Welcome to the part 1 of the Ocarina of Time Zelda Game Club. The Zelda Game Club is where we play through Zelda Games together as a community, and today we’re going through the first section of the game including Inside the Great Deku Tree, Princess of Destiny and The Mighty Collection. This is a community led feature, so I asked the Triforce Times community to contribute, and throughout the video today we’ll go through your comments, plus interesting items from the development history of Ocarina of Time.
If you want to get involved in the Zelda Game Club it’s not too late! For part 2 we’re playing up until the start of the Forest Temple. Get your comments on this video by Sunday 15th October to have your comments included in the Zelda Game Club for Ocarina of Time.
Without further delay let’s dive into the Ocarina of Time.
First of all we meet our young hero Link, asleep as he is at the start of many Zelda adventures. The Great Deku tree introduced Link and the Kokiri, and explains Link doesn’t have a fairy. Link then has a terrible dream where he sees Ganondorf riding on horseback. The Great Deku Tree then sends Navi the fairy to assist Link on his adventure. Navi flies through the forest, finds Link and introduces herself.
@fishnewt1331
“I have played a lot of the game versions before. N64 original, 3DS Remake, and am now playing the emulator Nintendo released on the Switch. The control scheme brought a shock to me as I forgot how much simpler this game was with Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom being ingrained into my habits. Thus, I found Link to move both fluidly and stiffly at the same time. Running around and walking are pretty snappy, which makes it easier to fall off of ledges when I’m tight-roping, even mere small bridges like the one in Kokiri Forest. But the stiffness is in combat, in which I am used to Link reacting quicker and at more directions than what OoT Link does. It’s not terrible once I got back into my groove, but that is a fair warning for Era of the Wild players who expect an older game to play like every Zelda game.”
The controls certainly are a little awkward on Nintendo Switch, unless you have the rare N64 controlled. I’m playing via Nintendo Switch Online with a pro controller, and the controls could be much better, although it’s still playable.
@CaptBurgerson
“Just as you suggested in the video, I’m playing on Switch with NSO. The controls are pretty janky though, but thankfully I have the Switch N64 controller which fixes that- mostly. I have played this game a lot- pretty much annually since it came out, so I’m very familiar with it, and usually I’ve dusted off my N64 for each playthrough. Still, I went with switch for convenience this time. I gotta say though, the stick sensitivity is not quite tuned right- even with the N64 controller, which makes aiming a little trickier at times.”
Navi explains to Link he has to go and see the Great Deku Tree, but Mido is blocking the way. He says you need a sword and a shield, which lays out our first task. Through a little exploration we find a hole to crawl through, and once we’ve navigated the rolling boulders, we find the Kokiri Sword. Then it’s matter of gathering 40 rupees to buy the shield from the local shop. The funny thing here is you can go into Mido’s house and open up his chests and steal his rupees!
@fishnewt1331
“Navi was oddly sassy upon meeting Link. Something that does not happen after they start their journey. A bit of a pity, but Navi gets the benefit of the doubt through being the first companion. She used to get a lot of grief in the past, but I think people have started to soften in perspective of her. She does her job really well in most cases, only being annoying when I come across certain points through back-tracking (which I remedy by focusing on the paths I have not traversed) and reminding me of a main objective hint Navi will repeat often throughout the playthrough depending on where you are (something unavoidable, but a lot more tolerable). If I had to guess, maybe the fact that Navi is so loud to get the players attention might have peeved off some people in the past, but her reliability is invaluable for players who did not memorize the layout of Ocarina of Time and main story. Lol!”
In my memory, Navi was annoying, but going back to OOT after all this time, she’s not too bad. It’s the Owl that annoys me with his explanations and asking if you want to hear it again! No, I don’t.
Once you have the Sword and the Shield, make your way back to Mido and after some complaining he’ll let you past to speak to the Great Deku Tree. He explains the nightmares Link has been having are related to the evil arrived in Hyrule. The Great Deku Tree himself has been cursed and you have to go inside the Deku Tree and break the curse.
