The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time


 * This article is about the game. For the item, see Ocarina of Time (Item). For other uses, see Ocarina of Time (Disambiguation).

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the fifth main installment of and the first to be released for the Nintendo 64. It was one of the most highly anticipated games of its age. It is listed among the greatest video games ever created by numerous websites and magazines. Released in the United States on November 23, 1998, it was the first game in The Legend of Zelda series that was visually displayed in 3D (previous games of the series had a front or top-down view).

It is generally considered to be a classic, most famously scoring the first perfect 40/40 score in Famitsu Magazine - a feat that only 26 games (including, SS undefined and ) have ever achieved. In addition, G4 television declared it "the #1 game of all time" as well as Nintendo Power. is listed in Guinness World Records - Gamer's Edition 2008, as the highest ranked game of all time. In the 2010 Gamer's Edition, was updated as "the most critically acclaimed game of all time." It is also the highest scoring game of all time on Metacritic, at 99/100. It has also been ranked the greatest video game of all time by dozens of other publications.

At E3 2010, a remake of the game for Nintendo 3DS was announced, called. The remake was released in June 2011.

Events leading up to
Approximately ten years before 's story begins, there was a war known as the Hyrulean Civil War. This war explains the origins of several characters and provides extra backstory to their motives.

The Boy Without a Fairy
In the Kokiri Forest, all the forest children have their own guardian Fairies, bestowed upon them by the Great Deku Tree, except for one boy named Link. Link has recently been plagued by nightmares of a girl fleeing from an evil man clad in black. For as long as he can remember, Link has been ostracized by the other children and has never quite fit in. One day, as he is nearing death, the Great Deku Tree sends Navi the fairy to summon the boy to him. In order to test young Link's courage, the Great Deku Tree bids Link to venture inside his hollow and break the curse cast upon him by a "wicked man dressed in black."

Link complies, but his efforts are for naught; the Great Deku Tree's death was sealed in the pages of fate before Link's attempt had even begun. With his final breath, the Great Deku Tree bestows upon Link the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, the Kokiri's Emerald, and entreats him to travel to Hyrule Castle and meet with Princess Zelda.

After traveling across Hyrule Field and passing through Castle Town, Link does not take long to realize that speaking to the princess of Hyrule will not be a simple matter; many guards stand watch, alert and ready to catch any trespassers. However, he manages to infiltrate the castle, bypassing the front gate and evading all of the guards in his path. When he reaches the castle itself, the raised drawbridge seems like an insurmountable obstacle. However, Link discovers an unguarded water drain by the castle moat and manages to crawl through the hole, emerging within the castle garden. Many more guards are on patrol here, but Link is able to dodge all of them and sneak into the Castle Courtyard. In this Courtyard, his fate converges with that of the young Princess of Hyrule.

Princess Zelda tells Link of her prophetic dreams, explaining that she had seen him come from the forest and break through a veil of darkness, accompanied by a Fairy guide and bearing the Kokiri's Emerald. She also warns him about Ganondorf, the man clad in black whom Zelda believes is symbolized by the dark clouds of her dreams, and his evil intention to steal the Triforce of legend from the Sacred Realm. With the power of the goddesses, his desire to subjugate the world would be realized. In order to do this, Ganondorf would require not only the three Spiritual Stones of Hyrule, but also the mystical OoT3D:. Zelda insists that Link track down the other two Spiritual Stones, so that they might beat Ganondorf to the Triforce and put an end to his plot.

Link sets out for Death Mountain and Zora's Domain, where he succeeds in assisting both the Gorons and the Zoras in quelling the calamities that Ganondorf had wrought in his pursuit of the Triforce and is awarded with the other two Spiritual Stones, the Goron's Ruby and Zora's Sapphire   for his efforts.

