This game is considered one of the best ever made. It was the first to receive a perfect score of 40/40 from Famitsu magazine and received widespread praise from critics. They especially appreciated how the game successfully transitioned to 3D, improving gameplay and offering a richer, more complex story.
Though it first came out almost thirty years ago, Ocarina of Time hasn’t held up as well as some other games from that time. While titles like Super Mario 64 are still enjoyable today, Ocarina of Time feels quite dated.
The Best Version of Ocarina of Time Is Locked to an Old System
A few of the problems listed here apply specifically to the original Nintendo 64 game, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
That particular version of the game is only available on the Nintendo 3DS and hasn’t been released anywhere else. If you want to play what many consider the best version of Ocarina of Time, you’ll need the original 3DS hardware, which has a smaller screen and can’t be connected to a TV like the Nintendo Switch.
For years, Nintendo fans have been asking for a remake of Ocarina of Time. While a complete overhaul would be amazing, even bringing the 3DS version to modern consoles would significantly improve the gaming experience.
The Nintendo Switch Controls Are Terrible With An N64 Pad
For modern gamers, the simplest way to experience The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is through the Nintendo Switch or Switch 2. You can download and play it with a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass subscription. This is more convenient than finding the original hardware, and it lets you play on your TV with added quality-of-life improvements, plus access to other classic Nintendo 64 games.
Playing Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo Switch can be tricky because the N64 controller doesn’t feel natural with current controllers like the Joy-Cons or Pro Controller. While you can purchase a dedicated N64 controller for the Switch, it’s an extra cost and often hard to find in stock.
Kaepora Gaebora’s Speeches Are Difficult to Sit Through
Kaepora Gaebora is the large owl Link meets on his adventure in Hyrule, and he was notoriously frustrating for players in the past. He has a habit of giving incredibly long explanations, often pointing out things that are already very clear, and these explanations span multiple screens of text.
The funny thing is, his last lines are actually a question asking if you want him to say it all again, and it automatically assumes you do! So, if you’re quickly trying to move past his speech, you might end up having to listen to the whole thing a second time. You’ll need to be strategic about how to quickly bypass this character’s unskippable dialogue.
Zelda Games Keep Getting Better
What made The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 64 so remarkable was how polished they were, especially considering they were some of the very first games in full 3D. Nintendo could have easily made mistakes transitioning to this new style, but they absolutely nailed it.
Currently, when looking at the Legend of Zelda series, Ocarina of Time isn’t necessarily the best game on the Nintendo 64. It faces strong competition from Majora’s Mask.
The recent open-world Legend of Zelda games are fantastic. Though people have different opinions about the older titles, those who first experienced Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom might find Ocarina of Time a bit underwhelming by comparison.
Ocarina of Time’s Endings All Lead to Bad Places
Early The Legend of Zelda games didn’t focus much on a connected storyline. While they shared some common themes and characters, each game was generally considered to take place hundreds of years after the last, with the first two titles being the exception.
Depending on how Link fares, Hyrule faces a grim future. If Link fails, monsters invade and a dark realm emerges. Even if he succeeds, trouble isn’t over – Ganondorf can return through another dimension, or the goddesses might flood Hyrule. Ultimately, all these different paths lead to the same broken world seen in Breath of the Wild, meaning Hyrule is destined for centuries of conflict and ruin, regardless of the player’s choices.
Ocarina of Time’s Mysteries Have All Been Solved
When The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was released, the internet was becoming a hub for rumors and stories. This created a sense of mystery around the game, leading players to believe hidden secrets were waiting to be discovered, and they spent a huge amount of time trying to find them.
The mystery around Ocarina of Time has faded. Thanks to online research, many old rumors have been proven false, and most of the game’s secrets have been revealed. This has unfortunately taken away some of what made Ocarina of Time so special.
Ocarina of Time’s Performance & Item Screen Are Endlessly Frustrating
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time really stretched the capabilities of the Nintendo 64. Early versions of the game featured a significantly bigger Hyrule with more characters, but developers probably had to scale it back to prevent the console from overheating. Even with these adjustments, the game occasionally struggles to maintain a smooth frame rate, despite still using pre-rendered backgrounds in certain areas.
One annoying part of the game is the item screen, which you have to open to change your equipment. It’s slow to load and close, taking a few seconds each time. This is especially frustrating in dungeons, where you often need to switch items to overcome obstacles. The 3D version of Ocarina of Time improved this by displaying items on a second screen, but not all players have that version.
Hyrule Is Surprisingly Empty
When The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time first came out, one of the things that really impressed players was how large and detailed its 3D world was.
Playing Ocarina of Time today can feel a little empty. While some criticize modern games for filling the world with too many things to do, Ocarina of Time’s areas, like Hyrule Field, sometimes feel surprisingly bare and lacking in content. Compared to those busier games, it can feel a bit lifeless.
Navi Scarred a Generation of Gamers
Link doesn’t speak, so other characters usually have to explain things to both him and the player.
The creators of Ocarina of Time were surprised by the negative reaction to Navi, mostly because of her repetitive phrases and irritating sounds, especially during gameplay. Fortunately, other game developers took note and made sure similar helper characters wouldn’t ruin the player’s experience—though Atlus didn’t seem to get the memo.
Ocarina of Time’s Water Temple Is Famously Frustrating
While The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is considered a timeless masterpiece, the Water Temple is notoriously disliked, even by its biggest supporters. It’s often cited as one of the game’s most frustrating dungeons, something players simply endure when replaying the game.
The Water Temple is notorious for being difficult to navigate, with slow swimming speeds and frequent trips to the item screen to change boots. It also requires a lot of revisiting areas you’ve already explored. Fortunately, the Nintendo 3DS version addressed many of these problems, making it a worthwhile experience for players.
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2026-03-17 04:13