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The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Ocarina of Time was awarded Game of the Year at the second annual Interactive Achievement Awards.
Developer(s)	Nintendo EAD
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Designer(s)	Shigeru Miyamoto Takashi Tezuka
Engine	Modified Super Mario 64 engine[1]
Platform(s)	Nintendo 64, GameCube, iQue
Release date	November 21, 1998 November 23, 1998 December 18, 1998 November 2003 (iQue)
Genre(s)	Action-adventure
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ESRB: E (Everyone) ELSPA: 3+ OFLC: G8+
Media	256Mb (32MB) Nintendo 64 cartridge GameCube Optical Disc

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (?????? ??????, Zelda no Densetsu: Toki no Okarina^?) is a video game produced by Shigeru Miyamoto for the Nintendo 64 game console. Released in late 1998, Ocarina of Time extended Nintendo's popular Legend of Zelda series into three dimensions. The game continues the saga of the youthful protagonist, Link, as he explores the fantasy world of Hyrule to save the mystical Triforce from the malevolent Ganondorf.

After three years of development subject to numerous delays and rumors, Ocarina of Time rode in on a hyped and anticipated release to garner great commercial and critical success. Within six months of its release, Ocarina of Time sold over five million copies,^[2] rejuvenating sales of the Nintendo 64 console after the hype of Super Mario 64 (1996) died down. Ocarina of Time is frequently ranked among the greatest video games ever made,^[3] and is praised for its groundbreaking graphics, innovative control scheme, and free roaming gameplay.

In 2000, Ocarina of Time was followed by a well-received sequel, subtitled Majora's Mask. The game was rereleased three times in 2003: an expanded version of the game, Ocarina of Time Master Quest, a Collector's Edition compilation, and on Nintendo's iQue Player. Ocarina of Time is also among a line of games available over the Wii's Virtual Console service.^[4]

Contents 1 Plot 2 Gameplay 3 Music and sound effects 4 Development 5 Critical response and awards 6 Impact and legacy 7 Sequels 8 Novelization and manga 9 Notes 10 External links

[edit] Plot

Ocarina of Time was the fifth game released in the Legend of Zelda series but is the first in terms of internal chronology, explaining the origins of the fantasy land Hyrule, Ganondorf's rise to power, and Link's first quest. The game opens as Link is partnered with a guardian fairy named Navi and summoned by the guardian of the Kokiri Forest, the Deku Tree, who requests that Link break a curse placed on him by a mysterious stranger.

Before the king unified the land, Hyrule was plagued by warfare. A Hylian woman, seeking refuge, stumbled upon the Kokiri Forest. Mortally wounded, she entrusted her infant son to the guardian of the forest, the Great Deku Tree. The boy, Link, grows among the Kokiri, children who never age.

Producer Shigeru Miyamoto focused on creating a "virtual, three-dimensional world that would be a very dynamic place where Link could 'live'." He explained that the story was "more of a supplemental element we incorporated into the latter part of the design."

The team thought players would want to play as an adult Link, but in a nod to previous Zelda titles, they included a young Link. The concept of a parallel world is present in most Zelda games, and that was represented in the time shift.

The Deku Tree explains that Link is destined to save Hyrule from a malevolent force and sends him to meet Hyrule's Princess Zelda. Zelda is worried about a stranger at the castle named Ganondorf, the king of the Gerudo thieves: although Ganondorf allies himself with the king of Hyrule, Zelda believes his allegiance masks a ploy to gain control of the Triforce, an artifact granting its user the power to rule the world. To foil Ganondorf's plot, Link travels Hyrule to acquire the other two sacred stones. When he returns to the castle, however, Ganondorf has revealed his true colors: a cutscene shows Link standing by as Zelda and her attendant, Impa, flee the castle by horseback with Ganondorf tailing closely behind. As she passes Link, she turns and tosses him the Ocarina of Time. 

