Michael Heide
The 8th Wise Man
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2010
- Location
- Cologne, Germany
I just found the first full review of Ocarina of Time 3D by an actual print magazine online. Gamepro.de, the German page that beat all other online gaming news sites when it came to the US release date of OoT3D, posted their review today.
Click here if you speak German
Since the majority of users here doesn't speak German though, here's a translation:
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarine of Time 3D - Review
A Legend returns. And what a return it is!
13 years ago, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time created history. Now history is getting a rewrite - in 3D.
Review by Nino Kerl. Translation by Michael Heide
Disclaimer: Due to technical difficulites, we couldn't create our own screenshots for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. The following images were made by Nintendo.
Every video game wants to be something special, something unique and never seen before. Most games hardly rise to that challenge. But The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998, is one of the games that succeeded: An entry in the Guinness Book of World Records ("most preordered video game for a console"). 2.5 million sold copies in the first four weeks after the release. 7.6 million sold copies to date. Countless top ratings in the international gaming press, six Awards from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (the "video game oscars") for head developer Shigeru Miyamoto. Nintendo reached levels of success that other developers still don't even dare to dream of. Ocarina of Time is rightfully one of the most popular, most successful and best video games of all time. No wonder that expectations for the Nintendo 3DS remake The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D are extremely high, and that the Zelda-fans' anticipation is immense.
Hyrule sweet Hyrule
The 3DS-Remake is a 1:1 port of the video game milestone (graphics and hardware-related controls aside). Which means that the content hasn't changed. And why should it? Link's N64-debut established a multitude of action adventure standards (like the target lock system or the camera). Luckily, neither did they change the epic story:
A long time ago, three Goddesses descended to Hyrule to form the land and create life. As a testament to their power, they left behind the holy Triforce and created the Sacred Realm.
Everything would be hunky-dory if it wasn't for the evil king of the desert tribe. The insidious Ganondorf seeks the Triforce to claim its power, rule the world and transform the land into a shadow world. Now it's up to eternal Zelda-protagonist Link to thwart the villain's diabolical plan with the help of the Ocarina of Time (an aerophone that manipulates time).
Back to the Future
Our journey (on which we'll take a sleep for seven years, collect three Spiritual Stones and six medallions, save five sages and a kingdom) begins in Kokiri Village, a serene town in the Lost Woods of Hyrule. Before we climb down the ladder of Link's tree house, we enjoy the view from his balcony.
Sure, there's nothing to see but trees, a few villagers and their plain huts, but the cute village is presented in 3D. The effect is impressive! The villagers and their dwellings, the trees, grass, pollen and fairies seem tangible, like looking through a glass pane into a miniature terrarium, in which magical beings live in their own tiny world. More extensive areas like Hyrule Field have considerably more depth and appear a lot more realistic than the bleak scenarios of the foggy N64. But even without the 3D effect, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is a feast for the eyes. Visual drabness is so 1998! Muddy textures turned into meadows, washed out colors turned into lush shades, and the characters no longer look like cardboard cutouts. The facial expressions and gestures of the Hyrulians are charming and convey believable emotions, particularly in the beautiful cut scenes.
Holy trees, hot temples, hungry fish
To propel the story of the action-adventure forward, you fight your way through several dungeons (like the Deku Tree, Jabu Jabu's Belly, an Ice Cavern or the Fire Temple). In the dungeons, castles and keeps, Zelda veterans will go from "how was I supposed to do this again" over "whoa, that sequence blew me away back then" to "Wasn't here a switch somewhere...?". Newcomers to the series, however, are confronted with varied challenges. With the new analog stick of the Nintendo 3DS, you move Link from a 3rd person perspective as smoothly as you did with the N64 controller. By the way: The controls were cleverly done and tailored to the 3DS perfectly. The touchscreen doesn't just display a map of the current area, there are two "touchbuttons" as well. Not unlike the N64 pad, this gives you six action buttons, that are customizable with the desired items (bottles, magic beans, lens of truth etc.) or weapons (fairy bow, bombs, boomerang etc.). Furthermore, the bottom screen has an eye-symbol. If you touch it, the game switches to a first person perspective.
The kicker: To look around for a door, an enemy or a treasure, you can either use the analog stick (as usual) or move the handheld around! If you tilt your 3DS towards the ceiling, Link looks up. If you aim for your feet, Link looks down. Brilliant! Once you receive the titular key item of the game, the Ocarina of Time, a symbol of the instrument appears on the touchscreen. Over the course of the adventure, you'll learn 13 melodies that have influence on the gameplay. The Prelude of Light transports you directly to the Temple of Time, the Sun's Song changes night to day, and Zelda's Lullaby proves that you are an emissary of the Royal Family, which grants you access to certain areas. You play the melodies by pressing button combinations. Luckily, we were spared the annoying blowing into the microphone (from the DS-brother Spirit Tracks).
