Wii U: The Next Nintendo Monster or Too Little Too Late?

The Wii U had probably one of the most confusing yet amazing announcements in gaming history. E3 2011 everyone knew that the then "Project Cafe" would be revealed to the world. When Nintendo let off the Wii U bombshell the gaming world was split. Was this the next big thing that will smash Microsoft and Sony to the ground? Or was this too little too late?

Well the answer is still unclear, a few factors have caused this:

• The unclear reveal (some of the public thought this was a Wii peripheral)
• Up to now it looks like the Wii U will only be slightly more powerful than the PS3 (The next Sony and Microsoft Outing will probably be out of Wii U's league)
• The 3DS trouble of 2011 (This has not only caused concern for the Wii U but it has caused concern for loyal Nintendo fans)
• Slide pads no analogue sticks (Slide pads seem mediocre for a console of the next generation)

 So the Wii U seems up in the air at he moment but it should be made clear that the console is still in development and changes will more than likely be made.

However all is not lost the Wii U has a few tricks up its sleeve:

• The amazing 3rd party support (The list of 3rd party games announced is outstanding)
• The controller to turn the game industry on its head again (The controller adds a new dimension to gameplay)
• Nintendo Network (Nintendo are getting into the online gaming stranded with the brand spanking new  online network)   
• Zelda Wii U looked superb! (This is really self explanatory)

 

What do we need to see E3 2012:

• A name change. (Nintendo has hinted and we all want it)
• A strong launch window.
• Amazing 1st party games. (One thing Nintendo won't let us down)
• The Wii U to be cheap. (HD gaming at a affodable price)
• Alot of Nintendo magic.

To answer the question of this article... I don't know! Its still up in the air. All I can say is look forward to E3 2012!

Super Mario 3D Land

Intro


Regardless of the rocky start the 3DS has suffered in its first few months into its life, it has been a fantastic year for the 3DS. Like most Nintendo products, the Italian plumber mascot is always available to pick up the sales of any console the big N throws in our direction. Before this game was released excitement always surrounded this game for two reasons; 1. It is developed by the same team behind the amazing Galaxy series, 2. It has the dearly missed tanooki suit from Mario Bros. 3. So is this a match made in heaven? Or is this dream like combination a recipe for disaster?

Graphics


Artistically the graphics really bring it all back to basics and gives the essence of old school Mario. Unlike the previous Main Mario games this game is not set in space or in a tropical island its the good old Mushroom Kingdom, and the Mushroom Kingdom has never looked so good. In terms of the levels they are packed with weird and wonderful things to look at, however the backgrounds are plain but you will more then likely notice.

Technical graphics are amazing! This game has the best graphics on the 3DS for 2011. If you have a keen eye you may notice some blur but this will not effect you. All the colours poured in is very impressive the main graphical achievement this game has achieved is the 3D effect. Seen as though this also effects the Gameplay I will talk about it there but for now all you need to know is that it is awesome.

Sound


When does Nintendo let the mustache mascot down with a poor sound track? I'll tell you never! Super Mario 3D Land is no exception, the music is catchy as hell! The funky jazzy music is played on the calmer levels and is so catchy that I have found myself humming the song in awkward situations! The tense epic music of Bowser's castle helps the player keep on his or hers toes. Like with the art styles the music gives an old remixed feeling.

Cartoon sound effects are in this game to (and a number of Mario games) and it really does add to the charm. As tanooki Mario hovering you can hear the sound of Mario's feet struggling to stay in the air. Mario Jumping has Mario expressing his own amazement with a trademark Yahoo!

Control

The controls are very flexible, you have a choice on how you want to play and you have to mess around with those quite annoying options that you have to in most games. Feel like the B button is not the way forward in making Mario jump? Then use the A button instead! This not only allows for fluent controls but it also makes the game very easy to pick up.

The position of the games camera reminds me very much of Mario Galaxy, at times the game will be positioned in a typical 3D platform fashion and then it it change into over head shot and then into 2D platform. The camera really does clash all aspects of Mario together to make something wonderful.

Gameplay

Wow! This game is fun! This game truly feels tailored for the 3DS and it shows in its gameplay.The levels are full packed but are completable in a matter of minutes. This is perfect if you are on the bus to work/school etc. This is what is needed in a portable game the ability to give a fun, challenging and engaging levels that are also short.

What also makes this game feel like a game only playable on the 3DS is the 3D effect. This is the first game that uses 3D to change the actual gameplay. Not only is it easier to stomp on Goombas, but jumping on to precise platforms is also a delight in 3D. Some areas are more or less only doable in 3D, some rooms have a star medal and the path is only in view in 3D. Its odd but really awesome.

