#01
'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'
for the Nintendo 64 released in 1998.
This unshakable game will forever stand at the top of the growing piles of video-games. Since that first time I popped in that grey cartridge in my Nintendo 64 all those years ago I knew I was in for a truly epic adventure. Perhaps even more than 'Super Mario 64' (#3), 'Ocarina of Time' opened my eyes in ways I didn't think possible. Also, in those days before the internet and at the young age I was, I knew this game was coming. I wanted it, I wanted it bad, the very first game to hype me up. In fact, back then I was drawing pictures of the box-art and showing them to family-members saying "See, this is what I want, this is what it looks like."
I wasn't disappointed. Oh no, I even got more than I could have hoped for. As far as I'm concerned, the game is perfect. Or at least as close to it as a game can possibly be. Every aspect is top notch, and the N64 shone like it never had. To this day, I could play this game again and again and still be amazed. I didn't want it to ever end, and when it did, it resulted in the only instance where I got emotional over a game. Many times, when I play a newer game, I get annoyed because aspects are always less well done than in this game. The game is extremely polished and streamlined. Everything is thought through. No wonder new Zelda games are always compared to 'Ocarina of Time'.
The remake on the 3DS re-captured that feeling perfectly. Yes, the game definitely stands the test of time. The 3DS version streamlines some aspects even further, even though they had never annoyed me. Graphics and sound quality were improved so we finally got to see Nintendo's vision for the game in the nineties. Still, it never captured the magic of the original game. Maybe it's that beautiful, strong golden logo on the deep-black European box. A box that still takes up the most prominent spot on my shelves.
I bow to this game. No, to this legend.
