Summary
On June 05, 2025,The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Timemade its debut on the Nintendo 64. The first game in theZeldaseries to feature 3D graphics,Ocarina of Timesoon captivated fans with its complex time-travel plot, multiple tricky dungeons, and unique incorporation of the titular ocarina’s music into both story and gameplay. Twenty-five years later,Ocarina of Timehas earned its place on many “greatest games of all time” lists and still stands as the highest-rated game on review site Metacritic with an unequaled score of 99.Ocarina’simpact can be felt in practically everyZeldagame released since, including those released a full 25 years after its debut.
Ocarina Of Time Spawned Re-Releases And A Sequel
Ocarina of Timeitself has been remade and adapted several times. It has appeared on every Nintendo home console, including the GameCube, the Wii, and the Nintendo Switch via the Switch Online service. The game received an updated, more difficult version calledMaster Questand an enhanced Nintendo 3DS re-release that featured touchscreen capability, gyroscope controls, and a remade version of the notoriously tricky Water Temple dungeon.
Ocarinaalso received a sequel in the form ofMajora’s Mask,which features Link encountering several oddly similar characters in a slightly different world to the Hyrule he knows. However, outside these remakes and direct sequel,Ocarina of Timehas had significant influence on many other games in theLegend of Zeldaseries.
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Breath Of The Wild And Tears Of The Kingdom Frequently Reference Ocarina
Ocarina of Time’sinfluence is everywhere to be seen in the latestZeldagames,The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildandThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.Many locations in the duology’s version of Hyrule pay homage to characters fromOcarina,including Kaepora Pass, Darunia Lake, Bonooru’s Stand, and Mido Swamp. Some locations fromOcarina of Timealso reappear in new forms, such as Kakariko Village and Zora’s Domain. In Central Hyrule, players can even encounter the ruins of Lon Lon Ranch.
InTears of the Kingdomin particular, many homages toOcarina of Timecan be found throughout the game’s story and world.
Tears Of The Kingdom’s Sages Resemble Ocarina’s
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Timewas not the first game in the series to feature a group of Sages with special powers. However, it introduced many elements that are now common in many games' depictions of Sages: they represent different races of Hyrule, each is associated with a specific element, and they are able to use their elemental powers to aid Link in unique ways. Several games, most notablyA Link Between WorldsandTears of the Kingdom,feature groups ofSages clearly inspired by Ocarina’s example.
Tears of the Kingdom
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Rauru (unofficial)
Riju
The Theme Of Time Returns In Tears Of The Kingdom
Ocarina of Timeintroduced a unique mechanic in whichLink could travel between two different time periodsin order to save Hyrule from a dark future ruled by Ganondorf. Young Link and Adult Link possessed somewhat different abilities and weapons, and players could use the Temple of Time to switch between time periods at will. WhileTears of the Kingdomdid not bring back this mechanic entirely, the theme of characters traveling through time and the connections between Hyrule’s past and Hyrule’s future are heavily emphasized throughout the game.
Hyrule’s past comes back to haunt the kingdom as Ganondorf is reawakened after being sealed for several centuries by King Rauru and the ancient Sages. Locations once thought lost to time - the Sky Islands and the mysterious Underground - reappear in an event called the Upheaval. And Zelda herself becomes trapped in the past, desperate to help Link in any way she can despite the hundreds of years that now separate them. While theTemple of Time- now located on a Sky Island - is not used for direct time travel, it is a key location where Link is able to communicate with Rauru and learn more about Hyrule’s history.
Tears Of The Kingdom’s Ganondorf Borrows Much From Ocarina
Like Link and Zelda, the villainousGanondorfhas appeared many times throughout theLegend of Zeldafranchise. After being stuck in his “Calamity Ganon” form inBreath of the Wild,his appearance inTears of the Kingdomhas much in common withOcarina’stake on the Triforce of Power’s wielder.
He is once again a King of the Gerudo, the prophesied male born to the otherwise all-female desert people every 100 years. He initially presents himself as willing to ally with the King of Hyrule before revealing his treachery and attacking instead.Tears of the Kingdomeven briefly featuresKoume and Kotake- the Spirit Temple boss fromOcarina of Time -as two Gerudo warriors under Ganondorf’s command.
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Other Games Also Pay Tribute To Ocarina Of Time
AlthoughBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomdraw heavily fromOcarina of Time’scharacters, locations, and thematic elements, they are not the only games to do so. Just a few of the many examples include:
Even 25 years following its initial release,Ocarina of Timeremains one of the best-beloved and most influential games inThe Legend of Zeldaseries. It is likely that future entries in the long-running game series will also continue to reference this series- and genre-defining title. Perhaps a fullOcarinaremake with aBreath of the Wild-style open world is even possible sometime in the future.