Ganondorf, the evil in the game, needs to get the tree spiritual stones to open the Tempe of Time. He threatened the people who have them, but they didn't give him the stones.

The dark, serious plot is offset by typically quirky Japanese characters and scenes.

The main plot throughout the whole game is that Link(as a kid) must collect 3 Spiritual stones and open the Door of Time, along with the Ocarina of Time. As an adult, Link must awaken the 5 sages and fight to destroy the evil Ganondorf and rescue Zelda.

In terms of internal chronology, Ocarina of Time is a prequel to all games in The Legend of Zelda series, explaining the origins of the fantasy land of Hyrule: before the king unified the land, Hyrule was torn by warfare. A Hylian woman, seeking refuge, stumbled upon the Kokiri Forest.

and revealing Ganondorf's origins and his quest for the legendary Triforce.

Ganondorf is born king of the Gerudo, a race of thieves. Although he swears allegiance to the king of Hyrule, the king's daughter, Princess Zelda, doubts his sincerity.

The game opens as Link is partnered with a guardian fairy named Navi and summoned by the Deku Tree, who requests that Link break a curse placed on him by Ganondorf, the king of the Gerudo thieves.

The dying Deku Tree gifts Link with the Kokiri's Emerald and sends him to meet Hyrule's Princess Zelda. Ganondorf allies himself with the king of Hyrule, but Zelda believes that Ganondorf is trying to gain control of the Triforce, an artifact granting its user the power to rule the world. The Triforce is held in another dimension called the Sacred Realm, which is secured by the Master Sword in its pedestal in the nearby Temple of Time. To keep the Triforce from Ganon, Zelda tells Link that he must obtain three sacred stones, of which Link's Kokiri Emerald is one, to unlock the Master Sword and open the Realm.

After traveling Hyrule and obtaining the other two sacred stones, Link returns to the castle; by the time he arrives, however, Ganondorf has made his move. Zelda and her attendant, Impa, flee the castle by horseback, closely tailed by Ganondorf. In her flight, Zelda tosses the Ocarina of Time into the castle's moat and disappears into the night. Ocarina in hand, Link enters the Temple of Time; using the three stones and the Ocarina, he opens the Door of Time. Inside is the legendary Master Sword. Link pulls the sword from its pedestal and is transported to the Sacred Realm. However, Link unwittingly allows Ganondorf access to the Sacred Realm, who claims the Triforce for himself. Link emerges from the Temple of Time in late adolescence.

Link awakens to find himself in late adolesence. He is met by an old man named Rauru, who informs Link he was frozen in time for seven years until he was old enough to wield the Master Sword to defeat Ganondorf. Rauru then reveals himself as the ancient Sage of Light, one of the seven sages that protect the Triforce and tells Link that if he can find the six other sages, they can imprison Ganondorf within the Sacred Realm. Link must find the six Spiritual Temples and free them of Ganondorf's monsters. When cleared, each temple with awaken its respective Sage. Link returns to Hyrule to find it transformed into a dark world under Ganondorf's reign. Link is met by a mysterious character named Sheik, who appears periodically to guide him in his quest.

Eventually, Link returns to the Temple of Time in the future, where Sheik meets him once more. Sheik reveals that she is actually Princess Zelda in disguise. Zelda is also the seventh sage, the Sage of Wisdom, and the leader of all Sages. She tells Link that when Ganondorf took the Triforce, his heart was not in balance, so the Triforce split into three pieces. He kept the Triforce of Power, while Zelda gained the Triforce of Wisdom. Finally, through his perseverance, Link has been assigned the Triforce of Courage. Zelda also gives Link the magical Light Arrows needed to defeat the Lord of Darkness. Unfortunately, the meeting is observed by Ganondorf, who captures Zelda takes her prisoner in his huge tower (which has replaced Hyrule Castle).

