A Great Adventure Retold

One young boy. An epic quest through time and space. A horse named Epona. All of this probably sounds familiar to you, but are you prepared to once again delve into the world of Ocarina of Time, this time in shiny 3D? Of course you are. But is it really any good?

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time puts the player in the shoes of Link, a young hero who must step up and embark on a quest to fight evil in order to stop the villainous Ganondorf from taking over Hyrule. Link teams up with his trusty fairy sidekick, Navi, and embarks on a quest to help Princess Zelda save the kingdom of Hyrule from certain destruction. Link will travel through mysterious woods, great mountains, grueling dungeons, and even travel through time itself. Along the way Link will meet a host of unusual characters, from the fishlike Zora to the rock-eating Gorons.

As you adventure along in Hyrule you will quickly meet OoT's large and memorable cast of characters, all with their own unique personalities and quirks. The numerous locations of Hyrule, from Death Mountain to Lake Hyrule, all have their own striking visual styles and unique atmospheres. As you travel through time, you can see the people and environment around you change, and it's up to Link to stop Ganondorf while carefully balancing these time traveling adventures alongside braving numerous different caves, dungeons and temples.

If you are new to the Legend of Zelda series, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is an open-world action RPG with everything from platforming to puzzle-solving. Upon its first release, also included some of the first musical rhythm gaming ever when Link decides break out his trusty ocarina. One of the reasons that The Legend of Zelda series has been so popular is that Nintendo really did a great job of mixing all of these elements together in a way that creates a series of exciting and timeless games. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a game where there is almost always something still left to do; even after you beat Ganondorf and save Hyrule, there is plenty left to find and explore.

Link's Looking Good

Link shows off his new swimwear.

Ocarina of Time 3D puts the polish to the original Ocarina of Time when it comes to graphics. Gone are the block-like stiffs of the N64 era - all of the characters and monsters look a whole lot smoother. The environment is noticeably brighter than the original version with everything, from the sky being bluer to the grass being greener. Players will notice that almost everything in the game has a layer of polish the N64 version did not, and that there are a number of noticeable new textures that spruce up the look of buildings and dungeons across Hyrule.

All the animations look nice and fluid. Link looks great as he swings the Master Sword around, and the upgraded effects really make the battles pop out more than they did in the original Nintendo 64 version. While the graphics are upgraded and a slight change from the original Ocarina of Time, Zelda purists should not fret too much since The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D still has the same feel and visual style as the vibrant world that is still so vividly remembered from over a decade ago.

Entering the Third Dimension

As the title of the game suggests, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D does in fact support 3D. I know, shocker right? Unfortunately for Ocarina of Time 3D, the simple fact that the 3D mode does not work particularly well greatly brings down this new feature. It takes some time and finagling to get the 3DS to the perfect distance and angle from your eyes; a little too far one way or another and the 3D mode will quickly go from 3D to double vision. All of this is on top of the fact that simply looking at the 3D mode for too long is liable to cause headaches for most.

What really make 3D mode a pain are the new gyroscopic controls. With the gyroscopic controls, if you move your 3DS in your hand around you can change Link's point of view. When the slightest twitch of the hand causes the game to go from perfect 3D to oh-god-I-can't-see double vision, it causes serious issues when combined with gyroscopic controls. Simply put, these new features combined can create some trouble, but luckily both have the option of being turned off.

New Interface and New Controls for A New Console

Who knew that all Ocarina of Time needed was dual monitors?

Since this is the first hand-held version of Ocarina of Time, there are, of course, a few control and interface changes to go along with the change in systems. The joystick of the 3DS really helps Ocarina of Time make an easy transition from N64 controller to hand-held system. Moving around and controlling Link just feels natural.

The new interface changes help fix a lot of pacing issues that cropped up in the original Ocarina of Time. The top screen holds all the action, while the bottom screen shows all your pertinent information: everything from your health bar, map, equipped items, and rupees. It even has quick access buttons to your ocarina, gear tab, a slightly more detailed map tab, and an items tab. No longer do you have to switch through menus over and over to get to different items or find out how to play songs; everything is just a quick button press or two away. Overall, the interface changes really streamline the action in-game - you always feel like you're playing, and never like you're wasting time sifting through menus.

Puzzle Me This

A lot of time adventuring in Ocarina of Time revolves around solving puzzles. In order to advance in dungeons, you will have to beat different challenges in different rooms. These puzzles will range from simple to complex. As players progress through the game and find more items, they will be introduced to new types of puzzles that require them to use those new items in creative ways in order to solve them. This ends up working out very well for Ocarina of Time, as it keeps everything fresh as you go through all the dungeons. The huge variety of different puzzles is enough to keep the interest of the player going as they fight through dungeons.

Play it Again for Me

Shiek describes her indie band with Link as, "pretty obscure."

