I Can’t Sleep - Zelda Ocarina of Time | Calm Bedtime Reading for Sleep

Episode Date: November 6, 2023

Relax with this calm bedtime reading as Benjamin explores The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, helping you unwind and ease insomnia. You’ll learn about the game’s development, story, and lasting influence as one of the most celebrated titles in video game history. Benjamin’s soothing cadence transforms this epic adventure into peaceful storytelling that quiets the mind and reduces stress. This is not whispering or hypnosis—just gentle, fact-filled narration designed to guide you into rest. Press play, let the calm settle in, and drift into sleep with the timeless world of Zelda. Want More? Request a Topic: https://www.icantsleeppodcast.com/request-a-topic Ad-Free Episodes: https://icantsleep.supportingcast.fm/ Shop Sleep-Friendly Products: https://www.icantsleeppodcast.com/sponsors Join the Discussion on Discord: https://discord.gg/myhGhVUhn7 This content is derived from the Wikipedia article on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license. Read the full article: Wikipedia – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Happy sleeping! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You're listening to a Glassbox media podcast. What if I told you that most of the modern day self-help advice you've been hearing could actually make you worse? The key to a better life isn't about feel-good gimmicks that sound catchy. The Mentally Stronger Podcast gives you access to a licensed therapist who shares science-backed tools that will actually change your life. Hi, I'm Amy Morin, psychotherapist, mental strength trainer, and international best-selling author. In each episode, we cover research-back strategies, like how to stop relying on willpower and start creating habits for lasting change. And the five mental strength-building exercises you can do from your couch.

I also speak to world-class experts like Dr. Nicole Kane, who shares how to permanently heal anxiety by addressing the root cause. With over 200 episodes in our catalog, this podcast is for you if you're ready to crush self-doubt, conquer challenges, and become stronger than ever with therapist-approved strategies that can change your life. Listen to Mentally Stronger with Therapist Amy Morin, wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to the I Can't Sleep Podcast, where I read random articles from across the web to bore you to sleep with my soothing voice. I'm your host, Benjamin Boster. Today's episode is from a Wikipedia article titled,

The Legend of Zelda, Okarina of Time. The Legend of Zelda, Okina of Time, is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan and North America in November 1998 and in PAL regions the following month. Okarina of Time is the first game in the Legend of Zelda series with 3D graphics. The game was developed by Nintendo EAD, led by five directors, including A.G. Aonuma and Yoshiaki Kozumi, produced by series co-creator Shigeru Mayamoto and written by Kensuke Tanabe. Veteran Zelda series composer Kojikondo composed the musical score. The player controls Link in the realm of High Rule on a quest to stop the evil king Gannendorf

by traveling through time and navigating dungeons and an overworld. The game introduced features such as target lock system and context-sensitive buttons, which have since become common in 3D adventure games. The player must play songs on an okarina to progress. Ocarina of Time was acclaimed by critics and consumers who praised its visuals, sound, gameplay, soundtrack, and writing, and won several awards and accolades. It has been ranked by numerous publications as the greatest video game of all time, and is the highest rated game of all time on the review aggregator Metacritic. It was commercially successful, with more than 7 million copies, sold worldwide. In the United States, it received more than three times more pre-orders than any

other game at the time. A direct sequel, The Legend of Zelda, Majora's Mask, was released in 2000. Since its release, Okarina of Time has been re-released on every one of Nintendo's home consoles and on the IQ player in China. An enhanced version of the game for the Nintendo 3DF, The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D was released in 2011. MasterQuest, an alternative version of the game, including new puzzles and increased difficulty, is included in one of the GameCube releases and the 3D version. The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time is a fantasy action adventure game set in a three-dimensional world with an expansive environment. The player controls series protagonist Link from a third-person perspective.

