Poll of the Day > I'm going to replay all the Zelda games in release order this year

(+) Yeah! (+)

EvilResident posted...

thats an easy disagree

It's maybe a bit harsher than it needs to be, but Mario 64's camera controls have definitely not aged well and quite severely hold the game back. The level design, platforming, and general movement are all still excellent (though Odyssey stomps all over it in terms of what an absolute joy it is to move Mario around in that one), and it's still certainly a fun game to play, but even Banjo Kazooie had dramatically improved camera controls just two years later. That's not strictly SM64's fault, it's just a consequence of being one of the first forays into 3D platforming ever: Mistakes were always going to be made, which everybody learned from as the genre moved forward.

adjl posted...

It's maybe a bit harsher than it needs to be, but Mario 64's camera controls have definitely not aged well and quite severely hold the game back.

another easy disagree

sure its not great but it certainly doesnt severely hold the game back

Finished the sixth Dark World dungeon just now. Only Turtle Rock and Ganon's Tower are left.

I struggle to find much to say to critique this game. I never liked the mismatched colours on the blue mail, I guess that's a critique. The dungeons don't really stick out as being unique, which isn't really a good or bad thing given that you could argue that their purpose is to challenge you, not to have some sort of theme like future installments had of their dungeons.

That said, the bosses have mostly held up very well, especially the Dark World ones. The bosses of Ice Palace and Misery Mire are kind of too similar to each other, though. Still, very fun, more so than the bosses in many future games.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/c/c7551986.jpg

A Link to the Past is a masterpiece. It is amazing how well it holds up to this day. I play through it about once every couple years. There are only 3 games I do that with, the other 2 being Super Metroid and Castlevania Symphony of the Night.

Finished A Link to the Past. What an outstanding game. The plot was simple and yet it's so rewarding to play through. Ganon's Tower was easily the best dungeon in the game, it felt great just tearing through waves of enemies and challenging puzzles, it really makes it feel like you've grown as a player (even though I've beat this game tons of times before). I had no game overs at all in this one.

Some of the necessary plot pieces are a bit cryptic, which I guess keeps in line with the previous two games. It would take a lot of exploring to figure out that you need the Silver Arrows to defeat Ganon for instance. Or that you need the Quake and Ether medallions to enter some dungeons. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and people haven't really seen this game as being unbeatable or too cryptic by any means. Just an observation.

I'll start Link's Awakening right away this evening. I'll be playing the DX version for GBC (on Nintendo Switch Online). I'd really prefer to play the Switch remake but I want to stay more truthful with the development of the series.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/d/d8fe0e1a.jpg

I never finished it. I think it was the tower I got stuck at. I always ran out of magic before I could complete some of the magic puzzles.

Woo, I love beating LttP. Makes me want to play it. and Link's Awakening is a personal favourite. You'll beat it very quickly.

I made it to the second dungeon in Link's Awakening the other day, but I haven't had time to play since. I'll be busy for the next several days, too. Probably won't pick it back up until next weekend, but it definitely will go quick once I have the time.

The GB version is better than I remembered, I'm not upset about not playing the Switch version. The only complaint I have so far are just how intrusive some messages are, especially when you touch a boulder or jar that is too heavy to lift, or when you get a Guardian Acorn or Piece of Power (or whatever it's called). I don't know how they didn't fix that during development, or in the DX release (which is the one I'm playing, because it's the only one available on the Switch Game Boy service).

faramir77 posted...

I made it to the second dungeon in Link's Awakening the other day, but I haven't had time to play since. I'll be busy for the next several days, too. Probably won't pick it back up until next weekend, but it definitely will go quick once I have the time.

The GB version is better than I remembered, I'm not upset about not playing the Switch version. The only complaint I have so far are just how intrusive some messages are, especially when you touch a boulder or jar that is too heavy to lift, or when you get a Guardian Acorn or Piece of Power (or whatever it's called). I don't know how they didn't fix that during development, or in the DX release (which is the one I'm playing, because it's the only one available on the Switch Game Boy service).

That's the grotto right? Also intrusive? I should get around to playing the Switch version since I bought it for Black Friday two years ago.

Revelation34 posted...

That's the grotto right? Also intrusive? I should get around to playing the Switch version since I bought it for Black Friday two years ago.

Yeah, and by "intrusive" I mean that it interrupts your gameplay to give an overly long message that takes forever to slowly scroll out, even if you just bump into a boulder.

cool sig :v

C0RNISHACID posted...

cool sig :v

I'll be sure to beat the Running Man once again when I get to Ocarina of Time, mwahaha.

