November 3, 1998 was the start of the most revolutionary Zelda game Nintendo created on the Nintendo 64. That game is, The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time, a game that was praised for its wonderful graphics, outstanding soundtrack, unique game play system, and heroic story. Since 1998, this game re-released on the Nintendo Gamecube and Nintendo Wii,however its release was nothing new but a port from the Nintendo 64 with the addition of a hard mode (aka Master Quest). On June 19, 2011, the game re-released again on a hand-held console, rather than a home console, to make its debut on the first glasses free 3D hand-held, Nintendo 3DS. Even though the game was re-released on the Nintendo 3DS, it does not appear as a port off the Nintendo 64; the game improved visually with the addition of a harder master quest than previous ports. Other than that, it gained a few features which should be a treat to veteran players. I will review the game as a whole and compare the differences between the 1998 and 2011 versions of this game. There are several aspects I will be reviewing: Graphics, Sound, Game play, Story, and Value. With these aspects, I will score the game out of a 10.
Graphics
One thing I can admit is this game is probably not the best looking game on the Nintendo 3DS, but as a whole, it is one of the most beautiful looking games I've played on the Nintendo 3DS. It may not look anywhere as close as Dead or Alive Dimension, but the graphics are beautiful due to its vibrant colors and sharper textures. Without a doubt, the game's graphics have definitely improved from the Nintendo 64 to the Nintendo 3DS. If you do not know exactly what I am talking about then take a good 3 minutes to study the differences in this youtube video:
Assuming you took the time to watch the video, the first thing you will notice is Link looks different from the Nintendo 64 in comparison to the Nintendo 3DS. Link has more polygons on the Nintendo 3DS which makes Link looks less block-like. The lighting and textures have improved. Basically, the game looks more realistic than before. The bosses look more beast-like, the weapons look more like WEAPONS, the trees grew more leaves, the walls have more cracks, Link's clothes have wrinkles, etc. you get the point. Even though the game went through a complete graphical makeover, there are some areas where improvements could have been made. For example, the stairs are flat; there are no individual footsteps, but the stairs play an illusion to make them seem 3D. Some faces, like the Goron's face up close for example, look like up-scaled textures that do not look clean on the 3DS screen. Link's hands are mittens and Ganon's hands are hands? Basically, throughout the game there are some low-res textures but more sharp textures. There is a reason why the game is presented in this form; It is so that the game does not lose its classic feeling. If the game went through a complete make over to look similar to the current generation console graphics (like the Nintendo Wii), Ocarina of Time on the 3DS would be Twilight Princess. Don't get me wrong though, there's nothing wrong with making graphics so beautiful that it will drop our jaws, but preserving the art style makes the game stay precious. When I played through the game, I definitely felt the nostalgia kicking in. That is how precious and classic the game turned out graphically to me on the Nintendo 3DS.
Other than its beautiful graphics, the Nintendo 3DS has the ability to produce 3D images on the screen without the need of 3D glasses. I have to say, the game looks fantastic! Once the 3D switch is on, you can see so much depth. It's like looking inside a box with Link walking around with buildings around him. Some things pop out and some things look far. I could be seeing things, but turning on the 3D effect also makes the graphics look sharper and the colors look more vibrant. One way or the other, this game can be enjoyed with or without the 3D effect. The 3D effect would be a special treat especially to the veteran players. However, enabling 3D produces down falls with the game. For some eyes, like mine, there are certain areas in the game when double vision occurs. For example, when I walked in a dark dungeon I saw a slight ghost duplication of Link due to the dark background and bright Link. That is minor however, and it does not impact the game play at all. Another thing I noticed is the game runs in full 30 frames per second. This is a great improvement since the Nintendo 64 version runs around 20 frames per second. Turning the 3D switch on will make the game run 30 frames per second or lowers depending on how much activity is going on. One time, I demolished a circle of rocks with a bomb, and the frames decreased drastically. Basically, if there are times when a lot is going on on the screen, the game will look it is lagging and slow motion when the 3D switch is on. Regardless of this limitation, it does not change the way this game is played. Even though the game still resembles the Nintendo 64, it looks like a beautifully improved masterpiece.
