Deep in the fiery belly of Ocarina of Time’s Death Mountain lies a subterranean labyrinth known as Dodongo’s Cavern. As the second dungeon on Link’s adventure, it not only serves as a challenge of puzzles and monsters, but as a narrative pivot in Link’s journey as a hero. This dungeon is a labyrinthian cave system…
It looks like after joining Super Smash Bros. in 2001, Ocarina of Time’s Young Link hasn’t played his whole hand of moves to all the other competitors just yet! This modder has a penchant for rendering the powerful, iconic moves of Smash in Ocarina of Time’s engine to see what kind of outlandish interactions can…
For the month of March, Game Informer magazine held its own bracket-style tournament to determine the “greatest video game of all time.” Game Informer assembled the entries using a readers vote they held back in 2018 to determine the top 300 games of all time, as well as input from various online communities, staff input,…
I’ve been listening to some nostalgic gaming podcasts on my commute to work recently, so I’ve got the N64 on my mind. Weighing up whether Ocarina of Time or Majora’s Mask was a more formative playing experience has proved moot: I played them simultaneously and both have different merits. But Ocarina of Time is such…
The infiltration of Gerudo Valley and the excavation of the Spirit Temple are some of my favorite moments in Ocarina of Time. The memories of the game of cat and desert rat between Link and the Gerudo Guards, following the Poe through the raging sandstorm, delving into the Spirit Temple as both a child and…
“Zzzzz…. Zzzzz….. Huh? Wha–! Uh-Oh! A customer!” Every hero is bound to come across a few shopkeepers in their journey to save the world. Not all items can be found from slicing down grass or breaking pots. There are various shopkeepers throughout Hyrule and the surrounding lands. Some that fade into the background and are…
Time is running out as certain preorders for Lost In Cult’s latest volume of [lock-on] Vol. 006 comes to a close after this weekend. The crowdfunding campaign was originally set to end December 19, 2023, but due to popular demand and a remarkable opportunity, Lost in Cult extended the deadline to February 18, 2024. Their…
I’ll admit it. I didn’t beat Ocarina of Time until two years ago or so. I know, I know, but I had a very good reason, I swear. When I was in middle school, I spent a majority of my nights playing on my GameCube. It was silver and beautiful. We had a hefty CRT…
Rumblings have been rippling in the online community that the Legend of Zelda franchise could arrive in officially licensed Lego sets in the near future. No official word has cropped up from the famous toy building brand or Nintendo at this time, but due to the fact that there are already officially licensed Super Mario…
“You shall not pass!” That was clearly the collective statement from Awesome Games Done Quick (AGDQ) to the calamitous effects of cancer. Last week, hundreds of volunteers, speedrunners, and gaming enthusiasts alike came together in Pittsburgh, PA to host the renowned speedrunning marathon for a solid week straight. The fundraising event was for the Prevent…
Too many times have I cursed the screen when playing The Legend of Zelda due to losing the Sword Beam because I lost half a heart. This extremely powerful ability that allowed you to attack enemies far away with your sword was invaluable, especially in a game like The Legend of Zelda where being close…
Zora’s Domain is always a magnificent place. Scaling the cliffside as Wolf Link in Twilight Princess is a spectacle, and the town’s luminous architecture in Breath of the Wild is absolutely stunning. Ocarina of Time takes a simpler approach, opting for a small underground lake for the Zora to call home. It’s beautiful in its…
Core to many games is the idea of weakness and resistance. Be it the type charts of Pokémon, the Lance beats Sword beats Axe of Fire Emblem, the targeted weak/strong/null of various Persona, or something similar, many hobbyist gamers have interacted with the idea that water beats fire. Across the Zelda franchise, there have been…
The Kokiri Forest from Ocarina of Time is filled with children embracing nature at every turn; from the plant homes they live in to the green lead-like clothes they wear. One particular Kokiri Child is liked by all, playing a song on her ocarina and always having kindness in her heart. Her love for the…
If you’ve ever fallen beneath the bridge near Gerudo Valley’s entrance in Ocarina of Time, you might know that the water leads straight to Lake Hylia. It’s a cute shortcut that connects two different parts of Hyrule in a unique way. As it turns out, it’s hardly the only place you’ll see this particular river.…