Link primarily fights with a sword and shield, but can also use other weapons such as projectiles, bombs, and magic spells. The control scheme introduced techniques such as context-sensitive actions and a targeting system called Z-targeting, which allows the player to have Link focus on enemies or objects. When using this technique, the camera follows the target and link constantly faces it. Projectile attacks are automatically directed at the target and do not require manual aiming. Context-sensitive actions allow multiple tasks to be assigned to one button, simplifying the control scheme. The on-screen display shows what will happen when the button is pushed

and changes depending on what the character is doing. is doing. For example, the button that causes Link to push a box if he is standing next to it will have him climb on the box if the analog stick is pushed toward it. Much of the game is spent exploring and fighting, but some parts require stealth. Link gains abilities by collecting items and weapons found in dungeons or in the overworld, including several optional side quests and minor objectives. Side quests can reward new weapons or abilities. In one side quest, Link trades items with non-player characters in a trading sequence that

features ten items and ends with him receiving the two-handed Begorun sword, which is the strongest sword in the game. In another side quest, Link can acquire a horse who allows him to travel faster but restricts him to attack him with arrows while writing. Link is given an okarina near the beginning of the game, which is later replaced by the Okarina of Time. Throughout the game, Link learns 12 melodies that allow him to solve music-based puzzles and teleport to previously visited locations. The Okarina of Time is also used to claim the Master Sword in the Temple of Time, which causes Link to be transported seven years into the future and become an adult.

Young Link and Adult Link have different abilities. For example, only Adult Link can use the ferry bow, and only Young Link can fit through certain small passages. After completing certain tasks, Link can travel freely between the two time periods by replacing and taking the sword. Okarina of Time is set in the fictional kingdom of Hyrule, the setting of most Legend of Zelda games. Hyrule Field serves as the central hub and is connected to several outlying areas with diverse topography, which are home to the races of Hyrule.

The ferry Navi awakens Link from a nightmare in which he witnesses a man in black armor pursuing a young girl on horseback. Navi brings Link to the great Deku Tree, who has been cursed and is near death. The Deku Tree tells Link that a wicked man of the desert cursed him, and that Link must stop him from conquering the world. Before dying, the Great Deku Tree gives Link the spiritual stone of the forest and sends him to Hyrule Castle to speak with Hyrule's princess. At the Hyrule Castle Garden, Link meets Princess Zell. Zelda, who believes Gannendorf, the evil Garudo King, is seeking the Triforce, a holy relic

that gives its holder godlike power. Zelda asks Ling to obtain the three spiritual stones to enter the sacred realm and claim the Triforce before Ganendorf reaches it. Link collects the other two stones, the first from Darunia, leader of the Gorons, and the second from Ruto, Princess of the Zoras. Link returns to Hyrule Castle where he sees Gannendorf pursue Zelda and her caretaker Impa on horseback, like in his nightmare, and unsuccessfully attempts to stop him. Inside the Temple of Time, he uses the Okarina of Time, a gift from Zelda, and the spiritual stones to open the door to the sacred realm. There he finds the Master Sword,

but as he pulls it from its pedestal, he is incapacitated. Ganendorf, who snuck into the temple after Link, appears and claims the Triforce. Seven years later, an older Link awakens in the Sacred Realm and is met by Rauru, one of the seven sages who protects the entrance to the sacred realm. Rauru explains that Link's spirit was sealed for seven years until he was old enough to wield the master's sword and defeat Ganendorf, who has taken over Hyrule. The seven sages have the ability to imprison Ganendorf in the sacred realm, but five are unaware of their identities as sages. Link is returned to the temple of time

and meets the mysterious sheikh who guides him to free five temples from Ganendorf's control, and allow their sages to awaken. Link befriended all five sages as a child, his childhood friend Saria, the sage of the forest temple, Tarunia, the sage of the fire temple, Ruto, the sage of the water temple, Impa, the sage of the shadow temple, and Niburu, leader of the Gerudo's in Gannendorf's absence,

the sage of the spirit temple. After the five sages awaken, Sheik reveals herself to be Zelda in disguise in the seventh sense. She tells Link that Gannendorf's heart was unbalanced, causing the triforce to split into three pieces. Gannendorf acquired only the triforce of power, while Zelda received the triforce of wisdom and link the triforce of courage. Gannendorf appears and captures Zelda, imprisoning her in his castle. The other six sages help Link infiltrate the stronghold, where he frees Zelda after defeating Gannendorf.

who destroys the castle in an attempt to kill Link and Zelda. After they escape the collapsing castle, Gannendorf emerges from the rubble and transforms into a boar-like beast named Gannon, using the triforce of power. He knocks the master's sword from Link's hand, but with Zelda's aid, Link retrieves the master's sword and defeats Gannon. A seven sages seal Gannendorff in the dark realm, but he vows to take revenge on their descendants using the triforce of power.

