Jeremy Bruin

The first Legend of Zelda title I ever beat. Over an entire Summer I played through the game when I had time. Ocarina of Time opened my heart to the LoZ franchise. It sits in its own special place apart from my top 5 favorites. The music is incredible, the puzzles are challenging and it felt awesome when I'd catch on how to solve one. Like many I spent hours and hours in the Water Temple trying to figure out what I missed. Sure it was frustrating at the time but I didn't give up, and I laugh now with the rest who have beat the game. I also love the side-quests, especially the Biggoron Sword quest and the Big Poe Soul challenge. That final boss fight remains one of my all-time favorites across the board. For anyone who is starting to play Zelda titles now I would definitely recommend this one for your enjoyment. Yeah, the graphics are old...old, not crappy; there is a difference. I always hope that the aged graphics don't deter younger generations because LoZ: Ocarina of Time is such a great experience. (Personal view of some Pros), You won't need to keep replacing weapons and shields, nor gather an insane number of items, and you actually get to play the game instead of work the game. (That was how I felt when I tried BoTW and ToTK, I felt like I was working in the game instead of playing. It was exhausting, annoying, and led me to give up on both. Pretty graphics alone don't make a great game). I have played OoT over several times, and while I know it now like the back of my hand, it's still great fun and I consider it worthy of my time. I am also one who relishes in the nostalgia factor as much as I can. Playing with vintage hardware on modern TVs requires HDMI or 4K adapters/converters.

I've played a handful of hours into this game, but having played at least 10 different LoZ games and beating over half of those 10 I feel confident to write a review here. I am loving Echoes of Wisdom and already certain I'll enjoy it to the end! I was worried after BoTW and ToTK that we'd never get another Zelda game created more closely to the original format, or expanding in a logical direction with the original format. BoTW and ToTK were a waste of my time, IMO. Couldn't bring myself to finish ToTK. BoTW was interesting just enough to beat once, but never play it again. Pretty graphics alone don't constitute a solid game. Note*** Personally I like games I can see myself playing again down the road. I know not everyone is like this. Moving on. Echoes of Wisdom has already engaged me far more than the two previously released Zelda titles. I love how prolific the magic is in this game. I enjoy the strategy of summoning echoes to fight. Echoing and throwing rocks at enemies also makes me laugh. Fighting as warrior, temporarily, doesn't bother me. At least it's an option. Making Zelda more of a mage/summoner is cool in my book. This game has kept me on my toes at times. I like the music. I like the story and I have a feeling I'll like it more and more as I keep playing. Searching a cave is worth my time and effort. I imagine the puzzles would be tougher if I were new to LoZ games. I'm not zipping right through the puzzles, but experienced LoZ gamers build a, "sixth-sense," about these things. I'm happy the puzzles are genuinely interesting. The return of dungeons and temple ideas makes me happy. Still World is also cool! All in all I already feel my hard-earned money I spent for a physical copy wasn't a waste. As much as I am enjoying Echoes I would be surprised if this game breaks into my top five favorites. Systems I played the games on also added. 1: Twilight Princess GC. 2: Skyward Sword Wii/Switch. 3: Majora's Mask N64. 4: A Link to the Past HD Classiq 2. 5: Link's Awakening VBA Emulator/Switch. Ocarina of Time N64 sits in its own special place being the first LoZ game I ever beat and my introduction to the LoZ franchise.