Nostalgia is a double edged sword.
When the opportunity to revisit the golden moments of your past arises, you ultimately run the risk of shattering the memories you once had. That cartoon show you loved as a child is nowhere near as genius as you thought it was and it’s unlikely you’ll pour the same amount of time into that Megadrive game you used to now that you own it in various digital forms.
Some things are just better left in the past.
However, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is a pleasant exception. Not just because Link’s quest is now in jaw-dropping 3D. Not just because this magical slice of gaming wonderment is now condensed onto a handheld in a cartridge no smaller than a postage stamp.
Those are all great things but most shocking of all is that 13 years on, Ocarina of Time still holds up exceptionally well. It’s an impressive feat, one that is in no small part due to the fact that Ocarina of Time 3D is no shameless port. Almost every single facet of the Nintendo 64 original has been pondered, tweaked and improved for its 3DS debut leaving very few stones unturned or smashed against a wall for rupees.
Even at a glance, the elbow grease that has gone into making Ocarina 3D looks as impressive as it did in 1998 is stunning, adding more colour and character to a world that already delivered both in abundance.It’s hard not to appreciate the new markings and insignias that decorate the walls of a dungeon, the added detail to Link’s expressions, even the camp swagger of Kakariko’s workforce has some added flamboyance.
Beyond this complexion however is intuitive use of the 3DS’s lower screen acting as a touch interface to allow that 3D display to really shine. Weapons and equipment from your inventory can be thrown into Link’s hands in just a couple of taps and coloured tabs allow you to access menus and maps that would normally demand a pause screen.
Furthermore, Ocarina 3D’s new (but not mandatory) gyro sensor controls are far from a gimmick. In fact they work phenomenally well. Aiming your slingshot or bow and arrow has never felt so instinctive and natural – not once did I feel my thumb inch towards the Circle pad. They’re all features that subtly improve upon what was already an exemplary adventure diluting the interruptions for a more fluent consistent experience.
To top it all off, Ocarina 3D raises the bar for challenge-seekers – veterans who claim the dungeon maps had been brandished into their brains through countless speed runs – by mirroring the entire game and throwing in a Boss Rush mode for players to relive some of the biggest set-pieces of the game.
And for new adventurers, there is simply no fathomable reason why you shouldn’t have played Ocarina of Time already. Pass up this perfect opportunity to do so at your own loss.
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Briefly Speaking:
Bigger, brighter, and even more epic, the most astonishing thing of all is that Ocarina of Time proves itself to be an essential rite of passage for gamers, further cementing Link’s place as the hero of time.
SCORE: 10
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launches in the UK tomorrow (June 17).
For the full review including box outs and more, look out the upcoming issue of PlayZine.
Tags: Nintendo 3DS, The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time
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