Zelda uses the Okarina of Time to send Link back to his childhood. Navi departs and Young Link meet Zelda in the Castle Garden once more, where he retains knowledge of Hyrule's fate, preventing its decline. Okarina of Time was developed concurrently with Super Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart 64 for the Nintendo by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development EAD division for more than $12 million with the staff of more than 200. Development was migrated from the 64D disk drive peripheral to cartridge due to the high data throughput of streaming 500 motion-captured character animations throughout gameplay.

Initially targeting 16 megabytes, it was increased as 32 megabytes. as Nintendo's largest game ever. Early in development, the team had concerns about the data storage constraints of the cartridge. In the worst-case scenario, Okerina of Time would follow a similar structure to Super Mario 64, with Link restricted to Gannendorf's castle as a central hub,

using a portal system similar to the paintings that Mario uses to traverse the realm. An idea that arose from this stage of development, a battle with a doppelganger of Gannendorf that rides through paintings was used as the boss of the Forest Temple Dungeon. While series co-creator Shigeru Mayamoto had been the principal director and producer of Super Mario 64, he was involved in the game's production and now in charge of five directors by acting as a producer and supervisor of Okarina of time.

Different parts were handled by different directors, a new strategy for Nintendo EAD. Four or five initial teams grew over time, each working on different basic experiments, including scenario and planning, links actions, transforming classic 2D items into improved 3D form, camera experiments,

motion capture, sound, special effects, and the flow of time. Although the development team was new to 3D games, Assistant Director Makoto Miyanaga recalled a passion for creating something new and unprecedented. Despite the setting being a medieval tale of sword and sorcery, Ayamoto used the Chambara samurai genre of Japanese sword fighting as a model for the game's combat and was content with the positive worldwide reception. The development involved more than 120 people, including stunt-per-person

performers used to capture the effects of sword fighting and link's movement. Miyamoto initially intended Okorina of time to be played in a first-person perspective, to enable players to take in the vast terrain of Hyrule Field better, and let the team focus more in developing enemies and environments. The concept was abandoned once the idea of a child Link was introduced, and Miyamoto believed it necessary for Link to be visible on screen. Originally, Z-targeting involved a generic marker, but Koyuzumi changed the design to that of a ferry to make it less robotic.

The ferry gained the name of the ferry navigation system amongst staff, and ultimately this turned into the nickname Navi, which in turn resulted in the birth of Navi's character. The birth of Navi was a pivotal point in the story's development. Some of Miyamoto's ideas were instead used in Super Mario Cirque. since it was to be released first. Other ideas were not used due to time constraints. Okarina of Time originally ran on the same engine as Super Mario 64, but was so heavily modified that Miyamoto considers the final products different engines.

One major difference between the two is camera control. The player has a lot of control over the camera in Super Mario 64. but the camera in Okarina of Time is largely controlled by the game AI. Miyamoto said the camera controls for Okarina of Time are intended to reflect a focus on the game's world, whereas those of Super Mario's 64 are centered on the character of Mario. Miyamoto wanted the difficulty to be easy enough to make the game accessible to all players,

and said in particular that he wanted it to be easier than Super Mario 64. Mayamoto wanted to make a game that was cinematic yet distinguished from films. Takumi Kawaga, who creates cutscenes for Nintendo, said that his priority was to have the player feel in control of the action. To promote this instantaneous continuity of cinematic gameplay, the cutscenes in Okorina of time are completely generated with real-time computing on the Nintendo 64, and do not use pre-rendered full-motion video. Miyamoto's vision required this real-time architecture for the total of more than 90 minutes of cutscenes,

