Written by Preamble
Let me start by saying that I will not review the game, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. If you have ever considered yourself a gamer, then you have heard that praise at some point in your life. That tends to happen when a game is widely considered to be one of the best ever made. Instead, I will review the technical aspects and improved functionality for the 3DS.
The Tech
That’s right. I said functionality, not gimmicks. Pilotwings 3D, Nintendogs, and Samurai Warriors Chronicles have Nintendo gimmicks (poor 3D and extraneous motion controls). Zelda OoT 3D has something I have not seen from a Nintendo game since the days of N64, and it’s not innovation, not really. Rather it’s clever game design and masterful use of hardware. It is a classic game that’s been streamlined and improved, without altering its nostalgia factor in the slightest. Nintendo is finally giving fans exactly what they’ve always wanted.
Nintendo has thrown away the flimsy “pop-up book” looking 3D effects used in their launch titles released only six weeks earlier. Link has three-dimensional form in an actual three-dimensional space. The perspective of the environment noticeably changes when you turn up the 3D effect, rather than just separating one flat image into five or six flat images. There is almost no double image when the slider is cranked to the max, and the drop in frame rate is negligible. All of this combined with new higher end graphics, and the game has never looked better; the franchise has never looked better.
If you have ever used the Wii, you know how frustrating motion controls can be. If you are like me, you turn them off at every chance possible. That of course requires knowing they actually exist in the first place. Case in point: The first time I pulled out my sling shot in OoT 3D the game camera bounced as I moved the system. Naturally I panicked, but then I gave it a shot. It was brilliant; you aim by using the 3DS gyroscope while simultaneously fine tuning your crosshairs with the directional stick.
Streamlining a Classic
The best news isn’t even all the technical feats of this wonderful classic reborn, it’s the gameplay changes that the 3DS makes possible. All of the menus are now on the bottom screen. It sounds like a small thing, but consider that switching items no longer requires pausing or time-consuming navigation. All HUD elements are also on the bottom screen, with the exception of a very helpful minimap. There are now five slots for active items: one spot solely for the Ocarina (now just a quick tap away at all times), both right corners of the lower screen, and the X and Y buttons.
This is a true love letter to the fans, something I never thought Nintendo capable of. There are no gimmicks here to ruin another one of your childhood favorites. Just classic Zelda made better.
