The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is widely regarded as one of the most popular and best games in the Zelda franchise. Since its release in 1998, gamers have enjoyed exploring all this incredible game has to offer, including fulfilling fun side quests, discovering interesting characters, and collecting pieces of heart. For many gamers, this game is what brought Zelda to the next level, taking it from 2D to 3D and giving us a whole new world to discover and explore.
For me personally, Ocarina of Time was the first Zelda game I played, and I have many fond memories of it. It’s a game that has stood the test of time well with its intricate puzzles, great story and entertaining gameplay. Ocarina of Time has proven to be a great game for all gamers, and it continues to be many gamers’ favorite Zelda game.
But did you know that Ocarina of Time has several references, or easter eggs, hidden all throughout the game? Game developers and creators often love to put in little references in games to other games or media. In the Zelda series, many games have hidden references to previous Zelda games and other Nintendo games. So we took a look at some of the well-known and lesser known Easter eggs in Ocarina of Time.
Some of these you might have discovered or knew about, others may surprise you. How many of these did you know about? Do you think we missed a few? Be sure to let us know!
16 Talon And Ingo Are Mario And Luigi
This reference is one that’s both subtle and yet obvious. Lon Lon ranch, famous for its nutritious Lon Lon milk, is run by the kind, if somewhat irresponsible and dozy Talon. His brother Ingo also works on the farm and does all the hard work (according to him). Their relationship is tenuous at best, with Ingo thinking Talon is lazy and good for nothing. Ingo eventually sells out Talon to Ganondorf and takes over the ranch for a while.
What you may not have realized is that these two brothers are based loosely on the Mario Brothers from the Super Mario series. Talon’s body type and clothes closely resemble Mario, while Ingo’s body type and clothes look a lot like Luigi. Does this mean that Luigi is secretly plotting Mario’s downfall?
15 Hidden Skyward Sword Posters
With the new release of Ocarina of Time on the 3DS comes wonderfully remastered graphics, and a few more fun references that weren’t present in the N64 games.
This particular easter egg is found only in the 3DS version of Ocarina of Time. There are a few posters that show the Skyward Sword Link hidden throughout the game. One of the posters is found in one of the rooms of the Gerudo fortress. If you break a crate, you’ll find the poster. The second one is found on the second floor of Lon Lon Ranch. You’ll need to break a pot in front of poster to see it. The final poster is in the bombchu shop. While talking to the shop owner, look to the far left, and you’ll see the poster.
14 Super Mario Portraits Are In Hyrule Castle
Mario has a habit of showing up in Zelda games. It makes sense since many of the game’s creators and developers also worked on the Mario games. While we don’t necessarily see the actual character in the games, we often find pictures of him or other members from the Mario games. Some characters and villains have even shown up in other Zelda games.
In this case, you can find a few pictures of Mario and his gang right in Hyrule castle! When you first go see Princess Zelda and you come into the room with Zelda as a child, take a look at second window to your right. If you look through the window, you will see portraits of the Mario gang. There are four different pictures, which include Mario, Yoshi, Bowser, and Luigi.
13 Hyrule Castle Has Mario Wallpaper
What’s fun about the 3DS version of Ocarina of Time is finding all the little changes that have been made to the game, compared to the N64 version. In this case, one of the changes involves one of the references to Mario.
This is kind of a fun easter egg for the 3DS version of Ocarina of Time. You can also find this reference in the room where Zelda is when you go visit her as a kid. If you look in the 2nd window on your right. Now, in the previous N64 version, there were portraits of Mario, Yoshi, Bowser, and Luigi. However in the 3DS version, you will now see a room that’s Mario themed, with the warp pipes and wall paper. It’s a fun little change to the scene.
12 Hear Scarecrow’s Song At The End Of The Game
Remember that scarecrow at Lake Hylia? There’s a small garden near the Lakeside laboratory where a scarecrow stands. If you try to talk to it, it doesn’t really say anything. But if you pull out your ocarina, the scarecrow compliments it and asks you to play something. If you play a song for him as a kid and then return as an adult and play that same song, the scarecrow will remember it. You can use that for certain areas.
The little easter egg is at the end of the game. If you wait long enough after the credits, you’ll hear the song that you played for the scarecrow done first by the ocarina and then by other instruments. It will play every few minutes. It’s a fun little reference to something you did in the game.
11 You Can Fight Star Fox’s Arwing
This is actually a fairly well-known Easter egg, but it's celebrated for a reason. Not normally attainable in the game, players who still have their GameSharks can type in a code and make Star Fox invade Ocarina of Time in his arwing.
For a while, it was thought that this inclusion of the arwing was just for fun for the programmers. It was later revealed that one of the game's bosses, the lava dragon Volvagia, followed the same pattern as enemy fighters in Star Fox 64. So, in a nutshell, the Arwing was included in the game as a tool for the developers so they could mimic the behavior and later switch out the boss character model. While it was taken out, input a code and you can play around with the arwing!
10 A Familiar Sign
While many games often include characters from other games as cameos, sometimes a game will have some other similarities, such as similar architecture from other games. It’s no secret that Nintendo sometimes reuses elements from different games. And Ocarina of Time is no exception.
In this case, we’ve found a small similarity between Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 64. If you go into Dodongo’s Cavern and go up to the second floor, you’ll find a sign carved out of stone. This sign can also be seen in Super Mario 64. If you go to the courtyard of Princess Peach’s castle, you’ll find the sign. It’s a fun reference that was likely just reused for convenience purposes, but it makes it interesting for gamers to discover.
9 The Rumble Pak And The Stone Of Agony
Those who played the Ocarina of Time on the N64 remember well the Rumble Pak. It was a fantastic new feature that vibrated when you were hit, letting players “feel” the game. The Rumble Pak was just one more step in the direction of having games interact with the players more.