I'm on vacation in British Columbia right now. I'm appreciating the fact that it's actually spring here; when I left Alberta the other day it was straight up dead winter.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/1/1a389dd9.jpg

Playing Skyward Sword HD for the first time and loving it. I can already see the evolution of the dragons and guardians from BotW in this game

FrozenBananas posted...

Playing Skyward Sword HD for the first time and loving it. I can already see the evolution of the dragons and guardians from BotW in this game

Oh I heard that's the worst one because of the controls. Should I play it?

Revelation34 posted...

Oh I heard that's the worst one because of the controls. Should I play it?

I would say so I never had problem with the controls, but I know others did. But the switch version also has alternate controls

Revelation34 posted...

Oh I heard that's the worst one because of the controls. Should I play it?

I tried playing it first with a joy con in each hand, but playing that way was exhausting.

i use the pro controller now, though, and its much easier. Its a bit strange to get used to, since I just finished BotW a couple months ago, but it runs pretty smoothly so far, havent had many complaints.

FrozenBananas posted...

have fun!

I just played BotW for the first time these past few months, put about 100 hours in and loved it. Its probably my favorite Zelda, which used to be a tie between Ocarina and Twilight Princess

im going to go back and play Skyward Sword HD (havent played it before) before I move over to TotK. One of my friends said he didnt like Tears very much, but I have a feeling Im going to love every minute of it.

I was looking at this video on instagram yesterday, and they show the sales over the years for each Zelda game. I cant fucking believe how many BotW sold lol

edit: heres a graph https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/b/b0374db3.jpg

Very interesting. Oracle games seem to each sell about the same as LA DX. It is crazy how well BotW sold, but I assume a big part of that is a top tier Zelda game coming out on a top selling console. Really the only time you have that combo, though on the other hand the BotW was early on in the Switch lifespan.

It's been a long time, but I've played a bit more. I'm between dungeon 2 and 3 right now. Currently collecting the Gold Leaves.

The puzzle in this photo always holds a place in my mind as being the most unintuitive in any Zelda game. You're supposed to throw a jar at the door to unlock it. They made it more clear in the Switch remake by actually putting a picture of a jar on the door, which as much as that removes the problem solving element, it honestly isn't a bad change given how weird this puzzle was.

Overall I'm enjoying Link's Awakening, but the Switch version has spoiled me. I doubt I'll ever play the GBC version again after this, unless someday I play through each Zelda in release order again.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/0/081e9c86.jpg

faramir77 posted...

It's been a long time, but I've played a bit more. I'm between dungeon 2 and 3 right now. Currently collecting the Gold Leaves.

The puzzle in this photo always holds a place in my mind as being the most unintuitive in any Zelda game. You're supposed to throw a jar at the door to unlock it. They made it more clear in the Switch remake by actually putting a picture of a jar on the door, which as much as that removes the problem solving element, it honestly isn't a bad change given how weird this puzzle was.

Overall I'm enjoying Link's Awakening, but the Switch version has spoiled me. I doubt I'll ever play the GBC version again after this, unless someday I play through each Zelda in release order again.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/0/081e9c86.jpg

I don't remember having an issue.

Revelation34 posted...

I don't remember having an issue.

Same here I don't remember getting stuck on this door at all, especially when pots do damage to enemies if my memory serves. The game shows you can use them to damage things so damaging a door is not out of the question.

I do remember not being able to do the maze until somebody older than me showed how to do it.

I'm pretty sure I had to look up the pot thing. Definitely not an intuitive puzzle.

I think I always threw pots at doors. Not for puzzle reasons, though. I just do/did

I never had an issue with the pot door, it seemed pretty obvious to me.

The part I got stuck on was The required bombable wall in dungeon 6. Since it wasn't marked well in the original game.

Made me have to buy the strategy guide from Nintendo Power since that was before the Internet.

How was the 3ds majoras mask a downgrade, never played the original of it. Thought the 3ds OOT was prettty good.

faramir77 posted...

Overall, Zelda 1 was fun but it has aged terribly. I've always thought that, though; I first played it around 2003/2004 and was discouraged by the terrible controls. It's also very strange just how cryptic the game is. I remembered the location of level 8, but I'm not sure how anyone is supposed to find that.

Did you ever play BotW or TotK?

If not I'm curious what you'll think about the maps and how they kind of coordinate through out the games.

adjl posted...