Scissors, paper, rock
Every now and then, a flute solo is the key to a puzzle. In the dungeons, you'll be looking for the good old wooden chests. Opening them doesn't just play the now legendary jingle, they also contain useful items like a map, compass or a fancy weapon. Many times, these weapons are necessary for solving a riddle, but usually it's enough to walk (or swim, climb or hover) through the rooms observantly, move huge boulders, light torches or activate switches. If the occasional brainteaser should be too hard, quirky fairy Navi has hints and advice for you.
Navi won't remain your sole companion. Link's trusty horse Epona gallops through the hylian fields of the 3DS remake as well. Mainly when the sun is down, countless monsters are roaming here. Carnivoric plants, skeleton warriors, zombies and monster spiders are after Link's hide. With the press of a button, you activate the target lock function and select an enemy. The action buttons make Link swing his sword, shoot them with arrows, stun them with his boomerang or bludgeon them with his Megaton Hammer, while rolling around or backflipping with the A-button to dodge the enemy attacks. The dependable camera makes it hard to lose track of the fights. At the end of a dungeon, bosses await that are defeated characteristically of the Zelda series with a certain strategy (and in most cases with a certain weapon). Once you defeat the last boss of the game, you can play the mirrored and harder version of Ocarina of Time: the Master Quest.
But it's not just the diverse boss battles, the varied dungeons or the overworld with its many races and the thematically different areas that make the game with the flute a must-have for every gamer. It doesn't matter if you played the original or if Hyrule is terra incognita for you. With its almost perfect gameplay, the intelligent story, charming characters, numerous sidequests, terrific soundtrack and the mother of all 3D facelifts, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D completely justifies buying a 3DS in our opinion.
Conclusion
Back in time!
Imagine having a favorite movie that you only know from an ancient, worn-out VHS tape. Now you see the movie digitally remastered in HD on Blu-ray. Awesome! Despite knowing the film by heart, it's a whole new experience. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is kinda like that. One of the best Action-Adventures ever is back! The title hasn't lost one bit of charm and looks sensational. Where other developers pump out uninspired re-re-remakes, Nintendo did everything right. Buy it!
Nino Kerl
Rating: 93%
Click here if you speak German
Since the majority of users here doesn't speak German though, here's a translation:
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarine of Time 3D - Review
A Legend returns. And what a return it is!
13 years ago, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time created history. Now history is getting a rewrite - in 3D.
Review by Nino Kerl. Translation by Michael Heide
Disclaimer: Due to technical difficulites, we couldn't create our own screenshots for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. The following images were made by Nintendo.
Every video game wants to be something special, something unique and never seen before. Most games hardly rise to that challenge. But The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998, is one of the games that succeeded: An entry in the Guinness Book of World Records ("most preordered video game for a console"). 2.5 million sold copies in the first four weeks after the release. 7.6 million sold copies to date. Countless top ratings in the international gaming press, six Awards from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (the "video game oscars") for head developer Shigeru Miyamoto. Nintendo reached levels of success that other developers still don't even dare to dream of. Ocarina of Time is rightfully one of the most popular, most successful and best video games of all time. No wonder that expectations for the Nintendo 3DS remake The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D are extremely high, and that the Zelda-fans' anticipation is immense.
Hyrule sweet Hyrule
The 3DS-Remake is a 1:1 port of the video game milestone (graphics and hardware-related controls aside). Which means that the content hasn't changed. And why should it? Link's N64-debut established a multitude of action adventure standards (like the target lock system or the camera). Luckily, neither did they change the epic story:
A long time ago, three Goddesses descended to Hyrule to form the land and create life. As a testament to their power, they left behind the holy Triforce and created the Sacred Realm.
Everything would be hunky-dory if it wasn't for the evil king of the desert tribe. The insidious Ganondorf seeks the Triforce to claim its power, rule the world and transform the land into a shadow world. Now it's up to eternal Zelda-protagonist Link to thwart the villain's diabolical plan with the help of the Ocarina of Time (an aerophone that manipulates time).
Back to the Future
Our journey (on which we'll take a sleep for seven years, collect three Spiritual Stones and six medallions, save five sages and a kingdom) begins in Kokiri Village, a serene town in the Lost Woods of Hyrule. Before we climb down the ladder of Link's tree house, we enjoy the view from his balcony.
