((This segment from my life won me a replica of the Fairy Ocarina from songbirdocarina.com. Thanks, lovely lords and ladies at Songbird, for my beautiful ocarina!))
What Does Ocarina of Time Mean to Me?
A Short Retrospective of my Life with Legend of Zelda
I was raised on The Legend of Zelda. I have memories from before I should even be able to remember of little 8-bit Link puttering around, destroying things with his amazing sword, refilling his life meter at the fairy and mom and I always going, "Thank you, Little Fairy!" after each one..
Watching Link walk through side-scrolling scenes, watching him attempt to avoid battles in the open field, watching...
Watching and eventually playing.
When The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time came out November 23rd of 1998, mom and I had unfortunately become too busy with work and school respectively to notice its coming. We heard nothing about it, did not have internet to learn about it.. nothing.
But then, amazingly, as mom went Christmas shopping, she stumbled upon it. That's when my life truly began.
Christmas Morning, 1998. After opening presents, mother and a little 8 year-old me sat down with our new N64 to play our brand new, Gold Cartridge Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time game. Both of us were extremely emotional about the graphics and how amazing their appearances were. Everything was just so.. overwhelming in its new, three-dimensional appearance! As we continued playing and eventually (after a few days, actually) got the third spiritual stone, mom and I sat on the edges of our seats as Ganondorf gave chase to Zelda and Impa, we obtained the Ocarina of Time, and opened the Door of Time to see the Master Sword there..
Seven long years in-game had passed, so Raru explained, and as he told Link to take a look at himself.. mom and I both broke into tears of unbelieving joy.
Link was an Adult; for the first time in Zelda history, Link noticeably aged!
Ocarina of Time was truly a revolutionary game. From its three-dimensional graphics, to riding on horseback, to being able to play an instrument to affect the gameplay/surroundings.. to watching Link grow and finally -finally- defeating Ganondorf.. This game rewrote what The Legend of Zelda already was to me. It summoned forth an inspiration and creativity inside me that the first game had kindled since my infancy, an inspiration that shaped who I am today.. and is still molding me as the Tenth Anniversary of the greatest game in history to this day makes its approach.
I have learned from this game, I have cried and laughed with my mother with this game. It brought mom and I closer together and helped us both get over my parents' divorce. Ocarina of Time kept me sane and gave me something to strive for: It gave me my ability to write and to draw, the ability to be passionate about something.
Some say that Twilight Princess was so much better than Ocarina of Time.. while yes, it is a very good game..
What Ocarina of Time meant to the veteran players..
What Ocarina of Time meant to the Zelda franchise..
..what Ocarina of Time meant to the entire world of gaming..
..that can never be surpassed.
It can never be extinguished.
And of course, as they say..
"Every game has a story.. only one is a legend."
