All of the Zeldas (minus cdi and 4 swords) challenge #5: Ocarina of Time 3d (3ds)
In 1999 I did my student teaching from August through December in Australia. When I returned to the United States, it was the middle of the school year. My girlfriend (now wife) had also finished student teaching, and after 4 months apart, the one thing we agreed on was that we needed to live together. As it happened, my grandfather just moved into a manor, and he suggested my girlfriend and I "shack up" at his old house. For the next 6 months she subbed and waited tables at a local hotel while I worked the night shift in a wood mill. With many hours home alone, it was during this time that I finally bought an N64 and began playing Ocarina in the basement. It blew my mind.
I still have that N64 and Ocarina, but with MD's suggestion, I decided to play through this on the 3ds since it was supposed to be the best version of the game. It's kind of funny - I just played through Link's Awakening on a big tv thanks to a rom on the NES classic, and then I played a tv game on a handheld. The first thing to mention is that the graphics are a marked improvement. The access to multiple items on the touchscreen is also a great change that I'm sure enhanced the gameplay experience. That said, this was meant to be played on a large screen. I don't regret going this route and plan to do the same for Majora's Mask, but this is what I really want:
https://www.gamnesia.com/news/ocarina-o ... yable-demo
So has the game held up? Overall, yes. The music alone is maybe the best video game music ever. There is one dungeon that has awful music (can't remember which), but most of it is beautiful and, thanks to the ocarina, feels integral to the game. The game play is revolutionary. This is where L targeting started, right? Is there a more important aspect of 3d combat? The dungeons are still sometimes challenging puzzles, and the reward items translated really well from their 2d counterparts. The hookshot/longshot is so much fun! The story is engaging, and the ending is lovely. I could write more here, for sure, but it's been done. This game is universally lauded, and it has informed almost every Zelda that has come since. It was easily the best Zelda game when it came out, and I'm guessing it's better than many followed it, but it wasn't without its flaws.
Flaw 1: The overworld is boring. There really isn't shit to see or do or even fight. It's like running across Iowa. Epona makes it a little more bearable, but by the time you play her song, how much time do you really save? Kid Link at least had a lively market to visit. Adult Link's world is pretty lifeless.
Flaw 2: Din's Fire. I said why in an earlier post. I'm still pissed about it.
Flaw 3: Combat mechanics are pretty good, but there isn't much combat. The overworld offers some lame ass skeletons and the dungeons are more focused on puzzles. The bosses are all fun to look at, but none of them are very challenging. I maybe died once just figuring out what to do at some of them, but once you've got it figured out, they're very basic. Nothing ever felt like a hard fought victory.
Flaw 4: Aside from the items you get in the dungeons, nothing else seems necessary. I only had 13 hearts. With a fairy in a bottle, I never felt like I was in danger. I didn't feel like I needed to go out and find more hearts. I only got skulltulas when they were obvious, and at just 51, I transformed all but the biggest spider. What is the reward for that? I read it's unlimited rupees. Why would I care? I couldn't find anywhere to spend the 500 I had unless I wanted to fish, but that was boring.
Flaw 5: Ganon. Holy shit, was this bad. His first form was the easiest boss in the game. If he hurt you, you could just drop down and smash vases. Then it was followed by the least tense 3 minutes to escape (you barely need 2) to get to big Ganon. The fucker killed me, and I had to do the 3 minute escape again. I wanted to throw the ds into the wall. He also never felt terribly threatening or evil. Having him kill someone important would have helped.
Flaw 6: Zelda as Sheika. Least surprising reveal ever. The Sheika idea never served much of a purpose. 5 games in and the best female counterpart is the one that wasn't Zelda. The series was 3 dimensional before she was.
3ds flaw: Navi. Her location on the touchscreen wasn't convenient during battle, and her occasional suggestion that I take a break can fuck right off.
Okay, so I listed a handful of flaws, but this game still deserves all the praise it gets. If they ever finish the unreal engine HD version, I'll be excited to play it.
Up next: Majora's Mask. I remember not liking this one because of the time constraints. That shit gives me anxiety. I'm not excited about it, so I'm taking a week off.
