The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Review

[Whoracle]

Got to be a bit nitpicky here, since it holds a dear place in my heart:

From the Article

Using songs played on a music instrument is still one of the most innovative game mechanics ever created.

While OoT may be the game that brought the mechanic to a wide audience, it wasn't the one that created it by far.

That honor goes at least to 1990s Loom [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loom_(video_game)], and I'd not be too surprised if even that one wasn't the first. And the mechanic was beautifully implemented in Loom.

One can (or at least could) get it for free legally at places like abandonia or the like, so give it a spin.

 

[Vitor Goncalves]

Anyone else think the screen-shots look a lot like WOW graphics?

No surprise, despite the improvement, the cartoonish look of OoT still make it resemble a 3D game of the late 90's. And WoW cartoonish graphics are run on an egine that despite its 2004 release is almost as old as the original OoT. Beside both games are very rich in color, while nowadays games (and since 2005/2006) are a mesh of diferent kinds of browns and greys with a bit of red (blood).

 

[MrWhitekeys]

why do people keep saying they play it when its on a console when it already came out for the game cube (playable on the wii) it was called OoT Master quest or something like that.

 

[EternalFacepalm]

This might be a silly question, but: Does it work on a DSi? I have no intention of buying a 3DS, seeing as 3D does nothing but hurt me.
Like, have they changed the bricks (in lack of a better term) so that they don't fit or something?

 

[Adam28]

This might be a silly question, but: Does it work on a DSi? I have no intention of buying a 3DS, seeing as 3D does nothing but hurt me.
Like, have they changed the bricks (in lack of a better term) so that they don't fit or something?

No it doesn't, hope you haven't bought it already.

None of the 3DS games will work on a DSi.

 

[Sir Broccoli]

Well, I got the game and it's great so far. I do have a couple of criticisms about it though:
- They moved the health and magic meters to the bottom screen. This cleans up the HUD but having to switch screens to check your health is kind of annoying.
- When Navi has something to say her name will start blinking on the bottom of the screen and it won't go away unless you actually listen to her.
- They included MasterQuest, but it has to be unlocked by finishing the original game. Not that I mind playing though the original again but seeing as MasterQuest was my main reason for buying this game it's too bad it has to be unlocked.
- They made Dark Link easier. C'mon! Beating that asshole was fun BECAUSE he was so annoyingly difficult. Now he's a complete wimp and there's no real feeling of accomplishment.

There's plenty of stuff that's improved though. The water temple is a lot less frustrating (mainly because they turned the Iron boots into an item rather than equipment so you don't have to navigate a menu to wear them.) and the manual targeting system (where you can use the 3DS's motion sensor to aim) works surprisingly well.

Also, you have weird hands if pushing the L-button is really such a problem for you. You might want to see a doctor about that.

 

[ProtonGuy]

The biggest gripe is the L button feels awkward? No offense but that's something most gamer's shouldn't even care about. It's not like trying to jump in the original Double Dragon on the arthritis brick, I mean NES controller lol.

 

[Lukeje]

Got to be a bit nitpicky here, since it holds a dear place in my heart:

From the Article

Using songs played on a music instrument is still one of the most innovative game mechanics ever created.

While OoT may be the game that brought the mechanic to a wide audience, it wasn't the one that created it by far.

That honor goes at least to 1990s Loom [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loom_(video_game)], and I'd not be too surprised if even that one wasn't the first. And the mechanic was beautifully implemented in Loom.

One can (or at least could) get it for free legally at places like abandonia or the like, so give it a spin.

You can buy it on steam. It's no longer abandonware.

 

[Jake Lewis Clayton]

Not being able to hit the L button, you being serious?

Is everyone at escapist apart from yatzee 40 stone?

I'm in my twenties, and have a flip and play leather case (only leaves a couple of cms of space even when open) and its pretty easy for myself and anyone i know to hit the L button while controlling the stick.



I do have a couple of criticisms of the game though, i wish they had used the D-Pad for the ocarina instead of the x/y/a and L/R, so i could play the songs from memory.

but arh well :\

 

[Krion_Vark]

The Z-targeting system with the original was a breakthrough using Nintendo 64 controller's trigger button to lock onto a target, but trying to defeat monsters and especially bosses using the shoulder button of the 3DS is not fun for anyone who isn't double-jointed.

I actually have double-jointed thumbs (annoying in most cases as I can't hold a pen in the normal way), so this is a plus, if you were being serious?

