The Legend of Zelda series has been around now for 25 years and since its first release on the NES it has gained a fantastic following. This following grew bigger and bigger when in 1998 Ocarina of Time was released on the Nintendo 64. Since then the N64 classic has been re-released a few times, from been a bundle with limited editions of Wind Waker on the GameCube to the re-release on the Wii Virtual Console. So is this remake of a game that has been released over and over again worth the full retail price tag that the older versions do not have? Yes but you will have to read on to find out why.
The Story
Set in the land of Hyrule you play the game as a young boy called Link (or any other name for that matter) and you are the only child in this adult-less village of Kokiri Forest that does not have a fairy. With a huge surprise (well not that huge) you are awarded with a fairy from the great Deku Tree and embark on an epic adventure that involves a really evil guy called Ganondorf, a wise princess called Zelda, an annoying fairy called Navi and a useful instrument called the Ocarina of Time.
The story at the beginning may sound some what simple and may be slightly plain but this is perfect for those who have never played Ocarina or a Zelda game before as you dig deeper into the game the story becomes gripping and thrilling. So what about those Zelda fans who have played the original numerous of times? Has anything new been added to this epic story? Well no the story has remained unchanged from the original. This is not a bad thing however as it will supply Zelda fanatics with a fix of good old Nintendo nostalgic goodness.
The game has plenty of cut scenes. the cut scenes are full of color and character and really brings the story to life. One thing to point out is the hints of comedy that come from these scenes, like when the Gorons try and give Link a brotherly hug. These little placements of comedy bring out the Nintendo factor of the game. Not only do they offer comedy but they also offer a whole range of feelings and they are multiplied when viewed in stereoscopic 3D.
The Music
Music is a very big part of this game not only does it give the game more feeling and depth that also effects the very game-play and story of this 3DS classic.
The music changes with the vast amount of environments scattered around Hyrule. You get a great senses of adventure with the uplifting music that flows into your ears when you first step onto Hyrule field. Tension is added when you hear the in battle music, this just adds to the experience of fighting the amazing amount of enemies you will encounter through out the game.
The Ocarina of Time plays a huge part of the story, so not to spoil the story for those who have not played this game I will just say leave it as that. The Ocarina of time also effects that game-play. Using the magical instrument you can summon a number of things including storms and horses and enter places that otherwise would be impossible to enter. You can also use it to transport to areas all over Hyrule this is very handy as it avoids back tracking.
A very interesting fact about the music is that it was not just dragged from the N64 to the 3DS. Due to the consoles having different specs the music had to be redone for the 3DS. So the music may sound like the original but its not.
Visuals
The visuals are the biggest difference that you will see between the N64 and the 3DS versions. The N64 version was very square and the color textures were off. The 3DS version has totally been redone. Instead of a quirky looking Link with a weird nose and square body you get a very even link with a decent nose! The only part of the visuals I did not like to much is that certain areas still look slightly square but this could of been done to keep the nostalgic feel to the game.
The 3D on this game is very strong, if this is a good thing or not comes down to your personal feeling towards 3D. If Pilotwings was a tad too much for you then the 3D may not suit you. Myself I only played the game in 3D during cut-scenes as they are amazing in 3D!
Game-Play
So the big question, dose the game-play compare to the story, visuals and music? Of course! The difficulty is brilliant, exactly right for newcomers and fans alike. The game starts off quite easy (this is great for you newcomers) and the difficulty grows steadily through out the game. It does not get overwhelming difficult so you newcomers can experience all the game has to offer. For the die hard Zelda fans main game will more than likely be easy for you, but go and play the very hard master quest and you will probably break a sweat during the first dungeon! The only problem is that you have to complete the main game to get the master quest.
The game is mainly an adventure game with elements of action and puzzle. Once you beat the first dungeon you can explore Hyrule field and once you have your horse Epona the exploration part of the game becomes a real delight.
The game-play is very focused on dungeons and temples that are full of action and puzzles. The game will make you think "how do i get to the next room" and often you have to complete a puzzle to advance. The puzzles are very smart and fit into this game perfectly. You will face numerous amount of different enemies during the game, so to have a simple L-targeting system makes the combat delightful. Action and puzzle go hand in hand in this game, items and spells you may think are only usable in combat will actually help you solve a puzzle and this gives you a real sense of accomplishment.
Like most Zelda games Ocarina does follow a strict path of; Travel to a destination, learn a new song, explore dungeon/temple, defeat boss then repeat. It does get repetitive but due to it been a remake the developers could not change this without ruining the true Ocarina experience.
Verdict
One of the best games in the world has been made even better, this is easily the best version of Ocarina and is the best 3DS game up to date. If you have a 3DS you must own this game!
10/10
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