Ocarina of Time is commonly thought of as the best video game ever made. The 3DS remake did not need to do anything more than add a 3D effect and call it a day. Thankfully, the game's graphics have gone through a significant update, and there are a few other bits here and there that enhance an already incredible game. But is it worth $40?
Plot and Graphics
Epic stories are usually told with hours of cut-scenes and page sof dialogue. Ocarina of Time is beautiful in its simplicity. You never stop playing for more than two minutes, but the story scenes are humorous, intelligent, and very straightforward. You'll care about the people of Hyrule, because although they're simple, they are never cliche.
Graphically speaking, the game keeps its original style, but everything has a fresh coat of paint and a bucket of new polygons. Knee-high grass, which used to be a solid rectangle with blurred textures, is now made of individuals blades and flowers. Rocks that used to be flat like painted cardboard are now done in the same three dimensions as Link and Zelda. Everything is retro--but its graphics are clearly modern, though not best-in-class.
Concerning the "3D" effect, it made everything in Hyrule more vivid and interesting to look at. I personally play with it off because using the gyroscope to aim the bow and arrow makes it difficult to keep your eyes at the right angle for the effect to work.
Music
Music is the lifeblood of Ocarina of Time, not only because the entire game revolves around playing a instrument, but also because every area and action is perfectly associated with a sound or song. The connection is deep enough that simply hearing an area's music is enough to trigger memories of previous explorations, and explosion effects signal perfectly when a bomb has gone off. The unity of gameplay and music is something must simply be experienced.
Gameplay
Much like the presentation, the game itself it refreshingly simple. You aren't led on a leash from objective to objective, every level isn't a forced epic battle, and the puzzles don't make you want to tear out your hair (or if you're thinking clearly, the developer's hair), but aren't patronizingly easy.
After a brief introduction, you'll quickly get into the rhythm of roaming Hyrule Field, finding out how to enter a dungeon (usually by appeasing a NPC), and then solving the clever puzzles and defeating the bosses in the dungeons. The puzzles are not too difficult, and the dungeons themselves are shorter than in Twilight Princess, but they certainly challenge players. It's a testament to the quality of their design that 13 years later they don't feel like relics.
For players who really need more challenge, a Master Quest is offered that remixes the dungeons to be more difficult, but I haven't had a chance to play it.
Overall
If you own a 3DS, buy this game. If you have never played Ocarina of Time, this is the best version of the game to start out with. The real question is whether or not you should buy a 3DS, not this game. The line-up of games for the fall of 2011 is absolutely incredible, with Mario Kart, Super Mario 3D, Metal Gear Solid, Kid Icarus, Resident Evil (two games from that series), Paper Mario, and Star Fox all coming before Christmas, with Kingdom Hearts, Heroes of Ruin, Assassin's Creed, and a bunch of other games bound for 2012. The 3DS has an amazing line-up coming within 6 months, but The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is here now, and it's perfect use of sound, amazing game design, and updated graphics make a great case for purchasing a 3DS sooner than later.
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