He returns to Hyrule Castle to inform Zelda of his success, only to witness his nightmare come to pass. Ganondorf attacked Hyrule Castle in an attempt to steal the Ocarina of Time, and Princess Zelda was forced to flee with her loyal attendant Impa on horseback in order to keep the Triforce from Ganondorf's hands. As she passes Link on the drawbridge of Hyrule Castle Town, she throws the ocarina into the moat to give him the chance to enter the Sacred Realm and retrieve the Triforce. In hot pursuit, Ganondorf charges across the drawbridge on horseback, blasting Link with dark magic when he tries to stand in his way. Dismissing Link as no credible threat to his power, he speeds off in pursuit of the princess. When Link retrieves the Ocarina of Time from the moat, he receives a telepathic message from Zelda, telling him to play the "Song of Time" in front of the Temple of Time's altar. Link makes his way to the Temple of Time and proceeds to use the three Spiritual Stones and play the "Song of Time" to open the Door of Time. Beyond it lies the Master Sword, the Blade of Evil's Bane, resting in the Pedestal of Time. Link draws the blade, unlocking the gateway to the Sacred Realm. Despite the Master Sword accepting Link as its wielder, it seals him away in the Sacred Realm. Ganondorf, who had suspected that Link might have already acquired the keys to the Sacred Realm, appears and mocks him for leading him to the Triforce. Link watches helplessly as Ganondorf crosses over into the Sacred Realm.

The Hero of Time
Seven years later, Link is awakened by an old man in the Chamber of Sages. He introduces himself as Rauru, and reveals himself as one of the ancient Sages that preside over the Sacred Realm. Rauru explains that only the Hero of Time can pull the Master Sword from its Pedestal. However, Link was too young to be the Hero of Time, so his spirit was sealed in the Sacred Realm for seven years. Rauru further reveals that Ganondorf obtained the Triforce after gaining access to the Sacred Realm, and used its power to transform Hyrule into a land of darkness. Rauru urges Link to seek out the remaining Sages, and grants Link his power in the form of the Light Medallion.

Link returns to the Temple of Time, where he is greeted by a mysterious man named Sheik, one of the survivors of the ancient Sheikah tribe. He tells Link of Ganondorf's conquest over the last seven years, and of the legend of the Sages. He urges Link to awaken the five remaining Sages in the five Temples mentioned in the legend, which are scattered throughout Hyrule. Wielding the Blade of Evil's Bane, Link sets out to break the curse on all of the sacred Temples and awaken the Sages within.

After all Six Sages are awakened, Link returns to the Temple of Time and encounters Sheik again. Sheik tells Link another legend of the Triforce passed down by the Sheikah. The Triforce is a scale that measures the three virtues ruled by the Golden Goddesses: Power, Wisdom, and Courage. If the heart of someone who holds the sacred triangle carries all three of these forces in balance, that person will acquire the Triforce intact, the divine authority to govern all. If one's heart is not in balance, the Triforce will separate into three parts, and only one part will remain for the one who touched the Triforce: that part which embodies the force that one most believes in.

If one with an unbalanced heart would seek the Triforce, then that person must strive to acquire the two lost parts, which will rest within two others chosen by destiny who will hold the crest of the goddesses on the backs of their hands. When Ganondorf laid his hands upon the Triforce, the prophecy came to pass. The Triforce split into its three parts, and only the Triforce of Power remained in Ganondorf's hands.

Ganondorf proceeded to conquer the Sacred Realm, and became the self-proclaimed King of Evil, but his lust for power was not yet satisfied. Ganondorf began hunting for those chosen by destiny to obtain the other two pieces of the Triforce that had escaped his grasp. Sheik reveals that Link wields the Triforce of Courage, and sheds his disguise to reveal himself as Princess Zelda, the seventh Sage who wields the Triforce of Wisdom.

Zelda tells Link that she thought that giving him the Ocarina of Time seven years prior would be the best way to keep it out of Ganondorf's grasp. However, she did not predict that Ganondorf would follow Link into the Sacred Realm and take the Triforce of Power for his own. Zelda disguised herself as a Sheikah to hide from Ganondorf, and waited seven years for Link to return. Zelda tells Link that the Sages must seal Ganondorf inside the Sacred Realm, and that she must seal the door to the Sacred Realm itself to keep him imprisoned. However, in revealing herself to Link, Zelda also exposes herself to Ganondorf, who has been waiting for such a moment. He promptly encases her within a large magic crystal and brings her to his Castle, constructed where Hyrule Castle had stood before its destruction. Link rushes to the Castle to save the princess.

