Ocarina of Time Losing Its Popularity and Past Its Prime?

[Destiny]

As we all are very well aware of, Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time was one of the greatest games of all time.

Lately, Majora’s Mask has come to step out of the shadows, and reclaim a position people think it should have had a very long time ago. That in other people’s opinions and perspectives it was second only to Ocarina of Time, If not better. People are less and less focusing on the main point that Ocarina of Time was one of the first and most prominent game in the Zelda Franchise, and more on the actual aspects of the game, which brings me to the question, Is Ocarina of Time finally past it’s golden age, and is Majora‘s Mask ready to surpass it?

Many Ocarina of Time lovers are bias, simply because of the fact it was either the first game they played or the first 3D Zelda. It seems that in the deep analysis fans have today, Ocarina of Time is getting less popular, and different Zelda games are getting more appreciated for their ingenuity and story lines.

Was Ocarina of Time only so popular because it was the only one of it’s kind? If we look closely at Majora’s Mask, it had an extremely dark and creepy feel, and an amazing story. Much similar to the things that made Ocarina of Time so great. Sure, Majora’s Mask was a bit of a smaller game, but it brought many new things to the table. While Ocarina of Time had an abundance of Dungeons and little Side Questing, Majora’s Mask had little Dungeons but many more Side Quests. Both games also have memorable Characters, but people seem to remember the ones from Majora’s Mask, simply because the side quests, and the feelings of impeding doom brought you so close to them.

So, Was Ocarina of Time rightly placed on the Leader board for so many years? Or is it simply a matter of the masses, and opinions.

It could also be the Ocarina of Time is past it's golden age it is held for so long, it's popularity is finally waning.

So what are your thoughts or Opinions?

EDIT: No, I am not basing it soley on the fact it is MM Month. I seem to have been noticing, not just this month, Ocarina of Time is starting to fall a bit behind.

 

[Abbs]

I think Ocarina of Time will forever remain as one of the best, or at least most influential, game of it's time. But in all honesty, despite Ocarina of Time being a great game, I think other Zelda titles should get their share of the lime light as well. It's been too dictating over the realm of games for so long, particularly in Nintendo's dimension, that seeing Majora's Mask or any other deserving game gain some much needed popularity is rather refreshing. I wouldn't say that Ocarina of Time is losing any of it's loving fans, just other games are becoming more noticed. They've been shoved to the side for far too long, and it's their time to get the attention they rightly deserve.

 

[Hylian Knight]

I have to when I first play all way through OoT I picked out certain story aspects at age of 9 such Shiek being Zelda. MM was better from the start the story was at times slightly unpredictable, just about everyone at the start that Tatl was Navi I did until I looked closely at the color of Tatl plus I Think MM had better BGm's than OoT and that's one the reasons i play Video Games in general.

 

[Ver-go-a-go-go]

What's the basis for the statistics that OoT is losing its popularity? Not only was it voted Best. Game. Ever. the past year, but its remake (or reimagining as some have called it) is currently one of the most anticipated titles for the even more anticipated 3DS system. It's mentioned numerous times in MANY top 10 lists still made by people today, and still ranked among the absolute highest on Game Rankings (standing with the lofty Super Mario Galaxy titles). I'm not even pressing my own opinion of the game here; this is just how it is. If you're judging that OoT is losing its popularity just by what you've seen in the Zelda online community, yeah, I could understand that. But it's but a small percentage in not only the entire gaming internet community, but of the entire gaming fanbase throughout the world.

Personally, I DO think MM is right up there will OoT. But we have to accept the fact that it's just like FFVII in the way that it's STILL going to be high up there for a very long time. Your predictions may come true in the future, but I think MM will go down right along with it, as people's memories are replaced with the likes of WW, TP, and SS.

 

[Kybyrian]

Majora's Mask has and always will be a close second to Ocarina of Time. In my opinion I don't see Ocarina of Time as losing its popularity at all. Perhaps you are gathering this opinion from the mass of Majora's Mask updates at the site and the various topics focused around Majora's Mask? If so, that's because our main focus during October was Majora's Mask and updates on that, which in turn encouraged forum posts about Majora's Mask. I don't know if this is all you are gathering your evidence from - probably not - but I figured I should mention it anyway.

Both Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask were wonderful games. Sometimes I find myself wondering that if Majora's Mask had come before Ocarina of Time(though it wouldn't have been the same game at all, so really impossible to think of) then it may have been known as the most critically acclaimed game of all time as Ocarina of Time is now. I personally enjoy Ocarina of Time more than Majora's Mask. Ocarina of Time just seems to really grab me and keep me playing. Not to mention the countless replays. Majora's Mask, for some reason, just doesn't have that quality. Perhaps it's just the little things in Ocarina of Time that appeal to me, such as the simple overworld and overall design of the game.

