"The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword" Preview

  Along with my reviews of popular Nintendo video games, I'm also going to be incorporating previews into the site. Starting with my most anticipated video game currently, I will work my way through all of the major upcoming Nintendo games such as Mario Kart 7, Super Mario 3D Land, and more. Included in each preview will be a pre-review score simply showing what score I would give the game if I reviewed it right now based on the trailers, playthroughs, and interviews about the game so far. Game previews will not be on scheduled posts and will appear randomly within the next several months so check back whenever you have the chance. Look for my preview on Mario Kart 7 later this week! But for now, enjoy my first preview for "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword".

   Between four trailers, tons of screenshots, multiple interviews, and revelations about the game from game developers worldwide, it seems most people have heard a lot about the Wii's last major first party game. And trust me, although Skyward Sword is coming out extremely late in Wii's lifecycle, it's not a game to be underestimated, Skyward Sword is turning out simply amazing. Rumors existed regarding Skyward Sword all the way back in 2008, and made they're way into confirmation at E3 2009, where General Manager for Nintendo EAD, Shigeru Miyamoto showed off concept art, and confirmed the game to be coming in 2010 with Wii Motion Plus enhanced controls for improved sword-play and combat systems. A year later at E3 2010, gamers across the globe were fortunate enough to lay their eyes upon the new Wii adventure's first official trailer. Finally the title, controls, art style, and more was revealed! After a few problems with the controls however, tons were left upset about the game's new controls and art direction Nintendo chose to take. To make things worse, Nintendo abandoned a 2010 release date for an early 2011 release presumably spring. Things were quiet again until March of 2011 when we saw a new trailer at GDC 2011 which revealed a few more interesting tid-bits. Things really heated up though at E3 2011 where we finally got the curtain lifted behind the game and found out tons about the game's story and tons more...

  So here we are a few months out from E3, with yet another promised release date set for Holiday 2011, but Nintendo still has not confirmed a solid date for release in any region. After some research, I can promise you that the game's release date will probably be announced sometime between August 15th and September 15th of 2011, and that the game will launch sometime in October or early November. Nintendo will want to release it before Super Mario 3D Land in mid-November, but after Star Fox 64 3D on September 9th. But enough of that, let's talk game. "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword" looks amazing. The watercolor visuals look much better than they did at E3 2010, and the apparently orchestrated soundtrack already seems to be amazing based on the music heard in the multiple trailers so far. In recent interviews with Nintendo Power, fans have found at that the game will contain more content than any other Zelda game to date, and that the story in the game will revolve around the creation of the Master Sword rather than the Triforce. It looks as if Ganon will not be making an appearance, and that Zelda is not yet a princess. Overall it seems that the story in Skyward Sword is a massive role in the overall story in the series. And besides all of this, it looks like the 1:1 sword combat controls and the controls in general are turning out pretty good as well. It looks like all the aspects of the gameplay in general are shaping up pretty good such as the new items, enemies, puzzles, and dungeons. In the end I absolutely cannot wait for this game to be released in a few months. And as soon as it does, you can expect a massive review from a very happy blogger within the days after release (unless I somehow get my hands on it early!!!) I can easily see Skyward Sword being one of the best, if not the best Zelda game to date or even the best Wii game to date (but that's doubtful up against Super Mario Galaxy 2). I hope you guys are looking forward to it as much as me! Stay tuned for more!

Pre-Review Scores:
Graphics: The watercolor visuals look great, easily the most detailed Zelda game yet: 9.5
Audio: The orchestrated soundtrack is sure to be amazing, not to mention the classic Zelda sounds: 10.0
Story: Clearly this game has a huge emphasis on story, I can't wait to see how it ties in to the others: 10.0
Gameplay: The controls are looking pretty solid, the dungeons are sure to be great: 9.5
Gameplay Amount: According to Zelda director Eiji Aounama (spell check please) it's gonna be big: 10.0
Overall: Looks to be one of the best Zelda's yet! Color me excited!!!: 9.5

“Super Mario Land” Review

For Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console

Pros:	Cons:
Fantastic soundtrack and sounds	Ancient black and white visuals
Outstanding Mario platforming	Some poor boss fights/gameplay mechanisms
New enemies, items, and vehicles	Extremely minimal gameplay content

            When the Game Boy launched around the world many years ago, its launch line-up wasn’t really all that. You could play a game of tennis or baseball on day one, or play the new game Alleyway, but there was only one game that people had their eyes on. Of course after the infamous success of the original Super Mario Bros. on the NES, all Nintendo fans would want to buy Super Mario Land for their shiny new portable game console. Of course they would expect this game to be just as good as the aforementioned classic, of course they would think these things… it’s Mario! Well, Super Mario Land has returned again, this time in downloadable form on the Nintendo 3DS virtual console, looks like it’s time to rescue Daisy again!

