Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D

[TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap]

I played one of those 90s VR games with a helmet and all that a few years ago. It was fucking terrible. The graphics were crude and ugly, but the worst thing was the lag between movement of the head and the updated view which felt like looking around with a massive hangover.

Still, I bet it could be pretty good with today's technology.

[SuperBrother]

Epic.

I bought a 3DS at launch and I was starting to doubt whether it would rise above "interesting gimmick" in my estimation.

Purchase utterly validated.

I've played OoT a good few times but this time it feels all fresh and new again. Next Edge 10?

[scottcr]

I can actually see Edge doing something really wanky like "we have reviewed this game previous and our thoughts are unchanged, please refer to our Time Extend article" and leaving it at that..

Which means it's a 10...

[cassidy]

I really thought the free camera and the aiming would be terrible. Due to the sweet spot issue. How wrong I was feels like a crazy magical future moving the 3DS to check out the view. I'm very surprised and happy.

[Jack]

It's literally the opposite end of the year to Christmas, but on the bus home, I got a flashback to 1998 and opening the last present at my grandparents and OH SHIT THANKS GRANDMA BEST CHRISTMAS EVER I MISS YOU. That was just the title screen.

[Harns]

Turning the brightness down to 3 has helped loads with double-vision, i barely notice it now even in dark areas. Plus this game is brilliant.

[McSpeed]

Having played the original (okay, GameCube versions) several times over the last years, switching OoT 3D on for the first time just now wasn't that much of a shock. Same game, same stuff, same routines.

It's stil lovely though I mean: it's Ocarina of Time, in the palm of your hand! In 3D! (Although the 3D effects have yet to convince me in this one.)

[sprite]

Except it was really 'Pony Party Island' and you just pretend it was 'Okamiden' to gain hardcore creds.

Ha, surely I'd pick something other than a game staring the cutest little puppy dog you ever did see for hardcore creds though?

[Dude Ranch]

it's Ocarina of Time, in the palm of your hand! In 3D!

This is what I'm waiting for, the missus reading and me playing this in bed. Not that that's all we do in bed, but still. Anyway, Gamestation claim to have shipped so if it's first class post which it fucking should be I'll be doing the 3D Zelda thing tomorrow.

Probably Monday, realistically .

Amazing vibe reading about the joy people are getting from this.

[sprite]

I really thought the free camera and the aiming would be terrible. Due to the sweet spot issue. How wrong I was feels like a crazy magical future moving the 3DS to check out the view. I'm very surprised and happy.

My vision sweet spot is pretty narrow (ooh-err), so I'm not completely enamoured with the motion aiming thingy as yet. Maybe this is something to do with my eyesight being not perfect? I mean it's by no means the worst ever but each eye is different.. hmm...

Anyway, off to kick back on one of my bean bag chairs and complete the Deku Tree! I give it ten minutes before I decide it's much better playing in bed. Handheld gaming ftw.

[macosx]

when I looked at the game being played out on a Samsung TV at a Game demo station I thought it looked pretty much like the rose-tinted N64 version I played.

Then I saw it on the 3DS in 3D. Jesus, that looks good. Even Link himself and his hat are three dimensional. I imagined it being as if it was on a series of cards or plates in 3D space but it's soo much better than that. The dungeons really come to life as places to navigate.

[sandman]

You know how people go on about how game design has moved on SO FAR in recent years and that todays games are so much better designed than their older counterparts.

What a load of bollocks.

This is perfect. The gameplay, the camera, the music, god the music. Its the best looking zelda of all time and the 3d in the cutscence between zelda and link at the castle is amazing.

I seriously doubt anything else will top this this year. This is utterly worth buying as 3ds for.

I got the game, special case and the cd. And all I did was trade LA Noire and put in an extra fiver.

[DC Lemon]

I haven't played OoT since it was released and that's really paying off. I'm getting an incredible sense of nostalgia but I've forgotten just about puzzle and most of the little details.

I'm kinda wishing I'd waited another year or so, though, so I could be experiencing it on a 3DS XL and not having to recharge every three hours of play.

Anyhoo, if those who missed out on the CD weren't feeling bad enough already, it's only going to get worse once they start playing (and listening to) the game.

[Jack]

I'd completely forgotten about the gay builders. Fucking hell.

[TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap]

You know how people go on about how game design has moved on SO FAR in recent years and that todays games are so much better designed than their older counterparts.

Thing is that games these days aren't designed to be challenging anymore, at least in an intellectual sense. Sure, they may put a boss or two in your way, but where is that 'how the hell am I going to get up there' thing gone? The great thing about Ocarina is that you may be scratching your head for a while and realise you have to go back/forth in time to do something which will allow you to progress in your current era. And when you work it out you slap your forehead thinking 'OF COURSE!'. A far cry from the 'Press X To Do Something Really Obvious And Start The Next Cutscene' bollocks we get nowadays.