Majora's Mask was a lot more complex in many ways than Ocarina of Time was. Majora's Mask had the time limit, which was a new and great addition, but it may have been one of the reasons that people didn't enjoy it as much. It was cool and all... but it felt like it wasn't really a part of the story. It just seemed that you were playing the reverse song of time and then the song of time every few hours and that was it. It never gave you that feeling of impending danger as it should have. The only real time it factored in was when you spoke to people on that final day, but even that wasn't the best way to do it. I guess it couldn't have been done too much better than it was, but it just didn't feel like a real part of the game.

Many other aspects of Majora's Mask were excellent, such as the dungeons that it did have and the sidequests and the great characters. The story wasn't too much, however. I suppose it was good, but with Majora's Mask being a game with so much details in sidequests, you kind of got lost between the main story and what was over to the side. That's pretty much one of the only faults of having a variety of in-depth sidequests. They aren't separated clearly enough... they mix together and seemingly dull things down somehow if you think about it. Otherwise, Majora's Mask was a pretty great game. Ocarina of Time may just have the upper hand over a pure nostalgia factor, but there's nothing we can do about that. I do think there's just that little something in the game that makes it so much better than the rest, however.

 

[Flagpole]

Interesting thoughts you are commenting on here, though I strongly think ocarina of Time is still in it's golden age, and I already can predict a little of it's future.

Ocarina of Time, since it's launching in the videogame world, has been one of the most high-rated games in the videogaming history, being treated as a really epic game, an adventure, a legend of a game, the game in which Zelda reached it's highest peek. Not only have we seen hundreds of reviews calling it the best game ever right in 1998, but also in actuality, which kind of proves Ocarina of Time doesn't have a bad reputation even after 12 years of it's release.

Most people that calls Ocarina of Time as the greatest Zelda and as the greatest game ever is the people who have only played one or two Zeldas, with a probably maximum of three, and people who's first game is Ocarina of Time. This fact is obvious as we can see people who only played a few Zeldas call this game the best ever, but people who played four or five Zeldas or more, like in this forum, we can see people disagreeing with these opinions, as they know the Zelda franchise much more than young gamers who give tens to Ocarina of Time and endlessly calls it 'epic', or 'the best game EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'.

Basing on what I've just said, we can see people in Zelda forums (that is, people who have played a lot of Zelda games), tend to have as their favorite Zelda another Zelda game like Majora Mask, which is the case of this forum. In fact, a lot of people in this forum likes Majora Mask a lot better than Ocarina of Time, by a bunch of reasons, like it's deeper story, complex characters and a lot of epic side-quests.

Ocarina of Time is only losing it's golden age in here, from what I know, but I predict that, in the future, Majora Mask will probably be the overrated game and Ocarina of Time it's underrated brother, simply because Majora Mask is winning space in people's opinions as for the games they consider epic, something we can see not only in this forum but in a lot of other places.

To simply answer your question, Ocarina of Time will remain in it's golden age fr a long time, but some other over-looked games, like Majora Mask, will start to win territory, and have better positions than ocarina of Time.

 

[VembersWind]

well, a game going down in popularity as time goes on is only natural(chrono trigger). true, there are timeless classics that will live on in people's hearts forever(chrono trigger ), but it's overall popularity will go down because it's not being introduced to a newer crowd (that might change with OoT 3DS though.) i think that OoT has maintained it's popularity but it just seems less popular because of so many noob little 9 year olds who think nintendo is for babies and MW2 is so "hardcore" as for past it's prime, i don't think so to this day, people love to play through it and still love it just as much. as i said, i don't think OoT is losing it's popularity, just quietly maintaining it. also, MM has really only gotten more popular among the zelda crowd, not the gaming industry as a whole. but can anyone tell me why MM has gotten more popular? i've looked and looked and i just can't find the reason. (i'm not a particular fan of MM so i really wouldn't know)

 

[Majora's Cat]

Before I say anything, Destiny... this seems awfully similar to the article I'm doing for MM month for ZD earlier today. I'm pretty sure that's where you got the idea from because that's essentially what I was saying - except I was focusing more on Majora's Mask rather than Ocarina of Time.

Like I said in my article, Majora's Mask is gaining popularity and seems to barely zip by OoT in some polls. It's becoming increasingly apparent that Ocarina of Time is becoming a bit worn out - MM's newfound popularity may also be due to its recent Virtual Console re-release. This must have sparked interest in old fans who rekindle their relationship with the classic N64 game.

P.S. those who do not have access to the Shoutbox or the Restricted section will not be able to view the hyperlink.