The Final Confrontation
Link breaks the barrier around the fortress with the help of the six awakened Sages. Storming the keep, he confronts Ganondorf, and a climactic battle unfolds over the fate of Hyrule and the Triforce.



Without a strong and righteous mind, Ganondorf cannot control the power of the gods, and is felled by Link's hand. With their power now restored, the Sages cast the evil incarnation of darkness into the void of the Evil Realm that had been the Sacred Realm before being stained by Ganondorf's evil. Zelda then seals the gateway, imprisoning Ganondorf within the Sacred Realm. Before he is sealed away, Ganondorf warns Link and Zelda that he will return to exterminate their descendants when the seal is broken.

Zelda instructs Link to place the Master Sword back in its Pedestal and close the Door of Time, closing the road between the two timelines, and she sends him to his original time. After Link returns to his original time, he retains knowledge about Hyrule's fate. With this information, he visits Princess Zelda in order to prevent such a fate from ever occurring. Link, who traveled through time to save the land, would be forever known in legend as the Hero of Time.

Third Dimension
The gameplay of was revolutionary for its time. It has arguably made more of an impact on later games in the series than any of its predecessors, even though they had the same cores of exploration, dungeons, puzzles and item usage. The Z-targeting mechanic introduced by has retained its core values in later 3D console games, as well as having been introduced in other video game series. Another key feature is the introduction of the "Action button," which has different uses depending on Link's environment; for instance, standing next to a door prompts the Action button to change to "Open," allowing Link to open the door.

The three-dimensional environment, enhanced sound, and greater graphical capacity of the Nintendo 64 allowed Nintendo to create a truly immersive environment beyond what had ever been done before, allowing for greater separation between cheerful environments, such as Hyrule Castle Town and Kokiri Forest, and comparatively dark areas such as Ganon's Castle and the Shadow Temple.

Time Travel
Among the game's particular gameplay mechanics, one of the most noteworthy is the time-traveling system. The game is divided into two periods. In the first, the protagonist Link is a child, and his mission is to retrieve sacred stones that are the key to open the Door of Time, where the Blade of Evil's Bane, the Master Sword, lies. As a child, he explores a peaceful Hyrule, the dangers he faces are not too concerning, and the dungeons are not too complex. In the second period, Link is an adult, and has to visit temples to free the ancient Sages whose goal is to seal Ganon from the world of light. This is because the Gerudo King turned Hyrule into a much fiercer land, thus most regions of it suffer from curses that affect the inhabitants in various ways. Other differences between these two periods are the tools, items and treasures available. Because of this, some parts cannot be accessed by child Link or adult Link, the sidequests vary, child Link cannot use adult weapons, and adult Link cannot enter small holes. Both periods, from a point of the game onwards, can be alternated anytime; in fact the only way to clear the game is to properly take the actions corresponding to each version of Link. This is similar to the Dark/Light dichotomy from, and thanks to its notability in the game, adult Link became a trademark image of the young hero for most players, despite most Zelda games featuring Link as a child.

Music and Transportation
also introduces the use of music to solve puzzles. This mechanic would later appear in, , and. As new songs are learned, they can be used to solve puzzles, gain access to new areas and warp to different locations.

The game also introduces Epona, a horse Link can travel with after retrieving her from captivity in Lon Lon Ranch; she is very useful for travel in Hyrule Field, and there are certain sidequests that require her assistance. Epona can only be used in the adult parts of the game, as she is too young to carry children in the child timeline.

Equipment
Link can also change his equipment through the pause subscreen. Over the course of his adventure, Link may find different swords, shields, boots, and tunics. Many areas can only be explored when the hero is correctly equipped.

