Few video games had as much impact on the industry asThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. WhereSuper Mario 64set the foundation for 3D gaming as we know it,Ocarina of Timecodified its finer details. How games use stories, how they pace themselves, and the very nature of modern lock-on systems (thinkDark Souls) wouldn’t be possible hadThe Legend of Zeldanot transitioned its series so masterfully into 3D. At the same time,Shigeru Miyamotowasn’t entirely finished withOcarina of Time.
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FollowingOoT’s release, the game plan was to develop an add-on calledUra Zeldawhich would eventually release asMaster Queston theNintendo GameCube. A remix akin toZelda 1’s 2nd Quest,Master QuestflipsOcarina of Time’s dungeons on their head to offer franchise fans an even greater challenge– but does it actually improve on the original?
10OoT: Dungeon Design
When Shigeru Miyamoto first approached Eiji Aonuma with the idea of remixing dungeons forUra Zelda, Aonuma expressed disappointment at the prospect. In his mind, the development staff had already done their best work imaginable onOcarina of Time, rendering such an endeavor redundant.
While the final dungeons inMaster Questare unique enough where they make for a solid set in their own right, Aonuma’s words ultimately ring true: the staff really did do their best work onOcarina of Time. Not a single one ofMQ’s dungeons outdoesOoT’s in terms of sheer puzzle & level design. They aren’t bad, butOcarina’s dungeons are in a league of their own.
9MQ: Challenges Familiarity
PlayingMaster QuestbeforeOcarina of Timeis a recipe for disaster. The game very intimately builds off ofOoTand outright challenges any familiarity players might feel playing through the revamped dungeons. Once simple puzzles are made considerably more complex, entire layouts are rearranged, and a few key puzzles require a level of out of the box thinking rarely seen in 3DZelda. It’s a daunting challenge, but one genuinely meant for franchise masters. Jabu-Jabu is an especially odd experience inMQ.
8OoT: Perfect Pacing
Ocarina of Time’s greatest strength is pacing. Above all else, this is a game that knows how to use its time wisely. Exploration isn’t directionless but players never have their hand held– even by Navi. The hardest puzzles are legitimate brainteasers, but they don’t halt gameplay in its tracks like inMaster Quest. While this does meanOcarina of Timeisn’t as challenging asMaster Quest, it moves at a brisker pace that makes the game’s best qualities shine without ever lingering on any over negatives.
7MQ: Mirror Mode
The originalMaster Questis little more than a 2nd Quest. Which, to be fair, is more than mostZeldagames end up getting. This made it all the more surprising whenMaster Quest’s inclusion onOcarina of Time 3Dcame with some changes. The most obvious was the implementation of MIrror Mode, a reference toTwilight Princess’ mirrored state in the game’s Wii release.
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By mirroring the game,Master Quest 3Dmakes it so players can’t rely on muscle memory anymore. While this can be disorienting at first, it helps in makingMaster Questfeel more than just anOcarina of Timereskin, if only because of its mirrored geography.
6OoT: Sensical Puzzles
Master Quest’s puzzles are fun to solve, but quite a few are pure nonsense. Cows in Jabu-Jabu? Cute but dumb. The eye switch hidden in the Forest Temple’s well? Genuinely clever, but completely unintuitive. It makes sense whyMaster Questopts to get as strange as it does– the expectation is that you’ve playedOcarina of Timebeforehand– but it just doesn’t compare toOcarina of Time’s puzzles. Not only do most puzzles make sense with their settings, the game never asks anything of the player that doesn’t make sense in context.
5MQ: Double Damage
Alongside mirror mode,Master Quest 3Ddoubles the damage of all enemies in the game. The originalMaster Questis already more challenging thanOcarina of Timedue to better enemy variety (more on that in just a bit,) but the double damage takes gameplay just that extra inch further.
Double damage turnsMaster Questfrom a 2nd Quest into a genuine hard mode in every respect. In many respects,Master Questis the ideal rendition of Hero Mode– new dungeons, a mirrored overworld, and extra difficulty.
4OoT: Gold Skulltula Quest
There are 100 Gold Skulltula hidden throughout Hyrule in bothOcarina of TimeandMaster Quest, with quite a few found within dungeons. As a result, half the Gold Skulltula questline is radically different between the two versions. Even though the quest has something of a reputation for its large Skulltula count, it’s worth hunting them down.
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The entire point of the Gold Skulltula quest is to show players every nook & cranny hidden throughout Hyrule. The reason you only need 50 for the Heart Piece is more a mercy than anything (think Korok Seeds capping out rewards in the 400s.)Master Quest’s dungeon Skulltula tend to be harder to find with less the thrill of tracking them down due to comparatively worse level design.
3MQ: Better Combat
Ocarina of Timehas a fantastic combat system that it unfortunately doesn’t use all too well. Outside of mini-bosses, most enemies and boss fights don’t require players to master the art of combat. This isn’t the case forMaster Quest, which features far more aggressive enemy design from start to finish. Coupled with the double damage fromMaster Quest 3Dand it’s not unusual to Game Over inside the Deku Tree or Dodongo’s Cavern. Iron Knuckles are especially dangerous, able to kill Link in just a few short strikes.
2OoT: The Authentic Experience
There’s just no getting around the fact thatOcarina of Timeis the original and authentic experience– the way the game was always meant to be played. Every facet ofOcarina of Timecomes together to create one of the most cohesive games in the medium, from the plotting to the gameplay loop.
There’s never a dull moment, no puzzles that are out of place or too obtuse, and downright enviable pacing.Master Questaccomplishes what it needs to as a remix ofOcarina of Time, but it was always being built in the shadow of one of the greatest games ever made.
1MQ: Bosses Are An Actual Threat
Ocarina of Time’s bosses are memorable, but most of them are also too easy for their own good. As the 3DS version ofMaster Questdoubles damage, it goes without saying that boss fights are notably harder when playingMQ3D. The final battles against Ganondorf and Ganon are particularly dangerous this time around.
That said, even the original GameCube release ofMaster Questoffers harder bosses by virtue of featuring harder dungeons. What hurtsOcarina of Times difficulty more than anything is how often Hearts or Fairies drop. With remixed dungeons designed to punish players, it’s not unusual to reach bosses inMaster Questwith only a few Hearts.
NEXT:The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time – Every Dungeon & Temple Ranked