 

[Ver-go-a-go-go]

Like I said in my article, Majora's Mask is gaining popularity and seems to barely zip by OoT in some polls. It's becoming increasingly apparent that Ocarina of Time is becoming a bit worn out - MM's newfound popularity may also be due to its recent Virtual Console re-release. This must have sparked interest in old fans who rekindle their relationship with the classic N64 game.

Or it could just be that we're smack dab in the middle of celebrating MMs anniversary, with November christened "Majora's Mask Month". I don't think that MM has gone through some revolution in the past two months; that seems illogical to assume that. I think the online Zelda community is just excited to celebrate a milestone in the Zelda series with MM's 10 years; nothing more, nothing less. I expect things to be the exact same a month or two from now, and for the same thing to happen when WW's 10th anniversary rolls around if the community does the same thing it did for MM.

 

[Destiny]

Before I say anything, Destiny... this seems awfully similar to the article I'm doing for MM month for ZD earlier today. I'm pretty sure that's where you got the idea from because that's essentially what I was saying - except I was focusing more on Majora's Mask rather than Ocarina of Time.

Like I said in my article, Majora's Mask is gaining popularity and seems to barely zip by OoT in some polls. It's becoming increasingly apparent that Ocarina of Time is becoming a bit worn out - MM's newfound popularity may also be due to its recent Virtual Console re-release. This must have sparked interest in old fans who rekindle their relationship with the classic N64 game.

P.S. those who do not have access to the Shoutbox or the Restricted section will not be able to view the hyperlink.

I agree it is Similar, but I had been planning to post something about this before, your article did spike my interest in posting the thread, but I didn't get the initional idea from it. Sorry though.

 

[thelastsheikah]

I think some people say it is the greatest and their favorite (zelda)game of all time just because that is what most people say. I agree with ya'll that people will say that just because thats one of the only zeldas they haved played. When you here people talk in public about zelda they will almost always only mention OOT unless they are asking what one of the other games was like. I admit that I do that, but thats just becuse when I talk about MM or one of the others they either don't know what I'm talking about or they didn't like the game so they never finished. Yeah real Zelda gamers will talk a lot about OOT in public because that is what most people are familiar with, but when we get home we will reach for another zelda title more often. Or atleast I know I will. OOT will probably always be a top game to people outside the zelda comunity, but to us who have experienced all or most of the other Zeldas it will be neck to neck or come second to some of the others. I seriously hope that MM will get the recognition it deserves outside the Zelda community and come out of OOT's huge shadow that its been in for so long. Lol, maybe someday we'll get to play as masked Skull Kid or Vaati in Super Smash Bros.

 

[dumb180]

Until I started playing it recently, I hadn't played OoT in around five years. Honestly, I think this game is still very enjoyable. You can never regain that magical first time of playing a good video game, but OoT is always really fun to experience again.

Both games explore similar themes. In OoT, we get to look at the differences that seven years make. In MM, we explore all possible changes we could make with a time machine over the course of three days. Both are pretty interesting. Is one theme better than the other? That's opinionated, and my opinion says no.

MM is a dark story in the sense that Termina is a land filled with despondence, and also that the moon will exterminate all life within three days. OoT is dark in the sense that the land is being ruled by an Evil King who exterminates any race that might rebel. Imagine how scary living under a despot like Ganondorf would be. While MM's story is certainly told with more depth, I don't believe OoT's is less interesting.

The biggest thing that OoT has going for it is the replay value. Conquering dungeons is an activity that could be enjoyable time and time again. Sidequests, on the other hand, are only fun for perhaps one, two, or three times. Fortunately, MM has so many sidequests that your first time will keep you going for a while.

MM may be sneaking up on OoT in popularity; I don't know. To be honest though, I don't prefer one game to another. They're both what I like to think of as "Zelda done right".

 

[Hierarch7]

The game absolutely deserves the top, being the first 3D, and definatly not past its prime, just its time. Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask are extremely old games technology wise and age wise in gaming, however they definatly havent lost their petina or nostalgia, they are legends and classics, and any true zelda lover will eventually go back to the roots and find themselves at Oot and MM.

:triforce: The Seventh Hierarch :triforce:

 

[RedLink]

First of all, hi, I'm new. Second, I think with OoT sadly must be losing at least a bit of it's fame. Think about it, when Ocarina of Time is fairly straightforward, however, you get to start playing Majora's Mask, it gets more complicated. Most kids, when OoT was released, finished it, and then bought MM when it came out. It was fairly more complicated, and some may not have finished it. Now, they'd be grown up, and would understand it and try to over come past hurdles, and when they complete, find it's a good game, and the rest is pretty much history.

 

[KokiriShroom]

I think OoT is losing some of it's popularity. But for me, and many other OoT fanboys, it will always be the best game ever made (and yes I'm a huge OoT fanboy).