If you cried as soon as Nintendo revealed the remake of Ocarina of Time, then you probably thought of the same thing as I did: “Man, they better do those dungeons justice!” And boy, oh boy, what a gigantic task that is, since OoT arguably has the best dungeons of the entire series. And since we want to keep fangirling the game until its remake is out, here is what I consider the best dungeons in Ocarina of Time.
5. Inside the Deku Tree
The very first 3D Zelda dungeon ever was an attempt to remove an evil disease from inside the Deku Tree manifested through Gohma, a boss that scared the bejeezus out of me as an undiagnosed arachnophobe.
This dungeon serves as a great tutorial for a franchise that desperately needed one in its transition to a three-dimensional space. And I believe Ocarina of Time pulls it off with mastery. After all, who doesn’t remember plunging into certain death but only being stopped by spiderwebs covering the entrance to the Deku Tree’s lower level? Sublime.
4. Water Temple
I kid you not, this temple almost made me drop Ocarina of Time back in the day. I struggled for hours and hours trying to find a damn key that, of course, was right beneath the central tower. I failed miserably to see it at first. Months later, thanks to a guide that I printed from a local internet booth, I was finally able to complete this game, making myself look like a doofus in the process.
The Water Temple is frustrating, and its infamy is well documented. However, take away the horrendous mechanics such as pausing the game like a maniac to equip and unequip the Iron Boots, and you have what is arguably one of the most complex and memorable temples of the entire franchise. Love to hate it and hate to love it.
3. Fire Temple
If there were a Zelda species I would save in a heartbeat, of course, I would pick the Gorons first, man! What do you mean you don’t love bone-crushing hugs, you weirdo? It is perhaps this fondness of the Death Mountain folks that shocked me back in the day, as a very lively place was turned into a barren wasteland as soon as Link decided he wanted to take a nap for seven years.
Rescuing imprisoned Gorons inside an active volcano? Heroic. The Megaton Hammer? Iconic. Volvagia? A menace. A Goron who is named after you due to your connection to Darunia? You’re going to make me cry, dude. Stop it.
2. Shadow Temple
If you get to know me and my taste in books, movies, and occasional games, you know that I’m all about horror. And man, oh man, the Shadow Temple is scary. But not only because of the darkness and creepiness thrown around all over the place, but also because it’s uncanny and unsettling.
It’s a gateway into the deepest parts of Zelda hell and a demonstration of the true evils of the world that not only come from Ganon and his monsters, but also from a disturbing past that the Royal Family of Hyrule tried their best to hide. A deeply scarring dungeon with a great atmosphere, a good boss in Bongo Bongo, and a great example of superb environmental storytelling.
1. Forest Temple
We started with the first dungeon Child Link visits, and we are ending with the first one Adult Link comes across. It isn’t a coincidence that they’re both in the same area. The Forest Temple serves as the best transition into adulthood ever, morphing the sweetness of the forest into a borderline grotesque version of itself through a decaying mansion filled up to the brim with the undead and ghosts (and those godforsaken Wallmasters… I hate those things).
And while I haven’t talked about it, and even if my lovely editor refuses to let me banter about it for days and days, the music in the Forest Temple is among the best in the entire game. I can’t get that tune out of my head, as it blended perfectly with my ability to synapse just as it blended perfectly with the design of the dungeon itself. The Forest Temple is, in my opinion, the best dungeon in Ocarina of Time and possibly the whole The Legend of Zelda series.
Speaking of the whole series, check out my unconventional best Zelda games list.
