Is Ocarina of Time Really the Best-made Zelda Game?

[The Wanderer]

Before we go on, I should note that I am not taking one side or the other here, per se. While I do hold Ocarina of Time as the best-made Zelda game, it is not necessarily my favorite. Ocarina of Time may have fewer low-points than any other Zelda game to me, but other games may have high points that bring them to the front more.

My definition of the "best" Zelda game is the most brilliantly-made, the one with the fewest flaws and the smartest use of the series' components. My definition of the "favorite" Zelda game is simply the one that appeals to you most, even if you acknowledge it's not as smartly put together or less flawed than other Zelda games.

I'm not here to defend Ocarina of Time as the "best" Zelda game. The point of this thread is to see if it's still the standard in Zelda. It's said that each new Zelda installment is compared to Ocarina of Time to see if it surpasses it, but is this really true? Is Ocarina of Time still generally accepted as the "best" Zelda game, or have we been kidding ourselves for a long time?

 

[Ventus]

I really think we have been kidding ourselves for a long time. I mean, inb4 nostalgia stuff.

We all still compare the modern Zelda to OoT, all of us. Even those who claim the newest Zelda is the best, or even those who claim the newest Zelda is the worst...we consciously and subconsciously compare it to the game of legend. All that being said, I think there are or at least there will be newer Zelda games that have their components placed in the better order, in the better slots than OoT. I myself don't know what those games might be at this moment--aside from MM which I perceive to be at least on par with OoT--because I'm an OoT fanboy and will never stop loving it. The one Zelda game that I concretely hate, Skyward Sword, would in retrospect be a good contender I think.

The biggest problem I see is how do we determine if the game really is the best-made Zelda game. As far as I know, there is no golden rule or set of standards that are universally used, only what each fan perceives through their own eyes. We like to make claims to objectivity, but even those claims have roots in subjectivity. So yeah, I'll just go with "we;ve been kidding ourselve sfor a long time" for now.

 

[Linknerd09]

I'd say OoT is pretty awesome game. It had its awesome feature, items, characters, music, gameplay, etc. the story was really amazing and it's very great when completing it on your first try. The graphics were great and everything was amazing. The companions, Navi and Epona were helpful and amazing.

If there was a best made Zelda game in history, well, it would probably be in your own view. Your opinion on which Zelda game was the best game is for you to decide. No need others' opinion if you don't care. As long it's your best Zelda game ever made, then you have already answered your own question. Twilight Princess is my best Zelda game ever made. Don't need anyone opinion. It's my best Zelda game to me.

 

[Sydney]

I'd say OoT is pretty awesome game. It had its awesome feature, items, characters, music, gameplay, etc. the story was really amazing and it's very great when completing it on your first try. The graphics were great and everything was amazing. The companions, Navi and Epona were helpful and amazing.

If there was a best made Zelda game in history, well, it would probably be in your own view. Your opinion on which Zelda game was the best game is for you to decide. No need others' opinion if you don't care. As long it's your best Zelda game ever made, then you have already answered your own question. Twilight Princess is my best Zelda game ever made. Don't need anyone opinion. It's my best Zelda game to me.

What Miss Linknerd09 has said is correct, it's all based on one's own opinion. For me, I enjoyed Ocarina of Time to the fullest, and it's currently taking the seat for my favorite Zelda game to date. The true question of this thread should be, is there a "best" Zelda game ever made. The answers you receive will be heavily opinionated, some even bias, but it's all a matter of what your own favorite is, not what anyone else thinks. So, in general, Ocarina of Time is NOT the best Zelda game ever made, but to me it is (so far).

 

[Spirit]

My definition of the "best" Zelda game is the most brilliantly-made, the one with the fewest flaws and the smartest use of the series' components. My definition of the "favorite" Zelda game is simply the one that appeals to you most, even if you acknowledge it's not as smartly put together or less flawed than other Zelda games.

Using the above as a basis, I'd say Wind Waker beats out OoT in the aspects mentioned. I didn't find many flaws in Wind Waker (there is that annoying thing where i suddenly fall through the ocean but i think the fault lies somewhere else rather than the game itself, perhaps disc/console age). For me, WW had the deepest and most poignant story in Zelda from beginning to end, (something not many Zelda games can claim). The items in WW weren't in any great abundance when you compare it to the other 3D games but the items themselves had double and sometimes triple uses which helped the game continually feel fresh with each new puzzle and enemy encounter. WW was the first to feature the compulsory travel system within Zelda and to this day is still the most immersive version of said element... While OoT was amazing, brilliantly designed etc etc i think WW manages the upper hand over most of the elements laid down in OoT, so in my opinion i dont think OoT is the best-made Zelda game but its pretty close.