@fishnewt1331
“The Great Deku Tree has become so much more of an enigma with the retrospective of the Era of the Wild’s Korok living conditions. For so long from childhood to adulthood, it did not occur for me to question the existence of structures inside the Deku Tree. Things like a turning spike pole that threatens Link when he rides a platform across the water. Or the main area having a platform that extends towards the middle above the giant web. Were they used by the Kokiri in the past? The existence of all these spider-webs seem to imply no one has been inside the Deku Tree for quite a long time, but the Kokiri are functionally immortal in the sense of never aging. It is bizarre.”
@CaptBurgerson
“It’s kind of incredible how great of a tutorial this game has. The great deku tree is an incredible starter dungeon, it teaches you so much about the game, and it achieves it all without bore and tedium that other later Zelda games would fall victim to. “
Inside the Deku Tree
This is our first dungeon of sorts, and our first task is to get the Fairy Slingshot. We ecounter some new enemies here; Deku Babas and Spiders. When you kill the Deku Babas they drop Deku nuts, and you can throw them. After some exploration you’ll find a room with some platforms and you can open up the chest to find the Slingshot. This is going to be helpful to fire Deku Nuts at enemies. With the other enemies we can also practice with our sword and shield the process of z-targeting. We can shoot the ladder in the room, it’ll fall down and we can escape the room back into the main area in the Deku Tree.
The objective here is to climb up to the top of the inside of the Deku Tree and jump off to break the web in the middle of the floor. Only jumping from a great height will be enough to break through. As you explore and make your way through the dungeon there are some spider webs we can burn by lighting the Deku sticks in the torch flames.
The majority of the dungeon is straight forward, until we meet 3 Deku Scrubs. On our way to them we get another to tell us the secret code, and that’s 231, which translates to the order in which you have to defeat them. Do that, then it’s time for the boss, Queen Ghoma.
To defeat Queen Ghoma you have to knock her off the ceiling with the slingshot, and once she’s on the ground, then smack her in the eye with your sword. Once you’ve done this a few times you can exit the dungeon.
@fishnewt1331
“Ghoma gives me the icks still to this day. I am not a fan of her birthing her devil spawn like pawns. Ergo, I made quick work of her before she can have a chance. Ghoma is a good tutorial boss, needing Link to take into account of the items he has to defeat her.”
Now that’s complete, we havw a chat with the Great Deku Tree. He tells Link an Evil Man came from the desert and commanded him to give up one of the 3 spiritual stones. When all the stones are gathered a doorway opens to the Sacred Realm, the location of the Triforce. This is a huge power left behind by the 3 goddesses who created Hyrule. Once the Deku Tree is finished you get the Kokiri Emerald, and the Deku Tree asks you to find the Princess of Destiny in Hyrule Castle.
Hyrule Field
With our first job done, it’s time to go back to the forest, however, Mido’s there and accuses you of killing the Deku Tree. Mido then leaves, and you bump into Saria, who then says goodbye. As a leaving present she gives you the Fairy Ocarina.
@fishnewt1331
“The Stalchildren are a mystery that others have already theorized about. Makes me wonder what they, Redeads, and Stalfos would have been like in the Era of the Wild after seeing how Nintendo changed the Gibdo.”
Once we leave the forest we see Hyrule Field, but the camera pans over to the Castle, hinting where we need to go. We bump into Kaepora Gaebora who says the same thing, so off to Hyrule Castle we go. Try and get there before night time, otherwise the bridge will raise and you’ll get locked out. Get into the castle and then go to Castle Town Market. There are a bunch of things you can do in Castle Town Market including finding Gold Skulltulas, or play the shooting gallery. If you get a perfect score in the gallery then you’ll get the Deku Seed Bullet Bag, which allows you to carry 40.
@CaptBurgerson
“It’s also incredibly atmospheric which is always a treat. I like this approach overall. Most other 3D Zelda titles give you a tutorial and THEN send you into your first dungeon, but this game rolls both of those concepts into one, and I think the game is better for it. It’s far from a complex dungeon, but it is perfect for beginners, and not a boring chore for returning veterans. Also the big jump down from the top floor is always weirdly exciting for me.”