See, the way I (and I thought everyone else) hold it, you would have your thumb on the circle pad and hit L with your left index finger. I can't see why a double jointed thumb would help push L when your thumb shouldn't be going anywhere near L.

I actually just got it today and I don't see a problem at all with the targeting system.

 

[orangeapples]

Got to be a bit nitpicky here, since it holds a dear place in my heart:

From the Article

Using songs played on a music instrument is still one of the most innovative game mechanics ever created.

While OoT may be the game that brought the mechanic to a wide audience, it wasn't the one that created it by far.

That honor goes at least to 1990s Loom [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loom_(video_game)], and I'd not be too surprised if even that one wasn't the first. And the mechanic was beautifully implemented in Loom.

One can (or at least could) get it for free legally at places like abandonia or the like, so give it a spin.

LOOM?!?!?! I LOVED, LUV'D, WUV THAT GAME!!!! When I found our computer that runs Windows 95, the first thing I thought was, "Where is Loom?" but sadly it was nowhere to be found. Then when I found Loom, it was after we trashed the old computer.

I think my favorite part was turning the sheep green.

but thanks for the heads up that it can be found online. I'll have to try it out again.

now, on topic:

I really would not mind playing a game meant for the big screen on a handheld. I played thought Final Fantasy IX on my PSP, and it was just as awesome as when I played on the console. Final Fantasy main games are definitely not designed for a tiny screen, so I feel that point does not apply to me.

If I had a 3DS, I'd pick up Ocarina when it comes out. Sadly I do not have any money.

 

[Blightning]

I came to the comments thread just to comment on that awkward L trigger thing. What, does Greg Tito have giant hands? The only way I could understand this is if he's a) using some crazy way of holding the 3DS we don't understand or b) using touch controls (does this game even have touch controls?). I suppose it's possible he just cradles it without the index fingers on the shoulder buttons, in which case any time those buttons are used must bug him.

Honestly, the relative positions of the directional input and the shoulder button hasn't changed much since the Gameboy Advance (excluding the GBA SP), and has been used in plenty of games. It's not like this is Monster Hunter's crazy clawhand layout.

Greg Tito, if you read this: Please post a picture of the way you hold the 3DS.

 

[Kiereek]

Every gamer over the age of 18 i think remember the godliness that was Ocarina of Time

Indeed. I'm 20 now, and I remember when it came out. To suggest that only the people who are now 25 and up experienced the original would also mean that they would have had to have been at least 13 when it was released, which seems to me to be in the upper ages of the children who would have been interested in that game at the time.

 

[Jake Lewis Clayton]

aye come to think of it, i'm only in my early twenties and i fondly remember the release and it was bloody awesome.

And as kiereek said, 13+ seems a bit old more the majority of the market of the origional at the time.

 

[Kiefer Killjoy]

@JBGigas: Welcome to the family

 

[Kiefer Killjoy]

Nope. This is my confusion. I know that holding down a button for a while can hurt your finger, that part makes sense. The part about having to move your hand in ways previously not thought possible is what's confusing as all hell for me. Unless I'm misunderstanding something about how this game is going to work, it's easy.

I'm finding more and more these days I can't read a review anywhere that doesn't contain some complaint that completely baffles me. Like when someone complains about a lack of a feature that is indeed in the game, or complains about something that doesn't exist in another. Or in this case, complaining about the placement of a button on the system--not the game itself being reviewed--that's in a completely standard and unproblematic position.

As I mentioned on a previous comment, when a game is this awesome the only thing people complain about are the little niggly things. Although it baffles me why the reviewer didn't just press the Start button and toggle the L targeting so that they didn't have to hold it.

 

[Kiefer Killjoy]

This might be a silly question, but: Does it work on a DSi? I have no intention of buying a 3DS, seeing as 3D does nothing but hurt me.
Like, have they changed the bricks (in lack of a better term) so that they don't fit or something?

No it doesn't, hope you haven't bought it already.

None of the 3DS games will work on a DSi.

I believe "cartridges" is the best term to acknowledge DS games with. And, no the 3DS games have an extra notch on them to prevent people putting them into older DS consoles and damaging them.

 

[Electrogecko]

You know you can change the L functionality from hold to target to toggle right? Just in case you don't want to have to hold down the button for the full fight. I also don't find pressing L that hard, especially since I bought one of those 5$ grips for the thing.

Master Quest isn't just mirrored and x2 damage. All the puzzles in the dungeons and temples (including ice) are changed and even the order in which you progress through them is different.

Fair is fair I guess. If you haven't played OOT, I believe you should consider this review a 5.