I'm pretty sure I had to look up the pot thing. Definitely not an intuitive puzzle.

Glad I'm not the only one, I didn't play LA until the mid to late 2000s after I had played every other Zelda game that had been released at that point. Had to look up how to open the door, still remember being grumpy about it.

dedbus posted...

How was the 3ds majoras mask a downgrade, never played the original of it. Thought the 3ds OOT was prettty good.

The biggest issue was the fact they changed the mechanics for all of the bosses, and always for the worse. Each boss would sprout a gigantic eyeball you had to hit in order to inflict damage. The fourth boss was made particularly awful, with the fight taking at least 5 times longer than it used to, and much more boring. The second boss, which was one of the best bosses in the series in the N64 version, was in some ways even more disappointing because the new mechanics pretty much forced you to switch away from Goron rolling to defeat it.

A YouTuber named Nerrel has a very good video breaking down everything wrong with MM3D.

badjay posted...

Did you ever play BotW or TotK?

If not I'm curious what you'll think about the maps and how they kind of coordinate through out the games.

Yes, I've played through every Zelda game (excluding Triforce Heroes which I don't consider canon).

faramir77 posted...

It's been a long time, but I've played a bit more. I'm between dungeon 2 and 3 right now. Currently collecting the Gold Leaves.

The puzzle in this photo always holds a place in my mind as being the most unintuitive in any Zelda game. You're supposed to throw a jar at the door to unlock it. They made it more clear in the Switch remake by actually putting a picture of a jar on the door, which as much as that removes the problem solving element, it honestly isn't a bad change given how weird this puzzle was.

Overall I'm enjoying Link's Awakening, but the Switch version has spoiled me. I doubt I'll ever play the GBC version again after this, unless someday I play through each Zelda in release order again.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/0/081e9c86.jpg

I believe one of the owls in a dungeon earlier tells you to throw a pot at a door to open it. The assumption is you remember to do that to enter this dungeon. OR, there's a dungeon that literally locks you in a room and you have to open it with bombs or a pot. Something like that. I still agree it's a garbage puzzle. Link's awakening was one that I couldn't beat as a kid by myself, I had to use a guide. I think it's about the only one because some parts like that were just absolutely confusing for kid me.

Face Shrine is almost cancerous too.

I'm on my way to the 4th dungeon now. I've got the Angler Key. I also finished the Color Dungeon, and chose the Red Mail only because I like red over blue, lol. The Blue Mail is honestly the better choice but whatever.

I'm finding travel around Koholint Island to be pretty tedious. There's a fair amount of back and forth, and the warp points aren't really that great. I'm trying to poke away at the trading sequence while I'm following the main plot as well (I remember the boomerang you get at the end being extremely OP in the Game Boy version), but every now and then I realize I forgot to do a certain trade task while in a region, but it's just too time consuming to backtrack.

That said, I just gave the letter from Christine the goat to Mr. Write. The fake picture honestly made me laugh out loud, the inclusion of Mr. Write's hand holding the picture adds so much to the joke. It's like one of those grotesque close up still frames from an episode of Spongebob. Definitely the funniest thing in the series up to this point.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/7/7e162be2.jpg

I beat the 4th dungeon, the boss was insanely easy.

I also now have the upgraded sword. It's weird that the game doesn't give it an official name. I remember years ago looking it up and it was called the Seashell Sword, but in the remake they called it the Koholint Sword. I think the first name was better.

The upgraded sword along with the Red Mail basically means I'll defeat pretty much all enemies in one hit.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/b/bd703e33.jpg

dedbus posted...

How was the 3ds majoras mask a downgrade, never played the original of it. Thought the 3ds OOT was prettty good.

it isnt

I'm just starting the 6th dungeon now. Wizzrobes are invincible to sword damage, wtf. It almost seemed like a glitch because they fly back when hit with the sword, so I looked it up, and I found out you can stun them with the Hookshot and then pick them up and throw them at each other.

I don't like that you can't harm them with your sword unlike in Zelda 1 and ALttP, but this trick definitely makes it better, haha.

I'm noticing that dungeons are incredibly long in this one compared to previous Zelda games. That's definitely a good thing, but I'm not a huge fan of the forced backtracking.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/d/d71580d6.jpg

I've made it to the 8th dungeon. The 6th dungeon was an absolute labyrinth, I had to backtrack so many times to complete it. The Switch version never gave me that much trouble from what I can remember.

