Ocarina of Time: Nostalgia Vs. Superiority

[Originally posted on May 5th 2012]

Earlier last week I decided to go back and play both the N64 and 3DS versions of the game to see if you could see Ganon’s Castle from Hyrule Field, you can’t, but for some reason you can still see Hyrule Castle in the future. I got a bit caught up in the moment and played both for a bit, but they felt different from one another, something was off. Earlier this week, I thought to myself, “I think I’ll play Ocarina of Time again,” and instead of picking up my 3DS I went straight for my N64. I noticed part-way through the opening and realized I had the game on the 3DS, so why don’t I just play the superior 3DS version instead? The answer is simple, Ocarina of Time 3D holds no nostalgic value for me.

Many will argue they’re the same game with some adjustments made for the interest of gameplay on the 3DS so what difference should it make? The story is the same, Link is called on to save Hyrule from a Gerudo male known as Ganondorf, as well as preventing the future Princess Zelda has foreseen only to be hurled forward in time by 7 years to continue his quest while creating a complicated timeline.

Basically this is true, but it’s a different experience at the same time. When it comes to nostalgia you’re usually reminiscing about the past, yearning for that time when you first played the game, for me, only the original N64 version can properly capture that moment from over 13 years ago. This made me question if my purchase of Ocarina of Time 3D was even worth it if I might never replay it. It also made me question, would a remake of any classic game hold any true nostalgic value?

For many Ocarina of Time 3D was a godsend. A remake of the most praised game in history, something fans often rarely receive. But if games like Final Fantasy VII and Sonic the Hedgehog were remade, would they hold any nostalgia or would they feel like a different game with a familiar story and gameplay?

As for Ocarina of Time there are many things OoT3D has over the original, better graphics, gyroscope, the touch-screen, and pretty much the best 3D I’ve ever seen in any 3DS game so far. The N64 version to me though has a more memorable and easy to remember control screen, not to mention I associate OoT with an N64. To me, OoT3D cannot properly capture that feeling of the original. Many reviewers have stated before though that the game has a feeling of nostalgia. Honestly, I think they’ve mistaken nostalgia with “freshness.”

There are some key differences that make Ocarina of Time 3D feel different and new. Some cutscenes appear to happen at different angles, animations are different, the main characters look drastically different (except Ganon), and the game is somewhat brighter. There are even references to Skyward Sword, some areas have drastic visual alterations, it feels full of life now in the Market, and the game just has an overall different feeling to it. This different feeling makes it feel new even though it’s old territory.

Maybe it’s just me though! Maybe I just can’t relate to Ocarina of Time 3D properly since these reviewers have apparently experienced nostalgia with the title. But let’s consider, Ocarina of Time was a first for me in many ways. It was my introduction to Nintendo, to Zelda, to the Action/Adventure genre, it was the first game I ever wanted, and it’s also the only time I’ve ever received a console for just one game! It was the first game I even played that wasn’t Street Fighter II! Ocarina of Time has a lot of meaning to me, something the remake just can’t replicate, no matter how superior it is. I’m sure the same applies to some of you as well.

I know this may sound like excessive whining, but to those who have played Ocarina of Time on the N64 multiple times over the last decade, most will tend to associate OoT Link with his N64 design and character models. Ever since Ocarina of Time 3D was announced, not once have I associated Ocarina of Time Link with his OoT3D character models. I guess it could be that I’m simply conditioned to associate Ocarina of Time with its N64 version. I haven’t been exposed to Ocarina of Time 3D as long; it’s only been roughly a year since its release. One day Ocarina of Time 3D may hold nostalgic value for me as well as many others.

So I ask you this! If you played the original N64 version (Or the many Gamecube and Virtual Console versions) long before OoT 3D was announced and have played the remake, which would you play for nostalgic value?