To help pass the time until my copy is delivered, I went back and read IGN's three reviews for Ocarina of Time: the original release on N64, the 3DS version, and the brand-new remake for Switch 2. While each version was reviewed by a different individual—Peer Schneider, Rich George, and Logan Plant, respectively—the reviews share the connective tissue of IGN and the game itself. I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite quotes. Let's start with the original release in 1998.

"Call us crazy, but when the final version of Zelda 64 arrived in the IGN64 offices, we stopped working, locked ourselves into a room with a big-screen TV and a surround system and played 17 hours straight. After only a few hours of sleep, we were back for more and we couldn't stop until we finished the game. Then, we started over again to find all the secrets."

I miss hype like this. I suspect the imminent release of Grand Theft Auto VI will have the same weight.

"Rarely is there such a perfect mixture of graphics, sound, and gameplay that even the most cynical players will admit that Zelda 64 is poised to shape the action RPG genre for years to come."

Prescient.

"Needless to say that the Z button feature works impressively well and is sure to find its way into future 3D games. Ingenious."

"But the crowning feature is the context sensitive A button. If you stand close to a ladder, the A button display at the top of the screen will change to climb or descend, if you run around freely, it will change to jump, stand next to a sign and it turns into read, and so on. Simply pressing the button will activate the function. Some of the available functions include open, pull, push, dive, check, talk and crawl. This A button feature is Nintendo's way to keep things simple and to deal with the limited selection of buttons on a standard console controller."

I think it is difficult for younger players to grasp the challenges of moving video games into the third dimension. The impact of these simple solutions is still felt to this day. When done right, right sticks.

"Once you step into the Hyrule fields, blinded by the early morning sun, you will be mesmerized by the incredible scale and depth of the landscapes. Rolling hills extend all the way to the far horizon, with Hyrule Castle barely visible in the hazy distance. After a few minutes, the sun will set, it will get dark, and the moon slowly rises in the sky. Far, far away, a wolf howls and skeletons with red glowing eyes ascend from the earth."

"The overworld is alive with bird calls, chirping crickets, animal noises and footsteps. In certain locations, thunder can be heard and it will start to rain -- and here's the kicker: the game is in full surround sound. Zelda is probably the first in-house developed Nintendo title that makes examplary use of the rear audio channel in addition to the L and R stereo channels. The sound virtually engulfs the player, drawing you completely into the world of Hyrule. A world, that players will be so content to live in while the game lasts that we can't put it any other way -- Zelda succeeds on every level.

"Flawless victory."

It is remarkable, I think, how you could just swap some era-defining text and it reads like a review of today's remake. In my time with the game so far, this is how I feel. I have spent the bulk of my six-ish hours just marveling over the graphical detail and commitment to bringing the world to life. Link blocks his face when walking through stalks of tall grass; leaves interact with water, floating downstream; light cuts through the clouds and trees with a fantastical brightness.

This goes for the sound too. Even near thirty years later, Nintendo thinks about these auditory details. In the Ask the Developer interview about the remake, Masato Ohashi and Eiji Aonuma discuss this very element:

Ohashi: In this game, sound gives everything you see on screen a greater sense of presence. We layered in subtle sounds that might normally go unnoticed, such as leaves rustling in the wind, water running over rocks, and the calls of insects and birds, to make the world feel more alive.

Aonuma: As the visuals have become more detailed, we’ve also added all kinds of ambient sounds that you’d expect to hear if you were really there. The result is a world that's bursting with life.

Ocarina of Time has always deserved the biggest screen and the best sound system you can provide it. Back to Schneider and IGN for their conclusion.

"...unlike the hundreds and hundreds of uninspired gaming sequels that find their way into console and PC owners' homes every year, Ocarina of Time takes some basic gameplay and story ideas from its predecessors and rolls them into a completely unique experience.

"I don't know how many games I have played in my life where you see some cool scenery in the background and you're thinking 'wow, wouldn't it be great if you could actually go there?' That's what Zelda is all about. You see something and you're thinking 'wouldn't it be cool if you could...' -- and you can. The fighting system is fantastic, the new camera system unlike anything you have ever seen. Apart from a little slowdown and a few blurry textures here and there, the graphics are insanely beautiful. The sunsets and rain sequences, the projectile and smoke effects, everything is displayed in vibrant colors and with much attention to detail. Although the lack of the overworld theme is a bummer, the many returning Zelda melodies (such as the glissando announcing a secret or the fanfare when finding an item) and the moody dungeon scores are only outdone by the amazing surround ambient effects.

"In the gameplay department, the gap between Nintendo's in-house development and third party titles becomes painfully clear. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time should be recommended playing for ever aspiring videogame designer and programmer out there. If you're making games and you haven't played this game, then you're like a director who has never seen Citizen Kane or a musician who has never heard of Mozart. If you're a gamer looking for your next title to buy, then take it from me, this is as good as it's going to get for a looooong time."

When the biggest knock you have is the lack of an overworld theme, I think you can safely say the game is a slam dunk.