Power ups are core to this Mario game especially. Unlike previous Mario games, a health bar is not in sight it is more like Mario Bros. Normal Mario has 2 hits before death, small Mario has one and fire, tanooki and boomerang Mario have 3 hits. This simple but effect system really brings that old school Mario feeling back.

Lastability

The games first 8 world will take round 5 to 7 hours to finish, once complete the special worlds are unlocked and will test the most advanced Goomba stomper and will last absolutely ages. Along with that and the possibility of downloadable content in the very near future this game will indeed last.

Verdict

This is the most innovative, fun and simple Mario game available. Outdoing most Mario games this is on par with Super Mario Bros. 3 and Mario Galaxy 2. Mashing all the main Mario games has truly paid off.

10/10 

Rayman 3D

Intro


Rayman 3D is the newest remake of Rayman 2: The Great Escape the amazing platform game from Ubisoft that was released for the Dreamcast, Nintendo 64 and PC 12 years ago. Back in the day Rayman 2 was a big player in the platform war, so big he was even considered a rival to Mario. Ubisoft has in the last decade forsaken the limbless chap and only given him one original game and several Rayman 2 remakes. So how is this remake? Has Ubisoft done justice to its old mascot? Or have they done a quick job for a quick buck and gone back to Assassins?

Graphics


Artistically the game starts off very nice the first few levels are set in a jungle that is bright and full of life. That is what you need in any platformer is nice mixture of colours. Then you finish the early levels and the bright and giddy platformer becomes all doom and gloom. The art style would of been way better if everything was not dark. Darkness is not what you need in these types of games. It does make you think "Rayman one had wonderful art whats going on?.

Graphically Rayman 3D is just the Dreamcast ported to the 3DS, it does not push the 3DS limits at all. Due to this been a Dreamcast port the full environment is square and pointy. In terms of smoothness the game runs very nice with no frame rate issue. The 3D on Rayman 3D is quite poor is over powering but you will just see two Raymans and the 3D does not help the gamplay in anyway.

Sound


Some of the music is very catchy and is a joy to hear then other times no music is present. Has Ubisoft meant to do this to add drama and tension I really don't think so, to put it bluntly I think they have just been lazy. Sound levels are terrible, some music is so quiet you'll turn the volume all the way up to full then boom! A insanely loud song will come on destroying your ears. Like I said good songs are present but they have been put in the wrong place you may be running around in a gloomy dark pirate ship while listening to a upbeat song!

The audio is very annoying the majority of sound effects is Rayman always running out of breath when he is running or climbing. Footsteps are quite effective when they work! I never knew on occasion Rayman likes to run like a ninja!

Control

As you expect the circle pad controls Raymans movements is quite nice and slick. Press the B button to jump and press B again to hover. Press the Y button to shoot and hold to charge. These are simple and easy to get around. Take the controls underwater and its a nightmare you use 2 buttons you have not used in the entire game to swim! A to go down and X to go up that and the circle for movement its confusing in practice and often you lose direction of where you are going and then drown.

The one factor that effects the entire game is the camera, what angle you see the character can effect the entire control of the game. Unfortunately this is god awful, the bad camera angles knock the control way off and if you have such a bad angle you can't take it anymore tough luck because the majority of the time the camera button does not work.

Gameplay

If you excuse the bad controls, sound and mediocre graphics the gameplay Rayman 3D is not too bad. they may be no multiplayer or street pass functionality but underneath the grit lies a very fun game. Blasting robot pirates to oblivion and swinging on purple lums is undeniable fun. The bosses are really fun (if you excuse the awful controls) and you can tell why back in its day this games was incredible.

The first level has Rayman and his answer to Luigi Globox escaping captivity of the robot pirates and in a mad dash get separated. Adding the to the task of finding his best friend he is also given the goal of rescuing Ly the fairy and then learns he has to collect 4 masks to stop the robot pirates. For an old platformer this game does have a good story behind it,

Lastability

If you can get ignore the sloppy controls and actually manage to finish the game you will be able to do it in about 6 to 8 hours. After your first playthrough you'll have no motivation to play again, with no bonus or difficulty increase you will more than likely put the game down and move on to Mario.

Verdict

Ubisoft have once again released a poor version of a great game, this could of been amazing. This is a really lazy port and this really does no justice for the 3DS. If your a Rayman fan just get out the old consoles and play, if your new just wait for Rayman Origins to come out on the 3DS in a few months.