                Being a Game Boy game, it should come clearly to you that the visuals are, well, old. The ancient black and white visuals really don’t hold up that well, and it would’ve been absolutely fantastic if Nintendo had added some color to this otherwise great game. At the same time, it is nice to see the game how it was originally created and in its true un-tampered form. The black and white visuals do take a bit getting used to in this day with HD visuals and photo-realistic graphics, but if you can get over it and ignore the ancient look, then you’ll find plenty more in this game to love.

                For example, one of the best things about the game is its brilliant soundtrack. Mario games have always been known for their energetic and fun soundtracks, but Super Mario Land has one of the best, especially for a system that had lackluster speakers. Nearly every tune in Super Mario Land is great, and the main theme, Egyptian sounding theme, and credits themes are all outstanding. And even the retro bleeps and bloops sound great even to this day. So whereas the graphics are extremely outdated, the audio still holds up quite well.

                Now like in every Mario game, your goal is to jump across fields, fight enemies, and time careful leaps across varied platforms. The gameplay remains mostly the same in Mario’s first major handheld adventure, but gets an additional boost from some new gameplay elements introduced exclusively for this title. Tons of new enemies and items are introduced including the ability to throw bouncy balls that will bounce across everything they hit for quite a while. Also introduced are vehicles for Mario to drive, such as the submarine and airplane. Both of these modes are unique and a nice break from the usual jumping around that most players will become accustomed to. The game’s biggest addition however, is the princess herself, not Peach, but Daisy. Princess Daisy does a nice job of filling in Peach’s shoes for this title, even though the simple story doesn’t allow her character to grow all that much. For the most part I loved the gameplay in Super Mario Land, but I do have a few gripes towards it. First off, I found most of the boss battles a bit underwhelming, and I also found a few problems with some of the gameplay mechanisms such as the giant boulders in some levels, and the gravity effects in the game. But even with these minor problems, the gameplay still manages to be one of the best aspects of the game.

                Easily one of the worst aspects of the game however, is the amount of content. The game has an extremely minimal amount of content and will only last players an hour or so. With only four worlds, and each world only contains three tiny courses the game fails to impress, especially when compared to its successor; Super Mario Land 2, which contains much more stages and content. To be honest, I don’t even think this game should’ve been a full game unless it included double the stages, the original Super Mario Bros. had 32 stages, which is nearly three times as many courses. What is there you will undoubtedly enjoy however, all twelve courses are challenging and varied courses that go up in difficulty as you advance Mario through them.

                All in all Super Mario Land may not be as good as most other Mario games, and if you’re waiting for Mario’s premium handheld adventure, you’re going to have to wait a bit longer for Super Mario Land 2 to be released on the 3DS virtual console. But if you’re fine with a short little adventure just to pass the time, downloading Super Mario Land right now for its affordable $3.99 price tag might not be such a bad idea. The game’s outstanding music and unique and varied gameplay should keep you hooked so well that you won’t even notice the aging visuals and short quest. So go ahead and download it today on the Nintendo eShop, you could do a lot worse. Hopefully Daisy won’t be in another castle much longer!

