In my quest to find you news on April Fool’s Day that isn’t a bunch of malarkey, I stumbled upon Game Informer’s latest reader poll. After weeks of voting and after toppling 64 different games, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has received the grand honor of being the “Greatest Game of All Time” according to players. Released in 1998, the game was revolutionary for its time and has helped codify the lock-on targeting system still in use today. It’s also many people’s first Zelda game, which likely played a big part.
Our readers and community have spoken, and the winner of our bracket tournament to determine the greatest game of all time is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time! Head here for the full results, the closest calls in the tournament, and more! https://t.co/4ED7SNLRh8 pic.twitter.com/LTJ4LPUuzb
— Game Informer (@gameinformer) March 29, 2024
In the final round of voting, Ocarina of Time was up against Half-Life 2, of all games. Both are important for several different reasons, but it looks as if the nostalgia for Link’s first 3D outing is too strong. With just fewer than 90 votes separating each game, Ocarina of Time smacked Gordon’s crowbar out of his hand and froze him with some completely useless Ice Arrows… well, they were useless until now!
Some other highlights from this reader poll come from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater beating out Pokémon Red and Blue with only 12 votes, and Metroid Prime toppling The Last of Us Part II by just 23 votes. While I would probably vote for different games than a majority of readers, I can’t deny that I’m happy to see Ocarina of Time still held in reverence to this day.
We love Ocarina of time so much, we de-made it.
In the nearly three decades since its release, public opinion on Ocarina has gone back and forth. It is obviously a foundational game for the industry, but in the late 00s, many claimed people were nostalgia-blinded. When the game was re-released on 3DS, the game was reappraised as a masterpiece only for opinion to then change again following Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s release. I’ve always maintained that even with some of its design flaws (those damn iron boots not being an equipable item is lunacy), Ocarina of Time has some of the best pacing and dungeon themes of the entire series.
Whether or not you agree with the outcome here, you cannot deny that people love The Legend of Zelda and, specifically, Ocarina of Time. Be it nostalgia or some other reason, the game will forever live on as one of the most legendary and important in the entire franchise.
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