In 2011, Nintendo took Ocarina on the go with its remake and port to the Nintendo 3DS. Rich George was the Nintendo man at IGN then and he tackles the review by asking how do you even remake one of the greats?

"Is it even possible to remake a game as influential and revered as Ocarina of Time? Is it possible to satisfy all audiences, new and old? As it turns out, the answer is yes, for the most part. What the teams at Nintendo and Grezzo manage here is a spectacular yet conservative and respectful upgrade. There are a few minor issues, including some areas where graphics could have received an extra boost, but by and large this tows the line between enhancing a decade-old game and meddling with something that is by most accounts flawless."

The highlight at the time were the graphics. That's weird for me to even process. In my head, the N64 is one of the most powerful machines to ever grace the planet, but the 3DS is leagues more powerful (and popular) than my precious 64-bit beast. It's like realizing that "one AirPod could easily calculate a path to the moon." It is reality, but it doesn't feel true.

"Graphics will be the core focus of anyone buying Ocarina 3D, as it's the biggest alteration made and Nintendo's biggest showcase for the young 3DS's abilities thus far. Fundamentally this is the same game it ever was. Locations, structures and characters have all been preserved. However, textures, models and animations are all built from the ground up, and have been significantly revised. You'll still recognize everything and everyone, but you'll see them as they were originally meant to be.

"Ever look at the behind-the-scenes art for Ocarina of Time and wonder where things went wrong for the Moblin or even Link himself? The in-game graphics never quite lived up to the concepts crafted by Nintendo's artists. Those discrepancies are now gone. What's remarkable about the work done for the 3DS version is that it respects its source. It goes to the line set by the game's original artists and absolutely no further. The result is a game that seems so familiar you'd swear it's always looked like this. (Trust me, it didn't.)"

"So the game's graphics and controls have been upgraded while still preserving the core of the game. That is and should be more than enough for any of you who have not played the game before. Ocarina of Time is a masterpiece, and that certainly had not changed. The developers weren't stupid enough to meddle with a formula that worked phenomenally back then, and realized that brilliant gameplay does not age - only technical concepts do."

Oh, how technical concepts have changed in the intervening 15 years.1 You could share that last paragraph today and folks would think you are talking about the new release.

So how does today's IGN Nintendo buff, Logan Plant, tackle reviewing the modern incarnation of the greatest game of all time?

"Two eras intertwine in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Nintendo skillfully commands them both. Link’s journey through the ages melds the world and dungeon design of classic Zeldas with the movement and presentation of its more recent games. This is not an exact one-to-one remake of the Nintendo 64 original, nor is it a complete reimagining. It’s a modern interpretation that adds depth to what was already there through its rich art style and expanded dialogue. Whether you're a returning fan approaching this as a remake of a longtime favorite or a newcomer viewing it with fresh eyes as a standalone adventure, Ocarina of Time is exceptional. I spent 30 hours obsessing over every inch of this beautiful realization of Hyrule – and when I reached the credits, I started over again to find even more of its best-kept secrets."

That sounds familiar...

"Call us crazy, but when the final version of Zelda 64 arrived in the IGN64 offices, we stopped working, locked ourselves into a room with a big-screen TV and a surround system and played 17 hours straight. After only a few hours of sleep, we were back for more and we couldn't stop until we finished the game. Then, we started over again to find all the secrets."

To be clear, this is not a slight against Logan: This is in praise of Ocarina of Time's deft, captivating execution. When the game sinks its teeth into you, you go back again and again.

"This is why I played the entire game twice before writing this review. I wanted to see how the dungeons felt when I wasn’t so closely scrutinizing their differences. Even with fewer keys, the Water Temple does still successfully test your logic skills as you shift the water level to manipulate its accessible areas. Some individual puzzles have even been improved over their original forms. So I don’t want to cause panic: the dungeons are still largely fantastic. I just wish they trusted me more."

The next question for the Zelda team at Nintendo is how they will balance Breath of the Wild-like design and the classic design. It's obviously on the mind of the team.

"It’s in our nature to pass old stories down, and I think there’s meaning in the ones we choose to revisit. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is both an exceptional remake of an incredible game and a rich adventure that stands on its own. This remake proves there’s still so much value in the traditional Zelda formula: the dense, intimate world of Hyrule is stuffed with charming characters and fascinating secrets. Its intricate dungeons are satisfying to unravel, even if their somewhat streamlined design has slightly dulled the special feeling that comes from solving them. Still, the depth, quality, and attention to detail in every corner match the lofty reputation of this series. Whether you’ve played the original 100 times, once back in 1998, or never at all, I highly recommend this beautiful retelling of a legend."

Legends are legends for a reason. When you experience one for the first time, you are captivated. That captivation turns into compulsion to experience it over and over. What I have discovered in my life is that pursuit often is sharing it with others. We recommend a book or a movie. We think of someone in the moment and want them to have an experience similar to the one that so consumed us. I feel this acutely as I introduce my daughter to the world of video games. What I choose to pass down has meaning to me. I hope one day it means something to her.

Footnotes

  1. How on Earth is the time between the 3DS version and the Switch 2 longer than the gap between the N64 game and the 3DS one? ↩