Can The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remastered Recapture the Magic of the Original?

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time finally launched on Thursday. There have been rumors for years that Nintendo would remake the game, which is considered one of the best games of all time.

In 1998, when the game was first launched on the Nintendo N64 console, gaming media IGN called it "the greatest game of this decade" in its review and set the standard for 3D games.

Many of the features we take for granted in today's games, such as riding a horse, fighting with a sword and shield, or locking onto an enemy with the press of a button, were first introduced or perfected in Ocarina of Time.

The game received nearly perfect scores from critics that year. Decades later, it remains the highest-rated game of all time on Metacritic, a comprehensive game review website.

So, how do you remake a game that many consider a masterpiece?

For players like me who grew up playing the original, this remake will feel very familiar.

Rather than choosing to completely redesign the game, Nintendo created a title that played very similarly to the N64 classic.

As I said before, video game remakes are a little different than movie or TV series remakes. Game fans often eagerly await new versions of their favorite titles, hoping that developers will take advantage of technological advances to inject new ideas into classic games.

Video games have come a long way since Ocarina of Time launched nearly 30 years ago.

Nintendo producer Hidemaro Fujibayashi said in an interview with the BBC: "If you compare past games with modern games, players' expectations of games have naturally evolved."

"In the past, some games required players to use more imagination to fill in gaps or details that were not clearly shown in the game; but now, these contents can be clearly presented through the images on the screen."

However, the gorgeous graphics came at a price: the game style gradually moved away from realism and became more cartoonish.

Considering that the N64 original actually had quite scary elements in some places, some players may even be disappointed with this change.

One example is the Skulltula House. In this scene, some people are transformed into half-human, half-spider monsters.

Series producer Eiji Aonuma, who worked on the original production, said: "When we were making the original Ocarina of Time, the methods we could use to convey or present our ideas were far more limited than they are now."

"Even with the so-called horror elements, we tried to add a bit of comedy."

However, he told the BBC that the improvements in graphics and lighting technology had inadvertently amplified the already creepy atmosphere of "Spider House" and the sense of fear it brought to players.

"When we did the demo, the test players told us, 'This is really scary,'" he said.

"Therefore, the final version has certainly made necessary adjustments to ensure that the balance achieved by the original version is preserved."

"Every decision is carefully considered"

To get a sense of what gamers think of the new game, I interviewed several YouTube gaming creators, and their reactions were generally very positive.

Mike Channell, co-editor of the YouTube channel Outside Xbox, said he thought the remake was "very carefully crafted" and hoped it would live up to fans' expectations.

"After playing the game, it's obvious that every decision was carefully considered," he said. "I suspect this remake took as much time and effort as developing a brand new Zelda game."

"Ocarina of Time is clearly one of the greatest gaming experiences in video game history, but I have no doubt that this new version will be the best way to experience the story."

"The game world has become richer, the details are exquisite and gorgeous, and the controls are in line with the expectations of players in the 21st century."

Ed King, who has 893,000 followers on YouTube and goes by the screen name Zeltik, said that the "details and charm" of the "Ocarina of Time" remake are particularly outstanding.

He said: "Forest Temple has always been my favorite dungeon in The Legend of Zelda: it is a haunted mansion with a mysterious atmosphere deep in a mountain forest, a human relic gradually being re-engulfed by nature."

"The remake further highlights the surreal, eerie and unsettling qualities of the original maze."

Another YouTuber, StrawHatMidas, described the remake as "the perfect way to bring this classic back to life."

"The game not only pays homage to the Nintendo N64 original, but also further expands on the elements that made it so memorable," he said.

"From the game world and atmosphere to the controls and soundtrack, every part is like a love letter to the classic "Legend of Zelda" game mode."

Is Nintendo being too conservative?

Nintendo actually made some major changes, one of which was the Water Temple. This maze is located about two-thirds of the way through the game.

Aonuma Eiji said that since the Water Temple has always been known as "very, very difficult", as someone who participated in the original production, this is the part that he personally hopes to modify the most.

He said that players now "can more easily deal with" the maze, because players can more easily switch to a key game item - Heavy Boots (Heavy Boots), and can also "use the adjustment of the camera angle" to help solve the puzzle.

I grew up playing The Legend of Zelda on the N64. Back then, game consoles pioneered joystick operation, but now dual joysticks have become standard, with one controlling the movement of the character and the other controlling the camera.

For me, having the freedom to control the camera is a major improvement in this remake.

Sometimes this journey of reliving old dreams is mesmerizing. With some kind of muscle memory, I know where to go and what to do.

However, this sense of familiarity also detracted from the experience at times: some tasks became too easy to complete, and some puzzles were solved quickly because I remembered the answers.

Or as Mike puts it: "Like everyone else, I loved the original, but I don't think I'll ever go back and play it again."

Fans will no doubt be wondering if this is all, or if there will be more Zelda titles coming in the future. With the first film in the series set to be released next year, there's sure to be more to come in the short term.

As for the longer-term future, I can't help but wonder whether Nintendo will consider remaking this game again after another 30 years of technological advancement.