Hyrule Castle
Keep going through and head to the castle. You’ll meet Malon from Lon Lon Ranch and she’ll explain Talon, her father, was deliverying milk, but he’s likely fallen asleep. Malon will give you an egg. Make your way through the castle grounds, avoiding the guards as you go. You’ll find Talon asleep, the egg will hatch and the cuccoo will wake him up. Talon runs off, and you can then use the crates to get into the castle and avoid the guards.
@fishnewt1331
“I need to give props of Nintendo’s use of Malon. Using Epona’s song to draw the attention of the player is great way to hint to them the path to go next. Imagine if she were silent among the crowd of NPC’s in Castle Town.”
Once Link gets into the castle, there are still loads of Guards to avoid. Sneak past them and you’ll find Princess Zelda. After chatting with the Princess, she’ll explain we need to gather the remaining Spiritual Stones, so we can reach the Triforce before Ganondorf does. Princess Zelda then gives you a letter, so if anyone asks who you are or why you are here, then it’ll prove you have her the royal blessing. After chatting with the Princess, leave and you’ll meet Zelda’s nursemaid. She’ll teach you your first song for the Ocarina, Zelda’s Lullaby.
@fishnewt1331
“Zelda’s Lullaby on the Ocarina is the best version in my opinion. It may have been introduced in a Link to the Past, but the Ocarina of Time version is the pinnacle version I think of when the name “Zelda’s Lullaby” pops into my head.”
“Will get into more detail later in the game when we meet adult Zelda, but Princess Zelda in Ocarina of Time is my favorite version of any Zelda (though Era of the Wild Zelda has nowadays started giving OoT Zelda a run for her money). For now, Young Zelda’s design is okay. Not a fan of the royal hood obscuring her hair, but it’s not a bad design by any means. Zelda’s personality is pretty direct and assertive even for a game from the early-2000’s.”
Impa then escorts you outside the castle and says go back to Kakariko Village. Our next objective is clear, Death Moutain, however there’s a few other things to do first. A large part of Hyrule is now available to explore if you want to do so. You can carry on with the main quest, but there’s a few useful items to gather first.
@fishnewt1331
“God, I so was secretly hoping as a kid that Zelda would be playable in the game back then. You would think this would be fixed nowadays, but even now we still wish for a playable Zelda. Such a wasted opportunity.”
@fishnewt1331
“People are a lot more nasty to Link this Era. Many people were outright rude to Link, patronizing him as a kid, and the Castle Guards literally throw him out (thank god you don’t lose hearts from that, otherwise, things would have been much darker).”
You would think Nintendo would have made Zelda playable by now. Even though she had a more active role in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, she still needed saving. One day, hopefully, we’ll get a playable Zelda.
Sun’s Song
Our next destination is Death Mountain, but we can go to Kakariko Village and to the Graveyard. Find the 3 large graves and you’ll meet the the Composer Brothers. They’ll tell you about the Sun’s Song which can make the sun rise when you want. Find the Triforce logo and stand on it, play Zelda’s Lullaby and a storm will gather, lightning will strike and open up a secret door. Make your way down into the Royal Family’s Tomb, continue to the end to learn the Sun’s Song.
@fishnewt1331
“This time around, I managed to avoid the ReDeads to get the Sun Song. I don’t know why I always used to go in front of the ReDeads when going in back of them completely avoids the pitfall of their horror scram that stuns you.”
I had forgotten the terrifying ReDeads. That screaming will haunt my soul.
“Sun Song comes in clutch so much, especially traversing Hyrule Field to avoid Stalchildren.”
@CaptBurgerson
“By the way, anybody else always get the suns song before even heading up death mountain? Or is that just me? I usually stop by the graveyard to nab a free Hylian shield anyways, so I always just get the suns song while I’m at it lol”
Kakariko Village
Leave the graveyard and head back to Kakariko Village. Here you can gather all the cuccos to get an empty bottle, very useful for storing things.
@fishnewt1331
“The Cucco lady is fun to prank. Collecting Cucco to get my reward then throwing one Cucco out is peak mischievous behavior that adds to me imagining Link as a twerpish kid.”
