Top Zelda: Ocarina of Time moments
Can you believe the Nintendo 64 classic is now a quarter of a century old? Such an influential, timeless game that changed the history of 3D adventure games forever. Let’s celebrate with a list of top Zelda: Ocarina of Time moments.
10. Making it Rain in Hyrule
One of my favourite top Zelda: Ocarina of Time moments has to a little section that truly showed how weird and wonderful the time travelling mechanics are. Spoiler. Yes, the game does dabble with the flows of time!
As adult Link in the future, players stumble upon a merry accordion player who’s taken up permanent residence in the Kakariko Village windmill. You learn a song, go back in time, and play that same song to the same bloke. A storm brews and something unlocks… It’s such a clever and unusual mechanic that made Ocarina of Time so memorable!
9. Leaving the Kokiri Forest in Ocarina of Time
It can’t be a top Zelda: Ocarina of Time moments blog without mentioning that key cutscene towards the beginning of the N64 classic. After beating the first dungeon, Link wanders through a mysterious door and has a heartfelt exchange with his childhood bestie, Saria. She knows that Link will be leaving home and bids our hero farewell.
Moments later and players leap into the main Ocarina of Time adventure. Seeing the vast, huge open field for the first time is etched into my mind forever. Such a timeless feel and example of amazing technology at the time!
8. Unlocking Epona in Ocarina of Time
You may see Link riding Epona the horse in the very opening moments of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, but it’s not a super simple process to unlocking the legendary stallion! Our hero needs to first befriend the horse when younger, eventually encountering Epona again as an adult. After a tricky race or two, Link escapes with his lifelong companion into the Hylian wilderness!
Being able to ride around Hyrule and all the excitement getting to that point felt like being in some epic Western movie. Without spoiling too much, it’s definitely one of the top Zelda: Ocarina of Time moments and memories!
7. Meeting Princess Zelda for the First Time in Ocarina of Time
Speaking of first-time encounters, it couldn’t be a top Zelda: Ocarina of Time moments list without mentioning the titular princess herself, Zelda! Link first encounters the Hylian leader towards the beginning of the game and that scene in the Hyrule Castle courtyard is just so iconic.
Getting there is no mean feat, either. Our hero doesn’t have an invitation to just waltz into the castle, but instead it’s a little game of stealth as you sneak on past hordes of Hylian guards!
6. Darunia’s Daddy Dance
Imagine a naked rock man dancing in front of your very eyes? Yes. It’s that hot. A lot of these top Zelda: Ocarina of Time moments involve the incredible cast! When you first encounter Darunia, he’s quite the stubborn chap. Grumpy. Unrelenting. But after Link plays a wistful, familiar tune, the leader of the Gorons starts to dance. Strutting hits bits all over the screen!
It’s one that’ll probably never leave your mind, ever.
5. The Big Goron Sword Fetch Quest
Speaking of Gorons, Zelda: Ocarina of Time had a super challenging, fun fetch quest. It was one of the very first trading quests in the series (after Link’s Awakening on the Game Boy). You barter and exchange all sorts of items, some time-limited, across Hyrule and eventually end up having what you need to unlock a huge, double-handed blade!
This sword dispenses of bosses super quickly and is definitely worth having on hand towards the later parts of the game!
4. The Water Temple’s Dark Link
Speaking of bosses and battles, am sure many Zelda fans would agree that the Water Temple battle against Dark Link is one of the best fights in the series. I won’t spoil the build-up, but it is incredibly atmospheric and downright difficult to overcome. There are some nifty strats involving… nuts, yes, nuts. I’ll leave it to you to find out if you haven’t already!
3. Pulling the Master Sword
It wouldn’t be a Zelda game without our hero brandishing that timeless blade of legend, the Master Sword. It’s quite the adventure up until this point, challenging dungeons, and bosses. Link grabs that legendary blade and, well…
2. That Sheik Moment in Ocarina of Time
I’ll avoid spoilers, promise. But there is one Zelda: Ocarina of Time moment that involves the character Sheik. This mysterious warrior has been trailing our hero for some time, but during the adventure decides to share something with Link. Definitely one of the best plot-points in the Legend of Zelda series to date!
1. The Zelda: Ocarina of Time Moment: A Big Final Battle with Ganondorf
The final act. The last level. The final boss. Taking the crown for top Zelda: Ocarina of Time moments must be the final battle with Ganondorf. A game of energy ball tennis, one super challenging dungeon and escape, the closing minutes. Zelda bosses are often memorable and this one is definitely up there!
Exclusive Legend of Zelda Fan Tees & Prints
Love the Zelda series? Celebrate 25 years of Zelda: Ocarina of Time with unique Hylian designs inspired by the series, including this Hero of Time tee!
