For a game made in 1998, you expect dated controls, clunky mechanics, terrible graphics and awkward bleeps and bloops for music. This is exactly what Ocarina of Time is not. This game feels like it would be at home much later in the time period of gaming because of how ingenious it is. It pushes the limits of the N64 to the edge with incredibly thoughtful level design and fantastic puzzles. One of the reasons this game was so incredible was because of the way it used three dimensions like no other game had. Puzzles revolved around this theme. My favourite example is from the first dungeon. There is a spider web covering where you need to go, so the only way to get through is by jumping from very high up to have enough velocity to tear the web. This may not sound so new and interesting nowadays because of modern technology, but back then this was new and incredible. This is only complemented by an idealistic control scheme. It was the first game to feature item assigning to buttons and to also have another interesting creation, that of position sensitive jumping. back then, there was always a need for a jump button, but thanks to Ocarina of Time, we now just make our character walk in the direction we want and he will jump if the gap is significant enough. While the gameplay is fantastic, the music must also be noticed. This is by far some of the best music in gaming ever. Once these tunes enter your head, they will not leave with much ease. Now, I know there are many things I won't cover about this game in this post, but lets just say that on top of the main epic story, there are heart containers to find, skulltalas to kill, secrets to find and minigames to play. Rest assure, this game is worth it. But how does one make the decision of choosing the N64 version or the 3DS version? Well, there are a few ways.
Ocarina of Time 3DS is essentially the same game as the original on the N64, but with some new additions. For one, the graphics are fantastic. Nothing on a handheld has ever compared to this and even games on consoles are stale in comparison. It maintains the original's style and design, but makes it pretty and shiny and smooth enough for 2011. The 3D also complements this game well, adding a huge sense of scale and depth to the world, even if it does hurt your eyes after a while. Some other things that should be noted are the ever-so-slight changes to the gameplay. For one, now there are these things called Shiekiah Stones which show you hints if you are stuck. These are located in both the Temple of Time and next to Link's house in Kokiri village. You don't have to use them, but you can if you want to. The other new addition is the boss challenge. After a certain point in the game, you will be able to go back and fight bosses whenever you want, or fight them consecutively. All the while, you are being timed. It's cool trying to beat your time over and over again. The final new gameplay element is the inclusion of Master Quest mode as mentioned in my previous post.
So the question is, which is the one worth getting? In my opinion: the 3DS Version. It has nothing to do with the graphics. Personally, I think that if you care too much about graphics, you don't deserve to be called a gamer, it's just the boss challenge and the Master Quest coupled with the subtle under the hood improvements that make it the choice.