While some games have surpassed OOT for me as 'best game ever' mainly due to the world and experience they built, when it comes to pure game design/logic I can't indeed think of a game that does it any better.

[pulsemyne]

I'd completely forgotten about the gay builders. Fucking hell.

The animation on them seems even gayer than before. Made me laugh.

[Froettmaning]

..but where is that 'how the hell am I going to get up there' thing gone?

I had that very thought earlier today while playing Portal 2.

[Mafro]

Every time I play this it just makes me want a 3DS version of Majora's Mask (my favourite game ever) more and more

Hopefully we'll see that at some point, they already have the engine and a substantial number of assets.

[TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap]

The problem with Majora's Mask is that it wasn't very popular if I'm not mistaken. IIRC it went outside the comfort zone of many Zelda fans. I'd love a version on the 3DS similarly pimped up as OOT, but I doubt it'll happen.

[Majora]

I love the music that plays when the owl speaks to you. It's almost embarrassing how many classic tunes this has when most games struggle to muster one. Lost Woods, Hyrule Field, Gerudo Valley, that girl singing at night at Lon Lon Ranch....soooo good

[boxoctosis]

The problem with Majora's Mask is that it wasn't very popular if I'm not mistaken. IIRC it went outside the comfort zone of many Zelda fans. I'd love a version on the 3DS similarly pimped up as OOT, but I doubt it'll happen.

It would be the most awesomest thing ever though. MM >>> OOT for me, and OOT is pretty amazing. A handheld 3D pimped up MM - I've pay top cash money for that.

I'm also not sure it wouldn't happen - doubt it would cost much, and would be a good flagship title for Nintendo.

Plus they have a habit of selling their naval fluff at top dollar. Why not MM?

[TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap]

A straight port for sure, but a souped up version like they did for OOT?

[scottcr]

I think nowadays, there's a reall trend towards "play the game long enough and you'll win" - there's no challenge. Ocarina doesn't patronize you.

Also, I've just had a quick shot of it at my friends - looking around with the gyro stuff is some space age shit.

Will be opening mine and starting it up later tonight.

[ontwofronts]

I think majora's mask followed by wind waker is inevitable if OOT is a huge success. I hope so, I think WW would be perfect for the 3d treatment.

[boxoctosis]

How much effort is it to make it 3D? Quick port or months of work? I'd have thought if they think on, they'll have build the engine for OOT and will be able to punt MM and WW into it fairly cheaply.

[TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap]

Making a polygon based game 3D is trivial. The time went into updating the models and textures to modern standards.

[Garwoofoo]

This is stunning. Until this morning I'd not seen or used a 3DS. I've just put a couple of hours into Ocarina of Time and I can't stop grinning.

Partly it's the 3D, which works amazingly well. I've never seen anything in 3D apart from an episode of the Beano which came with red and green glasses in the 1970s. I've never seen a 3D film, I've never seen 3D TV. So this is like magic for me. I genuinely have no idea how it's done. And, best of all, I have no ghosting problems, no double vision, it just bloody works; and even after a couple of hours I have no headache, no eyestrain. Absolutely superb.

And partly it's the game itself, which I played in 1998 and haven't seen since. I remember odd snippets, the rough sequence of play, and - curiously - almost every single note of the music. Everything else is completely fresh. I've just made it to Kakariko village and I can't recall anything about it at all. Absolutely magical.

Even better I've just realised that the camera control works best if you swing the whole 3DS around, keeping the 3D sweet spot in place, rather than tilting it and losing the image like I was doing - so that's another massive plus point for this most excellent of conversions.

£210 for a tarted-up 13-year-old game seems like an absolute bargain to me right now.

[Rain Birds]

Making a polygon based game 3D is trivial. The time went into updating the models and textures to modern standards.

Well, there's the basis of plenty of textures and models found in Majora's Mask right here in Ocarina. It'd be a considerably easier job, and I would like to think that it will happen. Three million units at the n64's dying light is nothing to be sniffed at.

Wind Waker, would in theory be a simple 'add 3D’ job, though it would undoubtedly benefit from being rebalanced. Sailing around for hours on end because you didn't pick up the Triforce pieces earlier is one of the worst things to ever make it into an otherwise brilliant game.

[dreamylittledream]

Dear Nintendo - please, please, please do WW and put back in the missing dungeons whilst you are it. You can leave the Triforce quest at the door too.

Lots of love

DLD

Anyway in other news I've resisted the urge to use my brand new 3DS and a glorified Gameboy emulator to play Links Awakening and just started up Ocarina. Here we go...

[hat]

I just got my confirmation email about receiving a free copy of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D Original Soundtrack CD.

this news comes second only to having the chance to play this masterpiece again.