 

[Keeseman]

The best Zelda game ever is A Link to the Past, IMO. It had fewer flaws than OoT, it is difficult (unlike much of OoT), and it is incredibly fun (OoT is too, though). ALttP also had a better use of the Magic Meter, unlike OoT. That's why I voted "No, and it's not my favorite either".

It seems that so many people think that OoT is the best made Zelda game. This must be because of how revolutionary it was in it's time; it's 3D world, allowing for 3D puzzles, and all that jazz. And we compare all the modern 3D games to OoT. But look at the similarities between OoT and aLttP:

-You need to rescue Zelda from Ganon (duh)
-You need to collect three items (pendants or spiritual stones) in order to get the Master Sword
-There are Seven sages (or descendants of sages) that need to be awakened/released in order to fight Ganon
-You travel between a Light World/the Past and a Dark World/the Future, the latter being the one Ganon is in control of
-Items like bombs, arrows, and the boomerang are used.
-Necessity of key retrieval for dungeons, and pretty much all the Zelda gameplay basics.
-Many more

I would say that Ocarina of Time was based off of aLttP. This may seem obvious to some, but most people seem to miss this, as many seem think OoT is the best. Don't get me wrong, I love OoT, as it was my first Zelda game, but I realized after playing aLttP that it was just better than OoT.
The reason why OoT was so good is because it is basically aLttP in 3D. However, there are certain things that Ocarina does not execute so well, like it's magic meter, certain items like fire/ice arrows or boss difficulty. I find that A Link to the Past just did all these things better.

In conclusion, OoT is not the best made Zelda game. It is amazing, and I will love it forever, but not the best.

 

[The Wanderer]

A more solid definition of the "generally-accepted best Zelda game" is simply the number of people that agree it's the best. It's true that each individual person's view on the best Zelda game is somewhat subjective, but if the majority of Zelda players hold that view, it becomes "generally-accepted." So for those who wanted that clarity, there is the distinction.

It's also not terribly important which Zelda game is generally the "best," but it was something gnawing at me. Additionally, if Nintendo knows which Zelda game is the generally-accepted best, they can know what elements to pull from and what standard their next Zelda game should be. It kind of helps to have an image fixed in your head of what it is you should be aiming to overcome.

 

[A Link In Time]

I selected the "No, but it's still my personal favorite" option in the poll. Yes, Ocarina of Time is at its core a 3D emulation of A Link to the Past albeit it an easier one but the experience of traversing Hyrule for the first time in 3D was unparalleled. for those who could experience it in that order. Ocarina is certainly a stereotypical adventure game of hero saves princess with plot twist thrown in between to prolong the experience but the game has a fantastic atmosphere and memorable characters which resonate with me to this day. Other Zelda games have nailed specific aspects better, say Majora's Mask and The Wind Waker narrative but Ocarina of Time remains my favorite overall package.

There are certainly many aspects to consider for why peoples' opinions differ. What do they value most in a game? Do they prefer analog or motion control; darker, grittier graphics or a light, whimsical aesthetic?; Adult or Young Link?; Ganondorf or no Ganondorf? Play order influences perception as well-those who engage Twilight Princess' trek before Ocarina of Time's may be disappointed with the latter. To each his or her own.

 

[New Link]

Ocarina Of time is the definition of zelda. Is is perfect. Not one flaw.

It isn't my favorite though. WW is (as you all know xD) and I can name 20 flaws about that game! Its just a matter of taste!

 

[Paco9]

I think that Majora's Mask is the best. I enjoyed the different masks and their effects.

 

[The Jade Fist]

Personal favorite is Majora's mask, but I'm still saying OoT is the best well put together game of the series.