Sound
Right when the game starts, you will hear the piano which is followed by the ocarina. This song is the intro that presents adult Link riding Epona across Hyrule field. I consider this song to be one of the greatest songs I've ever heard in a Zelda game. Other than the intro song, the soundtrack for this game is spectacular. Every song that plays projects the right emotion; when a map seems friendly, the music fits the theme. When Link is in the Shadow Temple or Under the Well, the music is creepy. When Link fights an epic battle with Ganon, the music is epic itself. One thing I can admit is music tampers my emotions. Like I mentioned earlier, the Shadow temple plays creepy music which gave me the creeps. Nintendo did a very good job with their music choice; all songs were appropriate during all events in the game. The sound quality has changed; the sound effects and music sound just like the Nintendo 64, except it sounds a little more uncompressed. In this case, sound is also another improvement since its original debut on the Nintendo 64. The quality of sound is better. Young Link and Adult Link sound just like they did back in 1988, so Nintendo did a very good job at preserving and porting the sounds and songs that sound even better.
Game Play
What makes The Legend of Zelda a very unique game is its game play mechanics. The game pretty much runs in a third-person camera view where you watch Link run from behind. The controls are simple, A as the action, B as the sword attack, R for shied, L for locking on target, X and Y for using inventory items, and the touch screen for quick menus and item swapping. The touch screen is a great addition to this game in comparison to its predecessor. Unlike its predecessor, pressing the start button is no longer necessary. All it takes is your thumbs to tap on menus and select which buttons you want to assign items to (on either X, Y, or two touch screen buttons). Playing the ocarina can be accessed by selecting the icon at the bottom left of the touch screen, and the ocarina itself can be played either through the buttons or the touch screen. As for going into first-person view, it is a top-left button on the touch screen. Even though the touch screen implemented the ocarina and first-person view, it can sometimes feel awkward. When Link is running around and you want to quickly switch to first person, you would have to stop Link just so your thumb can tap the "eye" icon on the top left corner of the screen. I found myself using either the slingshot, hook shot, or bow in place of the first-person button because it was quicker to access. However, the touch screen made swapping convenient such as wearing iron boots. Instead of pressing start and selecting the hover boots and back to regular boots, it can be assigned on the touch screen buttons. For those who know about the water temple, you will be very happy and pleased about this change. As for the ocarina, for those who are new to game, playing the ocarina can be a piece of cake while it can be rather awkward for veteran players. Veterans, if you are used to the c-buttons on the Nintendo 64 controller, the placement of the notes have moved. Playing Zelda's lullaby is no longer left, up, right, left, up, right, on the 3DS it is X A Y X A Y (up, right, left, up, right, left). Adapting to the new layout can be quite tedious, but it is very minor. Another problem I found with the control scheme is the game does not utilize the + pad. It could have been used for the first person view or camera controls, but that's what the L button is for. The camera system has not changed since the Nintendo 64. If you want to see what is in front of Link, L has to be pressed in order to align the camera behind Link. For those who are used to having buttons or an analogue stick for camera control, it can be awkward, but it is not that bad. Sometimes this can be somewhat tedious when you want to turn the camera just a little bit. Controlling Link with the circle pad feels just as great as an analogue stick; you can make Link walk and run, unlike the plus pad that a regular DS offers its players. When in combat, targeting can be tedious depending on your settings. By default, you have to hold L in order to lock on target. Sometimes you may end up not targeting your foe because you lose track of how hard you are pressing on the L button. The simple fix is either to get used to it or change the settings to tap-lock target. However, tap-locking can produce more problems such as when you want to stop locking on then it locks-on to another foe. I found that getting used to holding the L button was the better choice. The Nintendo 3DS has a built-in gyroscope which means you can move the 3DS around. This game integrates the gyroscope feature when in first-person view, slingshot, hook shot, and bow view. The gyroscope feature is great! You do have the choice to disable it. This is a great feature, but sometimes it can disturb the 3D effect since moving the 3DS around can get your eyes out of the sweet spot for 3D effects. Basically, you move the 3DS to aim and sometimes you see double vision or blurs because your eyes are not positioned correctly in front of the screen. Aiming with the gyroscope is