For many of today’s gamers, one title holds the crown as the defining moment when most of us fell in love with the art form of video games. And that game is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Originally released in November of 1998, Ocarina of Time, or OoT for short, captivated the world with its expansive presentation of a three-dimensional Hyrule that begged, nay, DEMANDED to be explored. For the first time monsters could come at you from any angle, and you couldn’t always see what was behind you. It took what had been the classic “top down” gaming structure and brought it into a new dimension, ultimately ushering in a new era of gaming excellence that has been copied in one form or another in almost every game since.
So, with a pedigree as beloved as OoT, it seemed only fitting that Nintendo would port the game as part of its initial line up for their new Nintendo 3DS handheld system.
The story of OoT is one of the best of all of the Zelda games. A boy finds out he is destined to save the world from a tyrannical man who seeks untold power to throw it all into chaos. And somewhere in all of this is a princess named Zelda.
But seriously, OoT was the first Zelda game to tie all three main actors, Link, Zelda and Ganon (here known as Ganondorf, king of the desert-dwelling Gerudo) into a mythical connection as each represent a portion of the Triforce, the magical object that binds all life together. Link symbolizes the Triforce of Courage, Zelda is Wisdom, and Ganon is Power. This story element turned the entire mythos of the Zelda games into a novel-like approach to storytelling. And that is why OoT is so loved by so many.
The game has been redesigned from the ground up, with smoother graphics that take advantage of the power of the 3DS system. Instead of the polygonal renderings of the Nintendo 64, the 3DS is closer to the graphics power of the Wii, and it shows. Faces are smoother and more detailed, and the color palette has been greatly expanded making an already beautiful game pop that much more. The difference in graphics is very apparent in the games many dungeons and while traveling at night. Though the system is small, the 3DS packs a graphical punch that makes a game like OoT fun to play, all over again.
The gameplay, which had utilized the N64 controller arguably better than any other game in its time, is just as well done, taking advantage of the second screen for maps, menus, and items and leaving the top screen to present the game in real-time. The circle pad, while no analog joystick, works well in the 3D action world, and the assigning of items and weapons to the six buttons lends towards unique player customization.
As for the “gimmick,” which is the glasses-free 3D, it truly works well with OoT. The dungeon bosses particularly look incredible, and the depth of field, which is the calling card for the new 3DS is wonderful to behold while riding Epona, your trusty steed, through the forests, deserts, and plains of Hyrule.
The music, composed by long-time Nintendo collaborator, Koji Kondo, sounds amazing in stereo coming from the 3DS’s speakers. Classic themes, as well as the all-important, story-driven Ocarina songs, help create a more rounded gameplay experience. Nintendo could have easily chosen to port the music from the original N64 files, but instead re-recorded the entire soundtrack for this game.
There are some flaws in OoT, such as some of the more intricate boss battles that require button combinations that force you to move the 3DS out of the three-dimensional sweet spot. So instead of in-your-face depth, the screen shutters and the picture image is blocked (again, this happens in tense boss battles, where having as much vision as possible is paramount to survival) and if it happens enough, the flickering screen can cause a horrendous headache.
Also, there is nothing new to the original game, so it almost feels like you are going through the same motions you did 13 years ago. There are times when I find things that are “hidden” because I’ve been through all of this before. Of course, if this is your first time going through OoT, that is not a concern. But, if you have beaten the original game once or twice, some of the fun is taken away.
To counter this, Nintendo has included a Boss Rush mode, which lets you replay every boss battle for better kill times and higher scores, and the game also includes the entire Master Quest, which is unlocked after you finish the game. The Master Quest is the same game story-wise, but the dungeons are different, and the enemies are much, much harder to kill.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the high standard for 3DS games, both in graphical presentation and in expansive storytelling. The 3DS has publicly had a tough time out of the gate with quality titles, but that may be changing if the new OoT is any indication. Being one the first and best games to break the third dimension in terms of style and gameplay, it is fitting that this game is also one of the first and best to represent what the 3DS as a system can do.
Shop for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D for Nintendo 3DS for a discounted price at Amazon.com (June 19, 2011 release date).