Sure, there's nothing to see but trees, a few villagers and their plain huts, but the cute village is presented in 3D. The effect is impressive! The villagers and their dwellings, the trees, grass, pollen and fairies seem tangible, like looking through a glass pane into a miniature terrarium, in which magical beings live in their own tiny world. More extensive areas like Hyrule Field have considerably more depth and appear a lot more realistic than the bleak scenarios of the foggy N64. But even without the 3D effect, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is a feast for the eyes. Visual drabness is so 1998! Muddy textures turned into meadows, washed out colors turned into lush shades, and the characters no longer look like cardboard cutouts. The facial expressions and gestures of the Hyrulians are charming and convey believable emotions, particularly in the beautiful cut scenes.
Holy trees, hot temples, hungry fish
To propel the story of the action-adventure forward, you fight your way through several dungeons (like the Deku Tree, Jabu Jabu's Belly, an Ice Cavern or the Fire Temple). In the dungeons, castles and keeps, Zelda veterans will go from "how was I supposed to do this again" over "whoa, that sequence blew me away back then" to "Wasn't here a switch somewhere...?". Newcomers to the series, however, are confronted with varied challenges. With the new analog stick of the Nintendo 3DS, you move Link from a 3rd person perspective as smoothly as you did with the N64 controller. By the way: The controls were cleverly done and tailored to the 3DS perfectly. The touchscreen doesn't just display a map of the current area, there are two "touchbuttons" as well. Not unlike the N64 pad, this gives you six action buttons, that are customizable with the desired items (bottles, magic beans, lens of truth etc.) or weapons (fairy bow, bombs, boomerang etc.). Furthermore, the bottom screen has an eye-symbol. If you touch it, the game switches to a first person perspective.
The kicker: To look around for a door, an enemy or a treasure, you can either use the analog stick (as usual) or move the handheld around! If you tilt your 3DS towards the ceiling, Link looks up. If you aim for your feet, Link looks down. Brilliant! Once you receive the titular key item of the game, the Ocarina of Time, a symbol of the instrument appears on the touchscreen. Over the course of the adventure, you'll learn 13 melodies that have influence on the gameplay. The Prelude of Light transports you directly to the Temple of Time, the Sun's Song changes night to day, and Zelda's Lullaby proves that you are an emissary of the Royal Family, which grants you access to certain areas. You play the melodies by pressing button combinations. Luckily, we were spared the annoying blowing into the microphone (from the DS-brother Spirit Tracks).
Scissors, paper, rock
Every now and then, a flute solo is the key to a puzzle. In the dungeons, you'll be looking for the good old wooden chests. Opening them doesn't just play the now legendary jingle, they also contain useful items like a map, compass or a fancy weapon. Many times, these weapons are necessary for solving a riddle, but usually it's enough to walk (or swim, climb or hover) through the rooms observantly, move huge boulders, light torches or activate switches. If the occasional brainteaser should be too hard, quirky fairy Navi has hints and advice for you.
Navi won't remain your sole companion. Link's trusty horse Epona gallops through the hylian fields of the 3DS remake as well. Mainly when the sun is down, countless monsters are roaming here. Carnivoric plants, skeleton warriors, zombies and monster spiders are after Link's hide. With the press of a button, you activate the target lock function and select an enemy. The action buttons make Link swing his sword, shoot them with arrows, stun them with his boomerang or bludgeon them with his Megaton Hammer, while rolling around or backflipping with the A-button to dodge the enemy attacks. The dependable camera makes it hard to lose track of the fights. At the end of a dungeon, bosses await that are defeated characteristically of the Zelda series with a certain strategy (and in most cases with a certain weapon). Once you defeat the last boss of the game, you can play the mirrored and harder version of Ocarina of Time: the Master Quest.
But it's not just the diverse boss battles, the varied dungeons or the overworld with its many races and the thematically different areas that make the game with the flute a must-have for every gamer. It doesn't matter if you played the original or if Hyrule is terra incognita for you. With its almost perfect gameplay, the intelligent story, charming characters, numerous sidequests, terrific soundtrack and the mother of all 3D facelifts, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D completely justifies buying a 3DS in our opinion.
Conclusion
Back in time!
Imagine having a favorite movie that you only know from an ancient, worn-out VHS tape. Now you see the movie digitally remastered in HD on Blu-ray. Awesome! Despite knowing the film by heart, it's a whole new experience. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is kinda like that. One of the best Action-Adventures ever is back! The title hasn't lost one bit of charm and looks sensational. Where other developers pump out uninspired re-re-remakes, Nintendo did everything right. Buy it!
Nino Kerl
Rating: 93%
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