[edit] Gameplay

Ocarina of Time provides players with an unbroken exploration of space, which is presented in third-person perspective and fully navigable in real time. The game's virtual universe is a large, contiguous overworld that branches off into several environments, from large interior chambers to open meadows and dense forests. The player is allowed full freedom of movement, and the massive 3D landscapes reward thorough exploration. The environments are highly interactive: Link can push and pull blocks, cut through shrubbery, blast through walls, light torch sconces, swim, climb, and so on. The context sensitive A Button changes action functions depending on the situation (grab, climb, throw, dive, drop), indicated at the top of the screen. There is no jump button; Link automatically jumps when appropriate.

Link's primary weapon is the sword, though other items are crucial to his quest: a bow and arrows, bombs, and the spring-loaded "hookshot" device round off his arsenal of items. Previous Zelda games limit players to one secondary item at hand. In Ocarina of Time, the lower C Buttons can be customized to give quick access to three different items. If bombs are assigned to the right C button command, for example, pressing that button will cause Link to pull out a bomb; pressing it again causes Link to toss the bomb.

Camera movement is controlled with the Z Button on the underside of the Nintendo 64 controller. The Z Button centers the camera behind Link and triggers "Z Targeting," a system allowing the player to lock on to objects, people, or enemies. When Z Targeting mode is activated, the action commands change: Link can sidestep, backflip, perform a leaping slash, and parry attacks while moving, commands suited for melee combat.^[5] Z Targeting is especially useful for speaking to distant people and in accurately using long range weapons such as the boomerang.^[6]

Link begins his quest with no weapons or items, but...Character interaction is important to gather clues...Dungeons are characterized by puzzles, mazes, and combat.

The passage of time affects gameplay: stores may be open exclusively during the day or night, and there are events that must be accomplished at certain times. The gravedigging tour in Kakariko Village, for example, is only available from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. In areas such as Kakariko Village and Hyrule's Market, time stands still. Time travel is an integral part of Ocarina of Time - accomplished with the titular Ocarina and the Master Sword. There are some items Link can only use in childhood or adulthood, and the way items are used may also depend on Link's age: adult Link, for example, wields the heavy Hylian Shield as a buckler, but young Link can only carry it on his back. note that weapons are permanent, but ammunition does not survive the journey through time. -items are very important and often come into play with the puzzles Link is guided by Navi throughout the game, who offers tips on where to go next, how to fight monsters, how to solve a puzzle, and so on.

Dungeons are — large self-contained areas, each with a single entrance in the overworld. Within most dungeons, Link must battle and puzzle his way through, finding items such as a Dungeon Map and Compass to aid him. Dungeons are usually built around puzzles. A dungeon typically contains a special item, often needed to defeat the boss at the end, which can be reached by finding the Boss Key and using it on the door to the boss's lair. Link's goal is to defeat the boss at the end of the dungeon. As in Mario and Metroid games, enemies have a strictly patterned style of fighting. The player's goal is to recognize these patterns and exploit their weaknesses.

Link's vitality is measured by heart containers. When Link takes damage, the number of hearts decrease, and when all are emptied, Link dies. Link begins his quest with three heart containers, but extra heart containers are awarded for defeating bosses and quarter-heart pieces are scattered throughout the world, often rewarded for completing sidequests and minigames.

Because three progress files can be stored directly on the N64 system, a Controller Pak is not necessary. The player can instead insert a Rumble Pak in the controller's expansion slot system, which vibrates when Link is near a secret. Secrets and sidequests are a big part of Ocarina of Time - heart collecting and item fetch quests. (Ocarina of Time supports Rumble Pak functionality)

Three progress files can be stored directly onto the N64 system, allowing the player to insert a Rumble Pak rather than a Controller Pak/ making available the expansion system' which clues players into certain puzzles (if they have an item called the Stone of Agony and are near secrets, then the Rumble Pak will vibrate) -mention fishing/shooting galleries/biggoron sword item fetch quest/also mention that these are done for hearts and items

When Link nears an enemy or object Navi can help with, she flies in that direction. The top C Button communicates with Navi, who changes colors when she can offer a hint, knows an enemy's weakness, or suggests a conversation with someone. The object is marked by a triangle above it and the "Focus Cursor." Navi singles out potential enemies, objects, and people.

