Full Review for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D by caitytrina

Introduction

The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of time is hailed by many as the best Zelda game in history (and resented by many who think it's too over hyped). Regardless OoT is a truly classic game that not only should every Zelda player and Nintendo player play, every gamer out there should at least try it once in their life. Considering how strongly people feel about OoT there would be a lot of pressure to live up to that in a remake for the 3DS. And I can say right now, they did everything right with this remake.

Graphics

As the game was recreated for the 3DS it has enhanced graphics with sharper 3D models. You also have the benefit of viewing the game in glasses-free 3D if you desire (I personally found the 3D effect to be pointless, the slightest movement of the 3DS jotted the pictures out of place where it just looks like double vision regardless), it's much easier to actually play the game on the 3DS (in visual terms) because a lot of the things that were too dark to see/notice/spot in the original are now clear as day. Now it isn't HD, though I wouldn't expect that on a 3DS but there's no denying it's a lot better graphically than the N64 version and by extension the Wii Ports.

Sound

In Ocarina of time along with the atmosphere setting soundtrack there are several "spell" songs, songs that are using to transport, trigger events (like rain, scarecrows, sarias). Each of these tracks will bring nostalgic memories back to anyone who's played it in the past. Those and the soundtrack sound just as beautiful as I remember, the battle music is intense and builds adrenaline. As there is basically any actual speaking in the game (bar the occasional grunt, "aah", and "Hey! Listen!") the voice acting is good enough for what it does.

Gameplay

The gameplay is much easier than the original to master, in terms of convenience. Instead of needing to pause and go into the menu to equip items for example you can now put the items you'll think you'll need into 4 slots which look like stone slabs on your touch screen, which can be activated and turned off when necessary (e.g. You can place the iron boots on one of the slots from the items menu, then go back and play as normal, equip them when you need the extra weight by tapping the slab on the touchscreen and take them off by tapping them again). Speaking of which you can also interchange between the menus by tapping the tabs on the bottom screen. This makes gameplay feel like it's flowing a lot smoother than jumping to the pause menu.

The controls are also easy to use on the 3DS (unlike other games that require making weird chicken claw hand gestures to do a certain move). Very adaptable.

At times the story feels like it's dragging especially if you like to complete all the sidequests and not just the main story. Grinding is really pointless in this story unless you're getting rupee bounties like the Wall Master since there's no experience system like so many are used to. But collecting hearts feels like an enjoyable (and sometimes long winded) element of every Zelda game and basically is the way you would level up.

The gifts of the Goddess (Din's Fire, Nayru's love, Farore's Wind) are useful in battle when you're having difficulty, Farore's Wind is really great for time saving if you want to quit halfway through a dungeon and turn the game off.

There are several mini-games you can take part in, achieving a certain score in each game will grant prices including pieces of heart, bomchus, large rupees etc

Basically in short, the gameplay in Legend of Zelda is enjoyable, keeps you entertained and coming back, fills in the boring plots with interesting side quests, supplies you with interesting and difficult bosses that require unique strategy's to defeat.

Lastability

The game is fantastic but unfortunately can get boring as I said before, the vast distance in Hyrule field by foot feels like it takes literally forever, having Epona (a horse for those who haven't played) makes it slightly faster. There are several things to do in this vast huge field including accessing each new area, hidden easter eggs/fountains/games and collecting the Poe's Soul's but I found myself finishing all this relatively quickly and resorting to using teleportation spells typically bypassing the field all together.

It's fun to play and I've gone 8 hours actually playing it straight but usually would play for around 2 hours after the initial wonder wore off. Even though you can get bored after a long period of playing but generally resting and returning later or a day after you'll be up for playing again.

I think this really is a game that can stand the test through time.

Overall

Overall I would say this is a fantastic game for any gamer to play, it includes action, platforming, puzzle solving. Is a key point in a tangled locking LoZ storyline that spans over several installments. The gameplay is fun and entertaining, easy to grasp and convenient. The music is enchanting and depending on the atmosphere blood rising (battles) or soothing (e.g. Lost Woods). OoT has several flaws, for example overloading on rupees (the bank system included in Majora's Mask would have been useful) which prevents me from ranking it 10/10, but I still would recommend this game to anyone with an interest in gaming, action games, Nintendo or Zelda.

Final Score: 80%