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[JohnSpartanLee]

Exactly 25 years ago, on November 21st 1998 The Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time was released in Japan:

North America got the game two days later:

And us Europeans had to wait until December 11th:

For many it's the best game of all time.

Happy Birthday!


P.S. Was looking forward to a 25th anniversary-thread, but since nobody created one here's at least a basic one.

 

[SecretAgentHam]

Really surprised that Nintendo didn’t sell us a OoT + Master Quest bundle on switch for 39.99. I would buy that in a heartbeat.

 

[xBlueStonex]

Been gaming for the last 30 years, still haven't found a game that surpasses Ocarina of Time. Literally the GOAT.

 

[amigastar]

The Legend of Zelda OoT is a legend by itself. Fantastic game.

 

[Saber]

I'm way more fan of Majoras Mask, but congratz on the anniversary.

 

[U n i o n 0015]

I remember asking my dad to drive me around to a bunch of different game stores trying to get a gold cartridge copy..and never even got one, they were all sold out. So pointless in the end, but I'll always remember how much that meant to me.

 

[justiceiro]

This showed up in my time line, celebrating the anniversary:

 

[violence]

The greatest game of all time runs at 20 frames per second. Maybe that was the secret sauce.

 

[SiahWester]

I grew up obsessed with this game at age 7. It was my first adventure game on the N64 which was my first console. Once I played Zelda I knew exactly the kind of games I really enjoyed. I just randomly selected it at a Blockbuster with my mom, fell in love, and then eventually bought it in the year 2002 at GameStop.

Just have memories of my next-door neighbor and me playing it in my basement after a long day of playing outside. All the kids at school knew the game too and would give me tips. This game didn't hold your hand like newer Zelda games so you needed some IRL tips especially since internet wasn't as reliable as it is now.

I have this core memory of turning into an adult in the game one night before school. Seeing how harsh the world became was shocking to me. On an artistic level I'm pretty sure they were trying to convey how it feels to grow up and be an adult. As a kid everything is all sunshine and rainbows (for the most part) as it is with the first 3 dungeons. As an adult the same world that appeared to be sunshine and rainbows is much harsher and expects more out of you which is exactly what happens in OOT. It's a shame there aren't more games that take on this narrative where you grow into adulthood. I thought it made Ocarina of Time one of the most epic games of our time from a narrative point of view. It especially spoke to me as a boy growing up. It invoked genuine feelings in me no other game ever has.

I didnt get to play OOT till 2001/2002 so getting into the game late allowed me to play through Majoras Mask and Wind Waker right after. It seemed clear at the time that Ocarina of Time, Majoras Mask, and Wind Waker were in chronological order until Nintendo made Twilight Princess and they changed up the timeline from there. I still like to think of OOT, MM, and WW as a trilogy though.

 

[coffinbirth]

One of my best memories of all time was walking into a K-Mart and asking for OoT and the lady behind the counter in electronics walked me over to the case and said, "well looks like we don't have any more" and I probably had the saddest look on my face of all time because she said "oh, sweetie let's look behind the counter". We walk back to the counter and she digs around back there for a minute and pops up with the pre-order only Limited Edition that had the gold cart, CD copy of the OST and a t-shirt!

Still to this day I wonder if I inadvertently had that lady bamboozle some poor bastards copy away from them.

 

[Soodanim]

Easily a contender for GOAT in my eyes. Koji Kondo's music alone is a contender for the GOAT game, let alone the game itself.

 

[Gaiff]

25 years ago Majora's Mask would come out in 2 years.

 

[LavitzSlambert]

So this Thanksgiving is OoT's North American 25th anniversary. I know what I'm thankful for, the GOAT.

 

[rabbity-thing]

Really surprised that Nintendo didn’t sell us a OoT + Master Quest bundle on switch for 39.99. I would buy that in a heartbeat.

Why sell you a product when they can just lock it behind a subscription model?

Legend of Zelda, Zelda II, Link to the Past, Majora's Mask, Ocarina of Time, Link's Awakening DX.... all locked behind a subscription model on Switch with no way to actually own them.

 

[Urban]

Top 3 of all time.

I can never forget when i first time ride with Epona on the field and this banger comes on:

 

[Banjo64]

The grandfather of modern gaming.

