Ok, well I’m back.

Heading up the mountain I got to meet the rolling loving Gorons. Like @MoriartyL I loved the look and physical design of their race, though I do also agree that the script does leave something to be desired. What was most refreshing for me was the fact that the Goron’s weren’t a traditional fantasy race and as such proved refreshing. Style wise I really loved these anthropomorphic boulders with their capacity for accidental damage as they joyfully roll around. Also the climb itself up to the Goron City was enjoyable and showed a nice use of the vertical space to give a good illusion of really climbing a big mountain.

There is something of a pattern developing in how ZeldaoT presents its spaces, and the use of open vertical space/depth. Thematically I found the Goron city a little drab, and it’s a shame to here that the 3DS version didn’t spruce it up more. It really did lack from what I can only assume were the texture limitations of the day, and beyond the spinning vase/jar (which like @TracyPoff I also kept trying to jump on – thinking I’d fall into it or something) there isn’t much of unique note.

Also it seems that I had the same issue as @ironlord. I was pretty sure I needed to play the royal family song to meet “Big Brother”, but I kept trying in front of the Goron to the right of the door/mat. When this didn’t work I wasted a lot of time wandering around the rest of the level trying to work out what to do. I eventually decided to look up in a Walkthrough (only time I have), and whilst it also didn’t specifically say stand on the mat it mentioned playing the song, which was all the more frustrating because I felt I had. Anyway I worked it out in the end to much annoyance at the wasted time.

Once in I had my chat to “Big Brother”. Though first I jumped on his tables, smashing his jars collect what lay within. There was something a little amusing about doing this while he just stood there looking big and gruff. It’s funny the moments when your own agency seems to run against the static script of the designers. Anyway after much posturing by “Big Brother” I played Saria’s Song and enjoyed a rather nimble jig by our large friend. Like many I couldn’t help but laugh at this dance sequence.

Bombing things was great fun, and I proceeded to clear out everything that might look like it would explode.   I loved the massive Goron who came out of the wall and stated that he was working on something and that I should come back in 6(?) years. Bombing the series of walls didn’t tickle my funny bone at the time as it seems it did for others, though I do smile at it in retrospect.

Now I returned to the Goron City after finishing the Dodongo’s Cavern, so the rolling Goron I was able to tackle with a bag of bombs. Like @phisheep by this stage I had developed a level of comfort with losing some health such that I aimed to explode the bomb at the right time over any concern for some health loss. Can’t even recall what he gave me in the end on the second explosion, larger bomb bag?

There is not much more to say about the Goron City. The only area that left some mystery for me was the lava filled room to the upper right. After not being able to think of any sound way to cross I decided that this was likely an area that I will need to tackle with some future skill, much as the bombs now allow me to blow up all those boulders in the Hyrule Field, and the other one I recall seeing on the way to the Castle.