Zero Punctuation: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

[OtherSideofSky]

I suppose I'm a bit late to the party on this one, but the N64 is easy to emulate these days that I can run most of its games on my PSP (the small screen helps make up for the shit graphics).

Also, while the points about '90s polygons and the controller are perfectly valid, Yahtzee has neglected to remember that some N64 games were still sprite based. And that one of them was called Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber. I played it for the first time last year (on an emulator, because seriously fuck the N64 controller), and it definitely holds up. Sprites tend to age a lot better than polygons, and it's full of really interesting gameplay systems and design choices that appear to have never been used by anyone else ever again.

He's definitely right about 99% of the N64 catalog, though. Most of it is only fun if you played it as a kid.

I honestly don't understand why so many people are so anxious to re-buy this game on a new system. I already played it to death and did every conceivable thing in it at least twice as a kid, just like most of the people clamoring for the remake, and I can't imagine wanting to go back and do it again.

 

[duchaked]

I never finished OoT by myself, my friend and I took turns back and forth, and I think in the end he played quite a bit more than I did...
(but I played more of Wind Waker than he did)

didn't Nintendo say they "fixed" the Water Temple for the DS version?

 

[Bluelaughter]

For some reason I don't recall ever having too many troubles with the water dungeon, though I've only passed the game a few times. I also could never understand the Golden Eye nostalgia I see on the net, as I thought Perfect Dark vastly improved on the engine. Maybe it was the aliens.

I totally agree with the Twilight Princess = OoT + 1. Twilight Princess seemed way too uninventive at first, though it did get better.

Also, can anyone tell me the supposed #2 ranked game ever? It looks very familiar.

 

[Random7]

We get it Yahtzee you hate Nintendo, now stop complaining with your stupid crap already. And if you did two seconds of research you would have known they remade the water temple so it would be easier but no you have to do you useless bashing for anything that isn't EXACTLY what you like.

 

[JetstreamGW]

I remember how insanely excited I was when I first got Ocarina of Time on my Ultra 64 (I call it that, 'cause I'm cool) but I knew things were bad when I switched on the power, the title screen came up and... what? No Zelda intro music? NO ZELDA INTRO MUSIC?!

I was like, uhh... this isn't feeling like a Zelda game, and I've not even started playing it yet. It was downhill from there.

Now I wont deny that Ocarina of Time was a fun game, but it just wasn't a Zelda game.

Seriously, no Zelda intro music! Warning alarm bell sirens went off immediately, and in hindsight, with good reason.

Don;t you DARE call it a Zelda game if it doesn't have the Zelda music, Nintendo!

Are... you kidding? Every single Zelda game EVER has had different Intro music on the title screen. YouTube 'em. They're all different.

This was a joke, right?

 

[Shoggoth2588]

It seems like everyone forgot about Link to the Past on the Super Nintendo. I mean if Ocarina of Time is the cheat sheet Nintendo used to make Twilight Princess than Link to the Past was the true event upon which Ocarina of Time was based: The Subject Zero if you will.

 

[SmugFrog]

I'm kind of confused at the end; did he actually like it or not? He didn't seem to do a lot of bashing of the actual game, but of the Zelda series overall.

 

[CarlMin]

I'm completely fine with more yiffing. That was a flaw?

I thought I was the only one who wondered that.

 

[sumanoskae]

Didn't they scale back the treacherous difficulty of the Water Temple in this version?

 

[dinggledoser]

Isn't ironic that Majora's Mask barrows music, sounds, graphics, and mechanics from Ocarina of time and yet it's probably the least like Ocarina of Time of any other Zelda game.

Anyways, I am way disappointed in you Yahtzee as I thought even a dumby like you could spot Ocarina of Time's real flaws (declining difficulty and bloated over world.) Instead you complained about how ignorant you are. Think here for a second, what wails eat.

Also, jokes on you, they made the Water Temple easier in the 3DS version.

 

[funguy2121]

I remember how insanely excited I was when I first got Ocarina of Time on my Ultra 64 (I call it that, 'cause I'm cool) but I knew things were bad when I switched on the power, the title screen came up and... what? No Zelda intro music? NO ZELDA INTRO MUSIC?!

I was like, uhh... this isn't feeling like a Zelda game, and I've not even started playing it yet. It was downhill from there.

Now I wont deny that Ocarina of Time was a fun game, but it just wasn't a Zelda game.

Seriously, no Zelda intro music! Warning alarm bell sirens went off immediately, and in hindsight, with good reason.

Don;t you DARE call it a Zelda game if it doesn't have the Zelda music, Nintendo!

I don't know if your post is supposed to be a satire of Nintendo gamers being stupidly picky about Zelda.

Ditto. I'm pretty close to over the original theme. It doesn't hold up as well as Zelda's Lullaby (especially when fully orchestrated and properly arranged) or several of the other Ocarina tunes, and to me the Twilight Princess overworld music is far superior to anything I've ever heard in any of the games. That being said, it's about time for the dungeon music to evolve into something more than weird, minimalist crap. It only ever seems to be proficient at best.

Oddly enough, I felt the same way as Olrod during my first 45 minutes with A Link To the Past, and then it quickly replaced the original as my favorite in the series. But I loved every minute of Ocarina, even the cheesy, more cartoonish characters.

 

[Quicksilver1111]

Wow, another self indulgent review that merely agrees with everyone else and tells them what they want to hear.
- The N64 contoller was the only way to play FPS's on consoles back in the day. Ever tried to play one on the PS1? It was painful then, and it's painful now.
- 3D sucks blah blah blah migraine because I can't look directly at the screen. Either I have eyes of steel, or everyone else's eyes have become maimed products of too many raves and highs. Ignoring the obvious option to turn it off, I've never had an issue with the 3D. It enhanced the game for me.
- durr smudge marks because I'm too lazy to pick up a stylus
- Feigning ignorance for Navi? Really Yahtzee?
- Later games take up time to develop the stories? Don't play A Link To The Past then. Oh wait, that was before Ocarina of Time. The story isn't spectacular, but they are developed enough.
- Another pathetic attempt to bash the Wii. Really, we've heard it all before. Hell, I remember in the early days of this gen when someone said "You can't tell me you've not seen a single Wii fanboy." Effectively creating the most awkward discussion this gen.

 

[Svetoslav Savov]

i am gamer ho never played Zelda and i realy don't know what publishers and players see in that game o__________________0

 

[Scarlet Mongoose]

I feel the urge to mention... since Ben Yahtzee pointed it out in the credits...
No the Robin Williams commercial wasn't weird.
It was friggin' great!

 

[FiveSpeedf150]

Zelda is so tired by now, even Skyward Sword seems like the same old thing over again.

They should remake Majora's Mask with a decent gameplay and flow, instead of the frustrating mess it was, because the story was there.

I just had a nostalgia flashback that led me to watching this review and probably hooking up the ol' N64 when I get home to replay some OoT awesomeness. I hope I don't hate it. >.>

And I just pretend Majoras Mask never existed... you're right the potential was there but the whole time travel dynamic was just more of a pain than anything.

Also I never knew the water temple was so hard, but when I got the game I guess my mom bought the game/players guide bundle so I always had help. Guess I was lucky.

 

[Demonio Penguino]

Well, I never played Goldeneye, and I never really played the original OoT, but I can say that it's probably my favorite Zelda game ever.
Master Quest OoT, at least. The original game is pretty good, too.