5/10

Mariokart 7

Intro


Nintendo has followed the same pattern in the consistency of releasing Mariokart games, a new Nintendo console a new Mariokart game. What makes this edition of Mariokart special is that it is not only developed by Nintendo EAD. The legendary games studios behind the magnificent Metroid Prime has helped Nintendo release this game before Christmas 2011. Has this game been rushed? Has Retro studios helped or hinder the game? Or is this the best Mariokart game of the series?   

Graphics

Artistically the characters look the same as they always have, you won't see any difference with the same characters from the Wii's edition. This is fine as a slight redesign of Mario's costume would probably throw allot of people. 

Graphically the game is absolutely outstanding. Unlike the DS version Mariokart 7 does not suffer from pixelation. All the character of the 32 tracks are emphasized by the graphical capability of the 3DS. The colours the backgrounds is lovely one particular track Daisy Hills is filled to the rim with colours you can see the reflection of the track in the water and you will be gliding past varied air balloons. 

If fantastic graphics is not enough to please your eyes you will be glad to hear that the games has a fantastic frame rate. You will be lobbing your green shell and swinging your tanooki tales in an impressive 60 frames per second. Translated into English "Mariokart 7 is very smooth". To put the nail in the "doubt Nintendo's graphics" coffin, online gameplay is still runs at 60 frames per second.

In terms of graphics Mariokart is slightly above Mariokart Wii.

Sound

The music is all MIDI and Nintendo is very good at using it in very creative ways, however you wont find songs that stick in your head like "Song of Storms" from Ocarina of Time. The music does fit very well to the  tracks and if you play the old tracks you get more or less the same song from the older games witch is great for nostalgia. In most Mariokart games the music is never brilliant or bad so once again Mariokart still has standard music. Maybe Mariokart Wii U will change that in the next few years.

The Audio is awesome! It really makes up for the average music. The sound of the engine adds some realism to an unrealistic world. The screeching of the tyres when drifting makes you feel like a bad-ass when you succeed in a perfect drift. This been Mariokart not all the audio is realistic the feared blue shell sores through the air like a jet then crashes into the 1st placer making a fantastic crash that can be heard through out the mushroom kingdom!

     

Control


Mariokart 7 is not good enough to have one type of controls! The crazy racing game comes with the standard controls you all will be use to. The second controls  now utilize the 3DS gyroscope to turn you 3DS into its very own steering wheel.

The standard controls are very simple and very easy to get around. The slide pad makes turning very fluent and accurate and you hold the A button to accelerate. The only problem with holding the A button (along with most Mariokart games) is that holding the A button causes thumb ache. Hold the R button to to drift and preform tricks and the L button to use items.

The gyro controls are very much like using the Wii remote on Mariokart Wii but with a twist. If you wish to use the gyro control you have to race in 1st person and it seems very odd. The gyro controls was a good idea in theory but if you want the most enjoyment use the standard controls.

Gameplay

The main part of the gameplay is the Grand Prix you can choose to race in three difficulties (at the start) and then choose to from 8 cups to race. Each cup consists of 4 races and you earn more points the higher you place in the race the if you earn the most points from the races you win the cup. Grand Prix has 4 cups that have new tracks in and 4 cups that hold retro tracks. This keeps the game fresh and appeals to new and old fans.

The new addition of gliding and racing under water really makes the gameplay unique its a great feeling flying over someone to gain 1st place or taking a short cut in the depths of the water.

Two other modes that where rip to shreds by reviewers all over the world is back. The Balloon battle and coin battle are back and better then ever! Balloon battle's purpose is to use items to destroy the opponents  balloons and defend your own. Coin battle is more or less the same except you collect coins. these games are really fun but even more so on multiplayer.

Items are important in all aspects of gameplay in Mariokart 7 and so with most new kart games new items appear. Fire flower allows you to shoot fire balls at your opponents until you run out of power. The Tanooki tail allows you to swipe your rivals and defend against shells. The lucky 7 is given to you when your down on your luck and 7 random items are given to you to fire upon racers ahead of you. The new items enter Mariokart with ease and makes the gameplay exciting.

Lastability

The game will last you a few hours if you have no friends with Mariokart 7 and no online. If you do you can build up hours upon hours. Mariokart 7 is the best online game on the 3DS at this point in time. quick loading times and the never ending competition will have you hooked. Streetpass will make a copy of your Mii and using your stats on every race you have done will send people your ghost. Then you get other peoples ghost to race at your leisure. This game can last from a few hours to hundreds.

Verdict

If you have a 3DS this is a must have the hours of gameplay you can get is unbelievable. Nintendo EAD and retro studio have made the best Mariokart game with very little amount of time. 