Still a top 2 game of all time, alongside TotK.

Amazing.

 

[haxan7]

I still remember the day I picked up my pre-ordered gold cartridge at Toys R Us. That game was crazy back then.

 

[tomato shrub]

This showed up in my time line, celebrating the anniversary:

wonky, but in theory that's something I can get behind much more than all those Unreal Engine fan trailers with generic realism.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

To this day I don't think I have ever had as much fun in any game as I had in this one. I loved how Majora's Mask took OoT and made it cool and weird and dark, but nothing tops the music, dungeon design & story of OoT in my book.

I would love a FFVII Remake style reimagining for next-gen Nintendo hardware.

 

[Chittagong]

Was probably my most anticipated game of all time. There was just 3 years between the announcement and launch, but in the life of an 18 year old it felt lime a decade. And incredibly when the game arrived, it delivered on absolutely everything.

Secrecy was so high we couldn’t even get an EEPROM from NOE before release unless it came with a 24/7 security guard.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

The grandfather of modern gaming.

Still a top 2 game of all time, alongside TotK.

Amazing.

The gold standard at the time of quality over quantity. Which Nintendo desperately needed to justify the software droughts from first-party in those days.

Nowadays I think Nintendo's got so many games ready for release they can literally hold finished games back for 6-12 months just because they can, which makes it appear to us like there aren't any gaps in release.

 

[Muffdraul]

I still remember the day I picked up my pre-ordered gold cartridge at Toys R Us. That game was crazy back then.

Same! In fact, I remember I had pre-ordered the regular gray version, and I lamented my regret to the employee working the security booth handing out the new games, and he said "We actually still have a few gold carts that never got pre-ordered. Here, take this voucher to the cashier, pay the difference, and come back." My gold cart is long gone, but that dude is still my hero.

I also remember parking my car in the lot and walking up to the store, seeing all of these guys walking out and staring at their little OoT boxes instead of watching where they were going. Literally an unforgettable day.

 

[GrayDock]

If a game came close to perfection, was OoT.
Finding out that Gannon was playing the organ in the tower... Awesome moment.

 

[DragoonKain]

Still hoping for a remake. I never owned an N64 growing up, a friend had one. Played it over there and liked it, but never beat it. Bought it years later for the 3DS and it felt super outdated to me. Wish I beat it back in the day I'd have appreciated it more.

 

[Wunray]

Im glad I got to play this back in the day and play it the way it was intended on the 64 on a crt tv. Still remember beating Ganon at night, while that fight was surpassed by TP nothing will ever top that memory.

 

[violence]

The evil censored fire temple song which had the chant removed in later revisions of the game.




Temple of Time song that I tend to play in the mornings.

 

[Syphon Filter]

Still hoping for a remake. I never owned an N64 growing up, a friend had one. Played it over there and liked it, but never beat it. Bought it years later for the 3DS and it felt super outdated to me. Wish I beat it back in the day I'd have appreciated it more.

Remakes are a waste of money and time, just play it the way it was meant to be.

 

[Alexios]

More years than fps

 

[TexMex]

I don't think I've been more excited for a game, before or since. It lived up to truly impossible expectations.

I remember getting to Software Etc at like 8am, they were opening early. Tons of other people from my school were there too. Got the collector's box with the Nintendo Power strategy guide. What a great day.

 

[Werewolf Jones]

The golden standard for Zelda but other games have come later down the line that have surpassed it.

 

[Bruno_Arrais85]

what a game

 

[E-Cat]

PAL boxart > *

 

[Krappadizzle]

I remember being so jealous of my neighbor who had an N64 and got this for Christmas. I think it was the first time in a videogame where I noticed the spots on the camera when looking at the sun. I had Metal Gear Solid, so it's not like I went without my own amazing game that holiday, but it was so cool seeing Zelda in 3d for the first time.

 

[E-Cat]

Easily a contender for GOAT in my eyes. Koji Kondo's music alone is a contender for the GOAT game, let alone the game itself.

