Arguably the Nintendo 64’s crowning masterpiece was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Enormously influential to the gaming industry, the action-adventure title set new boundaries for 3D gaming.

It launched on 21st November 1998 (our editor’s birthday!) and its clever use of atmospherics and emotive game design stunned gamers. Almost cinematic, but not quite—a direct goal of legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto.

Cripes, it’s heading for its 30th anniversary (sort of). Time flies much like it does in Ocarina of Time. Yet the quality of this title remains relatively undiminished, which is why we’re here to celebrating its excellence today.

Ocarina of Time Redefined the Games Industry

There was huge anticipation for this two decades ago. Nothing short of a masterpiece was expected from creative genius Shigeru Miyamoto.

He’s the man responsible for most of Nintendo’s classics. The Nintendo 64 had already landed the landmark Super Mario 64 on the world.

But more was expected of Zelda as the console’s technology now meant the revered series could provide something extra special.

It was a great time for RPG fans (Zelda games aren’t technically RPGs, but there are a lot of RPG elements to them) with Final Fantasy VII (1997) new out on PlayStation and PC. The scope of Squaresoft’s game was phenomenal. It had been intended for the N64, before Sony’s console was favoured thanks to its storage happy CDS.

Nintendo’s title advanced on the traditional RPG format (which FFVII did to some extent, also taking a more cinematic approach). But went one better than Squaresoft in terms of timeless excellence.

For this retrospective, we’re not going to discuss the plot or the finer points of Ocarina of Time. That’s already been done to death.

Most of you reading this will know the drill already—the sweeping sense of grandeur, the emotive scale, Navi, the Water Temple, the ocarina, and travelling back and forth in time.

But all wrapped around personal favourite moments that have stuck with you dearly from all those years ago.

Ocarina of Time was a seismic shift for gaming in the same way Breath of the Wild managed in 2017.

Nintendo has had a relentless ability to shake up the industry—even if you don’t buy its new games consoles, the Japanese behemoth’s subtle nuances can be found in almost every modern title.

And this legendary Zelda outing is one of the most influential. Is it the best game ever? Not now, but it is a landmark title all the same. One that remains an enduring classic with incredible artistic values.

Taking a Moment to Celebrate Ocarina of Time’s Stunning Soundtrack

The soundtrack is exceptional, as you’d expected for a game of this stature. The legendary Koji Kondo wrote and composed it all.

There are various leitmotifs in the Zelda series (musical phrases associated with key areas—think of Hyrule field).

We love the Forest Temple piece above, which was followed up by the mysterious Fire Temple and its eerie grumbling and choral sections.

We mean, listen to that. The eerie chanting type noise, followed by intense choral music.

In the temple, this is matched by fireballs leaping up at you, flaming bats swooping in, and at one stage you’re towering high above an early floor with a clear view of an enormous drop beneath your feet.

Ocarina of Time was the first 3D Zelda experience, of course. The graphics have now aged, but the orchestral score (another first for the series) is as strong as ever.

It set the standard for future Zelda games with its evolution of the standard themes. But for many, the first time you step out onto Hyrule Field, the music starts, and you take in the scale of Miyamoto’s vision.

It’ll be near the top of many a gamer’s favourite gaming moments for a long time to come.

Minor Irritations? Navi and The Water Temple Stir Up Hatred

A special mention has to go to two long established “flaws” in Ocarina of Time. The first is Navi, a fairy who accompanies you on your quest and regularly interjects with four outbursts:

1. Hello!
2. Look!
3. Hey! Listen!
4. Watch out!

This didn’t bother us as teenagers, but (apparently) infuriated the rest of the gaming world. Perhaps as the “Hey! Listen!” one often interrupts gameplay so she can rant about something.

But it’s amusing how four tiny soundbites have become so notorious.

It’s worth noting Navi is absolutely essential to the Ocarina of Time experience. But, yeah, this one just never bothered us very much.

However, the second issue is more pertinent. It’s in the form of… The Water Temple!!! Our mate Phil and his dad, Phil Senior, got stumped with this one. They ended up getting a complex series of maps they drew up on paper in an attempt to complete the thing.

Ready to quake in terror!? Here it is in action.

The general issue with this one? You have to raise, and lower, water levels to work out the maze-like labyrinth, whilst regularly changing between heavy chain boots to help you swim.

For many players, this level is one of the reasons why a lot of gamers hate water levels.

Nintendo did address the issue, adapting the stage for the 3DS release of Ocarina of Time. In that one it’s easier to take your boots on and off. Plus, for the excellent Twilight Princess the water level in that game is genuinely terrific.