Less than six months after the long-awaited Ocarina of Time had finally hit store shelves, reports of a sequel that would make use of the same engine and many of the same characters bemused press and fans alike. Questions around the games nature abounded was it Ocarinas of Times second quest salvaged from the ailing 64DD peripheral, or something new? Unlike the Mystical Seed trilogy, gamers didnt have long to wait for answers. Time itself would be working against Link in this adventure, with the death of every hour marked by an on-screen sundial and, overhead, a malevolent moon growing ever larger in the sky. If Link failed to save the world in time well, what? It was a mystery that caused much speculation amongst fans. Nintendo had teased an unwinnable situation, but what would the penance actually be? In the final game, Link is given the opportunity to escape the worlds end at the last second thanks to his ocarina, whisking himself back in time with nothing bruised apart from his wallet. Still, many inquisitive players decided to park themselves in Clock Town and stare down the moon, waiting to see what would happen if they didnt hit eject before the End Of Days. The streets empty as the moon approaches. A bride and groom await the end, hand in hand. The ground quakes, the Clock Tower crumbles, and an unstoppable wave of fire expands violently, consuming the world. Links shield is tossed aside, hes hurled into the void While much of whats shown is symbolic or implied, Nintendo had pulled no punches and actually portrayed a player-induced apocalypse. Grim stuff, and an indication of just how dark the series was prepared to get.
