Nintendo provided just enough back-story to give
us an idea of Link’s personality, but otherwise left
us to imprint ourselves upon him. His journey was
so affecting because it was our journey, too, with
his reactions – from horror at Hyrule’s ruin to his
determination to set things right – mirroring our own.CLASSIC HERO
G
ames are improving all
the time. Creative visions
are no longer restricted by
technological limitations, and
today’s developers have years of design
lessons to draw from. So it speaks
volumes about the astonishing craft of
Ocarina of Time that, 18 years since its
release, it’s still routinely referred to as
the greatest game of all-time.
Like Mario 64, Link’s N64 debut
had a tough SNES act to follow. But
it didn’t just emerge from Link to the
Past’s shadow; rather, it created a
long one of its own. It was another
landmark moment in game design,
demonstrating how combat could
function effectively in a 3D space. The
pioneering Z-targeting system has
influenced every lock-on mechanic
you’ve encountered since.
At its heart, Ocarina was a disarmingly
touching coming-of-age tale with
a fantasy wrapper: the story of an
identifiably normal kid charged with a
responsibility he didn’t seem ready for,
and the adult he had to become to fulfil
it. As a fable and as a game, it had that
rare timeless quality; little wonder it is
still so widely cherished.