Graphics: The black and white visuals really aren’t very good, even for Game Boy                  7.0

Audio: A Fantastic soundtrack complete with unique bleeps and bloops                                    9.5

Gameplay: Outstanding platforming with new enemies and items, poor boss fights              9.0

Gameplay Amount: With only 12 levels, this should’ve never been a full game                     6.0

Overall: For the $3.99 price tag, it’s a good bargain, but it won’t last you very long                8.0

“Donkey Kong Country Returns” Review

For Nintendo Wii

Pros:	Cons:
Amazing 2-D graphics	Terrible motion controls
Mostly good soundtrack	Some other minor issues
Entertaining simple story
Masterful 2-D platforming
Tons of included content

            It’s hard to believe how long it’s been since the release of the original Donkey Kong Country on the Super NES so many years ago. I wasn’t fortunate enough to play the amazing game at the time of release, but I have played it recently and absolutely love it. Rare (the developers of DKC) did a outstanding job creating a 2-D platformer for the then new SNES, and now the amazing Retro Studios shows their skill at creating amazing platformers. So which is better? The old-school Donkey Kong Country or the modern marvel Donkey Kong Country Returns that feels like a pair of well-worn shoes? Find out in this review!

                Being a 2-D sidescroller, it shouldn’t come to much of a surprise that this game is played in 2-D 100% of the time, nor should you be surprised that when the game is in 2-D, it looks truly amazing. The amount of detail in each level is clearly noticeable when observing the multitude of layers in the background. Be it trees, bushes, vines; the background seems to stretch further back than most games in the genre would. Even the character models and smooth frame rate manage to impress me on every stage. It’s when the game switches to the 3-D cut-scenes that it really loses something, I don’t find the graphics to be quite as detailed and the frame rate to be quite as high. However, I didn’t notice this problem in every cut-scene such as the opening sequence and closing sequence, but some of the cut-scenes directly before fighting a boss were a bit bland. But once again, the 2-D is amazing.

                Most of the themes from the original game have made a return, and have been jazzed up and re-made for this younger crowd. Tunes such as the title screen and Jungle Hijinx are truly outstanding, as well as the mine cart segments, and some of the ocean themes. On the other hand there are a few lackluster themes that just don’t stack up to some of the more memorable ones.  I must admit though that what is there is very much enjoyable and great to listen to while swinging on vines grabbing up every banana in sight. The sound effects are fun, exaggerated sounds that Nintendo games are known for. Every beep, squish, and pop sound great and help create the goofy atmosphere the series is known for.

                None of the Donkey Kong games have ever had an emphasis on storytelling, and Donkey Kong Country Returns continues the trend with its simple approach in this area. The adventure’s new enemies; the Tiki Tribe, in my opinion is a much more fun and cool villain than the Kremlings from the DKC Trilogy on SNES. What they do is pretty awesome too, the story revolves around Donkey Kong attempting to retrieve his banana hoard from the Tiki Tribe that stole them and hid the bananas around the island. The tikis also tend to hypnotize animals and basically possess them to fight Donkey Kong and his little pal Diddy. The simple story isn’t really all that epic, but thankfully doesn’t need to be thanks to the game’s simplicity across the board.

The heart and soul of Donkey Kong Country Returns (like most games by Nintendo) would have to be the gameplay. The masterful 2-D platforming is easily some of the best I’ve ever seen on any ancient or current gaming machine. Nearly all of the outstanding levels have some sort of hook and are varied in so many different ways. Playing through these difficult levels may mean avoiding giant octopuses, climbing across swinging objects and vines, running from massive tidal waves, jumping across gigantic chasms, adventuring through thick forests, exploring enormous factories, and so much more. Each level feels so unique that you will be constantly running into new challenges. It’s a bit of a shame that a few of these challenges and obstacles aren’t exactly well-made. It is rare, but you may occasionally find flaws in the gameplay design. Actually I noticed most of these flaws in the cliff world (World 6) and became so angry at them it really took away from the experience. Such flaws include the icky tar that is immensely difficult to escape, and in the level with the rolling boulders, there are some wacked up areas where you have to duck to avoid the boulders. And besides this I also found a few of the boss battles to be a tad too difficult and annoying to be fun. Perhaps it’s only me that notices these few minor issues, and even so they really aren’t that big of a deal, what worries me much more is the game’s worst aspect; controls.

Easily the biggest downfall of the game, the controls are absolutely not good. Well actually the controls themselves are great, it’s the motion controls that are terrible. I still don’t understand why Retro Studios felt the need to make players shake the remote in so many different situations. Rolling requires shaking while moving, pounding requires shaking while standing still, and blowing (which shouldn’t even be in the game) requires shaking while pushing down. Besides the confusing button combinations waving the remote around is extremely tiresome, annoying, and not to mention unnecessary. It’s fun at first, but shaking the Wiimote during some of the later levels gets very tedious and dull. I only wish there were another way for these movements to be handled. 

