Originally released on the Nintendo 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time single handedly revolutionised 3D gaming on consoles by introducing an intuitive targeting system, diverse camera angles, open-ended 3D worlds and graphics that were unlike anything console gamers had seen. In fact, the graphics were so good that they still hold up reasonably well today. It was the first 3D Zelda game, and many would argue that the transition Zelda made from 2D to 3D surpassed similar transitions that every other video game franchise had made. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has been ported directly to other platforms with very little changes made, but now it is set to make an appearance on the Nintendo 3DS in the form of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.
Best game ever?
Unlike other ports, this version of Ocarina of Time has been given a more significant graphical makeover. While it looks like the original in terms of character models, design, structure and even textures, everything looks a lot sharper, cleaner and vibrant. It looks to be a nice visual upgrade that retains the feel of the original but at the same time makes it more appealing and crisp to the modern gamer. The 3D effects work nicely and certainly added a bit more depth to the visuals, and the lighting effects look significantly better than those in the original and seem a lot more dynamic.
The build we played gave us quite a good feel of the controls, and we were quite pleased as the feel of the game overall was very familiar to the original. Nonetheless, the 3DS technology allowed for some interesting new changes and features. The top screen displays all the action while the touchpad displays the map and menu. Having the menu on the touchpad really is a blessing, as it was quite cumbersome having to go to a separate menu screen in the original Ocarina of Time just to change items or view the map.
Relive Link's greatest adventure in 3D.
The game is primarily played with the digital controls of the 3DS, and while they are quite comfortable and functional, it obviously lacks the same intuitive ‘3D control’ feel of the Nintendo 64 controller. We were able to navigate the area and dish out sword attacks with ease. Digital controls aside, there is an additional gimmick, which is the use of 3DS’s gyroscope for slingshot aiming, and this admittedly worked a little better than how other demos utilised the gyroscope.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D looks to revive the timeless classic in a big way, retaining everything that made the original so brilliant while bringing in changes to make the game more relevant and modern in this highly advanced and competitive era of gaming. For fans and new-comers alike, this will end up becoming a no-brainer purchase.
Although I have played OoT numerous times, for some reason I never got past the forest temple. This will be the reason I get a 3DS.
Loading...