[edit] Music and sound effects

For sound, Miyamoto considered environmental sound the most important, such as a sound effect indicating Link when he is surprised.

music heavily influences the gameplay, with the ocarina and with the "danger" music that signals (?) nearby enemies.

-ocarina of time has the same annoying tinny warning that Link is low in life... (could be used for valid criticism to be incorporated into reception section or music section) Reviewers also complain about Navi's annoying "HEY!" message. In IGN's review, Peer Schneider laments the absence of the classic Zelda overworld theme.

Ocarina of Time's music was composed by Koji Kondo, Nintendo's famed in-house composer. Music plays a considerably large part in Ocarina - aside from the background themes in the overworld and the dungeons, Link is also able to learn to play songs with his musical instrument, the ocarina itself. These songs can be played at almost any time during the game, with effects which vary from teleportation to communication with animals.

In addition, the gamer is free to play any notes they wish with the ocarina. The ocarina was able to play most musical notes with considerable accuracy. Magazines at the time, including Nintendo Official Magazine routinely published combinations to mimic famous theme tunes such as The Simpsons. The Hyrule overworld theme from past Zelda games, which is considered by most fans as the "official" Zelda tune, is not in Ocarina of Time in its entirety, although its opening phrase is subtly present in the Hyrule Field theme. This marks the only time in the series when the overworld theme has been absent.

Sometimes, in specific locations, the music is a variation on the most important ocarina tune for that place. For example, on Lon Lon Ranch, the theme is Epona's Song, with small and large variations. The music is world inspired, from cartoonish music for Kokiri Forest to Spanish flamenco in Gerudo Valley/Fortress. One of the songs, the original theme for the Fire Temple, angered some members of the Muslim community, as it resembled an Islamic prayer call.^[7] In response, Nintendo re-arranged the Fire Temple theme for later cartridges releases, replacing the sampled chants with a synthesized choir (though the newer song was generally regarded as poorer by comparison).

The only weak link in the chain I noticed is the lack of crisp CD-quality music, conceivably due to the limitations of the Nintendo cartridge system. It's unfortunate, given the superior story, gameplay, graphics and control.

"New 'Zelda' a can't miss for N64," The Toronto Star, 22 October 1998, sec. 4, p. K2.

The Toronto Star, October 22, 1998, Thursday, Edition 1, FAST FORWARD, 1127 words, Electronic Games Marc Saltzman

[edit] Development

In development, Ocarina of Time delayed countless times, setting up one of the most anticipated launches in video game history. 3D models of Link were first shown at the 1995 Shoshinkai Software Exhibition (now called SpaceWorld), which ran from November 24th to the 26th. In the following Shoshinkai show, Nintendo revealed the first videos of the game and confirmed it would be shipping for the 64DD, a disk-based expansion system for the Nintendo 64. With the development of the 64DD off schedule, Nintendo did a double take and stated that a complete and cartridge-based version of Ocarina of Time would arrive late in 1997, followed by an expanded version of the game for the 64DD. The game was showcased at E3 with new screenshots and plans to release in early 1998.

Miyamoto feels his shifting role was the biggest difference in developing Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 64. As producer, Miyamoto had to listen to the opinions and ideas of each of the four directors: Eiji Anouma, x, y, and z.

Miyamoto focused on creating a "virtual, three-dimensional world that would be a very dynamic place where Link could 'live'." He explained that the story was "more of a supplemental element we incorporated into the latter part of the design." The team thought players would want to play as an adult Link, but in a nod to previous Zelda titles, they included a young Link. The concept of a parallel world is present in most Zelda games, and that was represented in the time shift.

