Hey! Listen! Hey! Hey! Listen!
I am not very original when I say I am a huge fan of the original Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64. My poor cartridge has had its fair share of use over the years. So needless to say, when I heard that Ocarina of Time was making the trip to the 3DS handheld, I was excited. I originally thought the game would just have some updated graphics (which alone are mind-blowing to me), but all of the touched-up and added content make an excellent game that I would recommend buying to those who already own the original.
STORY: The Legend of Zelda series has always been great for its story telling, and Ocarina of Time is no exception. For those who don’t know the story already, you take control of a boy named Link (or whatever you decide to name him), who lives in Kokiri Forest. Every Kokiri has a fairy except for him. One day, the Great Deku Tree, the guardian of the forest, becomes cursed and sends the (annoying) fairy Navi to help Link defeat the curse. After Link does, he is told that the curse was placed on the Great Deku Tree by an evil man from the desert named Ganondorf, who desired the Spiritual Stone of the Forest that the Great Deku Tree guarded. Ganondorf needs the three spiritual stones to open the Temple of Time and get the Triforce– an all-poweful relic that will grant the wish of the one who holds it. The Great Deku Tree gives the stone to Link, telling him that he is the child of destiny, and sends him off to meet the princess of Hyrule – Zelda. Link gets involved in a huge string of events while trying to stop Ganondorf from taking over Hyrule. One of them involves what lays inside the Temple of Time – the legendary Master Sword that opens the way for Link to travel seven years into the future. The story isn’t as complex as more recent games, but is still filled with memorable and funny moments, some of the most well-loved characters in any Zelda games, and a few interesting twists. This game’s writing is still discussed frequently to this day – proving this game is not inferior in its storytelling abilities. Nothing has been changed from the original story-wise, even in Master Quest, which is for the best. However, Navi’s annoying comments should still be avoided like the plague (Hey! Listen!).
GAMEPLAY: You take control of Link in 3rd person for your quest (except when using items that allow you to go into 1st person view). Zelda games are known for their puzzles and exploration. The game is fairly long (I’ve played it so many times though that it’s hard to judge how long it takes to complete), has several side quests, and has many intricate puzzles to solve (just try the infamous Water Temple). Some of the puzzles are not quite as complex as the newer Zelda games (which you particularly feel in the dungeons), but they can be just as challenging (if not, more) than modern games.
GRAPHICS: As mentioned before, Ocarina of Time got a complete graphic overhaul, and needless to say, it’s love at first sight. I noticed the more important characters – like Link and Zelda – got the most attention to detail while others didn’t quite so much, but everyone has vastly improved from their unattractive polygonal N64 forms (such as the still creepy Great Fairy or the now menacing Moblins). Buildings have also received a facelift. The oh-so-awful-looking Market Town is actually now quite pretty and colorful (the Happy Mask Shop is my favorite), and the insides have been renovated as well. The graphics really bring the game almost 15 years into the future without looking too dated (although the fewer buildings and settings you encounter does let a little age show through). The 3D really brings the world into a new dimension, and some scenes (like anything involving 1st person flying) and battles (like Phantom Ganon) must be played in 3D to really get the full experience. Most of the time, however, I find myself sticking to the 2D. I just found it a little easier to control.
Image:http://oi56.tinypic.com/35m1hdk.jpg (zeldauniverse.net)
ADDED AND CHANGED FEATURES: Ocarina of Time 3D has some really nice touch-ups and added features. One of the things I absolutely love is the gyro-sensor. It doesn’t work so well when the 3D is on, but in 2D, the gyro-sensor lets you shoot twice as fast and a bit more accurately than just using the analog slider. It is kind of awkward to be moving your 3DS around in public (such as the DMV – cough cough), and if you’re lying down, your range of motion is a bit limited, but overall, I love it. My favorite moment was navigating through the Lost Woods “maze” while the Moblins patrol the area. The combination of 3D and the slightest gyro-sensor makes you feel like you are actually walking right behind Link, and is kind of scarily realistic. The menu is also a great improvement. You no longer have to scroll through four screens to do anything. The touch screen makes equipping and unequipping items very easy. The Ocarina gets its own button, so it no longer takes up one of your item spaces, and you are also allowed to equip four items instead of three. Being able to equip four items comes in handy for dungeons like the Shadow Temple where you might need to use your Hover Boots, Iron Boots, Hookshot, and Eye of Truth all in the same room. However, I find myself not using the two spaces that you must tap the touchscreen to use very often. They’re kind of a hassle, and should be used for items that you don’t have to pull out really fast, such as the Eye of Truth, and not your Hookshot or arrows. Also, being able to take your Iron Boots on and off by just hitting a button is a great time savor and one of my favorite changes. Hint statues have been placed in the Temple of Time and outside of Link’s house, but I have yet to use this feature, so I cannot comment on their helpfulness at this time. As for added features, you can go to Link’s bed to relive boss battles (in your dreams, I assume?), which is fun to see how fast you can beat them. The biggest addition is Master Quest, which is the entire game flipped with the dungeons rearranged. It is harder than the original quest, with more difficult bad guys that deal more damage. I am still working through Master Quest right now, and after knowing how to do everything in the original, is turning out to be a great challenge… a really… challenging… challenge. It’s still a ton of fun though. 🙂
Image: http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/media/23341/1/98.jpg
FINAL VERDICT: This game is awesome. If you have never played Ocarina of Time before, this is a great way to experience the classic. For those who have played it before and are not sure about buying it again, I would still recommend it. Even if you played the Gamecube Master Quest release, the 3DS version is also mirrored, which mixes things up a little bit more. Ocarina of Time is one of the best games ever made, and it is interesting to see that it still holds up quite well so many years later.
5 STARS! 😀
Check out the website for the game at: http://www.zelda.com/ocarina3d/
throughthemiasma 