               

                On the other hand, Donkey Kong Country Returns also has a very strong category of interest, and that would be known as the Gameplay Amount. The amount of levels in the game is already adequate, but Retro also threw in temple stages which can be accessed by obtaining the K-O-N-G letters in each and every level. After beating the temple stages you can unlock and play the Golden Temple stage as you want. And even after this, there’s puzzle pieces to collect which unlock 3-D turnarounds, concept art, and a music gallery, not to mention time trials and a mirror mode that can be unlocked. There is just such a huge amount of content that playing through the game is only half the fun, hardcore players will want to collect every last puzzle piece and play every last stage. And whenever you think you’ve seen it all, more than likely something new will show up.

                Donkey Kong Country Returns may have a few obvious flaws, but besides the controls, most of these can be easily forgiven. The lush graphics, jazzy soundtrack, simple story, varying gameplay, and enormous amount of content more than make up for the lackluster controls. I hope that another Donkey Kong Country game comes out sooner than us fans have been accustomed to as it would be another adventure as great as this one. Retro even managed to outdo the original trilogy in every single way (well, except controls) and I truly cannot wait for more. These well-worn shoes are still comfortable as ever, let’s hope we’ll get another opportunity to wear them a few more times.

Graphics: Amazing, lush 2-D graphics, 3-D cut-scenes not very detailed                                    9.5

Audio: There are some great themes here, but also some poor ones. Good sound effects     8.5

Story: New characters mean a whole new story. Simple but sweet story works out                 9.0

Gameplay: Masterful 2-D platforming with tons of variety, terrible motion controls              8.5

Gameplay Amount: Tons of content including bonus levels, puzzle pieces, and more       10.0

Overall: One of the best 2-D platformers I’ve ever played, if only the controls were better  9.0

Post Delays

Because of my current vacationing in south Florida, I will be away from my computer for the next couple of days. Not to worry however, I will be posting my review on Donkey Kong Country Returns on July 29th, followed by the Super Mario Land review on July 31st. The August 2011 review schedule will be posted on August 1st 2011. Thank-you for your patience and check back this Friday for my full written review of Donkey Kong Country Returns!

Excitebike 3D

For Nintendo 3DS: 3D Classics

           

Pros:	Cons:
Fantastic 3D visuals actually change the game	Track Design Feature boring and not fun to use
Retro NES Graphics suit the 3D well	More content would be appreciated
Gameplay holds up well, controls are great	Terrible Sound Effects

           

            If you are currently carrying around Nintendo’s newest handheld game platform; the Nintendo 3DS, then you’ve probably heard of the Nintendo eShop. This is the premier location to wirelessly download a cheaper selection of games ranging from older Game Boy games to modern Nintendo DSi Ware titles, plus re-makes of old Nintendo favorites known as 3D Classics. The first in the ongoing series of 3D Classics titles is a re-release of an NES favorite; Excitebike. Excitebike has been made readily available in recent years, and it’s usually the same game released over and over again, until now. Enter Excitebike 3D, the first 3D Classic.

            The name “3D Classic” is perfectly suited for this game, as it truly is the classic game you remember, but with a bit of stereoscopic 3D effects added on. Overall, it makes for a better game than even the treasured original can provide, and it all comes at an affordable cost. So what exactly does the 3D do to the game? Well, everything. At first, the game looks just like the original; grand stand at the top of the screen with hundreds of fans, and bikes in the lower and middle parts of the screen, it’s essentially the same exact game. But then the 3D slider goes up to full blast, and the camera angle of the game completely changes to an entirely new perspective. The game comes so much more alive with the newly added depth noticeable between the bikes and the fans, as well as signs and the newly formed sky in the distance. For the first time ever, I can actually say that the 3D visuals change the experience, and for the better. The 3D perfectly suits the graphics as well, the old 8-bit sprites combined with the outstanding stereoscopic 3D creates an exciting, beautiful 8-bit world, where everything comes to life. Although the graphics really look the same as they did on the NES, they hold up quite well even today, but some aspects of the game do not hold up, more specifically one of them.

