Replaying through Ocarina of Time has been a treat. No, not the 3DS version; the original version. While playing through it I came to a simple revelation: Ocarina of Time is better than Breath of the Wild in almost every facet. Gameplay, puzzles, dungeons, story, music, boss battles; you name it, Ocarina of Time has it. The only part where Ocarina fails to surpass Breath of the Wild is in the size and scope of the world, the adventure aspect of the game, and graphics. With Ocarina of Time, Nintendo created a true masterpiece that has stood the test of time. While there is no doubt that Breath of the Wild is a great game, it fails to meet the charm and quality of Ocarina of Time, despite the vastly improved technology. While many clamor that Breath of the Wild is not only the greatest Zelda game but the greatest game of all-time, it’s really Ocarina of Time that takes that mantle.
Ocarina of Time has one of the most unique gameplay mechanics in all of gaming: the ability to go back into time and change future events, as well as the ability to use the Ocarina of Time in order to unlock certain secrets. The change between young and adult Link has still yet to be matched in all of gaming. Breath of the Wild lacks this. It doesn’t have any defining mechanic. That’s one of the many things that sets Ocarina of Time apart from Breath of the Wild. In fact, almost every Zelda game has a defining mechanic, yet Breath of the Wild lacks one. A prime example, and the best example of the use of the switch between young and adult link, occurs with the Spirit Temple, which is one of the last dungeons in the game. At first, you have to play as young Link. Once you finish that portion of the temple, you alter the future and allow new areas to be accessed, allowing you to enter as Adult Link and finish the dungeon. This has never been done in a game before and is one of the reasons it is my favorite dungeon in all of Zelda.
Ther is a single thing Breath of the Wild has Ocarina of Time beaten on, and that is the size of the overworld. There is no denying this. Both games are rife with adventure, but because of the size and scope of Breath of the Wild and the advances in technology, there wasn’t the ability for Ocarina to do this. Despite this fact though, Ocarina is still full of secrets only possible through traversing through Hyrule. The dungeons in Breath of the Wild are bland, as are the puzzles. Yes, there are 120 shrines, but they are incredibly short and rather easy. The gyro controls actually make some of the “puzzles” rather frustrating, and not because they are difficult. The four dungeons in the game are rather easy, don’t have enemies, the puzzles are rather easy to figure out, and the boss battles are bland, all variations of each other. In fact, the final boss is a further variation of the dungeon boss battles, which is frustrating, other than Dark Beast Ganon, which is similar to a few other boss battles in the Zelda franchise. I give Nintendo credit for doing something different with the shrines and dungeons, but they don’t work well when compared to the dungeons in the franchise, especially Ocarina of Time, which has the best dungeons in the franchise.
The story in Ocarina is simple, yet it’s executed so well that it works. It’s coherent. The story in Breath of the Wild is non-existent. There is some story told through flashbacks, but it is so disjointed and you never know what truly happened 100 years ago, which is the story everybody wanted to know. This is offset by the adventuring in the game, but there’s no balance; it simply doesn’t work. Ocarina has the balance between gameplay and story and that’s what sets it apart from Breath of the Wild in terms of story. The music in Ocarina of Time is iconic. It has some of the best music not only in the series, but in all of video game history. Breath of the Wild has some great pieces, but given that music is apart of the gameplay mechanic of Ocarina, there’s no contest. The gameplay mechanic of the Ocarina was revolutionary and still is. Breath of the Wild lacks any such mechanic, which takes away from the quality of the game. It’s still fun, it’s still enjoyable, but it’s simply not an elite game. It simply gets the “greatest of all-time” because it’s the latest Zelda game.
Ocarina of Time is not only a better game than Breath of the Wild, but beats it in almost every facet in terms of quality. That has become painfully obvious throughout my current playthrough of the game. The dungeons, puzzles, music, gameplay mechanics, story, boss battles; it beats it beats Breath of the Wild in almost every category, sans graphics and exploration. Ocarina of Time is a very special game. It has literally withstood the test of time. With all kinds of rumors of an HD remake making the rounds for Zelda’s 35th anniversary, Nintendo would be stupid not to comply. There are so many new Zelda fans that have yet to experience this masterpiece, and with Breath of the Wild expanding the fanbase, it’s a prime opportunity to maximize profits.
Ocarina of Time will always hold a special part in my heart, but not due to nostalgia: it’s simply the best game ever made, and one of the most enjoyable. It’s almost unfair to compare it to Breath of the Wild, but, the distinction has to be made. Breath of the Wild 2 has the potential to surpass Ocarina of Time if done right, but only time will tell. Until then, Ocarina of Time will continue to be not only the greatest Zelda game of all-time but the greatest game of all-time.