As the title of the game suggest, the ocarina plays a major role in Ocarina of Time. Link is able to learn a series of different songs as he continues questing through Hyrule, all with their distinct sound and style. Playing the ocarina requires a small button-pressing mini-game in order to have Link play a song. The mini-game is mildly entertaining, but the songs themselves are magnificent. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has one of the best video game scores of all time, and being able to play those songs at any time you wish is always fun. Outside of being a good listen, the songs serve a variety of purposes through out the game: they can be used to warp to new places, open doors, ensure the success of foreign diplomatic missions - the options are nearly limitless.

That Boy Sure Can Swing... a Sword

If not for Navi, Link might have missed the giant skeleton charging at him.

The combat in Ocarina of Time 3D is as exciting and fluid as ever. The lock-on function means that any battle with an enemy can quickly become an intricate one-on-one duel. Combat becomes as involved as you want it; it is pretty easy to simply run up and hack and slash at most enemies until they die, but for the more finessed player it is of course possible to jump and dodge your way around most monsters, using a variety of items and skills in order to win battles.

Link has a plethora of tools that can be used as weapons, from boomerang and slingshot to a fairy bow and even the legendary Megaton hammer. Each of these tools come in handy in different situations; some enemies will be immune to Link's sword or have some special defense mechanisms, meaning it is up to the player to figure out what tool is needed for the job. Some enemies may need to be stunned with a boomerang to be attacked, or maybe an enemy is weak to explosives and a bomb will do the trick. Half of the fun is figuring out what works best in each scenario.

To protect himself from incoming enemies and their attacks, Link has a few different shields available to him. Each shield has its own strengths and weaknesses depending on where Link is, how old he is, and who he is fighting. Link also has a few different wardrobe changes; along his travels he picks up a few new tunics, each with their own unique differences. It is a constant challenge for the player to make sure Link has the right equipment, both offensive and defensive, for the job at hand.

He's Got a Lot of Heart

Link is always eagerly looking for hearts to steal.

If you do end up taking some damage, and you most likely will, players have the classic Zelda hearts as health system to know when they take damage. Link starts out with three hearts as his health bar. By collecting four different heart pieces from various hidden puzzles and places around Hyrule, Link is able to increase his heart meter by one. After defeating bosses, Link will often be able to grab an entire heart to increase his meter. Collecting all the heart pieces is one of the big challenges available in the game, as it takes a lot of exploring, side-questing, and mini-gaming in order to get them all.

What a Collection!

No shirt, no shoes doesn't apply to shopkeepers.

Outside of collecting all the hearts, there are a lot of other hidden secrets that Link can find if he looks hard enough. All around Hyrule are Gold Skultulas, and if they are found and defeated players can get a Golden Skull Token. These tokens can be used to help cursed townsfolk, unlocking some shiny new gear and upgrades for Link in the process.

Secrets, items, and upgrades are abundant across Hyrule. Lots of them can be contained thanks to the extraordinary capabilities of bottles, which are Link's omni-purpose storage device. Of course, bottles are rare themselves, so collecting them is a challenge in of itself. Players will need to find and use the various different things bottles can hold, from fish to bugs to ghosts, in order to solve quests and unlock secrets. It also never hurts to keep a fairy imprisoned in a bottle on you at all times, for good luck.

He's a Gambling Man

No one questioned him when he decided to race with a sword and shield.

If there is one thing that Ocarina of Time has in spades, it is mini-games. Throughout all of Hyrule and beyond, Link is able to come across different parlors and people who offer him the chance to win fabulous prizes if he risks a few rupees. There is a large variety of mini-games to keep players entertained; for 20 rupees, Link can fish for as long as he wants. Link can spend his hard-earned rupees in all sorts of places to relax, from archery ranges to diving contests. Luckily for Link, it is usually worth his while to win mini-games, as prizes range from more rupees to heart pieces to permanent equipment upgrades. Once again, video games show us that gambling pays.

He's the Best Around

Link knows to be weary of free gifts.

For players who are seeking more of a challenge, Ocarina of Time 3D is bringing back the Master Quest feature from the Gamecube version of Ocarina of Time. If players manage to defeat Ganondorf and save Hyrule, they will unlock the Master Quest, a new game mode where they can play through the entire game, but everything is much, much tougher. Link will go through all the same dungeons, but the puzzles are harder, the fights are more chaotic, and as a whole the game is much more challenging. For those who want to revisit Ocarina of Time but find the game a bit too easy, keep going - Master Quest awaits.

Final Verdict: Link Still Has My Heart Meter

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is the great game everyone remembers from their childhood. The graphics are noticeably improved, the interface has been reworked to significantly streamline the game, and frankly, the game is just fun to play. That said, there is not much additional content from the other versions of Ocarina of Time that have been released in the past. The biggest issue with the game is that the touted 3D feature functions poorly at best. This hurts, considering that the 3D mode has been one of Nintendo's top selling points for the game, and if you're going to use it as a selling point, it should at least work well; instead, the game looks much better with 3D mode turned off.

While the 3D problem is a letdown, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is still a very good title, giving young gamers a chance to discover a classic game and older gamers a chance to replay the timeless adventure. Ocarina of Time 3D should be a staple for every 3DS owner.