The 7th dungeon was actually much better for me, even though I remember always getting stuck on it in the past. I think this time I remembered that you can access the chest containing the Mirror Shield very early in the dungeon, and that your first priority needs to be destroying the four pillars.

Link's Awakening certainly has a very unique atmosphere to it. It's hard to describe. The story and truth slowly revealing itself to you is a very interesting approach, especially for a Game Boy game.

I'm getting the impression that the developers were just still trying to settle into a "feel" for the series. Link's Awakening is feeling a lot like an attempt to mix the positives from ALttP and Zelda 1. It's like it understands the significance of world building (like in ALttP) while also giving a lot of freedom for the player to discover things and solve cryptic puzzles on their own (like in Zelda 1).

There are some gameplay elements that don't really hold up, though. As I've mentioned before, the backtracking is very frustrating. The power ups are more annoying than they are helpful. Some puzzles, like the jar door (which has now happened several times) or the throwable chess pieces are total misses for me.

This has led to me having quite conflicted feelings about Link's Awakening. I'm also having a hard time pinpointing exactly what I like and don't like. It could very well be that I'm just spoiled since I've played through the Switch version multiple times yet only have beaten the Game Boy version once (and it was many years ago). I should be done the game by tomorrow, or by the end of the weekend at least.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/9/9e260a93.jpg

faramir77 posted...

I'm just starting the 6th dungeon now. Wizzrobes are invincible to sword damage, wtf. It almost seemed like a glitch because they fly back when hit with the sword, so I looked it up, and I found out you can stun them with the Hookshot and then pick them up and throw them at each other.

I don't like that you can't harm them with your sword unlike in Zelda 1 and ALttP, but this trick definitely makes it better, haha.

I'm noticing that dungeons are incredibly long in this one compared to previous Zelda games. That's definitely a good thing, but I'm not a huge fan of the forced backtracking.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/d/d71580d6.jpg

If memory serves I believe you can also hurt them with arrows I typically just avoided them though unless a room required their defeat. Shit this game does the trap you in a room until every enemy is dead thing a lot less than the original NES game.

The 5th dungeon is the one with the skeleton knight right?

Monopoman posted...

If memory serves I believe you can also hurt them with arrows I typically just avoided them though unless a room required their defeat. Shit this game does the trap you in a room until every enemy is dead thing a lot less than the original NES game.

Yeah, you also can beat them with bombs. Prior to about dungeon 7 though it feels like bombs are a pretty scarce resource, so anything you can do to not waste them is wise.

Revelation34 posted...

The 5th dungeon is the one with the skeleton knight right?

Yup, I actually liked that idea of chasing it around the dungeon. Definitely a unique part of the series so far, made backtracking more forgivable.

Anyway, I've finished Link's Awakening! This was certainly the longest Zelda game thus far, which is surprising for a Game Boy game. It could be just because I'm less familiar with the game compared to the others. I'd estimate it took about 8 hours of gameplay, compared to under 5 hours for the first two and maybe around 6 hours for ALttP.

The final boss was excellent, especially it's final form. I purposely avoided using the boomerang, which I know is an instant OHKO on the final form. Dodging the swinging arms while hoping to get a shot in was a lot of fun.

The ending is always pretty sad. There really isn't a lot of character development in the game and yet it's heartbreaking to see Marin and the rest of Koholint Island disappear.

At the same time, this is the first truly "weird" Zelda game. The Wind Fish (in name only, for it is neither) is a very odd concept for a central character, and even more so by the fact it sleeps in a giant egg on the top of a mountain. Mario enemies being included is also super strange and those enemies always particularly stick out. I wonder what conversations went down during the pitch for this game.

Overall, a good game, but it's the first time in the series that a game has felt like a downgrade from the game that came before it. It's understandable given that this was a handheld game released in the early 90s, so I can forgive it for that. If anything, it deserves extra praise for what it was able to accomplish on such limited hardware. I have the liberty of playing it on the Switch on a big TV while sitting on my couch, so it is easy to forget what the original intended experience was supposed to be.

I'm going to start Ocarina of Time right away tonight. There isn't a game I'm more familiar with than Ocarina of Time, so I might be hard pressed to give any insights as I complete it, as I know exactly what I'm getting myself into. I might do a three heart run just to spice it up a bit. What I'm mostly interested in seeing is just how much of an evolution it was compared to these first 4 games. There isn't another game held in such high regard as this, so let's see if it really deserves the praise as being perhaps the greatest game of all time.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/5/5ee1d5a6.jpg

faramir77 posted...