1, it was both kiddy and mature at the same time
2, It found a way to be completly serious, with very little "goofy characters/ bosses" there were bits of humour in the game, but they weren't done to clownish levels. I'm fine with a clownish/ jesterish character, but When the whole game goes that way it spoils it for me, like in ST/PH / (or the concept just makes you go, this is stupid like in ST)
3, It found a way to tell a good story, but kept it very basic
4, The cliche' of the game made it even better, it didn't feel like it was trying to pull some kind of gimic, it remained true to the Medieval knights kinda phantasy.
5, Time travel, who doesn't love time travel in their games? Now you could argue this was a gimic, it didn't feel like it was trying to be gimicy, but more as a transition.
6, Solid flow, combat didnt' feel clunky or hindered at all, and flowed smoothly, the story line progressed fairly well, you were free to explore or not, and could do most of the dungeons in various orders, and the story remained unchanged by it.
7, the lack of story telling in some parts, leads the player, or at least a player with an imagination to want to fill in extras
8, bosses were varried, and fun
9, dungeons were varried and fun (some improvements could have been done, master quest specifically spirit temple was breakable and uncompletable if you did it in wrong order) but as far as main OoT, can't really complain about the dungeons
10, The Ocarina was one of the best parts of the game, going around learning music, or just badly playing ocarina for fun, MM, did it great too, Seriously I know they don't wanna rip off OoT in that sense, but bring back a playable insturment, spirit tracks does have the flute thingy, and its one of the few things i can appreciate about ST so far, WW did it and granted it functioned the same, a wand is not to play.

There are places they game could have been improved, but it nailed all the groups I think.
Story 9/10 (personal 10/10)
Graphic 10/10 for the day, they ran smooth, and still look good to this day (notice i said good, not great) they were the right balance of colorfulness and gritty, depending on where in the game you were.
Gameplay 9/10 The game play was almost perfeclty smooth as well, seldom freezes, and bugs only really happened when you were trying to make them happen
GameFlow, 9/10 This one is hard to really describe, but has the biggest impact in how a game feels then anything, its part of how do you feel when you get to the next temple, are you too annoyed at something the blocked you getting here to care about the temple? Or are you excited to get in there? Do i feel like i was forced to come here? Or did I decide to come here? Am i free to go around and explore between temples, or do mini game? Or are all the damn bridges missing? Its ok to have an obstacle between objectives, infact it would be boring if there was nothing, but does this obstacle feel forced? Is it so stupid or annoying that I really don't feel interested/ motivated to finish it, and only do so in order to go on?

Best when these blocks can be motivated /disguised by the player investigating/ exploring. Like in OoT/ MM, I went Death Mountain and all the gorons are gone, well i'm a look around, find some skullulacha and try to throw a bomb at apperently the only goron left, oh hey the game goes on. TP- Go find light bugs and fight these screeching shadow things that have to die at the same time... But A double sword attack kills them in half the time then the doggy takes flying around, doesn't matter cause the dogy fly is apparently a single attack even if its taking 5 seconds, that makes no sense. Even worse when they just ambush you where ever you try to walk.

Windwaker, I loved the sailing, but when some stupid glider shark thing, won't leave me alone, its less love, Can't i just sail where i'm going in peace? I put 9/10 on OoT's flow because night as a kid, was frankly annoying, I wanna go where i'm going, and thats that. Dangerous things should only be in dangerous areas, not getting in my way going to the dangerous place.

 

[baronvonbehr]

While being revolutionary of it's time I do not think that OOT is the best made Zelda game ever, no there wasn't that many flaws in the game, but I don't think the flaws define if a game is well made. When a game is well made, the player has fun playing it, which I had when I played OOT, but it was not the one I enjoyed the most. As for which one I enjoyed the most, that's really hard to say, since it's really different how the games are made and how the gameplay is fun. So in the end I think that the best made game is something very individual, so there will never and can never be an answer to this question that all can agree on. Which is great, since that just means we are different, and that's one of the things that makes the world so much fun Oh, and I totally forgot, I answered "No, and it's not my favorite, either". If I have to pick I'd say that ALttP is a great game that I enjoyed a lot playing.

 

[MsNerrrrd]

Even though, I'd state that OoT was a magnificent game, and one of the most legendary Zeldas ever, and it earnt a very special place in my heart, I'd be lying if I would claim it to be the best Zelda ever.
I think, that what made it so popular that time, was that it sported the things every gamer begged for a fantasy- adventuregame, for an example, the graphics. They were fresh and straight from the oven: a quality a few gamers could even dare to dream about back then, and only a few games to bear similar graphics. Other point, was the story. I don't think it needs any separate blabbering. The third and the final major point was the gameplay mechanics. They were efficent, and simple, yet working and fun to use. It was a perfect game in itself.
But alas, it is not my favourite. Why? It is a question I go through in my head countless times a day. Maybe one day I'll come to understand.

 

[caleb11roy]

people need to understand that just because something is not your favorite, does not mean it is not the best! Many people have a favorite sports team that straight up sucks! OoT is def. the best Zelda game as it capitalized on it's point in history and made extraordinary strides in Video Game capabilities! They asked earlier where we would be without Zelda, but the real question is, is where would we be without OoT or "Zelda 64."