regardless of whether the console had a vast medium like CD-ROM on which to store pre-rendered versions. Toru Asawa created this scenario for the game, based on a story idea by Miyamoto and Yoshiaki Kozumi. He was supported by a link to the past and Link's Awakening script writer Kansuke Tenaabe. Miyamoto said the real-time rendering engine allowed his small team of three to seven cinematic developers to rapidly adjust the storyline and to focus on developing additional gameplay elements, even up to the final few months of development, instead of waiting on a repeated pre-rendering process. The Dungeons were designed by A.G. A.G. Aonuma. Okarina of Times music was written by Koji Kondo, a composer in charge of music for most of the games in the Legend of Zelda series. In addition to characters having musical themes, areas of high rule are also associated with pieces of music.

This has been called light motif in reverse, instead of music announcing an entering character. It now introduces a stationary environment as the player approaches. In some locations, the music is a variation of an ocarina tune the player learns, related to that area. Beyond providing a backdrop for the setting, music plays an integral role in gameplay. The button layout of the Nintendo 64 controller resembles the holes of the ocarinas in the game, and players must learn to play several songs to complete the game. All songs are played using the five notes available on an ocarina,

although by bending pitches via the analog stick, players can play additional tones. Kondo said that creating distinct themes on the limited scale was a major challenge, but feels that the result is very natural. The popularity of o'carina of time led to an increase, in Okarina sales. The official soundtrack of Ocarina of Time was published by Pony Canyon and released in Japan on December 18th, 1998. It comprises one compact disc with 82 tracks. A US version was also released, although with fewer tracks and different packaging artwork. Many critics praised the music in Okorina of Time, although IGN was disappointed that the traditional Zelda Overworld theme was not included.

not included. In 2001, three years after the initial release of Ocarina of Time, GameSpot labeled it as one of the top 10 video game soundtracks. The soundtrack at the time was not released in Europe or Australia. In 2011, however, a 51-track limited edition soundtrack for the 3DS version was available in a free mail-out through a club Nintendo offer to owners of the 3DS edition as an incentive to register the product. The original musical theme for the fire temple area was altered before release of the game, due to Nintendo's policy of not including real religious references in their products, with the altered theme simply removing the chanting samples. Hero of Time, an orchestral recording of Okarina of Time score, performed by the Slovak National

Symphony Orchestra, was released by a video game label Materia Collective in 2017. A vinyl version was published by I Am 8Bit. It was nominated for Best Game Music Cover remix at the 16th annual Game Audio Network Guild Awards. Okerina of Time was first shown as a technical and thematic demonstration video at Nintendo's Shoshinkai Trade Show in December 1995. Nintendo planned to release Super Mario 64 as a launch game for the Nintendo 6,000, and later release Okarina of Time for the 64D, a disk drive peripheral for the system that was still in development. Issues regarding performance of the 64D peripheral led to development being moved from disk to cartridge media,

and thus the game would miss its scheduled 1997 holiday season release and was delayed into 1998. They planned to follow its release with a 64D expansion disc. Miyamoto additionally attributed the delay to Nintendo prioritizing development efforts to Yoshi's story, after that game missed its planned second quarter release slot. Throughout the late 1990s, the Nintendo 64 was said to lack hit first-party games. Next Generation wrote that Nintendo absolutely can't afford another holiday season without a marquee title, and that Zelda was one of the most anticipated games of the decade, upon which the Nintendo 64's fate depended. Nintendo spent $10 million on Okorina of Times marketing. In March

1998, it was the most anticipated Nintendo 64 game in Japan. Chairman Howard Lincoln insisted at E3, 1998, that Zelda's ship on time and become Nintendo's reimbled. invigorating blockbuster, akin to a hit Hollywood movie. Customers in North America who pre-ordered the Okerina of Time received a limited edition box with a golden plastic card reading, Collectors Edition. This edition contained a gold-colored cartridge, a tradition that began with the original Legend of Zelda, 1986, for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Demand was so great that electronics boutique stopped pre-selling the game on November 3, 1998. Several versions of Okarina of Time were produced,

