20 Essential Video Games You Must Play Before You Die

2. The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time

Although released to an almost deafening dismissal of being "just for kids", Ocarina of Time is a game that has grown in stature and prominence in the years since its release.

Representing Link's first ever foray into the world of 3D, the game pushed the very limits of the N64 and offered one of the biggest open world environments ever seen in gaming at the time. Treading familiar ground in terms of story line (you're out to get the Triforce to save Hyrule again), the game beautifully combined elements of action, adventure, and RPG in a way that looked so effortless it didn't get the acclaim it was due until years later.

Hindsight's a wonderful thing though, and some 17 years after its initial release the genius of Ocarina of Time is plain for all to see. The locking target system and buttons that change their use depending on your environment are now all staples of the genre, and can trace their roots back here. For an action RPG of the time, it's simply flawless.