As a child, Link is initially equipped with the Kokiri Tunic and the Kokiri Boots. Early in his quest, he obtains the Deku Shield and the Kokiri Sword. Link may acquire the Hylian Shield later on, but due to it being too big for him, he cannot properly use it. After transforming into an adult, Link keeps his Kokiri Tunic and Boots, but is unable to equip the Kokiri Sword and Deku Shield. During his adult quest, he acquires the Goron Tunic to withstand extreme heat and the Zora Tunic to breathe underwater. Link also receives the heavy Iron Boots used to sink to the bottom of bodies of water, and the Hover Boots to hover in midair briefly. Link also finds the Mirror Shield, which allows him to reflect light. Optionally, Link can also obtain the more powerful Giant's Knife or Biggoron's Sword.

Other items, which remain stacked for a permanent effect on Link, including the Goron Bracelet as a child, the Gauntlets as an adult (each allowing him to lift stronger objects, from Bomb Flowers to giant rocks), and Zora Scales to dive deeper underwater as a child. Link may also obtain a collection of bag upgrades for Bombs, Arrows, Bullet Seeds, Deku Nuts, and Rupees.

Development
was originally intended and designed for the Nintendo 64DD peripheral for the Nintendo 64 game console. It was supposed to be the flagship title of the 64DD, while the  was to be the counterpart for the main system itself. However, as the release of the 64DD became progressively delayed, Nintendo chose to move to a standard N64 cartridge with 32 MB of storage, only half the size of the 64DD disks, however it is still the largest cartridge ever produced for Nintendo systems up to that time, which saved most of the important content. This shift from 64DD disk to N64 cartridge contributed to the game being delayed significantly.

In early stages of development, the game was structured similarly to Super Mario 64, with Ganon's Castle as the only setting, and various different rooms in the castle serving as the dungeons.

Graphics
Being the first 3D Zelda game, a new engine was used for both this game and eventually. Because the engine is based on polygonal graphics, they would require a significant amount of memory in the cartridge, and generating the graphics with simultaneity and consistency would imply the sacrifice of other aspects, such as music or textures. To solve this difficulty, some techniques were used so that the game wouldn't have any problems in this regard: When the camera is facing forward, the game only loads the memory of what is in that direction, be it enemies, characters or simply the space of the territory placed there. This means that there is literally nothing currently loaded on the sides not being witnessed by the camera angle.

Audio
Despite being a 3D game, there is almost no voice acting from the characters, with some slight exceptions: Navi when she is calling Link, Link when he yawns or sneezes, when he is shocked or when he sustains damage. A few characters scream, such as Ganondorf, Sheik and Link when he falls from high altitude, or laugh, such as Ganondorf, Saria and Malon.

Like most Zelda games, has its music composed by Koji Kondo. Surprisingly, the main theme of The Legend of Zelda series is absent in this game, as the overworld tune for this game is new. The game also uses interactive music: Normally, a background theme correspondent to where Link is can be heard; when an enemy is close to him, however, a particular combat theme can be heard, and won't stop until the enemy is defeated. In a similar way, the aforementioned overworld theme changes (not only in presence of an enemy, but also when Link is standing on a place). Koji Kondo composed the Ocarina melodies with only five tones of the first three musical notes.

Save Mechanics
The game can be saved at any point through the Subscreen. This will save the game's progress and items obtained up to this point. When opening a save file, the players location will revert to one of the following, depending on their progress and where the game was saved.


 * Link's House: If Link is a child when the game is saved, and was not in a dungeon, he will start in his house in Kokiri Forest regardless of where he was when the game was saved.
 * OoT:: If Link is an adult when the game is saved, and was not in a dungeon, he will start in the Temple of Time regardless of where was when the game was saved.
 * OoT: Entrance: If the game is saved while in a dungeon, regardless of Link's age or dungeon progress, he will start at the entrance to the dungeon.

