The graphics were nothing short of revolutionary at the time the game was released. While the Nintendo 64 console was head and shoulders above its SNES predecessor, Ocarina of Time incorporated even stronger graphics than games like Super Mario 64, with attention to detail that truly brings Zelda into the realm of art. As for controls and cardinality, while a Link to the Past for the SNES incorporated free-roaming controlls on a fixed 2d plane, Ocarina of Time opens up this free roam ability with 3d manueverabily. The N64 controller feels like it was meant for this game; Ocarina of Time is designed so well that the controls are seemlessly integrated with gameplay in all aspects. This was hands-down the best game for the N64.
After revisiting Zelda for the first time in many years, I'm reminded why it's considered to be one of the greatest games of all time. The characters and plot are largely the same as other previous Zelda games - a hero Link must rise and save Princess Zelda and the kingdom of Hyrule from the evil Ganon(dorf) - a storyline that has served the series well. The game's progression takes place through narrative cutscenes throughout the game, as well as dialog with a vast number of NPC's who play a variety of roles with ranging influence in the main storyline. While gameplay is mainly focused on the main linear storyline, there are a ton of sidequests and minigames to engage in, allowing for a much longer and more dynamic level of gameplay - fishing at the lake, getting the big Goron sword, obstacle courses, shooting ranges, foot races, chicken hunts, and many more.