet many characters such as Malon, the great Deku Tree, Saria, the lovable Epona, and of course Princess Zelda. All the characters in the game help to create one of the most intriguing storylines ever, and really separates this game from every other game on the N64. The Ocarina of Time is a musical instrument that you play to make certain things happen in the game. You can use it to warp to different temples, and you can use it to cast different spells such as changing day to night, or creating meagre weather conditions. It's one of the most used items in your inventory, amongst an array of perfectly evened items in true Zelda style. The game is based on switching from when you're young to when you're older to work your way through the game and inevitably defeat Ganon from his stronghold where Hyrule Castle once stood. To get this far however, in the Masters Quest, you're going to have a very rough journey ahead of you.

Right from the Great Deku Tree, you'll notice that the dungeons are mapped out differently. The compass and map are sometimes in different locations, along with the main treasure. Anybody that's learnt their way through Ocarina of Time off by heart, forget everything you know in the temples and dungeons as it will just confuse you. Your bow and arrow skills will have to be more refined, along with your slingshot and boomerang skills if you want to get through quirky parts of the game. Also, some parts of the temples just seem ridiculous like a part in the Fire temple where you may spend hours working out something that some others may find straight away - but that's Zelda for you.

Meandering on how to play the game is not the main reason for this review, but just in case you've never played the Ocarina of Time, here's a quick run down. You must travel around the vast open lands of Hyrule in search of weapons, items, magic, fairies, costumes, masks, and a whole lot more to become as powerful as ... (continued next page)