Link's Awakening certainly has a very unique atmosphere to it. It's hard to describe. The story and truth slowly revealing itself to you is a very interesting approach, especially for a Game Boy game.

I've also heard someone say that the original black and white version had a better atmosphere than the DX version. Not sure if that was nostalgia talking, but I could see it.

Alright! On to the CD-i games!

Felt like the towns and inhabitants were more developed than link to the past. Remember reading somewhere that it was influenced by Twin Peaks in that aspect.

Weeee!

Yahoo! OoT is one of my first big game experiences in a bunch of ways. What a great game.

i really love the pacing and balance of kid vs adult Link

So I've completed the first three dungeons of Ocarina of Time. I'm playing the Wii Virtual Console version.

I quickly abandoned my three heart run idea, not out of difficulty (this is by far the easiest Zelda yet in terms of combat) but rather out of interest in exploring as much as possible. I managed to get 11 hearts before getting the Ocarina of Time, which is the most you can possibly get. I used a glitch involving a cucco to get into and complete the Bottom of the Well and thus get the Lens of Truth, which helped me get the heart piece from the Treasure Game.

Dampe's Gravedigging minigame was a nightmare. I went into it with 200 rupees and didn't get the heart piece until I had only 6 rupees left.

Ocarina of Time is a gigantic step ahead for the series. It's no wonder this game was so critically acclaimed in its time. It still looks great, too (at least compared with anything else on the N64).

My main issues revolve around the amount of hand holding the game tries to do. Navi is disliked for this very reason. The game interrupts you very often to tell you how to do the movement you were just going to do. I get that this game was pioneering but the amount of explaining it does for basic tasks like opening doors or looking down corridors before you enter them just seems annoying.

I'm going to aim to get as many heart pieces as I can, just to really take in as much as I can of this game.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/a/a9601bae.jpg

faramir77 posted...

So I've completed the first three dungeons of Ocarina of Time. I'm playing the Wii Virtual Console version.

I quickly abandoned my three heart run idea, not out of difficulty (this is by far the easiest Zelda yet in terms of combat) but rather out of interest in exploring as much as possible. I managed to get 11 hearts before getting the Ocarina of Time, which is the most you can possibly get. I used a glitch involving a cucco to get into and complete the Bottom of the Well and thus get the Lens of Truth, which helped me get the heart piece from the Treasure Game.

Dampe's Gravedigging minigame was a nightmare. I went into it with 200 rupees and didn't get the heart piece until I had only 6 rupees left.

Ocarina of Time is a gigantic step ahead for the series. It's no wonder this game was so critically acclaimed in its time. It still looks great, too (at least compared with anything else on the N64).

My main issues revolve around the amount of hand holding the game tries to do. Navi is disliked for this very reason. The game interrupts you very often to tell you how to do the movement you were just going to do. I get that this game was pioneering but the amount of explaining it does for basic tasks like opening doors or looking down corridors before you enter them just seems annoying.

I'm going to aim to get as many heart pieces as I can, just to really take in as much as I can of this game.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/a/a9601bae.jpg

I will always save scum shit like this.

Revelation34 posted...

I will always save scum shit like this.

You mean reload the game to try again? I honestly would have done that if I hadn't got it on that last try. The rupees aren't the issue, it's more the time commitment. Rupees aren't used for much in this game aside from minigames, it seems they were used much more in the earlier games (aside from Zelda 2 which straight up has no rupees at all).

I've just finished the Forest Temple. The level design is mostly better than the earlier games, but what has really shined has been the bosses. Every single boss has been better than literally any boss from the first four games. The cinematic entrance of King Dodongo is still awesome, even after over 25 years. Barinade is my favourite boss in the game, as it makes you really move to dodge it's attack, feels much more engaging. Phantom Ganon was great, too.

The revelation that Link isn't a Kokiri but is actually a Hylian was one I enjoyed as a kid but now just seems flat. The game doesn't build up this story element enough for you to care. I feel like they could have handled it better to make the reveal really stick.

On a side note, it occured to me that I'll be playing a lot of the next several Zelda games on the Wii. After Ocarina of Time, 4 of the next 7 games will be on the Wii. In fact, I could even hook up my GameCube, which with the Game Boy Player I have I could play all 7 of the next 7 games on it! I remember when Twilight Princess came out, Nintendo made a big deal out of the fact that every single Zelda game up to that point could be played on the GameCube. Neat.

