Take an already fantastic adventure and make it even better (and portable).
The story centers around Link, a young boy of the Kokori Forest who was born without a fairy. Things quickly shift focus when he is needed by the spirit of the forest The Great Deku Tree. He tells Link that he is destined to aid the princess of destiny Zelda, defeat the evil Gerudo king Ganandorf, and save the land of Hyrule. Link's journey is not a simple "beat bad guy and save the princess" adventure, for Link must travel back and forth through time (seven years apart), collect the sacred medallions and the sages that carry them, and eventually defeat the evil tyrant.
Ocarina of Time is a 3rd person action adventure game where you will explore a variety of villages, dungeons, and caverns, meet and interact with memorable characters, and partake in plenty of side quests. You will be learning new abilities and adding to your arsenal of weapons as you travel back and forth through time. One of the key gameplay features is your ocarina. With the ocarina, you can learn different melodies that can be used for a variety of purposes, like traveling from one area to the next without making a long trek or using it for puzzle advantages.
The journey through Hyrule has held up remarkably; and thanks to the added power of the 3DS it also feels like a fresh experience, even among those that grew up with the original. The game sports vibrant remastered visuals, featuring even more detailed environments and character models, smoother animations, and a good 3-D effect. The soundtrack offers a wide array of themes, from catchy tunes to haunting atmospheric sounds. The innovative Z-Targeting combat introduced in the original game is still fun and effective in the remake. The various dungeons still offer a good challenge, though they are not frustrating or extraneously difficult to solve. Completing side missions not only adds to the lengthy adventure but many can also give you extra items and heart containers that increase health. Though you are always told where you should go next, you can do so at your own leisure, taking the time to do other tasks or to simply go exploring. Perhaps the only issue to really mention is how empty Hyrule tends to feel by today's standards. Aside from encountering monsters not much goes on in the spacious fields of Hyrule, and it would have been nice to see it a little more lively.
Once you have completed the main quest you unlock the more challenging Master Quest introduced in the Gamecube release. Here the environments are mirrored, making your adventure feel new, and the enemies are much tougher to defeat.
Ocarina of Time controlled incredibly well on the N64, but it controls even better on the 3DS. The circle pad makes for smoother movements and the new button layout (once you get accustomed to it if you are used to the N64 controller) is simple and responsive. The game also makes use of motion controls for both aiming and looking around. The circle pad is still the best option when aiming, but the motion controls still work rather well. All of your inventory management has moved to the bottom touch screen. Aside from the main button layouts, two extra slots have been added so that you can use any other important items like equipment and bottles. Having the iron boots mapped to one of these slots makes the water temple a lot less tedious. Aside from the obvious control differences, there are two new additions for Ocarina of Time. One is the inclusion of the Shiekah Stones, the game's hint system. If at any point you are stuck at an area, you can enter one of these stones (provided that they start glowing and moving), which will give you a list of important tasks to complete. Opening one up will give you a few clips that give you an idea of what you should do. Of course, they are not going to give you access to the location of all the energy hearts and gold skultulas. That's still up to you to figure out. The other new addition is being able to replay any boss battle by visiting you forest home and encountering them in your dreams.
To sum things up:
PROS:
-Beautiful remastered visuals
-One of the best games ever made is now portable
-Excellent controls
-Memorable music
-A grand adventure that has held up exceptionally well
-Motion controls work very well
CONS:
-Hyrule feels a little empty by today's standards
If you have never experienced the original release of Ocarina of Time, now is the time to do so. For longtime fans, this is still a worthy buy. With added improvements, additions, and the great amount of content present, Ocarina of Time on the 3DS is the definitive version of this timeless classic.