The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a landmark action-adventure game developed by Nintendo EAD for the Nintendo 64. Released in 1998, it introduced 3D gameplay to the Zelda series and is widely considered one of the greatest video games ever made, earning a Metacritic score of 99 — the highest of any game.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64, released in November 1998. It was the first three-dimensional entry in the beloved Zelda series and set a new standard for what video games could achieve.
Players control Link, a young boy living in Kokiri Forest, who is thrust into an epic quest to stop the power-hungry Gerudo king Ganondorf from obtaining the sacred Triforce and conquering Hyrule. The journey takes Link across time — as both a child and an adult — through dungeons, overworlds, and temples, gathering sages to seal Ganondorf's power forever.
Ocarina of Time pioneered the Z-targeting (lock-on) combat system that became a template for 3D action games for decades. Music is central to progression: Link learns songs on his ocarina to solve puzzles, warp across the world, and influence the environment. The game's dungeons — from the Great Deku Tree to the Water Temple — are celebrated for their inventive design and escalating challenge.
Upon release, Ocarina of Time received universal critical acclaim, earning a Metacritic score of 99 based on 22 critic reviews — a record that has never been surpassed. It was named Game of the Year by Edge, the D.I.C.E. Awards, and BAFTA, and is consistently ranked among the greatest games of all time.