with later revisions featuring minor changes such as glitch repairs, the recoloring of Gannendorf's blood from crimson to green, and the alteration of the music heard in the Fire Temple Dungeon to remove a sample of an Islamic prayer chant. The sample was taken from a commercially available sound library, but the developers did not realize it contained Islamic references. Although popularly believed to have been changed due to public outcry, the chanting was removed after Nintendo discovered it violated policy of avoiding religious material,

and altered versions of Okarina of Time were made prior to the original release. Nintendo ported Okerina of Time to its next console, the GameCube, as part of the Legend of Zelda collector's edition. a compilation of Zelda games. This port is an emulation of the original Nintendo 64 version. The emulated port runs at a resolution of 640 by 480, quadrupled that of the original, and supports progressive scan. Another GameCube release included the original game and a second,

more difficult version titled that was included as a pre-ordered bonus with the Legend of Zelda, The Windraker, 2002, in Japan and North America, and included in GameCube bundles worldwide. It was also given to those who registered certain hardware and software, or subscribed to official magazines and clubs. In November 2003, Okarina of Time was ported to China's IQ player as one of the five games available on its release. In February 2007, Okarina of Time was released for the Wii Virtual Console service for 1,000 Wii points. This version is also an emulation of the Nintendo 64 version. Because this version does not support controller vibration, the Stone of Agony item which employs vibrations via the Rumblepack controller accessory, has no function.

A five-minute demo of the game can be unlocked in Super Smash Bros. Brawl 2008. Okerina of Time was released on the Wii U virtual console worldwide on July 2, 2015. This time including the original control of vibration. It was also released on the Nintendo Switch Online Plus Expansion Pack on October 25, 2021. In June 2011, Nintendo released Okina of Time 3D, an enhanced port for the Nintendo 3DS handheld console. It was developed by Nintendo EAD with Grezo, an independent Japanese studio headed by Koichi Ishi. The game includes MasterQuest and adds features including touchscreen and gyroscope controls,

a boss challenge mode, instructional videos to guide stuck players, and a modified version of the Water Temple with reduced difficulty. After completing Okarina of Time, Nintendo developed a new version of the game for the then-unreleased 64-D peripheral with the working title Ura Zelda, commonly translated as another Zelda. Described as a second version of Okarina with rearranged dungeons, it contains new content, some that had been covered, from Okarina due to time and storage constraints.

In 1998, UraZilda was delayed indefinitely following problems with the development of the 64D and was cancelled due to the 64D's commercial failure. In August 2000, Miyamoto stated that Ura Zelda had been finished and that no online functions had ever been planned. Ura Zelda was ported to the GameCube in 2002 in Japan as Zaruda no densetsu, Toki no Okarina, Jisiura and in 2003 in North America and Europe as The Legend of Zelda, Okarina of Time Master Quest.

According to Miyamoto, UraZelda was simple to port as it used few of the 64D features. MasterQuest uses the same engine and plot of Okarina of Time, but with increased difficulty and altered dungeons and puzzles. IGN's Pierre Schneider gave MasterQuest a mostly positive review, likening the concept to the second quest of the original Legend of Zelda. He said that some redesigned areas were poorer than the original Okerina of Time, and speculated that they may have been constructed from second-choice designs created during development. He described the port as graphically improved, but containing no substantial improvement to the frame rate.

He also expressed the controls translated to the GameCube controller felt clumsy. Nonetheless, he summarized MasterQuest as a sweet surprise for any Zelda fan, and wrote that he would have recommended it even at full price. Zachary Lewis of RPG Gamer praised the revised puzzles, which require precise timing and find new uses for the Okarina items, but wrote that players would be enthralled or frustrated by the increased difficulty. Upon its initial Nintendo 64 release, Okerina of Time received critical acclaim. It garnered perfect review scores from the majority of games,

gaming publications that reviewed it, including Famitsu, Next Generation, Edge, Electronic Gaming Monthly, GameSpot, and IGN. The review aggregator website Metacritic and Game Rankings rank the original Nintendo 64 version has the highest and second highest reviewed game of all time, respectively, with average scores of 99 out of 100 from Metacritic and 98% from game ringings. The reviews praised multiple aspects of the game, particularly its level design, gameplay mechanics, sound, and cinematics. GameSpot reviewer Jeff Gertzman wrote that

Hokka Arena of Time is a game that can't be called anything other than flawless, and IGN called it the new benchmark for interactive entertainment that could shape the action-rpg genre for years to come. Editors of game trailers called it a walking patent office due to the number of features it contains that became industry standard. The graphics were praised for their depths and detail, although reviewers noted they were not always the best the console had to offer.