But did you know it made an actual appearance on Ocarina of Time? If you catch 20 gold skultulas and talk to one of the freed children from the curse, you receive the Stone of Agony. What’s interesting is this item looks a lot like the Rumble Pak. This does make sense since with this item now, the Rumble Pak will vibrate whenever you are near a secret grotto. It’s a great little reference to an element of the game controllers.
8 Malon’s Scarf Clasp Has Bowser’s Face
You’re likely familiar with the beautiful Malon who had a voice like an angel. It’s thanks to her that you learn Epona’s song and eventually get your own horse. Malon is a genuinely kind girl who does what she can to help others, and she’s fairly well known as beautiful and gentle soul with a way with horses.
But did you know that there’s a reference to Super Mario hiding on Malon’s and Talon's clothes? Malon's style in clothes include a pretty scarf with a small metal brooch holding it together. But if you look more closely at the clasp, you’ll see that it resembles the face of Bowser from Super Mario 64. Talon also has a clasp with Bowser's face on his bolo tie. Interesting that these two would wear jewelry referencing a villain from another game.
7 Keep It A Secret From Everyone
In the original The Legend of Zelda game, you may come across a moblin who says a strange phrase to you, “keep it a secret from everyone.” This infamous dialogue of the secret moblin has popped up in various other Zelda games.
But did you know that this phrase shows up in Ocarina of Time? When you go to see Princess Zelda for the first time and if you’re spotted by the guards while in the Castle Grounds, they will toss you out in front of the gate. If you talk to the to the gate guard after being thrown out (or if you just talk to him repeatedly without having been caught) you can then bribe the guard with ten rupees to open the gate. If you talk to the guard again after paying the bribe, the guard will say, "Keep it a secret from everyone."
6 Jaws In The Lakeside Laboratory
Lake Hylia boasts of many interesting things to explore. Besides the lake itself, there’s a building called the Lakeside Laboratory. In this laboratory, you can see many interesting creatures and experiments that the doctor who lives there is conducting. The doctor himself becomes an ally for a few side quests. There’s also a very deep pool within the laboratory that you can jump into and dive (or use the iron boots) to collect some rupees.
You may find something else in that pool though. On the bottom of the pool, you can see a still image of a giant shark pressing its face against the left set of iron bars. Whether or not this is a reference to Jaws is debatable, but it makes your diving experience a little more interesting.
5 Religious Symbols In The Spirit Temple
The Gerudo desert is unlike anything you encountered previously in Ocarina of Time. With its unusual theme music, dangerous winds that could get you lost, and a fascinating tribe of women, this desert is quite interesting. Its temple is no exception. The Spirit Temple, which is the last sage temple that you must go through, has quite a theme going on with its fascinating architecture and symbols of the Gerudo tribe. These symbols were often found on the doors of the temple itself.
What you might not know is that originally, the symbol of the Gerudo tribe, which was a crescent moon and a star, was changed because it highly resembled the Islamic emblem. This symbol was changed due to religious controversy, but you can find the symbol on older versions of the game on the N64. It’s an interesting case of censorship in gaming.
4 The Warp Recorder Theme
If you played the original The Legend of Zelda, you likely remember the warp recorder. This item was a handy instrument that, once played, summoned a whirlwind that could take you to different areas. The tune that the recorder played become a pretty iconic sound with its slightly haunting, yet whimsical tone. And it shows up again in Ocarina of Time.
While the item itself doesn’t make an appearance in Ocarina of Time, the tune does. In the very opening theme that shows Link riding around on Epona, you hear a piano playing a gentle tune. The piano is then joined by a recorder playing the tune from the warp recorder. This easter egg can be easily missed if you’re not paying attention, but it’s a great reference to a previous game.
3 The Drawing On The Tree
This easter egg might not be confirmed, but I find the resemblance uncanny. When link is young, he lives a tree house in the Kokiri forest. If you look at the trunk of the tree near the ground of Link’s house though, you’ll find a drawing done by what was likely a child.
Most gamers say that the figures are of Link fighting Ganondorf, which is a great reference to future events in the game. But I also found that figures could also resemble a certain Koopa King and plumber we’re all familiar with. In this drawing, it looks like Mario is going up against Bowser in an epic battle. Whether it’s Link fighting Ganon or Mario fighting bowser, it’s a great reference that you may not notice right away.
2 Link’s Design And Peter Pan
Did you know that Peter Pan was a source of inspiration for Link’s character design? This little easter egg was actually confirmed by Miyamoto of Nintendo. He said that he drew a lot of inspiration for Link’s character design from the play Peter Pan. This is why Link is often portrayed with green clothes and a green cap.
In Ocarina of Time, though, the references get even more obvious. We have Link in his signature green outfit, but we also have Navi, his fairy companion, a reference to Tinker Bell. Another reference comes from the fact that the Kokiri children never grow older, and never die, much like Peter Pan and the lost boys. Who would’ve thought a fairy tale would’ve inspired one of Nintendo’s most iconic heroes?
1 The Tunes That Have Carried On
In many of the games, the music score can be very important in carrying the game forward. And the Zelda games are well-known for having beautiful music that has often become iconic over the years.
This may be less of an easter egg and more just of a sign of classic elements of the franchise that have carried over, but I’m counting it. For Ocarina of Time, the music is mostly an original score, composed specifically for this game. However, the game does boast a few melodies that were heard in previous games. The two main ones are the music in the fairy fountain (and the main menu), and Zelda’s lullaby. These tunes have been present in previous games, starting with A Link to the Past, and have carried over to games after Ocarina of Time. It’s a sign of a great tune that never gets old.