9/10

Pilotwings Resort

Intro

Pilotwings is one of the lesser known franchises that have come from the big N. Pilotwings has been flying around our screens for 19 years (or more depending when you read this) and has enjoyed a fair bit of success. In the games first release in 92, it was one of just a handful of games to utilize mode 7 to give a 3D game-play effect on the SNES. Then in 97 the second Pilotwings game was released for the Nintendo 64 in full 3D and now Pilotwings makes a 2011 return for the 3DS in full stereoscopic 3D.

The Story


Are you looking for a heartwarming tale of adventure, action and quite a few moments of comedy? Well if you are then unfortunately for you this games has none of that, it has no story whatsoever! This is not a bad thing in the slightest however, as the game is all about the ride not the tale so do not let this put you off!

Without a story the game still holds a purpose, the purpose of good old collecting and earning unlockables (but that will be covered in the game-play section). The main character you play is you! Yes this is the first 3DS game that you play as your very own Mii. So your Mii is at Wuhu island (the same place as Wii Sports Resort) and joins the Wuhu sky club to start a game filled missions that take place in the clouds.

Pilotwings may not be full in the story department and don't think that this makes it a bad game. I feel that if a story was in place it would be very poor and would only get in the way, so that fact it is story-less is a very good thing.

The Music


Pilotwings does also suffer a lack of soundtrack. Unlike the story, I do think Nintendo have dropped the ball  with this aspect of the game. The small amount of music in the game is not bad, but it does not really compare to the excellent music to come from other Nintendo games.

The extent of the music is so short i can describe it in one paragraph. The game opens up with a really good song, it's very uplifting and exciting. Then you start to play the game you will probably recognize the song, this is because its the same song you have just heard seconds ago. What Nintendo has done is got one song (that is quite catchy) and rearranged it many times to make it sound different.

You will hear a different arrangement whenever you fly a different aircraft or are flying around at day, evening or night. If Nintendo would of just placed more songs and not arrangements, the games soundtrack would be full and rich.

The Visuals

Wuhu island is filled with various of things to please your eyes. A huge volcano is placed in the center of the island, fly inside it you will see burning red larva. Go out of the volcano and head to a small village though the village seems lifeless its a joy to fly low and avoid the buildings. Glide over to the sea your 3DS screen will show off crystal blue water. 

Take to the skies when during different times of the day (unlocked by progressing through the game) and makes the island strangely seem varied. Compared to Wii Sports Resort, Pilotwings has done well to keep up the visuals to the home console brother.

The 3D effect is very, very strong in this game. Maybe Pilotwings is the game that gave the 3DS a bad reputation as this game did give me eyestrain. This is in no way the hardware's doing, I have played numerous 3DS games in full 3D for hour upon hour without suffering any problems. If you want to play this game in 3D do not go higher than half way on the slider (this is different to everyone though).

Game-Play

The game-play is the best part of the Pilotwings Resort experience, it is divided into two sections Mission mode and Free-flight mode.

Mission mode is exactly what it says on the tin. You have a set of missions to complete in one section. After you complete a certain number you move onto the next section and then so on. After each mission you will receive a score and a star rating. The problem with mission mode is that it will take a slightly experienced gamer only a few hours to complete and the only drive to keep playing the mode is if you are a perfectionist.

Free-flight mode is a fun and very casual mode. You chose your vehicle (plane, hang-gilder rocket belt) and then fly freely for a set time collecting various items that unlock things for the game. This mode will last you a while if you are a gamer who loves collecting things but otherwise this is very lackluster and you will be bored in less then an hour.

Verdict 

While this game is very fun to play it will not last you a long time, if you can pick it up for £10 or less go for it. Just don't expect a lot from this game.

6/10

Super Mario Galaxy

Intro


Super Mario has been jumping around our screens for many decades now, first defeating angry gorillas in the arcade title Jumpman. Since then we have seen good old Mario stomping on Gumbas in the brilliant Super Mario Bros. series to playing golf and even staring in his own RPG. 3D Mario games have been around since 1996 and  Galaxy is Mario's third 3D main series game. As of 2011 Nintendo re-released this game as part of its selects range, this means you can now buy this wonderful Wii game for a cheaper price!

