Super Mario 3D Land is the very first Nintendo 3DS title to sell over five million units according to Nintendo. The company announced that Super Mario 3D Land has sold 5.03 million copies globally since the title launched in November of last year. Mario Kart 7 has also sold a fair number of units with 4.54 million units sold to date around the world. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D has sold 2.49 million copies worldwide.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D has been a labour of love and dedication by the development team Grezzo and it clearly shows. Everything about it just oozes class; from the initial introduction, to the final credits. It wouldn’t be too difficult to say that this is one of the greatest remakes of all-time, and it’s most certainly the game that justifies purchasing a Nintendo 3DS.
So how has the game aged?
Initially this was something I had worried about. I haven’t played Ocarina of Time since I purchased it on the Nintendo 64 back in 1998. I was curious as to whether the game was still relevant given that it was released so long ago. But I’m happy to report that the gameplay mechanics are still extremely robust and the interface is now more intuitive than ever thanks to the 3DS touchscreen. The game literally grabs you from the start and whisks you back off to the many familiar locations you became acquainted with in your past; next thing you know the hours have completely disappeared and you’ve become completely engrossed in a timeless classic.
How do the visuals stand up?
The sharpness and the sheer clarity of the visuals are the first thing you’ll notice. Gone is the fuzzy and muddy Nintendo 64 look, which is now replaced by vibrant colours and razor sharp visuals. It looks impressive and makes you wonder how this game might have looked if the developers had fully harnessed the power of the Nintendo 3DS. Still, the game looks visually impressive. Character models have been rendered beautifully and the shops and houses are teaming with minute details. You really notice the the painstaking lengths Grezzo have gone through once you visit some of the games many interiors.
How’s the 3D, is it put to good use?
I’ll admit I’m not the biggest fan of 3D, so I generally play my Nintendo 3DS with the 3D settings off. With Ocarina of Time I’ve fiddled around and played with the slider to get the optimum image and have come to the conclusion that the 3D isn’t really necessary to enjoy this game. The 3D does look amazing during some of the gorgeous cut scenes, but I haven’t felt like I’ve missed out by not using the 3D. It’s all down to personal preference. That said the 3D does give a tremendous amount of depth if the sliders set to maximum, but I did find it can cause issues with ghosting.
Closing Comments
If you’re looking for a game that’s going to stay glued to your Nintendo 3DS and a game that’s going to occupy many hours of your time then The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a must buy. Many of the Nintendo 3DS games have been criticized due to shortness in length. I couldn’t tell you how many hours I put into Ocarina of Time 3D, but however many it was, it has been worth it. This is without a doubt the definitive game for the Nintendo 3DS.
9.5/10
We all know that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will be an immensely popular hit on the Nintendo 3DS. It’s the game that we’re all waiting for, even though the majority of us have played the original on the Nintendo 64 back in 1998. Analyst Jesse Divnich, EEDAR’s Vice President of Capital Research & Communications also agrees with this and accordingly gives his two cents worth.
“There isn’t a strong overlap between the handheld and home console markets. Very few consumers forgo buying one type of game over another. I don’t have any cause for concerns for Zelda as it faces little competition within the handheld sector.
“Correct, the summer months are typically when consumers take vacations and the June release date for Zelda is surely not coincidental. I believe Zelda will provide a significant boost to the 3DS platform, both in awareness and in hardware sales.”
- Jesse Divnich
New footage has emerged showcasing the Deku Tree segment in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. As you can see from the video Nintendo has revamped the character models and textures and have added Gyro controls as well. The added icing on the cake is the fact that it’s playable in full 3D. Enjoy!
Japanese online gaming publication Andriasang are reporting that initial shipments for the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D will be “extremely small.”
Why Nintendo have chosen to distribute small quantities of the game in Japan is undisclosed but the most logical explanation is that the Nintendo are choosing to avoid the bargain bin sales that took place for the Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks in Japan.
Amazon Germany have revealed that consumers looking to pre-order the fantastic Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D will also receive a special Ocarina of Time 3DS carrying case. No word as yet as to what customers in the United States or the United Kingdom will receive as a pre-order bonus but it’s only a matter of time until we find out.
Amazon UK have revealed the spectacular box art for the forthcoming Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D for the Nintendo 3DS.
This highly anticipated game is set to be released in the United Kingdom on June 17th and on June 19th in North America. Which box art do you prefer? The North American or the European?
Following hot on the heels of Nintendo of America, Nintendo UK have officially announced that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D will be arriving in the UK on Friday June the 17th.
This new edition features enhanced graphics that depict the adventures of the heroic Link in captivating detail. Fans of the series can once again help Link on his quest to save Hyrule from the evil Ganondorf, by exploring many dungeons, temples and using the titular ocarina to aid him on his quest but this time all in 3D and all without the need for special glasses. The game also now takes advantage of the gyro functionality of the Nintendo 3DS console, by physically moving the Nintendo 3DS console players are enabled to explore and look around with a first person view. This edition has been localised into 5 European languages which includes English, French, German and for the very first time ever the game has also been localised into Spanish & Italian.
This see’s the United Kingdom getting the game two days before the United States who’re getting The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D on Sunday June 19th. Great news, huh?
- Press Release
Nintendo UK marketing manager James Honeywell has told online gaming publication CVG that an announcement regarding the highly anticipated Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is coming soon.
“I know from personal experience of being on the sampling tours that the game everyone ran to was Zelda, to get their first experience of it in 3D, so we know it’s hotly anticipated, and hopefully we’ll be making an announcement fairly soon so people will be able to find out when they’ll be able to go and get it.”
Yesterday I revealed that a host of high profile release dates including the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D had been leaked by a Nintendo distributor in Spain. The distributor has listed Ocarina of Time 3D with a June 17th release date.
Oh dear! It appears as though a host of high profile games have had their release dates leaked by a Nintendo distributor in Spain.
The game that everyone is looking forward to; The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is currently scheduled to be released on June 17th. Whilst May 6th will apparently see the release of several high profile games such as Kid Icarus: Uprising, Star Fox 64 3D and Resident Evil: Mercenaries.