            Unlike the game’s visuals, the audio in the game does not hold up at all, in fact, it’s by far the game’s worst aspect. Now I can imagine that at the time of release, nobody thought anything about the sound and that only the gameplay was front and center. Well this isn’t the case anymore, the sound is completely distracting as it is an absolute mess. The sound effects themselves are pretty terrible, be it speeding up, slowing down, crashing, and don’t even get me started on overheating. And besides the lackluster sound effects there really isn’t anything else to assess, I don’t even remember hearing any music in the game. So let’s just stop talking about the sound in the game, it’s terrible, whereas other aspects of the game such as the gameplay are much more enjoyable.

            The gameplay of the game is definitely one of the strong areas of the game, along with the graphics. The concept itself isn’t exactly masterful, and the game’s design is extremely simple, but all for the better. The relatively simple gameplay is easy to learn, and fun to play, the goal, like any other racing game, is to be the first racer to complete the course, along the way, you will have to make split second lane changes, fly off ramps, complete difficult landings, and perform different types of tricks, all while avoiding other racers. Performing these actions is also quite simple thanks to the great controls associated with the game. After just a few races, you should have already become accustomed to the simple, yet important control scheme. If there’s anything to complain about, I can admit that the track editor isn’t really all that. It’s not very engaging, and it’s not very much fun, if not boring to use. I would personally rather race on a pre-made track, than attempt at creating one myself. This is only a minor issue but a more friendly interface would’ve been appreciated nonetheless.

            Being a downloadable game I didn’t expect much content, and the three available modes (time trial mode, grand prix mode, and track editor mode) were enough to satisfy, but I can always wish for more. For example the developers could’ve included more tracks, and the new 3D classics version would’ve been fantastic with some sort of online mode, I know these are not really valid complaints as the goal was to simply add 3D to the classic game, but there’s nothing wrong with being wishful for more. Overall though there’s enough content here to pass as a downloadable game.

            In the end, the game’s beautiful visuals, engaging 3D, outstanding gameplay and controls, and amount of content more than make up for the lackluster audio and boring track editor that I’ve been complaining about. The game definitely has a few obvious flaws, but at least remains true to the original only with added 3D effects. I can’t say that I’m looking forward to yet another version of Excitebike anytime soon, but I can say that I am now extremely excited to see more classic games converted into 3D. With Excitebike 3D being the very successful re-release that it is, you can’t look for a better bargain, it’s no masterpiece, but it’s a great game nonetheless, next time you happen to be browsing the Nintendo eShop, do yourself a favor and download this re-mastered classic.

Graphics: Outstanding 3D effects completely change the game, 8-Bit graphics look great      9.5

Audio: Terrible sound effects should’ve been updated, little or no music                                  4.0

Gameplay: Although nothing revolutionary, the gameplay and controls impress                      9.0

Gameplay Amount: With three different modes, there’s just enough to satisfy                     9.0

Overall: Better than the NES classic, a fantastic way to start off the 3D Classics series       8.0

           

“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D” Review

For Nintendo 3DS

Pros:	Cons:
Fantastic graphical update	Some blocky terrains
Amazing original tunes and sound effects	A few re-done songs would be nice
Breathtaking story with cinematic cut-scenes	Minor control problems
Improved controls and interface
Engaging quest with lots of enjoyable content

            It’s hard to believe that it’s been about thirteen years since the birth of the legend, a legend so amazing that its spawned many more legends in the last decade all of which are just as notable. Sadly, most legends age with time and are no longer considered the great legends they once were. But one particular legend time cannot harm, but actually improve on the astounding quality of the original legend and bring it to an entirely new level. This legend may you ask, is “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D,” an unforgettable classic and a modern marvel all in one amazing adventure. Most legends come to an end, but not all of them have to…

