Game Scoop! Presents: Ocarina of Time – Is It Still Fun?

Date: November 25, 2025
Host: Daemon Hatfield with Pear Schneider, Sam Claiborne, Miranda Sanchez
Theme: Revisiting The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to determine if it's "still fun" in 2025, sharing personal stories, expert insights, and lively debate.

Episode Overview

The inaugural installment of Game Scoop!’s new feature, “Is It Still Fun Today?” revisits Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time—once considered the “greatest game ever made” and still holding a record-breaking 99 Metacritic score. Daemon Hatfield leads panelists Pear Schneider (who reviewed Ocarina at launch), Sam Claiborne, and Miranda Sanchez in assessing its modern-day playability, cleverness, and impact after a fresh replay on new hardware.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Revisiting the Legend

• Pear’s unique perspective: He reviewed Ocarina for IGN in 1998, giving it a perfect score:

  "The new benchmark for interactive entertainment has arrived." (Pear, 01:11)

  • Pear recounts reviewing the game chained to a Nintendo 64 unit under tight Nintendo supervision.
• Miranda’s nostalgia:

  "It just belonged to Ocarina of Time. Like, it was a foundational game for me… an incredible journey that made me feel so much guilt as a child." (Miranda, 05:23)

  • Childhood fears around Redeads and the well—literal nightmare fuel.
• Panel Agreement: For all, Ocarina was “foundational” and formative as gamers.

2. The Return: Replay Impressions

• Main verdict:

  “Is Ocarina of Time still fun today? It is. Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes.” (Daemon, 13:14)

  • Despite dated quirks, Ocarina remains “packed with charm,” the world feels grand, and “the temples are genius.”
• Controller and Emulation Issues:
  • Early Switch emulation/control mapping was rough, now much improved with custom remapping (Pear, 13:44).

3. Design & Technical Brilliance

• Groundbreaking Cinematics:

  “You go into the Deku Tree and the camera zooms out. It’s got these sweeping camera moves... Games were not that way back then.” (Pear, 15:31)

  • In-engine cutscenes were revolutionary, as opposed to FMVs of the era.
• Worldbuilding Magic:

  “It looks more rounded...on an old school TV…the color blending, the way it all comes together…” (Pear, 17:04)

  • N64 trickery: towns are looping hatboxes, background “paintings”—clever illusion of an open world.

4. Dated Elements & Minor Frustrations

• Camera woes:

  “It did really bug me…not being able to control the camera…” (Daemon, 18:15)
  “Getting back and getting used to how the camera operates…using Z-targeting is one of the most obnoxious things.” (Miranda, 18:34)

• Clunky controls for newcomers—but easy enough to re-adapt for returning fans.
• Aging UI/UX: Wallet size limitations, item management, and lack of guidance—Navi sometimes unhelpful (28:58).

5. Puzzle & Dungeon Mastery

• Praise for puzzle design:

  “Puzzles are ingenious in some parts…The way you always feel really great when you figure something out.” (Pear, 49:35)

• Dungeons, from Fire to Forest to Spirit Temples, stood out for their “clever” structure and variety.
• Use of sound, rumble, and visuals for secrets:

  “There’s a rumble secret…a sound secret…a visual thing…then you start piecing it back together.” (Pear, 29:58)

• Mini-games and side quests retain a “surprisingly modern” density and fun.

6. Tone Shifts: Creepiness and Story

• The “adult world” is shockingly dark—sudden shift after the time skip, empty towns, nightmarish dungeons (32:44).
• Unique blend of whimsy and real emotional stakes:

  “The main themes…a kid who’s different…forced to grow up…universal themes.” (Daemon, 34:14)

• Notable “creepy” moments:
  • Skultulla house, Forest/Shadow Temple horrors, Redeads, blood in the boss fight (Shadow Temple’s torture room).

7. Ocarina vs. Modern Zeldas

• Current open world games like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are compared and contrasted:

  “Nobody’s making games like this anymore…It’s a much more, like, focused storybook…a funneling you through the story.” (Daemon, 40:45)

• Ocarina’s balance of openness and linearity: more “Metroid-like” than pure sandbox, with smart backtracking.
• Modernizations (save states, rewind): make the game more accessible (Miranda & Sam, 50:16).

8. Nostalgia, Impact, and Historical Context

• Not a massive seller at the time, due in part to the N64’s reputation as a “kid’s toy” versus PlayStation’s mature branding (Pear & Sam, 51:06–53:05).
• Ocarina’s technical solutions (camera, Z-targeting, world design) shaped 3D game development worldwide.
• The desire for “making-of” documentaries—lamenting Nintendo’s secrecy and lost history (Sam & Pear, 56:02–56:43).

9. Memorable Quotes

• On foundational terror:

  “Literal nightmare… Redeads.” (Miranda, 05:56)

• On open world illusions:

  “We thought it was an open world, but it’s just cleverly interconnected little paintings and tricks.” (Pear, 21:52)

• On returning as adults:

  “We’re older and can no longer use a slingshot.” (Pear, 12:53)

• On replay value:

  “Partially nostalgia and comfort…so fun to return to… But it also is really fun and it’s the satisfaction that it gives you…” (Sam, 26:12)

• On legacy:

  “Ocarina of Time was different…the entire game development community was waiting for this game and watching every move Nintendo was making with it.” (Pear, 54:59)

• On the verdict:

  “Is it still fun today? Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes.” (Daemon, 13:14)

Noteworthy Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------| | 02:11 | Intro: Why revisit Ocarina of Time? “The new benchmark for interactive entertainment has arrived.” (Pear) | | 05:23 | Miranda’s childhood memories, foundational impact, the game’s emotional tone | | 12:31 | Main discussion resumes: panel reconvenes after playing | | 13:14 | Host’s verdict: “Still fun today? Yes!” | | 15:31 | Panel dives into the brilliance of presentation and cinema | | 18:34 | Panel highlights control/camera frustrations | | 27:18 | Exploration, side quests, and dense world design | | 32:00 | Discussion on horror elements; emotional tone shift post time-skip | | 34:14 | Universal emotional hooks and narrative power | | 40:45 | How Ocarina compares to modern Zeldas | | 49:35 | Praise for puzzle design and how it fosters discovery | | 50:16 | Save states and modern gameplay amenities | | 51:06 | Historical context—why didn’t Ocarina sell more N64s? | | 54:59 | Ocarina’s industry legacy and technical innovations | | 56:02 | The desire for behind-the-scenes documentaries | | 58:30 | Final verdict: “Still fun”—modern platforms, replay options, and call for feedback |

Conclusion

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is unanimously held up as a timeless masterpiece: welcoming to both nostalgic returning players and first-timers in 2025. Charm, puzzle design, and an evocative blend of whimsy and darkness outweigh dated controls and technical quirks. As Sam put it, Ocarina delivers a “satisfaction that you cleared it”—and no modern games quite replicate its tightly crafted adventure. It's "still fun," and still one of the greatest.

“Is it the best game of all time? I don’t know about that, but it is definitely still fun to play today.” (Daemon, 58:30)

Next Up

Listeners are encouraged to suggest other classics for the “Is It Still Fun Today?” treatment and share their own Ocarina memories. Contact Daemon via the Game Scoop! Facebook group or email.

For classic Zelda fans and curious newcomers alike, the consensus is clear: Ocarina of Time’s Song of Time remains an enduring, magical tune.