The Story

Mario is invited by Princess Peach to attend the Mushroom kingdoms the magnificent Star Festival, as you are heading towards the castle star bits are falling from the sky in wondrous different colors. Toadstools are dancing around enjoying the festival. As soon as Mario is near the castle, his arch enemy appears. Bowser with an army of airships and one pretty huge UFO does not only kidnap the princess (again) but also takes the full castle. Mario's attempt to save the Princess is flawed and he is flung across the galaxy with the goal to save the Princess yet again. This time however Mario must travel to numerous galaxy's to collect power stars to eventually face Bowser in an epic final battle! (until the next main Mario game).

The story is more or less the same as most Mario games except with space, planets and a few new characters thrown in. The only points in the game you get a true sense of storytelling is at the beginning and the end, with very little bits thrown in during the game. If you are expecting huge plot twists and a epic story I'm sorry to say you are not going to get one. This is not a bad thing however as main Series Mario games are all about fantastic platforming goodness. This story is just here to give you a starting point and a finishing point.

You will see cut-scenes used over and over again, but you will not get board of them as they are mildly entertaining and are only shown for a few seconds at a time.     

The Music

If I was to describe the music of Super Mario Galaxy in one word it would be epic. The music certainly does make up for the lack of story. This game defiantly has one of the best sound tracks on the system.

While you are at the games hub you can here a very dreamy and soft track, this song is very pleasing to the ears. This is very good as you will be hearing this song often as you go from one level to the next. The music is very varied through the entire course of the game. Before every level you will hear a epic adventure theme that puts you in the right mood to tackle a level. Also the tracks theme will match the theme of the levels. When you go through a ghost themed galaxy creepy and scary music adds to the haunted theme. Music matching the levels appear throughout the game from tropical music for beach levels to middle eastern music for the dessert levels.

This sound track adds to the game, you may end up humming some of these songs even when your not playing. You can tell Nintendo have spent a lot of time and effort producing galaxy's sound track, the music just adds to this humongous adventure.

  

The visuals

It is a well known fact that the Wii is not High Definition unlike Nintendo's rivals. This however has not stopped the development team from pushing the Wii's graphical limitation to a new level. The game is full of all sorts of colors and textures this makes the levels through the game different and you will enjoy seeing varied sights. Sometimes you may stop for a short time just to appreciate the out of world view.

The big thing that really impresses me is how the camera sticks to Mario, you will never lose him at all. I know this sound really simple and something that we all expect from all games. For a game like galaxy however; this is more complex as Mario jumps from planet to planet or is walking upside down, at one point you control Mario while he is in a sphere. It is amazing and Nintendo should be praised for this usually (but complex in galaxy's case) simple accomplishment.

Game-Play

The Mario series has always had to accommodate the games difficulty for the series hardcore gamer's who have played most Mario games and are need of a hard game. Also it has to accommodate for the younger and newer gamer's that are in need of an easy game. So does galaxy do this? Yes! It dose! The levels have a power star at the end, in total you can obtain 120 power stars. If you are in need of an easy game you game enter the final level with 60 power stars, this is easily done and may take anywhere between 6 - 10 hours. If you want to prove you are a true Mario gamer getting all the stars (some are quite hard to obtain) it can take 20+ hours. Collecting every power star will unlock a very cool and special Easter egg.

Power ups appear throughout the game and are a big part of the game-play. Old and famous power up like fire Mario make a spectacular return. Galaxy also introduces some new and some what controversial power ups. The biggest power up that caused a fan flamed uproar was spring Mario, yes it is as stupid (even for Mario) as it sounds.  Mario looks ridiculous and the controls are frustrating. Other new power ups include my favorite from this game, Boo Mario. It is really cool to float around seeping through objects, be careful though other Boo's may be attracted to you! The other is bee Mario, this power up allows you to fly for a short time, stick to honey patches and makes Mario unable to hit water without losing the power up. Most of these power ups really do affect the game-play in a good way, they really do show off the well designed levels.

Some sections of levels include 2D/3D sections these are amazingly put together and really fun to play. The game also contains a 2 player mode. This is disappointing as the second player is only able to obtain star bits with the remote.

The game takes place like the old Mario games in some forms, you do have worlds with levels (W1-2), but instead of different worlds you get rooms. These rooms are accessible through the games hub, The Observatory. 

The controls are amazing, unlike some Wii games the controls are well thought out. As ever you press A to jump and move the analogue stick on the numchuk to move around. New to the Main series 3D Mario games is the spin attack, shake the remote to spin. You also spin the Wii remote to enable launch stars. Good old controls make a return like the wall jump and triple jump. The controls are simple yet effective and suit both a hardcore and casual audience.

Verdict

Super Mario Galaxy is an amazing platformer, never have I played a game of this genre as smart and well put together. Nintendo has proved once again that Mario is king of 3D platforming.

9/10

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

Intro

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