            Of all the many, many necessary improvements on this outstanding game, one area sticks out the most; the visuals in the game are absolutely amazing. The most noticeable change in the graphics are the character models that were completely re-made for this game, more particularly the main hero Link. At first, it’s hard to notice how good the enhancements are until you go back and compare it to that of the 1998 original. Not only have all of the character models been improved, but also the textures of hills, buildings, and rocks, this was a major issue in the original game in my opinion, and actually in a lot of Nintendo games, and honestly I think this game has fantastic texture work. The nice folks over at Grezzo (the co-developers of OoT 3D) were also kind enough to up the frame rate from the original number to a much more enjoyable level. When it comes to the visuals, Nintendo and Grezzo did a great job but there were a few neglected areas. The only really noticeable flaw in the visuals, is the dated design of the original game, some blocky terrains such as hills and cliffs still exist, and can be even more noticeable thanks to the updated textures. It certainly isn’t a deal-breaker though, after all, the key upgrade is what makes this definitive version of the legend unique; the stereoscopic 3D effects. The 3D in the game certainly adds some depth to Hyrule and makes it feel more real, but I don’t find the quality of the 3D to be as good as some of the other offerings on 3DS. It’s not that its bad, nothing could be further from the truth, it’s just that nothing really wowed me when it came to the 3D. Then you add in the fact that it drains the terrible battery in the 3DS, and I ended up playing with the 3D off about two-thirds of the time. Nonetheless, it’s a fantastic option to include on an already amazing list of upgrades from the original.

            While Nintendo focused most of its time enhancing the visuals it seems that the audio in the game was mostly neglected. Don’t get me wrong, nearly all of the songs from the original game are simply breathtaking, and even today, on the 3DS’s tiny little speakers the sound is absolutely stunning at the least. It just seems to me that since every other aspect of the game is being enhanced in some fashion, so should the audio, it would’ve been nice to have seen re-made sound effects since some of them are a bit dated, and a few orchestrated or re-arranged songs would’ve been appreciated, the one orchestrated song that was included was truly amazing and it would’ve been great to have even more of such a good thing. In the end though, maybe it’s not meant to be for such amazing classic songs like Gerudo Valley, Song of Storms, Zelda’s Lullaby, and Hyrule field to be re-made.

            Another part of the game that wasn’t changed from the original is the story, but why would it? It’s already perfection to say the least. The story begins in Kokiri Village with a young man named Link. Link soon finds out that he’s not meant to stay in his little village and ventures across Hyrule to Castle Town (which looks great by the way), where he meets princess Zelda. Zelda shares her thoughts of an evil man named Ganondorf, and asks for Link’s help which he gladly gives. Eventually Link retrieves the Master Sword and ages seven years into the future, where Ganondorf has taken over the land of Hyrule and Zelda has disappeared. Link uses the Ocarina of Time, the Master Sword, and help from many friends such as Sheik, Epona, and the six Sages to take down Ganondorf and seal him in the evil realm forever. With enhanced cut-scenes, the story proves to be even more of an epic creation than it once was many years ago. Every time I beat the game, it never fails to bring a tear to my eye, I’m not sure if it’s the gorgeous music, bitter-sweet ending, or the end of a fantastic game, but I would never want the story to be changed and I’m thankful that it didn’t, for no other Zelda game outside of The Wind Waker has ever come close to challenging Ocarina of Time’s wonderful tale.

            But the story really is just a reason for the gameplay to happen, and in any games the gameplay is what truly matters. This is especially the case in “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D” as the gameplay is undoubtedly the best part of the epic quest. The gameplay stays largely untouched from the original, and therefore is outstanding just like in the original game. From the L-targeting system to the amazing bosses to the masterful dungeon design, “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D” has some of the best gameplay I’ve ever seen. And controlling all of the action is more fun than ever thanks to the 3D handheld’s touch screen and gyro-sensor. Gone are the difficult and tedious days of switching out items constantly, now four different items can be equipped simultaneously via the touch screen. The Ocarina is also displayed on the touch screen, along with a Navi button/view button. When viewing Link’s immediate surroundings, you can look around with the circle pad, or by moving the Nintendo 3DS via the gyro-sensor. The latter option is certainly more fun to do, but can be difficult when playing in 3D because of constant loss of the sweet spot. The first option while not as enjoyable is certainly the primary choice among most players including myself. Sadly, I found that the circle pad while great for the 3DS doesn’t seem to do quite as good of a job as say, an analog stick like the one found on the original Nintendo 64. The circle pad just doesn’t seem to be quite as precise as other potential options could have been. Thankfully though this is just a small complaint, and moving around in Hyrule is still a blast, even more so thanks to a few more improvements like the ability to add the Iron boots and Hover boots as an item (which really does help in the water temple). Other great additions include the signs in the water temple that lead you to the water changing levels, as well as faster climbing times when venturing up vines or ladders, not to mention the improved ocarina interface, allowing players to view the music notes as they play the songs. The gameplay really has been improved in Ocarina of Time 3D which is a hard thing to do considering the original was already near-perfection.