I feel like Koji Kondo really outdid himself as a composer for OoT. Don't get me wrong, his work up to that point was good and, well, iconic, but I felt something new emerge from him here; I'm referring in particular to the minimalist dungeon themes that don't seem to have a tonal center for the most part, yet are memorable and create a unique feeling, a 'qualia' of their own, almost. The 12 ocarina tones from just 5 base notes are also some of his best work. Or, how about those dissonant harmonies in the "Creation of Hyrule" choral piece? Eh, who am I kidding, pretty much every track in this game is a masterpiece.

 

[Spukc]

I'm way more fan of Majoras Mask, but congratz on the anniversary.

Who hurt you?

 

[Sleepwalker]

The GOAT.

Still remember spending hours upon hours doing weird shit to try and collect the triforce because of rumors spread in high school.

Its crazy to think people growing up with the internet won't get to live the era of trying to figure out games together IRL.

 

[E-Cat]

12 was a really great, impressionable age to play OoT, I have probably "unrealistically" fond memories of DKC3 owing to that, too. I feel an almost metaphysical connection to OoT. To this day, a certain brand of soap reminds me of roaming around Hyrule Field and the music. Similarly, hearing the DKC3 treetop music gives me an almost olfactory sensation of pinewood. Neural connections formed at a young age are a funny thing, almost synesthetic in a way.

 

[6502]

UK gaf, remember that 2 issue review in N64 magazine? Glorious.

That Christmas I had Zelda, Turok 2, Wcw Revenge and a few weeks later Rogue Squadron. Fun times.

 

[bobone]

Played through it a few months ago to mark 25 years.
Still the best game of all time in my opinion.
Nothing else like it at the time; nothing else like it even today after 25 years.

 

[Happosai]

Still hoping for a remake. I never owned an N64 growing up, a friend had one. Played it over there and liked it, but never beat it. Bought it years later for the 3DS and it felt super outdated to me. Wish I beat it back in the day I'd have appreciated it more.

My wife just did a full playthrough of the GC release of Masterquest Fall of last year. Not sure I'd want it remade but certainly an HD remaster...and need the Masterquest.

 

[Come On Tars]

wonky, but in theory that's something I can get behind much more than all those Unreal Engine fan trailers with generic realism.

yeah I was thinking the same thing. This is a great candidate art style if a remake were to happen.

 

[DonF]

Epic game, a reference for sure.
Gaming would not be what it is today if it wasn't for OoT. Love it. At the time it was a magical experience.

 

[Daniel Thomas MacInnes]

Zelda Ocarina proudly has a place on my All-Time Top 100 Videogames list. When I played it back in the year 2000, I felt it was the greatest gaming experience I ever had, and held onto that belief for many years. Today, my tastes lean heavily more towards quick-fix arcade games, and I'm sure there are one or two newer Zeldas that could rightfully compete for the crown. But there's no denying the brilliance and impact of Nintendo's classic.

I'm surprised that there haven't been any "1998 Greatest Year Ever" threads yet, as we are winding down to the final six weeks of the year. I still expect to find at least a couple discussions or online articles arguing why '98 was the finest single year for videogames. I'm sure these are coming down the pipeline, right? Bueller?

 

[EverydayBeast]

I remember playing the N64 version growing up, it had the best soundtrack, weapons and one of the most underrated open worlds in gaming especially for a 90s game.

 

[kiphalfton]

Been gaming for the last 30 years, still haven't found a game that surpasses Ocarina of Time. Literally the GOAT.

Resident Evil 4 and it isn't even close.

25 years ago Majora's Mask would come out in 2 years.

And it would turn out to be the better game too.

 

[-Zelda-]

Not gonna lie, the last part of this song when they realize how stupid they have been up to that point kinda gets me misty eyed.

 

[Thabass]

I remember the day I bought it. December 26th, 1998. I wasn't a big Zelda player back then (in fact, it was my first one). It took me a while to figure out, but once I finally beat it in the Summer of 1999, then damn was I hooked on it forever.

 

[Dr.D00p]

Looked great on my Voodoo II powered PC, at 1024x768, via UltraHLE, at the time

 

[LavitzSlambert]

I remember playing the N64 version growing up, it had the best soundtrack, weapons and one of the most underrated open worlds in gaming especially for a 90s game.

Never before had a game felt so large and open. You could get lost in it for ages, even though there was a pretty clean linear progression the game guides you towards. The world building was unprecedented.

 

[Majukun]

still the best game ever made, fight me.