The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is a 2011 action-adventure game developed by Grezzo and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS handheld game console. A remaster of the original 1998 Nintendo 64 game, it features updated graphics, stereoscopic 3D effects, and mirrored versions of the rearranged dungeons from Ocarina of Time Master Quest. The game was released in June 2011, with digital release via the Nintendo eShop arriving in 2012.
Ocarina of Time 3D received critical acclaim, with some calling it one of the best video game remakes of all time. It was also a commercial success with over 6.44 million units sold worldwide as of December 2022, making it the thirteenth best-selling Nintendo 3DS game.
Gameplay
The gameplay for the remaster is very similar to the original version, but it made some modifications to the game. One new feature is the use of the touchscreen to manage inventory items. Also, the touchscreen is used at times to play the Ocarina songs. The game uses the system's gyroscopic technology to look around and aim the player's bow, boomerang, hookshot, longshot, and slingshot in first-person mode, unless the player chooses to use the classic analog stick control to aim.
The 3DS version has the modified Master Quest dungeons and mirrored overworld in addition to the original game, and a new "Boss Challenge" mode that allows the player to fight all of the bosses one at a time, or in sequential order, while the Master Quest has its own version of the "Boss Challenge" mode, where the boss arenas are mirrored and enemies will do twice the usual amount of damage.
Another new addition is the inclusion of optional brief video clips called "Visions" that serve as hint videos in case some new players get lost or have trouble solving the game's numerous puzzles. These are accessed via Sheikah Stones, which are located at Link's house in the Kokiri Forest and inside the Temple of Time. Due to the 3DS having no equivalent to the Nintendo 64's Rumble Pak feature, the Stone of Agony from the original version of the game was replaced with the Shard of Agony which serves the same purpose, only with a sound signal to inform the players of secrets nearby.
Plot
The player controls the series' trademark hero, Link, in the land of Hyrule. Link sets out on a quest to stop Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo tribe, from obtaining the Triforce, a sacred relic that grants the wishes of its holder. Link travels back and forth through time and navigates various dungeons to awaken sages who have the power to seal Ganondorf away. Music plays an important role—to progress, the player must learn to play and perform several songs on an ocarina.
Development
The existence of an Ocarina of Time remake for the Nintendo 3DS was first hinted at E3 2010, but at the time Shigeru Miyamoto maintained that it was merely a tech demo with the possibility of being developed into a full game. Nintendo of America officially announced its production on Twitter a few months later. Miyamoto commented that the remake's timing was important, as they did not want to remaster the game too soon. He wanted to wait so that the people who played Ocarina of Time when they were younger were now in their mid-20s. He also wanted players to experience the "majestic scenery of Hyrule in stereoscopic 3D" and provide a sense of immersion. Ocarina of Time 3D runs at 30 frames per second, which is an increase over the Nintendo 64 version's 20 frames per second.
Ocarina of Time 3D was co-developed with Japanese developer Grezzo. According to Grezzo's Shun Moriya, some of the original game's bugs were intentionally untouched in the 3DS version, because they were so committed to deliver Ocarina of Time on 3DS in just the way the fans remembered: "As programmers, we wanted to get rid of bugs, but the staff members who had played the old game said the bugs were fun. It wouldn't be fun if your friends couldn't say, 'Do you know about this?' So we left them in if they didn't cause any trouble and were beneficial. If something simply could not be allowed to stand, we begrudgingly fixed it, so some bugs don't appear. But we left in as many as we could, so people will grin over that". Eiji Aonuma, producer of the original game, said that a desire to make Ocarina of Time 3D more "formidable" was behind the decision to include and adjust the Master Quest campaign.