Game Revolution noted the character's faces the toughest graphical challenge on 3D characters, saying that the character's expressions and animation featured surprising grace. IGN believed that Okarina of Time improved on the graphics of Super Mario 64, given a larger sense of scale. Impressive draw distances and large boss characters were also mentioned as graphical highlight, highlights. Although excelling in the use of color and the visibility and detail of the environment, reviewers noted that some graphical elements of Okorina of Time did not perform as well as Banjo Kazui, a game released for the same platform earlier that year.

IGN said that the frame rate and textures of Okerina of Time were not as good as those of Banjo-Kazui, particularly in the marketplace of Hyrule Castle, which was called blurry. Gameplay was generally praised as detailed, with many side quests to occupy players' time. IGN said players would be amazed at the detail of the environment and the amount of thought that went into designing it. IGN praised the cinematics, citing great emotional impact and flawless camera work. EGM enjoyed that Nintendo was able to take the elements of the older 2D Zelda games, and translated all into 3D flawlessly. Nintendo Power cited Okerina of Time, along with Super Mario 64,

as two games that blazed trails into the 3D era. The context-sensitive control system was seen as one of the strongest elements of the gameplay. Reviewers noted that it allowed for simpler control using fewer buttons, but that it occasionally caused the player to perform unintended actions. The camera control was quoted as making combat second nature, although the new system took time for the player to get used to. The game's audio was generally well received, with IGN comparing some of Koji Kondo's pieces to the work of Philip Glass.

Many atmospheric sounds and surround sound were designed to effectively immerse the player in the game world. Some reviewers complained that the audio samples used in the game sounded dated. Others considered this a benefit, calling them retro. Game Revolution called the sound good for the Nintendo, but not great in the larger scheme of things, and noted that the cartridge format necessitated MIDI tunes that range from fair to terrible. Pitchfork gave the official soundtrack album a 9 out of 10, assisted by a large marketing campaign

Okarina of Time was a strong commercial success and the United States over 500,000 pre-orders replaced more than tripling the number of pre-orders for any previous video game for which it was awarded the Guinness World Record for most advanced orders for a game. Upon release, more than 1 million copies were sold there in less than a week. In 1998, 2.5 million copies were sold.

although it was released only 39 days before the end of the year. It earned $150 million, equivalent to $270 million in 2022 in U.S. revenues, higher than any Hollywood film in the last six weeks of 1998. It was the best-selling video game of 1998 in the United States. In Japan, 920,000 copies were sold in 1998, becoming the eighth best-selling game of that year. year. It reported 386,234 copies were sold in its first week there, surpassing the 316,000 first week sales of metal gear solid. In Europe, it was the fifth best-selling game of 1998,

with over 39 million euros or 44 million dollars equivalent to 79 million in 2022 grossed that year. In the United Kingdom, 61,232 copies were sold during its first weekend, becoming the UK's fastest selling title up until it was surpassed by Grand Turismo II in 2000. By 2000, Okarina of Time had sold 7 million cartridges and grossed about $400 million, equivalent to $720 million in 2022 worldwide. During its lifetime, Okerina of Time for the Nintendo 64 saw 1.14 million copies sold in Japan and 7.6 million copies worldwide. In 1998, Okina of Time won the Grand Prize in the Interactive Art Division at the Japan Media Arts Festival. It won six awards at the second annual Interactive Achievement Awards, Game

of the Year, Console Game of the Year, Console Adventure Game of the Year, Console Role Playing Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Design, and Outstanding Achievement in Software Engineering. It also received a nomination for outstanding achievement in character or story development. Electronic Gaming Monthly gave it both the Editor's Choice and Reader's Choice Awards for Game of the Year for All Systems, Nintendo 64 Game of the Year, and Action RPG of the Year, as well as the Reader's Choice Awards for Best Music and Best Graphics, and it was runner-up for the Reader's Choice Best Sound Effects Award. Edge gave it the awards for Game of the Year and Gameplay Innovation

