Countdown: Zelda: Ocarina of Time Dungeon Crawl #7 – Grave Expectations

Image: Jim Norman / Nintendo Life

It seems we are rapidly approaching the release date of Ocarina of Time on Switch 2, as well as the end of my Dungeon Crawl replay of the N64 original. Doesn’t time fly?

With the much-discussed Water Temple now behind me, the decision of where to head next was mine. Despite Saria urging me toward the desert, I remain stubbornly set in my ways, so, as I do on every replay, I returned to Kakariko Village to see what was happening in the graveyard.

I’m sure you all know by now, but I’m going to be discussing temple spoilers here, so if you are still saving yourself for the Switch 2 remake, you might want to turn back now.

OoT Dungeon Crawl #7 – The Shadow Temple

I can’t remember why I initially chose to head to the Shadow Temple first, over its sandy companion, but I can never bring myself to break the order I have relied on for the last ~25 years. And so, after polishing off the Bottom of the Well (still nightmare fuel in 2026), it was time to play the Nocturne of Shadow and pass through its torch-filled entrance.

I have a strange relationship with the Shadow Temple. I like its ideas, but I find it a little linear and repetitive — particularly after the exploration-encouragement of the temples that precede it. I’ve never really managed to put my finger on why this is, but playing through it again this time, it hit me: you get all the tools to solve every puzzle too quickly.

Image: Nintendo Life

This is a dungeon that relies on two items: the Lens of Truth (obtained from the Bottom of the Well before you’ve even set foot in the Temple) and the Hover Boots (found very early on after solving the dungeon’s introductory skull puzzle). With both of these in hand, you have everything you need to beat the whole damn thing. Maybe it’s the multiple playthroughs in me talking, but… doesn’t this mean you’ve already solved all the puzzles before you get to them?

I love the Lens of Truth; it blew me away when I first played it, and I still get a kick out of it today, moving the camera incrementally to see if a wall is real or not, but let’s not pretend that it has all that much depth to it. It shows you things that aren’t there. That’s it. This means there are very few ways that the Shadow Temple can develop puzzles around it. If you walk into a room and the solution isn’t immediately obvious, popping the lens on will likely reveal the answer.

We see it in the first puzzle with the one ‘true’ skull. In the room with the hidden ‘Stone Umbrella’ block to stop the spike pistons. Even in the central, guillotine-filled room with its invisible platforms. Magic vials are so common in this dungeon that you can keep it equipped for pretty much your whole run and play each room as a simple walk from A to B.

The Hover Boots are more of the same: see a gap you can’t cross and the Lens of Truth didn’t reveal a hidden platform? Just hover over it.

Unlike in other dungeons, where some of these puzzles would have been revealed before you had the tools to complete them, there’s very little mental note-taking required in this one, which makes the whole thing feel a little breezy.

That said, for all of its linearity, I can’t in good faith knock it too much, because the vibes are immaculate. I’ll give it to Bongo Bongo, that guy knows how to put together gothic architecture.

The whole place is so damn macabre! Skulls on the walls, spinning grim reapers wielding scythes, closing-in walls like a Death Star trash compactor. This boss knows how to work an aesthetic! Compared to some of the previous dungeon’s drier visuals, this one has such a firm identity that there’s no chance of getting lost.

After making my way through the motions and boarding the boat of death, I bombed the river-crossing pillar (it still feels good) and headed to the boss room.

I’ll wrap things up on a positive note, because I genuinely enjoy Bongo Bongo. There’s a case to be made that the relentless drumming (and the ensuing bouncing) makes this diminutive percussionist one of the more frustrating bosses in the game, and honestly… that’s likely fair. But! Set the absence of solid footing aside for a moment and you’re left with a fight centred on timing, dodging, and magic management. I wouldn’t call it Σκούρο Souls-like, but it’s brilliant!

The ‘shoot the two giant hands’ Zelda boss cliché may feel well-worn these days, but this is easily one of the best of its kind — especially once you start treating it as a dangerous game of Rock, Paper, Scissors.

Image: Nintendo Life

Remake Reflections

Without some fairly significant changes to where items are placed, I can’t imagine the Shadow Temple ever becoming one of my favourites. It’s a touch too linear and straightforward for my pro-Water-Temple heart, I’m afraid. But (as I’ve noted before in this series), even the drier Zelda dungeons are still a thoroughly good time!

Next week I’ll be approaching the finish line as I take on the game’s final ‘main’ dungeon — don’t worry, I’ll be putting together a special finale as well. So strap on your desert boots and sand goggles, and I’ll see you all in the next one.

Where does the Shadow Temple sit in your OoT dungeon ranking? Let us know in the comments.