Setting
is the first title in the series to show Hyrule in three dimensions. The sacred land is a vast region that portrays various different ecosystems, which are populated by Hylians and other races. Hyrule Field is the central territory, and is connected to the other areas. It also surrounds Lon Lon Ranch, where milk is produced and where numerous animals are raised. Located east from the field is Kokiri Forest, where Link lives (and where the game begins) along with the Kokiri race (who inhabit the place and, as long as they do so, do not age); the forest is governed by the Great Deku Tree until his death early in the game. Found north of the field is Hyrule Castle Town, where most of the Hylians live, and where Princess Zelda is raised until her turn comes to lead Hyrule. It's also where the Temple of Time was built to house the legendary Master Sword.

East from Hyrule Castle Town is Kakariko Village, a place formerly inhabited by the Sheikah tribe until Impa made it public for people to live there, and where the Graveyard houses the remains of the deceased Royal Family members. Kakariko Village itself is the starting point to reach Death Mountain, the rocky home of the proud Goron race, as well as the fierce Dodongo population, and where an active volcano can be accessed. Northeast from Hyrule Field is Zora's Domain, a crystalline river and fountain inhabited by the Zoras and governed by King Zora until Princess Ruto takes the throne to accept her royal duty. Lake Hylia, found south from the Field, is not ruled by any race, but the Zoras did build a OoT: in the Lake itself. Finally, Gerudo Desert is located west from the Field, and consists of a Valley, a Fortress, a Haunted Wasteland, and the surroundings of a Temple. It is inhabited by the Gerudo tribe, and is considered to be a ground isolated from the rest of Hyrule.

Initially, most of these areas are relatively safe from evil, and the few exceptions (Kokiri Forest, for example) have problems too specific to cause any major impact on its inhabitants, mostly having to do with the search of the Spiritual Stones. Seven years later, however, every single part of Hyrule is affected greatly by Ganondorf's evil influence, so Link must visit the sacred Temples so that the Sages can be awakened and the curses can be undone, one by one.

Changes Between Versions
Five different versions of the game were produced for the Nintendo 64. Three versions were made for Japan and North America and two for Europe. The Japanese and North American versions themselves are identical aside from a byte that sets the game's region and determines the language of the game. Several minor changes were made between each version, with a variety of text corrections and glitches fixed. Further corrections were made in version 1.2 and the European versions, as well as the recoloring of Ganondorf's blood from crimson to green, and the alteration of the music heard in the OoT3D: 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. Contrary to popular belief, the chanting was not removed due to public outcry, but instead after Nintendo discovered it violated their own policy to avoid religious material in games. All five Nintendo 64 versions of were completed prior to the game's original release date of November 21.

A further modified version of 1.2 was produced for the Nintendo GameCube release. The Crest of the Gerudo, as depicted on blocks, switches and the Mirror Shield, was changed from an inverted crescent moon and star symbol (associated with Islam) to a unique design introduced in. Further changes and corrections were made to the game's dialogue, along with minor technical changes. The Virtual Console versions of the game are identical to the version released for the GameCube, but with the Nintendo 64 button colors.

Special Edition
Between December 1998 and 1999 a Special Edition bundle was released exclusively by German mail order company Cyber Games. It included a physical copy of the game, a T-shirt with the logo on the front and a unique artwork of Link on the back, a relief pin in the shape of the Series: and a Series: with the word "Zelda" stamped onto it and a gold butterfly clutch, and a flyer promoting merchandise by Cyber Games.

Timeline Placement
When it comes to the Zelda Timeline, is one of the most vital and decisive installments, which is attested by both its placement and the connections with past and future games. According to the book, it is indicated to be the final Zelda game in the pre-split timeline era, which starts with SS undefined (which, shortly after its official announcement, was confirmed to take place before ). The other games preceding are  and. Regardless, has always been a pivotal game in the chronology with the events at the end of the game, where Zelda sends Link back to his youth, splitting the timeline. When the official timeline was revealed in, the placement of in the series was revealed to be of even greater value, as the events of the game actually split the series' timeline into three branches.

