i'm not going to make a habit of reviewing mods or romhacks, but this one is particularly well made -- as are many current-era romhacks for older games like this -- and it's made me want to chat briefly about romhacks & game development in general.

firstly, of course, i will say that the ultimate trial does indeed live up to its name as "ultimate". it's made by a team of people who love not just ocarina of time, but the legend of zelda franchise as a whole, and the game is full of tasteful homages to the goliath these games have become, without needing to rely on the references to make the game enjoyable. at its core, the ultimate trial is just a fun experience on its own, which built itself on top of ocarina of time's combat system, and then thoughtfully reimagined it to make it fresh & engaging. if you didn't like the original, then you probably still won't like this hack's new & improved version of it, but i think it's a really lovingly made, creative game, that stands to add onto the source material, while not being afraid to be its own thing, all while feeling not too terribly out-of-character for the world.

i think you can feel the influence of games like hades on the ultimate trial's structure, but it feels iterative enough that it's only that: an influence. and again, the crew really had their own ideas here & executed on them exceptionally. barring how i feel about an obsession to adhere to The Lore / The Canon Timeline in fanworks like this, i think the story is presented well & is integrated into the gameplay in a cute way. and if you don't care about the story at all, the gameplay is still fun & bulky enough to be an exciting, entertaining new way to engage with ocarina of time, which is what all romhacks should be in the end, really. it's a good game! ( and the custom textures, models, and environments are incredible. a true feast for the eyes!! )

but here's the main reason i wanted to make this review. projects like this, as well as things like gamejams & doujins, just tickle my brain in such a delightful way. they make me want to make a game unlike any other gameplay experience out there. something about how these games are built on premade & familiar assets, with added custom assets -- music, art, characters, story -- that makes these feel more accessible than the fully polished & published affair of your standard video game; and in being more accessible ( ie. being able to see "under the hood", so to speak ) it makes my fingers tingle with the need to get involved. i want to play dolls with premade assets & create my own story! i want to transform established gameplay & flow into something clever & fun! i want to make a game!! you know?

romhacks aren't for everyone -- a lot of the time, even i'm uninterested in them. but they represent a facet of game design that is kind of all about love & fun, at its core, and i really, really respect that mentality; even the most trolly, stupid romhacks out there were created from a place of passion, first & foremost. it's kind of the most pure means of Making A Game, to me, and i feel like there are so many people out there who started out modding & making hacks, who went on to make inspiring original games of their own with time. it's about building on the works of previous artists in the most literal sense, growing as an individual artist, and then producing something that helps stir that creative fire in someone else. of course original games can do all these things as well -- but the accessibility of fanworks like this is what makes romhacks so charming & inspirational.

i'll admit this may be too personal of a perspective on the matter to be taken seriously -- using premade assets reminds me of being younger & doing things like building profiles on neopets, or editting sprites from things like ragnarok online or pokemon -- but i still feel like it's true, despite all that. these are wonderful expressions of culmulative human creativity, without a need to appeal to corporate ideals or an ever-changing, tumultulous marketplace; these are just about making fun shit, sharing fun shit, and having a good time. i love it.

the ultimate trial probably deserves 5 stars for all these reasons & more ... but i really do hate the Single Christian Hylian God lore these games shifted towards in skyward sword, and how crazy people are about Following The New Lore And Rejustifying Old Stories To Fit Into It. sorry!!! i'm petty.