The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D: Back in Time

The long wait is over. Nintendo finally remade The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, releasing it in glorious 3D on their fledgling handheld system. Some people might be disappointed that the first big Nintendo made title for the 3DS is a remake, but I'm just excited to play more Zelda. I am not a huge fan of the previous handheld entry in the series, the Spirit Tracks, which has its share of problems. As such, I am glad Nintendo is using a game we already know to be excellent to push their new system with its unusual features. This is not a review of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I won't be discussing the merits of the original game, but instead the ways in which the 3DS port enhances or detracts from the experience.

Besides simply being a graphically enhanced port, a major feature of the Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D is, well, 3D. In certain situations visuals are added or rearranged in ways that obviously add depth to a scene. For instance, when walking into Dampe's shack in the graveyard, objects are stacked in the foreground so that they pop out when 3D is turned on. The cut scenes, boss battles, and few scenic outlooks benefit greatly from the 3D if you remember to turn it back on. I say this because you will most definitely want to turn it off turning long periods of trekking across Hyrule Field, exploring dungeons, and battling the basic monsters. It is simply not worth the visual stress of leaving it on for these prolonged activities. Thankfully, the slider allows you to adjust the level of three dimensionality without even stopping to interrupt a battle.

Considering the technology at hand, Nintendo added a few expected control systems and a few less anticipated ones. The main addition regards the touch screen. It is used to handle the inventory and newly allows certain items to be exchanged without pause. This feature mainly benefits players frustrated with the constant exchange of the Iron Boots in the menu during the Water Temple. The touch controls in this case are fantastic. At least for my fingers, the buttons are large enough to be accurately pressed without the need to pick up the stylus. Items can be rearranged at your leisure and assigned to two additional slots which are used by tapping the appropriate spot on the touch screen. The less exciting new control system involves the gyroscopic motion controller. In pretty much any case in which targeting occurs, you can move the 3DS to pan the targeting camera. It is very smooth, but a little slow for open field battle when compared to the analog nub. It is best used in mini games in which precise shots of the bow or slingshot are required to obtain a high score. In that case it works far better than any joystick ever did. I easily beat the archery challenge several times in a row. One caveat you will want to keep in mind however, is that the 3D should be turned completely off when using motion controls. Moving the screen while trying to maintain your position relative to it is nearly impossible, and will make you sick.

One of the smartest things Nintendo has done with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, something any company should do when remaking a beloved title on a new system, is to make certain that it can play almost exactly like the original. All of the special features are optional. The 3D can be turned off. The motion controls can be ignored. The touch screen menu is required, but quite frankly if you don't like it as in item menu there is something wrong with you. The extra item buttons on it could even be ignored if using them seems inconvenient in the heat of battle. The analog nub and standard buttons afford a control experience similar enough to the Nintendo 64 or Gamecube controllers. As we saw at E3, this control scheme will also serve well in the numerous other big first party titles coming to the 3DS this year.

If you have yet to find a reason to lay your hands on Nintendo's 3DS, look no further. This is the system selling title. If you are a huge Zelda fan or already have a 3DS, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is a game you need to add to your collection. By now you should be growing tired of Street Pass anyway. With beautiful graphics, enhanced control systems, and the Master Quest thrown in, this is the definitive version of an already spectacular game. Oh. And it has 3D too.