Legend of Zelda: A Generation That Grew Up With The Boy Who Didn't

Listen to this to get your nostalgia ready.

Any gamer who grew up in the '90s has some memory of The Legend of Zelda.  More specifically, LoZ: Ocarina of Time.  If it wasn't the pinnacle of their childhood video game memories, then it was damn near close.  Surely it was one of the first games that instilled a sense of adventure and heroism in the player.  You were Link- the Hero of Time.  And just like the unsuspecting boy from the Kokiri Village, you were ready to be thrust into the darkness that was about to consume Hyrule.

This was the experience that launched my gaming career.  And whether you think I'm a loser for cherishing the experiences I had during my time as Link or you can relate to me exactly, you should certainly know that I'm not alone.  Ocarina of Time turned video games upside down.  Sidescrollers and block games became irrelevant upon OoT's debut on the shelf of the game store.  Also, if your game did not have a compelling story that gamers couldn't immerse themselves in, your game was going to fail.

I remember going to pick up my copy.  I had played the game with a friend and I thought it was the most amazing thing ever.  I can vividly remember watching my friend as he ran about Hyrule field and slashed everything in sight with his Kokiri sword.  I was hooked immediately.  I also remember going to pick up the game.  I was fucking stupid back then and was too immature to realize exactly what I had just bought, (a piece of gaming history) so I tore up the box and slapped the cartridge right into my Nintendo 64 (which is still with me after 12 years or so.  I also have the instruction manual, which is also pretty beat up).  From that point on, my life was changed.

I'm not sure if it's a sad thing that a video game altered my life.  It sure didn't really phase many of my friends who owned the game.  Perhaps it was my love for a great story, which still an important part of my personality today.  I loved the game so much that I bought all of the OoT edition action figures (which I also still have, but unfortunately they're beat up as well.  I'm pretty pissed at younger me because I would love to have all of those things in mint condition.  The boxed ones run for about $100 a piece now.  Fuck me).

I think video games are going to replace all forms of entertainment-be it movies or books-in the near future.  The generation who grew up on story driven games is of age now and we're more expecting than ever of our favorite game makers.  But unfortunately, the younger gamers are the ones who are willing to spend the money, thus we have abominations such as Call of Duty ruling the video game market (and strictly for multiplayer, too.)  It's sad to see these kids grow up on XBL knowing nothing but camping and teabagging-- not knowing what it's like to be a part of a much grander adventure.

I must admit: It was interesting how I evolved among the people who were only interested in online play.  At first I was all about the story, and then during early my early teens I was all multiplayer.  Not necessarily in the "hardcore" sense, but I just liked hanging out with friends in the online battlefield.  But now that I'm older, I'm finding myself less tolerant of what multiplayer has become and increasingly slipping back into the story again.  And more importantly, I find myself looking back at the early days of my gaming career.  The days I spent as the Hero of Time.

Back to the days before Halo, before online multiplayer, back to the days when friends met up and talked about their progress in the Water Temple instead of how many fucking nukes they got the previous night.  I really do feel old once I step back and notice the gap between my generation of kids and this generation of kids.  I'm not that old, but a few short years has truly made a gap.  One that I find to be rather maddening.  Hell, I even find some of my friends on the other side.  Especially the ones who didn't start playing video games until later in life.  I really feel bad for them.  While I have no problem immersing myself into stories, they simply can't.  I really do believe that it was because I was exposed to games like Ocarina of Time at such a young age.  It really built my appreciation for adventure.  It helped me see past the label of the game and into the beautiful worlds that great minds had created.

Zelda was different because it challenged your mind.  It taught you how to think, be observant, and most importantly: how to explore.  You weren't some mindless drone whose sole objective was to shoot at anything that turned your reticle red.  You had to solve the puzzles in order to progress.  You were constantly in pursuit of something greater while using clever tools to get you there.  The Zelda games are a true test of how true of a gamer you are.  I don't consider hardcore multiplayer douchebags to be real gamers.  I do, however, approve of those who can rock out on the online battlefield while still being able to immerse themselves into worlds in single player.

The previous few paragraphs can be summed up nicely.  Zelda played your mind and emotions.  Something that games today lack.  And unlike each sequel to every juggernaut franchise, Zelda continues to innovate.  Sure, with each sequel to OoT you become a blood relative of the Hero of Time and are somehow in the same time period with a never changing Zelda, and you might play the same types of temples over and over again, but the puzzles and dynamics change each time.  I've played through most of the Zelda games (OoT, Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword) and no two have felt the same.

I do plan on replaying OoT some time in the near future.  I need to reset my mind and put myself back into the days when all that mattered was exploring.  I used to wander Hyrule Field for hours, just looking around.  Now all I find myself doing is rushing to finish the game.  It's hard, now.  Games are designed with a designated path.  All you have to do is kill anything that occupies that path.  Perhaps developers looking for innovation should consider the fact that it's not how many perks you throw into your game, it's the basic concept of your game.  You can't innovate on a clear cut path.  You need to make gamers think.  You need to make them explore.

Just like Zelda said to Link at the end of OoT, "We must make up for all of our lost time."  We, the generation that grew up with the boy who didn't, need to remember what made those times so great.  With a light heart, and childish soul, and a little bit of nostalgia, we can take ourselves back to the golden age of gaming whenever we want.  We don't have to settle for today's status quo.  We can resume our roles as the Hero of Time whenever we wish.  For the younger kids out there, find Ocarina of Time and an N64 and play through it.  Maybe you'll see what we did over a decade ago.  For the older people out there, dust off your cartridge and play through the Deku Tree or something.  Rediscover yourself.  Make up for all of your lost time.