The biggest challenge, according to Miyamoto, was creating visual expressiveness using lighting and textures, such as the smooth skin of the horse and the realistic movements of Link's hood. However, Miyamoto downplayed the importance of the technical aspects to focus on the style of play. In the beginning of development, the team considered several different approaches to Ocarina of Time's gameplay, including a 3D shooter system similar to GoldenEye 007 (1997) and the 3D platformer system revolutionized by Super Mario 64. They combined ideas from both systems, but in the end the "Mario elements" became a major part of the game. The 3D adventure presented various play control problems for EAD. To make players aware of events taking place out of their direct line of sight, Miyamoto created the fairy Navi to warn Link of approaching danger. The team spent a long time on the Z Targeting mode even after coming up with the basic idea, rigorously fine-tuning it for control ease. The fifty-man development group was the larget Miyamoto ever had, and also had a programming company working closely with them. Including those people, maybe 120 people worked on Zelda altogether.

Miyamoto stated: "We have taken advantage of some of the specific methods used in movie production, but the game is not like a movie. It's more like an experiment in developing a new form of interactive media." He remarked that those who developed the camera work in the game love movies, so they "adapted the camera work from movies." Miyamoto used motion capture technology to capture more realistic movements, such as Link mounting his horse. The EAD team had to make a mock horse in the studio. The motion capture studio was expanded several times; they also motion captured the box opening sequence using a real treasure box. They hired a professional actor to perform as Link and hired professional stunt men to capture Link's sword fighting movements. They hired a professional Samurai stunt actor from Eigo Mura [Movie Village]. (note: to sum this up, you could just say that "Many of Link's movements were simulated.")^[8]

Ocarina of Time was originally designed with the N64 Disk Drive in mind. The system's magnetic disks allowed for 650 megabytes of storage space, but Ocarina of Time's shift to cartridge format meant it would have to be condensed into 256 megabytes. Miyamoto felt it "would have been more convenient to have used the Memory Expansion Pak for [Ocarina of Time], but it wasn't ready." The team began developing Ocarina of Time using the Super Mario 64 engine, but made so many modifications to it that it became a different engine entirely. Nearly half of the three years spent working on Ocarina of Time was on making the engine. Miyamoto called it "by far the most challenging video game I have ever worked on. [Super Mario 64] used 60 percent of the N64's power, whereas [Ocarina of Time] uses around 90 percent of the technology."^[9]

Ocarina of Time itself gained a ferocious amount of hype before release, the end result of which was that only those who had pre-ordered the game had any guarantee of receiving a copy. The game also gave the Nintendo 64 a lot of extra support, being released at a time in which the lack of games for the system was becoming a big problem for Nintendo (after the hype of the launch game mario 64 finally died down).

A US$10 million marketing effort (source: Search in academic search premier for Ocarina of Time) was massive. The launch benefited from an Internet buzz generated before Nintendo's official reports. The company's efforts focused on PR, followed by a paid effort with print ads, TV spots (a 60-second movie trailer), all created by Leo Burnett USA, Chicago.

Nintendo is making The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time its biggest single software launch of the year, backing the title with $10 million in TV, radio, print and in-theater advertising breaking in November. The fourth iteration in the Zelda series won't be available at retail until Nov. 23, priced at around $60, but support will ramp-up to the rollout starting later this month with radio and fullpage newspaper ads touting a pre-sale in-store offer of a gold-colored cartridge for those reserving copies with a down payment. Last year's Diddy Kong Racing sold a record 120,000 before the title was available. Nintendo is looking for Zelda to be a similar leader for its N-64 game system. "We are targeting 2 million sales by Christmas, but to do that we have to get beyond those who are already into the franchise," said George Harrison, Nintendo's marketing vp. The full campaign breaks in early November and runs through the month with three different versions of a 30-second spot via Leo Burnett, Chicago, mostly high-energy game footage. Sixty-second in-theater ads will play in 11,000-plus movie houses through the month, followed by another month of Game Boy movie ads.^[10]

