Nintendo Reworks Ocarina of Time With Quality-of-Life Upgrades

Hands-On Previews Praise Nintendo for Adding Modern Conveniences

Hands-on previews praise Nintendo for adding modern conventions

Nintendo Switch 2 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time

The Ocarina of Time remake is only a few weeks away. In addition to an in-depth new trailer that shows off more of 4K Hyrule than we've seen before, hands-on previews for the game are starting to roll out, which for some players will be their first introduction to the classic that many of us already know and love. Scanning the previews, it seems that Nintendo knows that a bunch of Ocarina remakes are coming, featured in later games including Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, and has created an experience that fits more in line with modern conventions. One that is also stunningly beautiful that has the potential to drive seasoned players into a real distraction.

A common theme among all previews is quality of life updates to the game. Unlike the original version where Link would automatically jump from the appropriate levels when needed, here Link can jump when needed with a dedicated button. He can also finally jump, which will no doubt be a boon to the sprinters rolling everywhere in the original, eliminating the need for headphones to drown out the constant 'hyah'. which emitted with each roll. Cameron Faulkner wrote in The Verge: “Swapping between items and weapons no longer requires entering the pause menu, as it did in the original. “Having a shoulder button stops the action and you can navigate with an analog stick to find what you want in close time. Some of these elements have become standard in the more than 20 years since Ocarina's release, but as Matthew Castle wrote in The Guardian, while the control scheme may be familiar, "it's undeniable that you're entering familiar territory with a hero that feels that difference under your thumbs."

QOL updates are not only mechanical, but also narrative. VGC's Chris Scullion recounted how the original Ocarina was stingy with rupees, making trying to buy a Deku shield a little difficult. "The rebuild is rather generous to them," he wrote. "Actually, I found that by going to the higher part of the forest and entering the tunnel to find the sword, I had already collected enough rupees along the way to buy the shield without having to hunt for more cash."

The previews also fail to convey how beautiful the game is and how the improved visuals really create a new experience with an old game that feels just as easy today as the original nearly 30 years ago. Faulkner wrote in The Verge: “Link walks through rooms in the dungeon that have stained glass windows, and when he passes through the beams of light, he gets the color of blood. "The visual evolution often made me pause the game for a second while I made changes."

NPR's James Perkins Mastromarino detailed his time in the Forest Temple at one point he thought he was on his way to completing the dungeon, one he said was his favorite, on time, but it turned out he was actually missing an important key chest. "A Nintendo rep pointed me in the right direction, acknowledging that rich detail can overwhelm the eye and make it difficult to tell exactly where to go next," he wrote.

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