The work week is starting up again so my progress on Ocarina of Time is likely to slow down, but I'd bet I'll have it finished by next weekend. I know this game like the back of my hand, so even if I manage to get all 20 hearts it won't take me too long.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/1/12dd2aac.jpg

Phantom Ganon is one of my favorite bosses in the game. That and Twinrova. I just love sending enemies attacks back at them

faramir77 posted...

The revelation that Link isn't a Kokiri but is actually a Hylian was one I enjoyed as a kid but now just seems flat.

Yeah, it blew me away as a kid, but it's not really a particularly meaningful plot twist, looking at it as somebody with a bit more experience with game stories under my belt, it really doesn't amount to much. It just means that "in some mysterious way, Link isn't a normal Kokiri and therefore can leave the forest and also grows up" isn't actually all that mysterious because he's just straight up not a Kokiri and can therefore be expected to work the same way as any Hylian. If anything, it takes the foreshadowing that there was something weird about Link and just defuses it with "nah, he's just a regular dude" instead of any deeper story twist.

faramir77 posted...

You mean reload the game to try again? I honestly would have done that if I hadn't got it on that last try. The rupees aren't the issue, it's more the time commitment. Rupees aren't used for much in this game aside from minigames, it seems they were used much more in the earlier games (aside from Zelda 2 which straight up has no rupees at all).

I've just finished the Forest Temple. The level design is mostly better than the earlier games, but what has really shined has been the bosses. Every single boss has been better than literally any boss from the first four games. The cinematic entrance of King Dodongo is still awesome, even after over 25 years. Barinade is my favourite boss in the game, as it makes you really move to dodge it's attack, feels much more engaging. Phantom Ganon was great, too.

The revelation that Link isn't a Kokiri but is actually a Hylian was one I enjoyed as a kid but now just seems flat. The game doesn't build up this story element enough for you to care. I feel like they could have handled it better to make the reveal really stick.

On a side note, it occured to me that I'll be playing a lot of the next several Zelda games on the Wii. After Ocarina of Time, 4 of the next 7 games will be on the Wii. In fact, I could even hook up my GameCube, which with the Game Boy Player I have I could play all 7 of the next 7 games on it! I remember when Twilight Princess came out, Nintendo made a big deal out of the fact that every single Zelda game up to that point could be played on the GameCube. Neat.

The work week is starting up again so my progress on Ocarina of Time is likely to slow down, but I'd bet I'll have it finished by next weekend. I know this game like the back of my hand, so even if I manage to get all 20 hearts it won't take me too long.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/1/12dd2aac.jpg

Yeah that was my version of Ocarina of Time. I never finished it though. Don't remember how far I got either.

I'm currently in the Water Temple. I've beaten this game so many times that the idea that this dungeon was ever confusing for people is hard for me to relate to anymore, but I will admit that the room hidden under the block that floats up when you set the water level to medium isn't very clearly shown. Dark Link was very fun to fight, especially without "cheating" by using the Megaton Hammer. This was another reason I opted to find as many Heart Pieces as possible, as Dark Link's health matches your own (so in my case, he took 16 hits to beat).

The interface flaws of this game are put on full display in this dungeon. The biggest issue is pausing numerous times to switch the Iron Boots on and off, when they easily could have been put on the D-pad. The Ocarina really should have been a D-pad button, too.

That said, I can appreciate the greater freedom that Ocarina of Time brought with the number of items you can have equipped at a given time. In Link's Awakening you technically could have 2, but that was only if you unequipped your sword, which was something I had to do on only a few rare occasions. Having 3 items equipped PLUS a sword and a shield at all times is a huge improvement, and the game responds by giving you many different challenges requiring many items all at once, which unfortunately counters out any benefit achieved through having more items equipped.

I know that it's easily to look back in retrospect and point out these shortcomings, but the pacing of the Water Temple because of this is so jarring that I'm honestly surprised it wasn't corrected in development. N64 games were often scared to use both the D-pad and the analog stick, likely because of the ridiculous controller design, but it wouldn't have been as annoying as having to pause to change items so often.

One other total random observation: when you hit enemies with arrows, you can see the arrow spin off in a random direction afterwards. This feels intentional but I can't understand why they'd program that, lmao. I've always noticed that, but this playthrough it's actually bothering me because I focus on looking for it happen. I wonder if it was an inside joke.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/4/46a5e69b.jpg

I remember people complaining a lot about the Water Temple when it first came out. When I finally played it, I felt that the Jabu Jabus stomach was trickier than the Temple