What Is Ocarina of Time? Story, Gameplay, Who It Is For

This page is for people who have not played The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: what kind of game it is, where the story starts and what it feels like to play. The story section stops at the opening setup and does not spoil what follows.

What kind of game is Ocarina of Time?

A dungeon-based action-adventure and the first 3D game in the Zelda series. It is not an open world like Breath of the Wild. The world is small, and the weight is on a series of carefully built large dungeons. In each one you find a new item, use it to solve that dungeon’s puzzles and beat its boss, then carry it to places you could not reach before.

The versions are compared on remake vs N64 vs 3DS.

What is the story of Ocarina of Time?

Kokiri Forest is home to children who never grow up. Each of them has a fairy companion, except a boy named Link. One day the forest’s guardian, the Great Deku Tree, sends the fairy Navi to fetch him. The Great Deku Tree has been cursed, and the one who cursed it is a man from the desert: Ganondorf.

The Great Deku Tree tells Link to leave the forest and meet Princess Zelda at Hyrule Castle. She tells him what Ganondorf is after: the Triforce, a sacred power that grants wishes. To get there first, Link has to collect three Spiritual Stones and open the Door of Time inside the Temple of Time.

Link opens the door, draws the Master Sword from its pedestal and wakes seven years later. He is an adult, and Hyrule belongs to Ganondorf. From here Link has to awaken the Sages in temples across the land, moving between his childhood and adult years as he goes.

How does it play?

• Dungeons and items. The slingshot, bombs, boomerang, Hookshot and bow each come from a particular dungeon and are the key to finishing it. The dungeons have a set order; see the walkthrough and items and upgrades.
• Targeting. Hold a button to lock on to one enemy, then circle, block and attack around it. Ocarina of Time introduced the idea, and most 3D action games since have used it.
• Playing the ocarina. Songs played with the buttons change day to night, call your horse, warp you to the temples or trigger mechanisms. There are 13; see ocarina songs.
• Two time periods. Young Link and adult Link use different items and can reach different places. Some puzzles are set up as a child and only pay off as an adult. See the beginner tips.

What is in the game?

Outside the dungeons there is horse riding, fishing, mask trading and other side content; see side quests.

How long does it take to beat?

That is about half the length of Breath of the Wild’s main story, which suits anyone who wants to finish a Zelda game in a few weekends.

Who is it for, and who is it not for?

It suits you if:

• You like puzzles and dungeons that open up one layer at a time.
• You have played Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom and want to know what Zelda was like before.
• You want a story with a clear beginning and end.

It may not suit you if:

• You want to walk and climb anywhere. The route here is more fixed, and when you are stuck you have to solve the puzzle.
• You are not used to the controls of older games. The N64 version’s camera and controls are a 1998 design; the remake adds free camera control and other new controls, listed on remake new features.

Play now, or wait for the remake?

The Switch 2 remake launches on November 5, 2026, at $59.99 digital and $69.99 physical in the United States. If you can wait, the remake is the easier way in. If you want to play today, the N64 version on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack is ready now. Costs and differences for each option are on how to play Ocarina of Time now, and the date, prices and pre-orders are on the remake release date page.

Where should you start?

• Item order and where new players get stuck: Ocarina of Time beginner tips
• The order of the nine dungeons: walkthrough
• Still deciding which Zelda to play: which Zelda to play first