Ha, I didn’t think of that. I did spend the time finding the cuccos, which was fun, and that bottle is going to come in handy later.
@CaptBurgerson
“It’s great how much side content you can access even this early on, while it still steers you in the right direction pretty gracefully. Though in hindsight there’s a bit of clarity missing on when/how you meet Malon. Nothing too bad, obviously I figured it out as a kid, but playing it here now I realized that there is not as much to communicate to you that you have to meet her before trying to get into the castle as there could have been. Same idea goes for needing to backtrack to the lost woods to learn Saria’s song. “
Lon Lon Ranch
Leave the village and go back out to Hyrule Field towards Lon Lon Ranch, which is in the middle of the field. Make sure it’s day by playing the Sun’s Song, then have a chat with Talon. He has a cucco game prepared for you. You have to find them and bring them back. You have to catch 3 super cuccos, and Talon will give you another bottle, this time filled with Lon Lon Milk. Then have a chat with Malon and she’ll teach you Epona’s Song.
@fishnewt1331
“I noticed Lon Lon Ranch was on a raised plateau in this game. The ruins in BotW and TotK are on a flat plane. What happened to the plateau that gave protective walls on all sides of the ranch?”
@fishnewt1331
“Peahats are the worst. Thank god they did not return in the Era of the Wild.”
YES!
Lake Hylia
This is a good chance to head on down to Lake Hylia and check out the fishing mini game. To get there you’ll need to make your way through Gerudo Valley and jump into the river, to take you to Lake Hylia. Before we go fishing we have some Scarecrows, one says they can remember any song, so play something with 8 notes, and remember that for later, as the Scarecrow remembers. Swim over to the island and go through the door to try out the fishing for 20 rupees.
Sacred Forest Meadow
Next we have to go and have a chat with Saria. To do this we have to navigate the Lost Woods. The path through the woods is Right, left, right, left, forward, left, right and on the way we can upgrade our Deku Seeds pouch to hold more ammo. Make your way through the meadow to meet Saria once again and she’ll play her song, and that allows us to talk to Saria remotely.
@fishnewt1331
“I never realized how ingrained my own tips for myself were in my head. Traversing the Lost Woods is made a lot easier when not using Saria’s Song, due to the fact that in the Adult Future, the song no longer pitches down when you go the wrong way (something I learned watching DeeBeeGeek trying to use the song to guide him and finding that it no longer helped because the volume is at a constant as an adult. Flawed game design, I tell you). My method is much more full-proof. When looking into the different log pathways, you subtly notice that there hints of light in some paths. The paths that have light at the end of the tunnel mean they take Link to another area (either Kokiri Forest if you go the wrong way and one that leads to the Sacred Meadow if you choose all the right paths). The paths that are pitch black mean that they lead to another part of the Lost Woods for you travel down. Thus, if you want to avoid going back to the beginning, you can avoid it by only taking the pitch black paths.”
From this point it’s time to return to Kakariko Village, and make our way to Death Mountain… but we will continue in part 2.
@fishnewt1331
“After Era of the Wild’s Link’s personality showing in the text boxes, I started noticing more OoT Link’s own personality through the texts. The sheer fact he has the option to say no in a lot of cases now gives me the belief that Link is not as altruistic in OoT as we’d think. Now, I picture him hesitating to say yes and even saying no, only to be persuaded to doing things anyways. The fact Link does not emote much is unfortunate, but I learned to appreciate the ability to be a petulant twerp when the mood suits me, such as telling Zelda no when she asks me if I’m from the forest or if she asks me to keep her secret. Even when I said no to the Great Deku Tree, he gently brooked no argument from me and just told me the story of the Triforce anyways, which tells me that he gets this sort of thing from the Kokiri or Link often.”
That’s it for Ocarina of Time Zelda Game Club Part 1. If you want to get involved its not too late. Get your comments to me by Sunday 15th October to have your comments included in part 2, and play until you get to the Forest Temple and then stop.
Thank you to everyone who has written in so far, I’m loving playing through Ocarina of Time, and knowing there’s people out there enjoying at the same time is very good.
That’s it for this episode of the Zelda Game Club, we’ll be back next week.
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