Targeting

Z-Targeting

Up until the release of the N64, all Zelda games were 2-dimensional games with a clear view of all the action on the screen. In order to incorporate an easy battle system into a 3-dimensional game, something different had to be done to make combat more managable and less frustrating. Ocarina of Time marked the beginning of Z-Targeting, a combat interface that locks Link's focus onto a single enemy with a press of the Z Button. Once an enemy is Z-Targeted, all of Link's attacks are directed at the targeted enemy. Z-Targeting helped make OoT a success, and the interface was carried over to Majora's Mask.

L-Targeting

The layout of the GameCube controller lacks a Z Button. In order to carry the popular targeting system over to the GCN, the button used for targeting was switched from Z to L. The idea is the same, but with a different button. The L Button is used in Wind Waker and in GameCube rereleases of OoT and MM.