For those of you who have not gotten your hands on this game yet, but are thinking about doing it now (better late than never ^^;), here is my personal review of "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time". First of all, this is for the N64, one-player (as usual), and is the same genre of all Zelda games (adventure/RPG/puzzle/strategy/action/etc., etc.). Right now, I'd say it would sell for around $45, depending on where you live and if the game is used or not.
Okay, well, since you're on a Zelda site at the moment (and mine, for the record), you must've read things about this game, so I'm not going into the storyline (a great one, at that). The beginning of the game is great, because it explains all the moves and actions slowly, and even lets you practice them a bit (Kokiri Training Ground), and the quests are slightly difficult for beginners, but not I'm-going-to-tear-my-hair-out hard. The first dungeon helps you even more with your actions, and the boss, Queen Gohma, is like a test of the skills that you've learned. If you mastered them, she's easily defeated. If not, you die. Plain and simple.
The graphics in this game are...AMAZING. If you played the other Zelda games before and liked them, you will be astounded by seeing the hero, Link, walk through a 3-D world. The backgrounds are colorful, textured, and realistic. You HAVE to see the water in this game! It's so lifelike, you can almost feel like you would touch the screen and get your hands wet. Even the smallest details, like flowers, are put in with days of time and work.
And if the graphics and scenes weren't enough, the realistic sound in the game in combination will make you fall over in your seat. The music goes perfectly with the scenery in every part of the game, and the sound effects are fantastic! The raining in the graveyard makes you shiver, with the raindrops falling on the tombstones while crashes of lightning are seen AND heard breaking the dark storm clouds overhead. At Lon Lon Ranch, the sounds of country music and the whinnying of horses gives you the feeling of a real horse rodeo. If sounds are your thing, this game needs to be in your hands.
You will play this game to see cinemas. The people who created the game have a sense of humor, while at the same time have seriousness playing in the background (not literally ^^;). It's fun to beat something, then watch as your character moves by himself to what's going on, from a fight scene in Kakariko to talking to witches in a desert temple.
Okay, enough of my jabbering. In conclusion, this game is a MUST HAVE for Zelda fans. Combining the rich storyline tradition of "Legend of Zelda" games with wonderful graphics, sounds, and atmospheres, all on another system, it's worth the money that you have to pay. And if you think it's too much for you, just think: It doesn't need an Expansion Pak!