November twenty first, 2023 marked the twenty fifth anniversary of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s Japanese launch. To rejoice this historic Hyrulean event, we’re operating articles all through the week devoted to the sport, our reminiscences, and its legacy. On this ultimate function, we’re closing with an opener as Jim explains why the sport’s first dungeon is one in all his all-time faves…
I’ve talked about it a couple of occasions throughout this week’s anniversary celebration, however I am going to say it once more simply in case you have not been maintaining with the Ocarinaversary content material (tut tut tut): The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was my introduction to gaming. And what an introduction it was.
There was, nonetheless, one difficulty. Whenever you begin your gaming journey with what many contemplate to be the best of all time, the place do you go from there? The reply, it appears, is again to Ocarina of Time. Recurrently.
I’ve managed to get an excellent variety of video games underneath my belt within the ensuing 25 years, a handful of which even most well-liked to Ocarina, however my introduction to Hyrule nonetheless dominates my listing of favorite gaming moments. The title display, the time journey, lastly defeating Phantom Ganon after a very tear-inducing grind session, this sport is filled with GOAT moments. However above all of those sits the immovable dungeon, Contained in the Nice Deku Tree. My beloved.
“You’ll be able to’t decide a whole dungeon as your favorite gaming second of all time!” chances are you’ll cry, and that is honest sufficient. Coincidentally, it simply so occurs that a number of of my prime moments come from this very location, so I believe it is honest sufficient to group them collectively underneath a singular umbrella.
Relatively than run by a step-by-step information of the dungeon, I’ve determined to slim it all the way down to only a handful of my finest bits. Some ‘Deku Delights’, you would possibly say. I can not truthfully say that the dungeon is the very best within the sequence — the Forest Temple holds collectively significantly better as an entire, for those who ask me — however inform me this: Does the Forest Temple have a depraved bounce off a ledge that builds up a lot energy you’ll be able to break by the ground itself? I do not suppose so.
Effectively, I’ve mentioned it now, so why not begin there? Within the years earlier than Tears of the Kingdom acquired us all used to the majesty of leaping from a excessive platform (okay, Murderer’s Creed bought me on it years prior, however let’s keep on with the Zelda theme right here), my little thoughts couldn’t comprehend simply how cool it will be to see such a feat of fantasy athleticism in motion. The online flooring caught my eye from my first steps into the dungeon, and the wonderful placement of the instantly seen coronary heart simply out of attain from the primary platform — requiring you to leap off it and onto the online, testing its power — inspired me to place two and two collectively. I must bounce from greater up.
Previous to that very second, my childhood had been full of “get down from the highest of that tree,” “perhaps we should not burn issues,” and “let’s not bounce into that gap, even whether it is only for enjoyable.” Now I am a boring grown-up, I see that these are all sound items of recommendation, however on the time, the leap from the highest of the Deku Tree, by that internet mesh and into the water under gave me a rush of adrenaline that no Sky Island dive has been capable of match.
So, let’s leap into a few of the dungeon’s puzzles, we could? As a result of (shock, shock), I believe they’re sensible.
I truthfully do not know if there was a second in gaming that has made me really feel smarter.
The best way that the Deku Tree steadily introduces you to the wonders of lighting torches. Great. The way you be taught to cross the flooded flooring whereas holding your flame alight. Good. However the one which stays in my thoughts as the very best of Nintendo’s ‘let’s make these youngsters really feel like geniuses’ is the 2-3-1 Deku Scrub brothers.
Simply in case you do not keep in mind, a Deku Scrub at an earlier stage within the dungeon informs you that you’ll have to defeat his brothers by remembering that “twenty-three is primary” (a Michael Jordan reference, maybe? Might this sport be any extra ’90s if it tried?). It’s a must to maintain onto this data for an excellent very long time, too.
It’s the easiest of codes and I do not suppose twice about it once I return to the dungeon in my previous, #ProGamer age, however on the time, I felt like Sherlock. It is a puzzle that begs you to get it mistaken the primary time round. All three of the Scrubs freeze just for them to come back again to life?! What is that this witchcraft? When it lastly dawned on me, I truthfully do not know if there was a second in gaming that has made me really feel smarter. I’ve since noticed destroyable partitions in Metroid Prime, solved the meatiest puzzles that Professor Layton has thrown my approach, and I even cracked the level-changing system within the Water Temple for crying out loud! However no, 2-3-1 takes it.
And so that you progress by to the dungeon’s ultimate room and into my favorite second of all of them: Gohma. I did not know what a boss struggle was — heck, I in all probability did not actually know what ‘boss’ meant — however I do know that as I walked into that pitch-black room, I used to be terrified.
It is a credit score to the designers that this zone nonetheless chills me as we speak. Contained in the Nice Deku Tree’s music is not probably the most memorable on the soundtrack, however boy, can you’re feeling its absence. These lengthy notes that had accompanied me all through my first Zelda dungeon all of a sudden light to nothing. I used to be left in a black room with solely a faint scratching sound for firm.
I walked, gingerly into the room, anticipating one thing scary to leap out from behind one of many surrounding pillars. Nothing. The realisation that the scratching was coming from above left me frozen, unable to search for for an excellent few moments.
The grotesque spider-like physique and rolling eye had been one factor, however then it drops to the bottom and screams?? Nuh-uh. I turned off the sport and took a while away from it, my little thoughts unable to course of the horrors that I had simply seen.
Once I lastly was courageous sufficient to return (I had recruited my Dad to look at the ceiling above me whereas I performed this time round), I took such pleasure in working all of it out that — nonetheless apparent it’s to me now — I nonetheless keep in mind and admire it for the tutorial it supplied, priming me for the encounters to come back. Huge spider factor has an enormous bulging crimson eye and you’ve got a slingshot. Be a part of the dots, genius.
Very like the aforementioned puzzles, I’ve since torn my hair out over Elden Ring beasties and damn-near pulled a muscle taking over a few of the issues that Hole Knight threw my approach, however for those who requested me which boss left the most important impression on me, Parasitic Armored Arachnid Gohma remains to be queen bee.
As I mentioned initially of this love letter, I do suppose that there are higher dungeons, puzzles, and executives on the market, however my love for the Deku Tree’s finest bits trumps all else. Even with the barrage of GOTY contenders that 2023 has thrown my approach, nothing has come near toppling my beloved prime gaming second(s), and I do not suppose that something ever will.
What do you make of Ocarina of Time’s introductory dungeon? The perfect first dungeon within the sequence? Tell us within the feedback.
Be it rambling about video video games or superheroes, Jim wears his passions on his sleeve. Normally discovered replaying a Zelda title as an alternative of working by his ever-growing backlog, he is a big fan of all-things fantasy and likes nothing greater than to speak about it.
