I’ve never bought a console for one particular game. There were always several reasons for me to buy them. Until now.
Long ago, in 1998, I owned a Nintendo 64. At that point I was a geek at my school newspaper (we worked with Macs ^_^), and my friend the editor had this game for it, Ocarina of Time. Had I ever heard of Zelda? Nope, somehow it went completely by me on the NES and I never even owned a SNES. I borrowed it from him and was glued to the screen for a few weeks. I remember the awe at everything I saw in that game. Most of all, the world was so big! I was used to Mario 64 by then, which does have some big looking levels but the whole is still, for al intents and purposes, quite small. In Zelda I got my horse and found land as far as the Gerudos. I was thoroughly impressed. Later on in life, World of Warcraft would ruin that for me, by the way. No game world can ever look big to me now.
Not so long ago I decided to buy the game in the Wii shop, but the gameplay really sucks when you don’t have the original N64 controller. Then I found out that it was out, in 3D, for the Nintendo 3DS. I had to get it, and within about 4 days I had it.
The game is pretty awesome. They improved the graphics, for instance making bushes appear bushy instead of blocky. Tiny stuff like Link’s fairy and butterflies are incredibly detailed and it looks well-adjusted. In the story, nothing has changed. I was able to blindly find my way through the first 3 dungeons because I remembered them so well. All secrets and holes and heartpieces and fairy fountains are there, exactly where they used to be. The only addition to the game is a stone you can use to see into the future, giving you hints and tips on what to do next. The most awesome part is the addition of 3D mixed with the improved graphics. Just play a song on the ocarina and you see the most pretty effects, in 3D. And try walking through the twisted corridor in the Forest Temple, it’s brilliant.
I might be very much biased on this topic, but I can only recommend this game. If you loved it once and you’re longing for the same experience again, it’s great to be back. If you’re new to the game, it’s a must-have as well. But then I’m just a big Zelda fan ;)