PLOT: Remade for the modern era of gaming, this 1998 Nintendo 64 hit is fully realized as Link, a child chosen by a wise being to battle the dark forces of Ganondorf, seeks out Princess Zelda for help and must travel through time to save the land of Hyrule.
REVIEW: Keep in mind that I still have to finish the entire game (which I will, because to this day I remember where everything is), so I just want to lay down my first impressions of the game.
We live in an era of gaming where it feels like remakes of classic games from our childhood are coming out just as frequently as brand-new releases. We’ve been hearing rumblings about this remake for well over a year, and with the Zelda movie on the horizon, the timing couldn’t be better. Now, celebrating the 40th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo has ushered in the anniversary with the best possible remake we could imagine.
Controls
First off, the controls have been modernized, making item and weapon management much easier during your journey. Similar to what Zelda: Breath of the Wild did with switching weapons, you hold the R button and select an item by scrolling left or right. The gameplay also pauses while you do this, so if you’re in a battle, you can safely switch items.
Another key difference, which will take some getting used to if you’ve played the original Ocarina of Time, is that there’s actually a JUMP button! Link doesn’t automatically jump off the edge of a platform anymore. You must jump on your own. Another benefit of the jump mechanic is that you can now jump upward while climbing, making climbing and traversing much faster.
Also, something that Zelda games are infamous for is the slow speed of pushing items and large objects. They’ve actually sped that up in this game, which is a nice relief while playing.
Presentation
Not to sound sensitive or overemotional, but my goodness, this game is quite the sight to behold. I was crying inside the whole time while playing it. The colors and animations are beautiful and whimsical. There’s nothing particularly “realistic,” per se, but you don’t play Nintendo titles for realism. You play for escapism, and Ocarina of Time‘s gorgeous presentation will leave you in awe, making you want to take it all in and explore everything around you.
Yes, the OG 1998 Nintendo 64 version still holds up to this day and is still delightful to look at, given the technology back then. But seeing this version of Hyrule, and all the characters you’re familiar with, fleshed out to this degree is nothing short of amazing.
I also want to point out that the impression this game gives me is that it still RESPECTS the original material. It just enhances it.
The Game
Whether you’re playing for the first time or you’ve played the OG game a million times, you know exactly what to expect: where to find everything, how to defeat the enemies, how to solve the puzzles, etc. But what makes this experience stand out from before are the cutscenes.
The game now has voiceovers and more elaborate cutscenes that enhance the experience. And Nintendo didn’t phone it in. Everything you imagined the characters sounding like in your head growing up has been faithfully realized in this game.
If you’ve played this game before and know what to do next, you get excited wondering how everything is going to play out in this version. If you’re a newcomer, you’re in for a magical journey.
One noticeable difference in the game comes when you finally reach Hyrule Field. You can see all the landscapes and areas around you in greater detail, and nothing looks flat or ordinary. Another major upgrade is that Hyrule Castle Town is much bigger and seems livelier and more crowded than it did in the original version.
Another nice touch is the daylight mechanic. In the original game, the transition from day to night only happened in Hyrule Field. Now, it doesn’t matter where Link is. Nightfall doesn’t pause when you visit some of the other areas outside Hyrule Field.
And to add to all this, yes, the game keeps all the same music we know and love, but with updated arrangements. There are also new nighttime music tracks. In the OG game, there was no background music during nightfall. It’s a nice touch to hear all the “night” songs in every area.
Finally, there’s the one thing the internet is having a field day with in this game: the Ocarina mechanic.
A new feature in the Switch 2 version lets you utilize the microphone on your controller (or handheld system) and play the Ocarina songs by humming them. And it’s fun! You can see plenty of videos of people playing their own instruments (like a guitar or saxophone) into the mic, and the game will detect it.
Oh, and this game has AUTOSAVE, so you don’t have to worry about manually saving your progress.
The Verdict
Right now, I have yet to pull the Master Sword, so I still have a ways to go. But based on my first impressions, this may be the best remake ever made of an already beloved hit.
If it weren’t for the fact that I have real life to deal with, I probably would NEVER put this game down. I can’t wait to continue this journey once again.
Nintendo absolutely hit a home run with this game, and I hope they add DLC. Hopefully, more of the best ever N64 games will get remakes, like Zelda: Majora’s Mask, or even better, Super Mario 64.
Also, it feels amazing to have traditional Zelda back. With full-fledged dungeons, no weapons breaking, no stamina bar, and just a straight-up magical Zelda game that gives you all the feels.
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