Well I know it may sound silly to review a game that is a “remastered” version of a 12 year old N64 game that was also re-released on GameCube and the Wii’s virtual console… but The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (OoT) is a timeless classic and the 3DS version is enhanced with beautiful graphics. And can you believe some of the younger gamers in the world never played it? So don’t take my word for it… let’s hear what the reviewers have to say about it.
On a side-note, did anyone else realize that Robin Williams named his daughter Zelda after the series? Crazy stuff. Video after the roundup.
IGN’s Rich George gave OoT a near-perfect 9.5/10, stating “Is it even possible to remake a game as influential and revered as Ocarina of Time? Is it possible to satisfy all audiences, new and old? As it turns out, the answer is yes, for the most part. What the teams at Nintendo and Grezzo manage here is a spectacular yet conservative and respectful upgrade. There are a few minor issues, including some areas where graphics could have received an extra boost, but by and large this tows the line between enhancing a decade-old game and meddling with something that is by most accounts flawless.”
The classic magazine GamePro gave OoT 4.5/5 stars, stating “I've heard any number of arguments over the years that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the best of the lot, but I've never really bought into them. I've always been more taken with Link to the Past and Link's Awakening, both of which have held up markedly better than their N64 counterpart. Having played the updated remake of Ocarina of Time on the 3DS though, I may have to rethink that position.”
Escapist’s Greg Tito would have liked to play OoT on a bigger console and gave it 4/5 stars, stating “Everything that made Ocarina of Time one of the greatest games ever is still in the 3D version, but all it does is make you reminisce for a simpler time and a better controller.”
Wired, while reminiscing about days of old, gave OoT a 9/10, stating “I think the greatest thing about Ocarina of Time 3D is this sense of restraint. Even with the 3DS version’s substantial upgrade, I feel like the developers had a keen sense of what made the original game special. They didn’t paint over the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel — they just filled in some of the cracks.”
Joystiq's Griffin McElroy liked OoT enough to give it 4.5/5 stars, stating "Aside from a few neat gimmicks tied to the 3DS' hardware capabilities, Grezzo's renovation of Nintendo EAD's masterpiece is entirely superficial. In this complete aesthetic overhaul, however, Grezzo has exhibited something extremely rare for developers -- more rare, even, than the creativity and inspiration that made the original Ocarina of Time such a revelation: Grezzo designed every gorgeous inch of Hyrule with unswerving, boundless love."
NintendoLife, which is my personal favorite Nintendo site for all things Virtual Console, WiiWare, and the like, gave OoT a perfect 10/10 stars, stating “Beautiful visuals, improved controls, exceptional pacing and engrossing gameplay are all present and correct. The N64 version is an all-time gaming classic, but this is truly the finest edition of Ocarina of Time. Is it absolutely perfect from a technical perspective? Not quite, but it is close to gaming perfection, a classic that has been refined and polished with great care. Time to find a quiet room, plug in some headphones, and get swept away by one of the finest video games ever created.”
