Nintendo and I once had a great relationship. At the height of our relationship many would have considered what we shared something truly beautiful. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64 instilled in me a love of gaming that I am convinced will last all of my life, and many of my peers will echo my sentiments.  

It was when the Wii came out that my loyalty waned. Due to the Wii's limited graphical capabilities, Nintendo isolated themselves from most of the major game developers out there and the Wii's library was quickly diluted with useless shovelware and I began to see even fewer first party, Nintendo titles. My Wii began to collect dust and my Xbox got virtually all of my attention.

Despite the disappointments, I still love the hell out of Nintendo. I bought the 3DS on launch night and perhaps the most influential factor in my decision to purchase the 3DS was the rerelease of Ocarina of Time in a handheld format. To play that game on a handheld device, once the stuff of dreams, became a reality.

I made an excellent decision.

Typically I am not one to support pointless remakes and rereleases. I feel that more often than not it is just an easy cash grab. But rereleasing what is arguably the greatest game of all time on a handheld device...that is another story entirely; like I said, the stuff of dreams. 

After seeing Shigeru Miyamoto's presentation in E3 regarding the Legend of Zelda's 25th Anniversary I was truly able to see how much love he and Nintendo have for this franchise...hell, the orchestra's renditions of some of those tunes that I remember from my childhood even brought tears to my eyes. Rereleasing the greatest installment in the franchise on the 3DS, I feel, was an act of love on the part of Nintendo.

And it is freaking awesome.

This thirteen year old game has true lasting power. It is every bit as fun today as it was when I was 9 years old. The transition to the 3DS in no way diminishes the gameplay I know and love, and I can fit it all in my pocket. The game's new interface perhaps even enhances the gameplay.

As is logical to do in the dual-screen format, what was previously located in the pause menu (gear and items to equip, songs, etc.) and other info that cluttered the HUD (life meter, rupee counter, items equipped, etc.) has been moved to a really simple touchscreen GUI on the lower screen. What does this mean? Your view is less obstructed and the game doesn't need to be paused to perform certain essential actions. Nice perk.

The graphical upgrade that the game has been given is also quite impressive. The game has a newly polished, hi-res look to it that can only make a true fan smile. Playing the game on an HDTV on my Wii's virtual console was not very satisfying...it looked downright awful unless I was playing it on a much older television. For this reason I welcome a graphical update with open arms. It is not a drastic upgrade either - it does nothing to change the look or spirit of the game and the environments in it - like I said...it's just polished. This is a trend that I have really appreciated as of late: games getting remastered in HD or getting a kind of 'polish'. God of War I and II come to mind as do Beyond Good and Evil and Banjo-Kazooie. Playing those games newly remastered in HD is quite satisfying and the upgrade to Ocarina of Time is similarly satisfying.

Here's another image for reference:

I have only gotten as far as the second dungeon (nice to see those Gorons again). I already feel that I can strongly recommend purchasing this game to ANY fan of Zelda who happens to own a 3DS. Do not talk yourself out of it because it is a rerelease. It is undoubtedly worth 40 bucks. Hell, I would even go as far as to say that any Zelda fan who has the disposable income necessary to pick up a 3DS should do it just for this game...for the opportunity to carry around one of gaming's greatest masterpieces in your pocket.

I can understand that some may have qualms about the 3DS or about rereleases or even about Nintendo as a whole right now. But for me, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3DS is undoubtedly a FULL PRICE.