Ocarina Of Time.
I was in my pre-teens.
I'd already played "Link's games" on NES and watched the cartoon on television.
Still, I didn't make the connection with Ocarina before I opened the manual.
Keep in mind that just a year or so earlier, consoles had really jumped into the 3D realm with N64 providing smooth polygonal graphics, and 3D acceleration only recently hitting the PC market. Mario 64 was already a mind-blowing "virtual reality adventure!" that was a joy to play and replay.
But Ocarina was something different.
It was bigger. It was more serious. It oozed atmosphere, and like an epic tale could indeed change moods depending on the setting and events. It really felt like a grand, living world, with its own history and cultures, numerous characters living their daily lives, and secrets behind every corner. I was living the fairytales a la "The Sword in the Stone" and "The black Cauldron", "Peter Pan" or even the "Lord Of The Rings" ... not as a spectator, but as an active, participating "hero".
I remember being obsessed with learning to write the notes of all the songs, even considered becoming a musician at one point, all thanks to this game. Zelda's lullaby and the Hylian Shield crest were my "cool S".
Ocarina was also one of my gateways into the more technical side of games. I remember one of my friend making a casual remark, saying that "this game has pretty good GRAPHICS!", which kinda helped me finally understand the term.
It took me months to get to the last boss at the time. I wasn't exactly "stuck", per say, I just had to figure everything on my own + I loved to just roam around, explore things, and obviously wasted tons of time at the fishing pond.
The moment I saw the iconic "The End" screen, followed by the bitter sweet tunes played during the credits, I was unironically feeling a mix of awe and sadness. Like something big, that had been part of my life for so many weeks, was now over. I had finished the journey, but longed for more.
