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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 working articles all through the week devoted to the sport, our recollections, and its legacy. On this last function, we’re closing with an opener as Jim explains why the sport’s first dungeon is one among his all-time faves…
I’ve talked about it just a few occasions throughout this week’s anniversary celebration, however I will 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, nevertheless, one concern. Once you begin your gaming journey with what many think about to be the best of all time, the place do you go from there? The reply, it appears, is again to Ocarina of Time. Commonly.
I’ve managed to get a great variety of video games beneath my belt within the ensuing 25 years, a handful of which even most popular 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 recreation is filled with GOAT moments. However above all of those sits the immovable dungeon, Contained in the Nice Deku Tree. My beloved.
“You possibly can’t choose a complete dungeon as your favorite gaming second of all time!” it’s possible you’ll cry, and that is truthful sufficient. Coincidentally, it simply so occurs that a number of of my prime moments come from this very location, so I feel it is truthful sufficient to group them collectively beneath a singular umbrella.
Reasonably than run via a step-by-step information of the dungeon, I’ve determined to slim it right down to only a handful of my finest bits. Some ‘Deku Delights’, you may say. I am unable to truthfully say that the dungeon is the very best within the collection — the Forest Temple holds collectively significantly better as an entire, when you ask me — however inform me this: Does the Forest Temple have a depraved leap off a ledge that builds up a lot energy you may break via the ground itself? I do not suppose so.
Nicely, I’ve stated it now, so why not begin there? Within the years earlier than Tears of the Kingdom obtained 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 persist 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 net flooring caught my eye from my first steps into the dungeon, and the superb 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 energy — inspired me to place two and two collectively. I must leap from larger up.
Previous to that very second, my childhood had been stuffed with “get down from the highest of that tree,” “possibly we should not burn issues,” and “let’s not leap 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, via that net mesh and into the water under gave me a rush of adrenaline that no Sky Island dive has been in a position to match.
So, let’s leap into a few of the dungeon’s puzzles, we could? As a result of (shock, shock), I feel they’re good.
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 regularly introduces you to the wonders of lighting torches. Great. The way you study to cross the flooded ground whereas conserving your flame alight. Sensible. However the one which stays in my thoughts as the very best of Nintendo’s ‘let’s make these children really feel like geniuses’ is the 2-3-1 Deku Scrub brothers.
Simply in case you do not bear 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 recreation be any extra ’90s if it tried?). It’s a must to maintain onto this information for a great very long time, too.
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