The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a 1998 action-adventure game from Nintendo, released for the Nintendo 64. It marked the first time the series used 3D graphics. The game launched in Japan and North America in November 1998, with PAL regions receiving it the following month.

Development was handled by Nintendo’s Entertainment Analysis & Development division, with five directors including Eiji Aonuma and Yoshiaki Koizumi. Series co-creator Shigeru Miyamoto served as producer, and Kensuke Tanabe wrote the story. Koji Kondo, the series’ regular composer, created the soundtrack. Players control Link across Hyrule, traveling through time to stop the evil king Ganondorf by exploring dungeons and an overworld. The game introduced a target-lock system and context-sensitive buttons, features that later became standard in 3D adventure games. Link must play songs on an ocarina to advance.

Critics praised Ocarina of Time for its visuals, sound, gameplay, soundtrack, and writing. Many publications rank it among the greatest video games ever, and it holds the highest score on Metacritic and GameRankings. It sold over seven million copies worldwide and had three times more pre-orders than any other game in the US at the time. Nintendo has rereleased it on every home console and on the iQue Player in China. Some versions include Master Quest, an alternate mode with new puzzles and higher difficulty. A sequel, Majora’s Mask, came out for the Nintendo 64 in 2000. A 3DS remake, Ocarina of Time 3D, launched in 2011, and a second remake is planned for the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026.

Gameplay Ocarina of Time is a fantasy action-adventure game set in a three-dimensional world with a large environment. Most of the world uses real-time polygonal 3D, though some areas rely on pre-rendered backgrounds. The player controls Link from a third-person perspective. He primarily fights with a sword and shield but can also use projectiles, bombs, and magic spells. The control scheme introduced context-sensitive actions and a targeting system called Z-targeting, which lets Link focus on enemies or objects. When active, the camera follows the target and Link always faces it, with projectile attacks automatically aimed. Context-sensitive actions assign multiple tasks to one button, simplifying controls.