Zelda 64: A Final Look Back
By Maniacal Clown
The end of this month marks the first anniversary of the best-selling Zelda game ever, Ocarina of Time. Some have called it the best game ever made, period. Are they right? No, but they're close. OoT was a milestone in the Zelda series. It now sets the mark by which all others will be judged. Let's reminisce for a few minutes on this overall supurb game.
Genesis and Rebirth: From the time that the Nintendo 64 debuted in the mid-1990's, there were questions of whether the highly popular Zelda series would make an appearance. Indeed, Miyamoto and his talented clan of programmers and designers were already hard at work as they had been for some time. It would be two-ans-a-half years until the final product hit the shelves, but when it did in November of 1998, the response was amazing. Stores across the country sold out in minutes. Some customers were forced to wait months on backorder before they were able to lay their hands on Nintendo's masterpiece. Life for a Zelda fan was beautiful once again.
The Game: Children and adults alike who were lucky enough to own a copy of z64 could not wait to take it out of its box. They played for several hours straight that first day, mostly learning the new controls and staring in awe at the beautifully rendered 3-D landscapes. A distinctive gasp could be heard when gamers first discovered Queen Ghome and her sheer size. Another gasp was heard when they found out the bosses only get bigger. From the time they found the Kokiri Sword in the Hole of "Z" to the end of the final battle with Ganon, players had a very satisfying experience, but then they realized it only took a week.
The Rumors: Gamers refused to believe that the game was over. People on the internet began creating great stories of how they had found the elusive Triforce. Attention seekers conjured up new temples in which the Triforce supposedly rested. One mysterious individual even went to the point of doctoring screenshots. Ariana, as she called herself, fooled most of the web's Zelda sites before her deception was discovered. Following Ariana's prank, the rumors dwindled, and peace was finally restored to the Zelda community.
Death: Zelda 64, like all games, eventually fell out of the spotlight. Most players of the game had completed and mastered it. There were no secrets left to discover, and it was agreed that the Triforce was not in the game. The top four four Zelda sites on the web began to fizzle. With nothing to talk about, once loyal fans of IZC, HTLOZ, TGL, and ZHQ began to go their seperate ways...
Resurrection: Then, the announcement was made. Nintendo was producing a second Zelda title for the N64. The new game would take place immediately following Ocarina of Time. It was then realized that the Zelda sites would go on. With a new hunk of news to chew on, fans flocked back in huge numbers. We are still a year from the release of The Legend of Zelda: The Continuing Saga, but one thing is certain. The legacy of what many consider the greatest adventure series of all time will continue for years to come. The masterpiece called Ocarina of Time was just the beginning of a new era.
~Maniacal Clown~
