The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D Review

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is regarded by many as perhaps one of the best games to have ever been made. Its combination of storytelling, breakthrough gameplay features, and its amazing soundtrack gave it great reviews back when it came out on the Nintendo 64 nearly thirteen years ago. Is it possible, then, to take the game to the next level and still retain that wow factor it had back in 1998? Simply put, yes.

As soon as you start your adventure, you’ll realize this Ocarina of Time isn’t simply just another port with N64 graphics. Nintendo and Grezzo have teamed up to completely revamp and redo the game’s graphics system. Little details have been added in places you would never expect, and Link’s facial expressions make him look alive. My favorite parts of the game were walking into people’s homes and discovering personal details that gave them personality. Malon’s room, for example, has crayon drawings hanging above her bed. Goron City even has cave drawings lining its walls. These additions don’t add anything to the gameplay, but they give your environments even more depth than they originally had.

Based on all the fine detail in its world, you could say the game is as close to an HD Zelda experience as we can get. The game’s font is sharp and clear, the lighting casts soft shadows, and even the Hylian language is clearly legible on every surface it appears on. So, if you’re fluent in Ancient Hylian, you won’t have a hard time deciphering all the extra content added to the game’s environments either. And if you play the game with the 3D turned on, you’ll be getting all of this and more as graphics pop out at you in crisp detail.

Playing the game with the 3D turned on is great during cutscenes and parts that don’t involve a lot of heavy action. Every location and character in the game has been made with 3D in mind so that when someone walks past you or a dandelion blows by your screen, you will clearly notice it. I found myself turning on these effects just to see what certain places would look like in 3D, and then turned them off for the remainder of that particular dungeon or until the next cutscene came up. Having the 3D on all the time also conflicts with the handheld’s gyro sensors that let you move your 3DS around to have Link aim or look around. I found these gyro controls to be a nice addition because they let you do a quick change in direction when you need it. You can always just use the circle pad to aim if you want, or you can use both to fine-tune your shots.

There is no question that playing the game will make you appreciate its graphics, but it’s somewhat funny that the best looking game on the 3DS so far happens to be thirteen years old. Its age shows in some areas, and you’ll notice jagged patterns on some hills or flat surfaces inside dungeons that were not embellished like the rest of the game was. Some textures still look blurry when seen from up-close too. Ocarina of Time 3D is based off a N64 game after all, and all of its original charm, along with its plain moments, is safely preserved.

If you played the original game, you’ll know what’s in store for Link once he leaves his forest home. If you haven’t, I highly suggest playing the original and catching up on a piece of video game history that truly deserves to be experienced. For those of you who are new to Ocarina of Time, just know that you’ll be playing an immersive action adventure game and exploring different dungeons in hopes of reuniting the necessary powers Link needs to thwart the evil Ganondorf and his plans to rule the world. You will solve puzzles, defeat enemies, and acquire new weapons that will help you traverse your next destination.

Perhaps targeting a newer Zelda fanbase, the developers also included a few additional features to the game that give you hints during gameplay. Sheikah Stones are available for you to use when you need to know what to do next. They are basically video tutorials telling you how to solve certain puzzles or tips on combat. While these are completely optional, they seem somewhat of an unnecessary addition as the game actually feels a bit easier than I remember it. Maybe I’ve played it enough times to know how to get through each dungeon quickly enough, but even as a twelve-year old, I will modestly say I had no trouble beating the original game without any hints. Also an unnecessary addition, Navi now takes on the role of a parent and will constantly remind you to take a break between play sessions. I don’t mind hearing her little voice, but I do mind being told when to stop playing.

Nintendo and Grezzo have done a fantastic job transporting the original game’s control scheme to your 3DS, giving it a more accessible format. All the items you acquire can be easily accessed via your touch screen. Two items can be mapped to your X and Y buttons while two more can be mapped to two locations on your touch screen. Navi and your ocarina will always be a tap away, and even those clunky Iron Boots can be equipped more easily this time around. Your map’s touch screen also displays your map that actively follows your location in dungeons and in the field. It is unavoidable to touch the screen with your fingers as it’s awkward, and somewhat cumbersome, to use a stylus to select your items during gameplay. Luckily, all the touch-based controls are big enough and responsive enough to give you a smooth experience.

Some features had to be adjusted to fit with the 3DS’s button layouts of course. This means that your ocarina songs all have different button combinations you will have to relearn. You can also use the touch screen to play each melody, or your can use it as a map to simply memorize the location of each note on your 3DS. Also, Z-targeting is now L-targeting. This works quite well when holding the 3DS firmly in your hands, but after playing it for a while, my hands cramped up a bit. Maybe I should have listened to Navi after all.

Bundled with this massive adventure, Ocarina of Time 3D also comes with a more difficult version of the game called Master Quest that is unlocked after you beat the normal game once. I wish Nintendo had given us the option of playing this version from the beginning as I am sure many fans who have played the original game might want more of a challenge. Master Quest has harder bosses, more traps, and, new to the 3DS version, mirrored dungeons. The game also includes a boss battle mode that lets you fight each boss, with certain limitations, to and compete for the fastest times. Both of these modes will keep you playing the game long after you’ve rescued Princess Zelda.

It is difficult to judge a game that many consider to be the best game ever made when it looks so much better and plays just as good as it did thirteen years ago. As I mentioned earlier, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is currently the best game available on the Nintendo 3DS because it gives you a fulfilling gaming experience in a pretty, polished package. The game might even prompt many to purchase a 3DS just to get their hands on an excellent example of the robust games the handheld is capable of producing. I guess the only thing bad to say about the game is that it’s not a brand new Zelda title. Ocarina of Time 3D shows us, however, that the technology is definitely there, and it sets the bar for the next Zelda game as well as future 3DS titles trying to win your heart.

A review copy of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D was provided to me by Nintendo. I played the game to completion and started Master Quest shortly after.