There are few remakes that shine as bright as the new Ocarina of Time
Storytime and melodrama aside, this is the same Ocarina of Time we all remember. In fact, I was bored during the first hour or two of gameplay. The game is a bit slow taking off and doesn't truly get exciting until after you learn Zelda's Lullaby. Also, my own expectations of the game needed to be brought down to earth before I could truly enjoy the game for what it was.
And its quite the game. The visuals are absolutely gorgeous with ups and downs to both 2D and 3D modes. 2D mode has the game look more vibrant and colorful, whereas 3D sacrifices beauty a little bit for smoothness, depth, and dynamism. I found it most effective to switch between 2D and 3D to keep it present in my mind that I'm playing a 3D game. If all I do is play in 3D it eventually loses its charm and becomes "Just the way it is." So I recommend balancing it depending on where you are.
Hyrule Field is best for 3D I think. Its a sprawling overworld with a great sense of freedom and adventure that will hook anyone who's never played the title. Dungeons, on the other hand, are best left with 3D on in only select areas because its a hassel to keep switching it on and off to aim, and I HIGHLY recommend the gyroscope for aiming. It lends a Wii-Twilight Princess accuracy that is incredible.
And Ocarina of Time 3D is accurate in and of itself. If you've played the game before, you'll remember the amazing freedom, atmosphere, puzzles, and action of this amazing game. If you're playing it for the first time, I really, really hate you. You're about to play one of the most engrossing games ever made for the first time, and that's something many gamers can never experience again no matter how good a remake is.
So what stands out? The big improvement for me moves beyond looks. Ocarina of Time 3D is a clear example of Nintendo's desire to streamline its games. Menus are a click away and progress 3 times faster than the original game. Saving takes a matter of seconds. Switching anything that was a pain to switch (Cough, Iron Boots) saves so much time and frustration, and the touch screen enables the ability to have 5 items equipped at the same time (The ocarina is default, but you have to use it often anyway so I didn't mind.) All of this lead to an incredibly fast paced experience compared to the menu drag of the original. What's more, is that dialogue progresses MUCH faster than it used to. Its still a bummer that you can't skip cutscenes, but faster dialogue must have saved me a good half hour overall. Another nice touch is Link's roll move, which has the fluid "Speed up" of Wind Waker rather than the "Roll and stop" of Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo 64.
Master Quest in particular impressed me big time. Its a longer, tougher game with a mirrored world and double damage. All of this adds replay value and gives veterans a chance to reexperience the game in a new way. Its only after playing Master Quest do you realize Ocarina of Time's flaw - Its just too easy. Even with double damage I only died once. I highly recommend the "3 heart" quest if you're wanting to play Ocarina of Time and actually feel profoundly challenged... especially for Master Quest.
Boss attack mode is accessed from Link's bed. I found it entertaining (especially Gauntlet Mode which was surprisingly challenging), but I would have prefered an extra dungeon or two instead.
Now for the bad. Ocarina of Time 3D looks great, but I did not enjoy the camera being zoomed out as much as it was in some areas. It gave greater scope to the surroundings and Link looked a little too small and deformed in those moments. Also, while Ocarina of Time 3D looks far better than the Nintendo 64 game, it also looks slightly more cartoony. I didn't mind it, but purists may be put off. Also, I can't help but think that Ocarina of Time 3D would have been better off with fully orchestrated music. The one clip of such music in the game is a sore reminder of how much its missed.
Speaking of missed, where's Majora's Mask? Nintendo... you'd better give Majora's Mask the same treatment... and it had better look twice as good given that the new Ocarina of Time already has a solid Majora's Mask level of detail to it.
For we who have played the game before, the real difference lies in the menus and the graphics. The game is speedy and smooth in a pleasant way, and the graphics lie somewhere halfway between the Nintendo 64 and the GameCube. Not a bad a deal for a handheld.
Veterans? Highly recommended.
Newbies? Essential.
9.5 out of 10