"Downfall Timeline"
At the end of, there was one outcome in which Ganondorf actually defeated Link, which resulted in the formation of the "Downfall Timeline". It starts with the Hero of Time, Link, failing to defeat Ganondorf, which allowed him to obtain the remaining Triforce pieces from Link and Zelda. The seven Sages proceeded to quickly seal him within the corrupted Sacred Realm. Years later, greedy people entered the Dark World seeking the Triforce, turning into monsters and becoming part of Ganon's army. In the war that ensued, the Knights of Hyrule protected the Sages of that era from Ganon's minions, while they cast a seal to close off the entrance to the Dark World. This marked the conclusion of the Imprisoning War, which laid the foundation for the events of. After, , and , , ,  and  take place, in that order.

"Child Timeline"
If Link succeeds in defeating Ganondorf, the timeline branches into one of two more timelines. When Zelda sends Link back in time, the "Child Timeline" is formed. Although Ganondorf is not granted access to the Sacred Realm, it is very possible that unbeknownst to him, he acquired the Triforce of Power as a result of Link returning back with the Triforce of Courage in his possession. Link informs Zelda of the "future" events and leaves Hyrule shortly afterwards, setting the events of in motion. Ganondorf is executed several years later according to the backstory of. Many years later the events of take place. Following  takes place featuring Vaati and another incarnation of Ganondorf.

"Adult Timeline"
In a third branch of the events in, the "Adult Timeline" continues after Link defeats Ganondorf and the Sages seal him in the Sacred Realm with the Triforce of Power in his possession. Link is sent back to his childhood, leaving this branch without a Hero, as told in the prologue to. Ganondorf eventually overcomes the Sages' seal and attempts to take over Hyrule, but with no Hero to face the evil, the Goddesses flood Hyrule, leading to the events of and consecutively, and later in the timeline,.

Sales
was the best-selling The Legend of Zelda game as of March 31, 2004, with 7.6 million copies sold worldwide. It was later surpassed by, which had had cumulative sales of 8.85 million as of September 30, 2015, when the sales of the Nintendo GameCube and Wii versions of the game were combined.

Reviews
The game was universally praised by critics when it was first released, receiving perfect scores from many reviewers, such as Famitsu, Gamespot, IGN, and Edge. Metacritic gives the N64 version of the game a score of 99/100, and the GameCube re-release 91/100. Features such as the Z-targeting system and context-sensitive Action button were well-received. The GameCube and Wii versions of the game were praised as well.

The game's graphics were called "beautiful" by IGN reviewer Peer Schneider, who commented that "rarely is there such a perfect mixture of graphics, sound and gameplay," giving the game a 10/10. Gamespot editor Jeff Gerstmann agreed, also giving the game a perfect score, saying that "this is the masterpiece that people will still be talking about ten years down the road." Criticism on the game focused on the occasional slow pace associated with some parts, such as the OoT:, as well as the use of MIDI for the music quality.

Nonetheless, Nintendo Power placed it first in their list of best games and stated that, despite its age, is still a great game and called it a "masterpiece".

Fan Reception
The game stands as a fan favorite, currently holding an average reader score of 9.7 at IGN, as well as a current average user score of 9.6 on GameSpot.

Years after its release, continues to be a popular game, frequently being featured on compiled lists of all-time best games. For some players, the game's high success has overshadowed the potential success of later Zelda games, therefore becoming a tough act to follow, and marking the downfall of the series in a way. There is also a debate regarding whether the game is overrated or not, with IGN editor Levi Buchanan analyzing this subject from a historical and technical perspective; this debate was revisited when current Zelda director Eiji Aonuma said that he would not quit working on the franchise until he created a superior game, as well as when he said that the game hasn't aged very well.

Greatest Game of All Time
It has been ranked the greatest video game of all time by dozens of publications, including Computer and Video Games, Edge,     IGN,  Metacritic, Next Generation, Nintendo Power,   GameStats, GameFAQs, GamingBolt, VideoGamer, Game Informer, Slant, FHM, Joystik, and PALGN.