"It is a foolishly perfect world," says master game designer Shigeru Miyamoto almost sheepishly. His team of 140 people labored for three years to create the game, the fifth in the popular Zelda series. The outcome of the video-game wars may well rest on its success. Nintendo hopes Zelda will drive people to buy its console, the N64, closing the gap with Sony's PlayStation. (In the same way, an earlier Miyamoto blockbuster, Donkey Kong, provided the beachhead for the old Super Nintendo Entertainment System.) Some 250,000 customers have already reserved copies of Zelda; demand was so great that Nintendo discontinued its "presell" program. The company expects to sell 2.5 million copies, at $69 a pop, by Christmas. Nintendo hopes the game will finally drive people to buy the Nintendo 64.^[11]

With Ocarina of Time, Nintendo hoped it would drive people to buy its console, closing the gap with Sony's PlayStation, as a common complaint was the lack of software for the N64.^[12]

Ocarina of Time placed first on the "most wanted" list in the March 1997 issue of Nintendo Power, placing just above the 64DD itself.^[13] The issue's edition of "Pak Watch" covered the game, then titled Zelda 64. An assortment of pictures showcased the game's environments, characters, enemies, and game elements, including multiple camera perspectives. Miyamoto's team of 50 people (source: academic search premier) of EAD team was tight-lipped with the story, but confirmed the action would take place in Hyrule and the Triforce and Ganon would play roles. The article stated that "...Zelda 64 should be ready by the end of the year." A stream of screenshots was released to the public through 1997, and in August it was confirmed that the game would weigh in at 256 megabits (32 megs). The game was confirmed playable in November 1997 at Nintendo's Space World. Miyamoto confirmed a second game for the DD to be released independently. Ocarina of Time was first playable at E3 1998. The Japanese demo allowed for going on any of three "tours" of Hyrule, allowing for limited exploration of areas of Hyrule and battle major enemies.

[edit] Critical response and awards

See also: Computer and video games that have been considered the greatest ever

More than half a million people plunked down a $10 deposit for the 1998 software ``The Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time in the months before its launch last November. George Harrison, Nintendo's VP-marketing and corporate communications, says Zelda has been ``the fastest selling title we have. I think over time, Zelda will probably outsell Mario Brothers. Historically, Nintendo says it usually sells about 80,000 to 90,000 copies of a videogame before it is launched -- the previous record holder was 1997's ``Diddy Kong Racing, which sold 130,000 games before its debut. For Zelda, Nintendo heightened the excitement by offering an extra incentive -- a gold-painted collectors edition cartridge.^[14]

Within six months of its release, Ocarina of Time sold over five million copies^[15], and a total of 7.6 million copies have been sold worldwide [CITE].

Ocarina of Time is widely regarded as one of the greatest video games of all time. In IGN's "Top 100 Games of All Time", Ocarina of Time was ranked second only to Super Mario Bros.^[3] It also placed second in its "Readers' Top 99 Games."^[16] Nintendo Power called Ocarina of Time the greatest game to ever appear on a Nintendo console.^[17] As a result of these and other high scores, Ocarina places first on both Metacritic^[18][19] and Game Rankings ^[20] sites which rank games by averaging review scores from many sources. In addition, when the UK's N64 Magazine reviewed Ocarina, they delayed the full review by one month in order to fully appreciate the game and its nuances. Finally, after an exhaustive review covering every reviewer in the magazine's favorite moments and some coverage of The Best Game Ever, the game was awarded 98% by the N64 staff. The music from Ocarina of Time was praised for its quality and seamless incorporation into the game.^[21][22]