            Besides the main quest (which can take 20-30 hours) the game also includes the unlockable Master Quest which can be played by beating the original quest. And don’t be fooled, the Master Quest is also mirrored along with other enhancements that weren’t in the original Master Quest many years ago. I wasn’t able to play Master Quest in time for this review, but I’ve heard that many dungeons have been altered as well, and it all makes Master Quest a much more difficult adventure. Nintendo also included a Boss Challenge mode which can be accessed via Link’s comfy bed in Kokiri Village. Boss Challenge enables the players to replay nearly all of the bosses in the game, and try for their best completion times possible. With all of these extra features it’s hard to complain, but honestly it would’ve been nice to have leader boards for the Boss Challenge mode, and maybe an extra dungeon or item in the main quest, however, what Nintendo and Grezzo gave us certainly does justice.

            Legends don’t come around all that often, and we’re lucky that Nintendo gave us another opportunity to re-play one of the best games in creation. The updated visuals, beautiful music, epic story, flawless gameplay, innovative touch controls, and new modes all add up to the 3DS’s best adventure yet. The legend proves once again that it’s never too old to be re-made for current generation game consoles, and even beats current games in a lot of ways. I’m not saying that I’m ready for another version of this masterful legend to be released anytime soon, that’s not the case at all. But I’m certainly thankful that Nintendo has decided to give us “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D”, even if I have played it many times before. I can’t even say how good this game is, if you’ve never played the legend before then buy it right now, it’s near perfection, you can’t do any better than that.

Graphics: Gorgeous textures, character models, 3D adds depth, some blocky terrains          9.5

Audio: Nearly all amazing themes, updated audio is strangely missing however                      9.5

Story: Amazing just like the original, even better with re-done cut-scenes                              10.0

Gameplay: Subtle improvements make it even better, touch controls are great                   10.0

Gameplay Amount: Two Quests and Boss Challenge mode give tons of replay value        10.0

Overall: A better game than the N64 original, a few minor issues can’t harm this legend     9.5

Review Score Rubric

Each review will include pros and cons and will include multiple categories. These categories will include a final score for that category as well. These are the category titles: Graphics, Audio, Gameplay, Gameplay Amount, and Story. The overall score is not an average and will be based on a 20 point scale with 10.0 being the highest. Below is a rundown of each category.

Graphics-Includes the animations, textures, frame rates, character designs, and effects of worlds, enemies, characters, etc. The overall look of the game.

Audio-Sound effects, voice acting, musical score of levels, HUB worlds, menus, etc. The overall sound of the game.

Story-The reason for the gameplay to happen, includes the complexity of the story and the quality of the story.

Gameplay-Easily the most important factor in a game’s score, the gameplay includes everything from controls, to level designs, item usages, move sets, and the overall goal of each stage. No game is complete without a good gameplay.

Gameplay Amount-The amount of content in a game. Includes dioramas, bonus stages, the main quest, multi-player modes, etc.

Overall-The overall score of the game. This is the score to look at in order to decide purchasing the game. This score is not an average score of each category, but an overall.

Score Interpretation:

0.0-Absolutely atrocious, worse than dirt, foul, escape while you have the chance

1.0-Terrible, avoid at all costs

2.0-I wouldn’t force this upon anyone

3.0-Pretty bad, not as bad as it could be though

4.0-My lowest possible recommendation

5.0-Maybe if you’re a fan of the series, you could rent it

6.0-Not terrible, not great either

7.0-A good game, definitely worth a look

8.0-Great, a game that anyone could get in to

8.5-An awesome game dubbed down by some bad aspects

9.0-An amazing experience with just a few flaws

9.5-Near perfection, a must-buy

10.0-This is as good as it gets, masterpiece, absolutely buy…now! Don’t waste another second!

Overall scores will be on 20 point scale. (Ex. 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0…)

Also, this will be rare, but occasionally, I may have review scores that have a + following them, this means the score is a bit better than it appears. (for example a 9.5+ is really like a 9.7 or 9.8 but not quite a 10.0)

When the game has absolutely no story, do not include in review.