and placed its second place for graphical achievement behind Virtua Fighter 3DB. After publication, Okerina of Time was featured on a number of compiled lists of best or most influential games, It was ranked for the greatest video game of all time by numerous publications, including computer and video games, Edge, Entertainment Weekly, game trailers, IGN, Next Generation, Nintendo Power, Game Informer, Slant, F-H-M, and P-A-L-L-G-N. It also appeared on other lists of greatest games, including those of Elections, electronic gaming monthly and IGN. The game was placed second in official Nintendo magazine's 100 greatest Nintendo games of all time,

behind only Super Mario Bros. Game Informer ranked it as its 11th favorite game of all time and described it as untouchable. In May 2011, IGN held a tournament-style competition celebrating the 25th anniversary of the original the Legend of Zelda's release, in which fans voted Okarina of Time, the greatest Zelda game. It beat Majora's mask in the final round. Okerina of Time has consistently been placed at number one in Edge's Top 100 Games lists, a staff and reader voted list in July 2007, a list of the 100 best games to play today in March 2009,

and a 2013 reader's poll selecting the 20 best games released since the magazines launch in 1993. Edge concluded its 2009 list with Ocarina of Time is here in the list not because Nintendo had the power and wisdom to make a great game, but because it had the courage to make a unique one. In 2022, the Strong National Museum of Play inducted Ocarina of Time to its World Video Game Hall of Fame. Reception for the Master Quest and virtual console releases was positive. While some considered aspects of the graphics and audio to be outdated, most thought that the game had aged well. The Master Quest version holds an average score of 89.5% on game rankings and 91 out of 100 on Metacritic. IGN said in their review that Okarina of Time has aged.

extremely well, and noted in regard to the game's graphics, while the textures and models look dated, the game's visual presentation stood the test of time. Game Revolution said that although the game has noticeably agreed compared to brand-new RPGs, it's still a terrific game, awarding 91 out of 100. In 2007, former GameSpot editor Jeff Gertzman gave the virtual console port 8.9 out of 10. Even after nine years, Okarina of Time holds up surprisingly well, offering a lengthy and often amazing adventure. In November 2021, enthusiasts fully decompiled Okerina of Times ROM into human-readable sea code. In March 2022, a group called Harbourmasters publicly released a PC port under the name Ship of Harkinian, which includes White

screen support and an increased frame rate among other features. The Legend of Zelda, Okarina of Times gameplay system popularized features such as Target Lock System and context-sensitive buttons that have since become common elements in 3D adventure games. Multiple members of the video game industry have expressed how the game impacted them and the industry. Former Rockstar Games vice president of creativity Dan Houser stated in 2012 that anyone who makes 3D games who says they've not borrowed something from Mario or Zelda on the Nintendo 64 is lying. Rockstar founder and Grand Theft Auto director Sam Houser also cited the game's influence, describing Grand Theft Auto 3 as Zelda meets Goodfellas.

Okami director Heideki Kamia, Capcom Platinum Games, said that he had been influenced by Zelda when he developed Okami. Soul Reaver and Unchartered Director Amy Hennig, Crystal Dynamics, and Nottie Dogg, cited Zelda as an influence for the Legacy of Kane series, noting Okarina of Times' influence on Soul Reaver. Dark Souls creator Hidataka Miyazaki from software said that the legend of Zelda became a sort of textbook for 3D action games Ico director Fumita Ueda, Team Ico cited Zelda as an influence on Shadow of the Colossus Dark Siders director David Adams' vigil games cited Zelda as an influence on his work CD Project Red, The Witcher,

Cyberpunk 277, cited Zelda as an influence on the Witcher series, including The Witcher 3, Wild Hunt, 2015. Final Fantasy and the third birthday director, Hajimetabata, Square Enix, cited Okarina of Time as inspiration for the seamless open world of Final Fantasy 15.