Ocarina of Time’s Purposeful Lack of Combat Difficulty
I’m playing Hero Mode in the Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword at the moment. The harder difficulty makes me appreciate the Skyward Sword even more than I did my first two times through it on regular difficulty. To me, Zelda is a better game when it is NOT treating you like an idiot by ruining puzzles (like Fi did in Skyward Sword) and when the enemies Link fights are actually threatening. Facing more formidable enemies has added another layer of enjoyment to my experience in Hero Mode.
Reflecting on this, I recalled watching a recent playthrough of Ocarina of Time by Staralyia. It was unexpectedly delightful to witness someone else experiencing one of my all-time favorite games for the first time. The whole experience was thoroughly enjoyable!
But man, I totally forgot how much Ocarina of Time coddles the player!
The enemies hit like pillows, barely scratching Link with only a quarter to half heart of damage. Ocarina of Time's Link is the tankiest Link ever. It seems like nothing can hurt him. On top of that, there are so many healing options available that you're rarely in any real danger of dying.
Recovery hearts literally everywhere (grass, pots, crates, breakable walls, enemy drops… literally everywhere)
Red potions are useless because fairies offer a FULL RECOVERY on death (and you can carry up to four of them if you’ve found all the bottles)
Bosses bail you out with crates and breakable walls that drop recovery hearts (even during the final battle!)
At the end of the game you’re granted a 100% defense buff (2x defense) from a great fairy which makes an already tanky Link even tankier
Nayru’s Love
I think it is safe to say that Nintendo did not want us to lose in Ocarina of Time!
It was the very first 3D Zelda, so I think they were taking it easy on us. However, this lack of difficulty would be an issue for me up until we got to Breath of the Wild - when Nintendo remembered older Zelda players once more and remembered we like a challenge. I feel Nintendo intentionally made Zelda games too easy from a combat perspective to woo the blue ocean crowd (the DS Zelda were a major attempt at that).
In contrast, Breath of the Wild feels like a breath of fresh air, with enemies posing genuine threats that require careful planning before tackling enemy camps. Ocarina of Time offered a more linear and focused experience with one off enemies on the overworld and dungeon bosses that fall pretty easily once you understand the pattern. I appreciate OoT for what it is. Even Master Mode's double damage didn't significantly increase the challenge (perhaps quadruple damage without recovery hearts would have been more effective).
Reflecting on my first playthrough of Ocarina of Time as a kid, I remember dying about 11 times, so the game wasn't easy back then. However, looking back, I realize I found it easier when compared to the earlier 2D Zelda games. I’m grateful to have challenging modes in Zelda again - Nintendo needs to lean into that even more for veteran players.