accurate, but sometimes it can get you off target with the slightest twitch. I personally disabled this feature because I did not want to move the 3DS around a lot. Aside from the controls and features, this game is a hack-and-slash game with an RPG element to it. Depending on what sword you use, it determines how much damage you deal to a foe and how fast the foe will die. Along the journey, Link will find items and equipment that will help him proceed. For example, in order to melt ice, you need Din's fire or the fire arrow. Do you need to jump from one side to another? Then you need a hook shot. That's basically the idea. You find these items by going solving puzzles and defeating monsters in dungeons, which is essentially how to beat the game. The game is not parallel, which makes it possible to do some dungeons before others (if you know what you're doing and what tools are required to finish the temple). Ocarina of Time offers side quests as well to give it that RPG feel to it, and you may do them depending on if you want the award. Some side quests require you to look for heart pieces, golden skulltulas which are turned in for prizes, a powerful sword, etc. There is also the feature to revisit bosses you previously fought except the final boss. The Nintendo 64 version did not allow players to re-fight bosses other than the boss, so this is a great addition to the 3DS version. Also, the game offers Master Quest upon completion of the game. Master Quest is a great addition since every map is flipped horizontally and the puzzles are different. You have been warned, Master Quest is very tricky, difficult, and time consuming. Overall, this game is a solid action RPG.
Story
The story is pretty straight forward. Link starts out in a village as a different kid from all the other kids who live there. Link is chosen by destiny to save Hyrule, so he is summoned to take on the deed of defeating Ganon, saving the Princess, Zelda, and restoring Hyrule. In order for Link to do that, he has to jump back and fourth 7 years apart as a kid or adult by simply pulling and placing the Master Sword in the pedestal; the Master Sword is the tool used to jump back and forth in time. A totally random note, young Link would have to be at least 11 year old in this game to jump 7 years to be 18 as adult Link (I know this was unnecessary information). Anyway, the story is a basic Heroe's journey where the Hero leaves home to tackle the unknown and problem, then returns home afterwards. The story is simple, but it is way too simple. The only character development you get is Link because you play as him throughout the game and learn about his background information. As for the other characters, you get a brief introduction of who they are, but they are not very significant other than the fact that they ask for your help. For example, the six sages are supposed to be the six chosen people who protect Hyrule, but you do not know much about them other than basics such as one sage is Zelda's protector, one of them is a king Goron, and another swims in water. That's basically the kind of character development you will receive from the game. So, do not expect a story like Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core, or Final Fantasy X. The story is otherwise good, but lacks some depth.
Value
I personally think this game is valuable to me because I played it on the Nintendo 64 when I was a kid, and playing it again in a revamped form on the 3DS brought back nostalgia and more. My value, however, is just a biased value. As for a general value of the game, it cost $39.99 retail excluding the tax on the released date. In this package you get an adventure which you can finish in hours, days, or a week or so, improved graphics, improved sound, a master quest that you can tackle for hours and hours (as I am writing this review, I am still not finished with Master Quest. Currently stuck in the fire temple :C). Sadly, this game does not support the street-pass feature that the Nintendo 3DS introduced; a feature that connects other Nintendo 3DS that pass by each other and exchanges information between Miis. There is no connectivity with other players in both local area network or online. Once you finish the regular quest and Master quest, there really isn't much to do left other than re-visit the bosses you fought. So if you are a fan of the Zelda series, keeping it is a no brainer, otherwise it can sit in the shelf and collect dust if you have no plans on replaying the game.
Brief Report of Review:
The graphics are a great improvement on the Nintendo 3DS that look beautiful in 3D. The sound sounds crisp and clear, and the sound track is wonderful with a surprise at the end *wink wink*. Game play has definitely improved with the new features and touch screen integration. The story is good and simple, but lacks depth. Lastly, the value of this game is worth the $40, but once you finish everything in the game there really isn't much to do other than re-visit the bosses. Overall, I am impressed with the re-birth of this game with more features and improvements. So this game stands out as outstanding!
Overall Rating: 9.1 out of 10 (Outstanding!)
Graphics: 9.5
Sound: 9.5
Game Play: 9.5
Story: 8
Value: 9
