It's kind of funny to be reviewing a game that was released in 1998, but oh well, here I am :) I have played this game fairly extensively on the N64, but now I own it on the Gamecube.

This game, without a doubt, is the best adventure game I have ever seen. Period. If you are a Zelda fan, you cannot pass this baby up! I, like many others out there, have been a Zelda fan since Day 1. I grew up in the 80's and was a child of the Nintendo generation. I can still remember those precious days when my best friend and I would ride our bikes home from school as fast as we could so we could beat the 3rd dungeon, get the extra heart container, and go find the Master Sword!

Like all Zelda games, Ocarina of Time/Master Quest has a fantastic story of the classic struggle between good (Link), and evil (Ganon). Of course, aside from the main characters of the story, there are tons of other characters that come into play throughout your entire journey. Some just want to buy something off you, or perhaps sell you something, others play supporting characters that give you hints or teach you new attacking techniques. There are towns to explore, people to talk to, mini games of chance to play, monsters at every turn, and of course the never-ending quest for the Triforce!

The graphics in Ocarina/Master Quest work very well. Now, you have to realize this was originally an N64 game, and at the time, these graphics were state of the art. However, even by today's standards with games such as Halo and Metroid Prime among us, the graphics of Ocarina still hold their own. The game's engine achieves exactly what it needs to, and maybe a little more. The models can look a little blocky at times, and some of the 2D bushes and trees can be annoying, but it is so easy to lose yourself in the colorful world of Hyrule that these things are quickly forgotten, and you start to marvel at the beauty of the waterfall in Zora's domain. It was such a wonderful thing to be playing an adevnture as awesome as Zelda in full 3D that the minor shortcomings of the graphics engine were cast aside.

The dungeons in Ocarina are what really make this an exceptional Zelda game. Not only have the dungeons gotten harder, but so have the bosses! With the 3D engine, you find yourself battling a HUGE lizard monster in a lava pit, a phantom that rides a horse out of paintings, and a deadly amoeba that attacks you from the water! Also, the puzzles within the dungeons are more complex than previous Zelda games. Some of them require a bit of thought, and it's not just "push that block over and plant a bomb" anymore... of course, there is some of that as well :)

Aside from the main story of the game which requires you to defeat dungeon bosses in the pursuit of defeating evil, there are ton of side quests for you to complete. Some of them are necessary for particular items, and others are pure reward. These extra quests will have you traversing the entire map (which is huge), trading items, finding and helping specific characters, wagering on games, and racing to beat the clock. Your reward could range from a potion of life, to a brand new Giant's sword! There is so much to do in this game, you can spend many, many hours just trying to get all the extra items for your character (and believe me, we've tried!), and then head back to the next dungeon!

The Master Quest is basically the same game as Ocarina of Time (same story and characters), except with different dungeon layouts. You take different paths through the dungeons, and they are a bit harder, pitting you against enemies that would normally appear later in the game. Also, the graphics for Ocarina/Master Quest on the Gamecube are supposed to be a little higher resolution than on the N64. I didn't notice too much imrpovement except in the towns when it switches to a Final Fantasy type of system, where everything is 2D except for the 3D characters; the 2D surroundings look a bit sharper on the Gamecube. At any rate, if you enjoyed playing Ocarina of Time, the Mater Quest is just icing on the cake because it allows you to play an amazing game a little differently. It's just like the first Zelda game where after you beat it, if you walk through the wall at the end of the game, you can play the game again with the location of the dungeons all mixed up! It was a ton of fun and added to the replay value of the game.

Ocarina of Time is the best Zelda game to date, and the best adventure game I've ever played. Not only that, but as another reviewer said, the Ocarina of Time/Master Quest disc for Gamecube is the ULTIMATE pre-order freebie! I am drooling with anticipation for Zelda: The Wind Waker to be released! Knowing how important the Zelda franchise is to Nintendo, and seeing how much time and precision they put into every facet of Ocarina of Time, the next Zelda game is sure to be another classic!