Very few were disappointed with the game, something which is a startling rarity in gaming. Critically, the game was commended as a seamless transition from 2D to 3D in the Zelda series, since it supported the main feel and many details of the previous flagship Zelda: A Link to the Past. Many gamers, especially Nintendo fans, would argue that no game since Ocarina has matched its classic standard. Ocarina of Time immediately became the standard by which all future Zelda games were measured; Majora's Mask and The Wind Waker have both received comments that they fail to match the "newness" of Ocarina of Time, sometimes receiving lower scores as a result.^[23] Some notable minor flaws and annoyances in Ocarina which have kept the game from obtaining perfect scores from critics and gamers more generally include the inability to fast-forward text and cut scenes (which add up to over one entire hour in the game, and players often do not wish to rewatch them on a second playthrough) and also the inability to rematch defeated bosses and play through completed dungeons again, though the former is not possible in any of the Zelda games, except for Majora's Mask, and, to an extent, The Wind Waker.^{[24] [25]}

40/40 for Famitsu; 10/10 for IGN, GameSpot, EGM, and Edge; 9.5 in NP; 98/100 on GameRankings; 99/100 on metacritic; 4 stars out of 4 in USA Today;

Ocarina of Time was the first game awarded a perfect score by Famitsu, IGN, and GameSpot. Nintendo Power named Ocarina of Time 1998 Game of the Year, and in a 2005 retrospective, ranked the game "Best game of all time on a Nintendo console." At the second annual Interactive Achievement Awards, Ocarina of Time received a slew of awards: Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Design, Outstanding Achievement in Software Engineering, Console Game of the Year, Console Adventure Game of the Year, and Console RPG of the Year.

[edit] Impact and legacy

Tezuka said the team tried to come up with a system for 3-D action with simple play control, and hopes it will become standard for 3-D action games. Most publications agree it has.

Ocarina of Time will also be available for download over the Wii's Virtual Console service for 1,000 "Wii Points," equivalent to US$10.

Ocarina of Time is also popular among fans who do speedruns, search for beta quest, and so on.

The popularity of Ocarina of Time continues despite its age; a fanmade game titled The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 2D is currently being developed by Daniel Barras. When Barras' site went offline, rumors that Nintendo issued a "cease and desist" order persisted, but Barras insists that his website's closing was of his own accord; the website has since gone online again. The game features 16-bit graphics similar to A Link to the Past.^[26]

[edit] Sequels

Shortly after Ocarina of Time's completion, Nintendo's EAD team began working on a direct sequel. Majora's Mask first started to appear in the media in May 1999, when Famitsu stated that a long-planned Zelda expansion for the 64DD was underway in Japan with no release date set. This project was tentatively titled "Ura Zelda", "Ura" translating approximately to "Hidden" or "Behind." In June, Nintendo announced that "Zelda: Gaiden", which roughly translates to "Zelda: Side Story", would appear as a playable demo at Nintendo's SpaceWorld exhibition on August 27, 1999. It was assumed by the media that Zelda: Gaiden was the new working title for Ura Zelda. The same month, Miyamoto confirmed that Ura: Zelda and Zelda: Gaiden were separate projects.

Ura Zelda would become the Master Quest outside Japan, eventually released on a bonus disc for the GameCube given to those that preordered The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker; a PAL/NTSC Nintendo 64 release was cancelled due to the failure of the 64DD in Japan.

In November, Nintendo announced a "holiday 2000" release date for Zelda: Gaiden.^[27] By March 2000, new tentative titles were announced that would become the finalized titles: The Legend of Zelda: Mask of Mujula in Japan and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask elsewhere.^[28]

[edit] Novelization and manga

Ocarina of Time was adapted into a novel in the month of the game's release. Authored by Jason Rich and published by Sybex, the book features a large selection of pictures and a strict novelization of the onscreen events in the game.

An Ocarina of Time manga was also written by Akira Himekawa. The manga is divided into two episodes: ???? (Child Saga) and ???? (Adult Saga). The books closely follow the plot of the game.

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

• Official The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time site at Nintendo
• Ocarina of Time at Nintendo's Zelda Universe
• Zelda's Secret Ocarina, a website detailing the "Beta Quest" and other lost regions of Ocarina of Time game data
• Speed Demos Archive, Ocarina of Time speedruns
• (Japanese) Shigesato Itoi's website, offers information by the production team

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