also known as Legend of Zelda, The - Ocarina of Time & Master Quest
GameCube
🇯🇵
Reviewed in 2003
92
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✪ Reviewed on October 3, 2023
88
Collector bonus bundling Ocarina of Time with its dungeon-flipped Master Quest. The great Zelda 64 classic in GameCube garb, plus a tougher variant for veterans. Faithful emulation, massive content. A Nintendo gift fans still dream about.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player12+
Description
Link battles Ganon in this Japanese Nintendo GameCube version including Ocarina of Time and Master Quest. Published by Nintendo, released in Japan in November 2003. Japanese compilation including original Ocarina of Time and enriched Master Quest with reworked dungeons.
Zelda no Densetsu - Toki no Ocarina GC review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
Even years later, the Hyrule shaped here keeps an unforgettable silhouette, from wind-swept fields to the passing cycle of time. A sure sense of framing and an economy of means give every place a rare presence, left intact in the memory. This foundational visual direction still feeds the whole of modern adventure gaming.
A few notes of the ocarina are enough to summon a whole world: Zelda's Lullaby or the Song of Time are etched into collective memory. Koji Kondo's compositions, woven into the gameplay, turn music into a genuine tool of adventure. This melodic magic remains an absolute benchmark.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
The Z-targeting that smooths every swordfight, the ocarina that unlocks the world, dungeons tuned like clockwork: 3D adventure found its grammar here, and it still holds. Exploring Hyrule, solving its puzzles and growing alongside Link feels rare and self-evident. A few rigidities betray its age, but the whole remains a lesson in game design.
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Clearing a dungeon, earning the item that unlocks the next area and exploring a Hyrule packed with secrets weaves an adventure loop of rare fluidity. Every puzzle solved instantly opens a fresh horizon, and the slightest ocarina or hookshot rekindles curiosity. A few back-and-forth treks have aged, yet this discovery-reward chain remains a high point of the genre.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Rediscovering Hyrule and then taking on its mirror version gives this double bill a generous running time. To the already vast adventure of Ocarina of Time, Master Quest adds its reshuffled dungeons, designed for veterans hungry for a challenge. This doubled content, inviting a fresh playthrough in a new key, explains the lasting appeal of this edition among fans.
Zelda no Densetsu Toki no Ocarina GC is the Japanese edition of the Master Quest bonus disc, distributed by Nintendo Japan along similar lines to the Western bonus discs. Collector value comes from that Japanese specificity.
Memorable bosses
Each dungeon climaxes on a guardian that sums up its theme, from the fire dragon Volvagia to the spectral horseman Phantom Ganon, before a two-stage final duel against Ganondorf. Z-targeting and combat puzzles laid down the rules of the 3D boss. A solemn staging and unforgettable musical themes lend these battles an aura that hasn't aged a day.
Is Zelda no Densetsu - Toki no Ocarina GC still worth playing in 2026?
A special GameCube edition gathering Ocarina of Time and its Master Quest version with reworked dungeons, this promotional disc has become a sought after object. Master Quest fully reorganises the original dungeons with trickier puzzles, perfect for anyone who knows the adventure by heart and seeks a new challenge. The classic OoT version remains one of the greatest works of video gaming. For anyone wishing to rediscover the classic from a fresh angle, an absolutely essential recommendation for any Zelda fan.