Ports and Remakes

 * See also: Changes Between Versions

GameCube Ports
was ported to the GameCube twice. Once was for a pre-order bonus for, in which customers would receive (The Wind Waker//OoT: Master Quest bundle was available as a "limited edition" general release in Europe, in addition to preorders). The second time was for a special GameCube bundle that came with.

iQue Player
was ported to the Chinese iQue Player (a localized version of the Nintendo 64) released in 2003. The dialogue was fully translated to Chinese. This marked the first Zelda game to become available in China. The game is downloaded to the iQue Player using a points card. The iQue version of is based on version 1.2. Lag is virtually non-existent due to iQues more powerful hardware than the Nintendo 64, most noticeable during the collapse of Ganon's Castle. In the cutscene, the castle falls at such a speed that the audio falls out of sync with the cutscene.

Virtual Console
has been ported to the Virtual Console on both the Wii and Wii U.

On the Wii Virtual Console, the Japanese and American 1.2 and European 1.1 Nintendo 64 version is available for download for 1000 Wii Points. The Virtual Console does not support the rumble feature, which renders the Stone of Agony useless. Although based on the Nintendo 64 version, it still contains the changed moon and star symbols. This is due to a patch which was put in the Virtual Console emulator which changes them.

On the Wii U Virtual Console, the game is available for download for approximately ten US dollars.

3DS Remake
A Nintendo 3DS remake of was announced by Nintendo during the E3 2010 conference. Various tweaks were made to the popular title besides improved graphics, including a new system for equipping items, specifically the Iron Boots and the constant swapping necessary in the OoT3D: and the introduction of the Shard of Agony in place of the Stone of Agony, which alerts Link of hidden caves using a sound effect rather than a rumble.

Design Influence
introduced many design elements that would be repeated in later games:
 * Character models: was the first game in the series to feature an in-game blond-haired Link (although the official art of previous games had depicted Link with blond hair, none of the character sprites displayed this characteristic). It also produced the first detailed model of Zelda's character, particularly her dress designs which have been the same ever since. It was also the first to portray a human form of Ganondorf. Many of the character models of  were reused in its sequel,.
 * Races: Many races also made their debut in . The Kokiri, Gorons, Gerudo, Hylians, Deku Scrubs and Sheikah all originated or were at least identified in . The Zoras technically appeared first in the original game and were given the ability to walk in, but their widely accepted character model - the slender, sky-blue, aquatic design - was first made in.

Other

 * , while not being the first game in the series to feature a musical item or a list of songs, is the first game to allow the player to play the songs note by note rather than simply selecting the item or the song being used.
 * As mentioned before, it introduced the Targeting system, eliminating difficulty for camera control, and also helping to focus visually on very distant spots, enemies or characters.
 * It introduced the ability to wear masks.
 * The game also introduced many sidequests allowing Link to collect hundreds of optional items.
 * It was the first Zelda game to include quarter units of health; previous games only featured half units of health.
 * Outside of the Zelda franchise, the game caused an unprecedented impact on the video game industry, to the point that other games and series were influenced by the gameplay style from the game.
 * Many properties of this game were borrowed by both and, including several characters, stages, soundtracks, and numerous trophies.

Trivia

 * runs on a heavily modified version of 's engine.
 * Due to time constraints, the Spanish localization was not included in the European release of the game. However, a 150 page text guide was bundled with the game in Spain, which included the entire Spanish localization alongside the English text.
 * An early logo used in some promotional materials and ESRB's section for the game used the subtitle "The Ocarina of Time".
 * Although there are 12 dungeons to explore, two of them are not programmed as in dungeons in the game's data, which means the official total is only 10. Ganon's Castle and the Gerudo Training Ground do have the dungeon entrance icon on the maps, but because the dungeons themselves do not use a map and compass or allow the player to use a warp song, they are not true dungeons.
 * Out of all the boxes that were produced for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Special Edition, 75 units are proven to never have been filled. Estimations suggest that a maximum of 25 units were ever sold, making it the rarest limited-time available edition for any Zelda game to date.