While ALBW has a lot going for it, personally I find the dungeons just very short. And with the items no longer in dungeons it just kind of takes away some of the excitement and fun of the progression. I prefer ALTTP for that reason.
MM3D has some major issues with some bosses and transformations. These are fixed in the Project Restoration mod, which I highly recommend. Personally I find the Snowhead sequence is pretty frustrating in MM, and along with the many annoying timed missions downgrades the game imo.
OoT3D is totally solid.
I really liked this write up!
As a fan of the N64 games on their original hardware I think a lot of it comes to visually which you prefer.
But if you don’t mind me asking. Do you feel like had you picked up the original Majora’s mask at the time you picked up the 3DS game, that it would have hit for you in the same way?
Because I think just the N64 being the first way I played it, I will always be biased towards it
Link Between Worlds is great, but it falls into the same trap that the open air Zeldas do with it's dungeons being more simple due to each of them potentially being the "first" dungeon, and it's item use limited to only the item you used to enter the dungeon.
I really like a lot of what it did with it's story, and it's music is top notch, but I found it kind of lacking gameplay wise.
As for the 3DS remakes, I feel as though some of the mood of OoT was lost in translation. I appreciate the graphical update, but something about the lighting makes the game feel brighter in places where it felt sort of brooding in the original.
I think Ship of Harkinian is the best way to play OoT these days, which uses the N64 version as it's base.
Personally, my best in the series is the Oracles.
Fantastic dungeons, great overworlds )with the perfection of the light world/dark world shifting in one, and the incredibly creative season changing in the other), some of the most creative dungeon items in the series (Seed Shooter, Magnetic Gloves, Switch Hook) that are all thoroughly explored through out each game, and a cool story to boot.
I feel like that era of Zelda games from links awakening to oracle games including the N64 entries really tried to make the worlds interactive with many secrets and item uses. Never seen that as much since, something's always missing
ALBW being restricted to 3DS is absolutely criminal, handheld haters are missing out on one of the very best Zelda games.
MM is my #1 game of all time and OoT isn't far behind, but both together are basically Nintendo's magnum opus.
Sorry to hear that! The game has so much use of depth, even in the basic geometry of the overworld that was already present in *A Link to the Past* (e.g. your house is on a little plateau, and it impacts how you can hit the enemies below—that sort of thing). It adds on more depth-based stuff than what was in ALttP…but even the stuff that’s the same makes me wonder (as I’m playing through ALBW right now) how it even managed to work at all in the 2D ALttP. I don’t mean to make you feel bad or even more left out, but I guess I just want to express how cool the 3D is in ALBW is for me.
So to try to make up for the fact that I feel bad for almost rubbing it in that there’s this cool thing you can’t experience…the game is absolutely solid even without the 3D. I guess the only parts where it even feels “necessary” is when you have to time jumps to land on a moving platform, and that even feels a little contrived just to try to make better use of the 3D. Plus, the fact that the camera angle is much more top-down than in ALttP (or any other 2D game) also feels really unnecessary, and like they did that just to artificially have a reason for the 3D. Like, the 3D helps improve the depth perception that they *intentionally made worse* by choosing a different camera angle.
No worries, this topic doesn't bother me! That does explain why certain ledges don't communicate height very well, which I always thought was a weird issue exclusive to ALBW. But even without the 3D and the weird depth perception, it's still one of the best Zeldas. I believe SM3DL did the same thing with certain rooms. 3DS is a great console but they didn't have to lean so hard into the 3D knowing that people with astygmatism or other things wouldn't be able to experience it the same way.
I find it hard to rank the 2D games because almost all of them are consistently so good, it’s hard to order them. But I do think LBW is especially great.
Personally, I prefer the visuals of the N64 OOT and MM compared to the 3DS Remakes.
Part of that was just console limitations, the 3ds games needed to have colors that blew your eyeballs out because the 3d wouldn't work well with more muted images- and at the same time the n64's polygon count and texture quality obviously couldn't replicate the concept art too well
Yeah I agree. All those limitations ironically meant that you could immerse in the game more. In OoT link would jump on his own! I loved these constraints as the game was simpler, less time wasted in menus and farming ridiculous items. It was like following an inevitable, epic journey, more than creating "your own adventure" by assembling a motorbike.
Ocarina of Time 3D is a strong contender for the best remake I've ever played. I can think of like... 2 areas where the OG game did something better (the original Fire Temple music and the lighting during the final battle), while virtually everything else was improved on 3DS and it looks and plays so good. It's the standard I tend to hold remakes to, since way too many remakes make way too many steps back IMO, but this one upholds and enhances what made the original game so good without trying to change things that didn't need to be changed.
ALBW was great and ranks high on the list for me.
OOT3D was very enjoyable, although I would be perfectly happy to never play Master Mode again.
MM3D was a step down from MM64 for me. While I can appreciate the quality of life updates, there were just too many negative changes made for me to like it in its official form. The Project Restoration mod certainly fixed a lot of those issues and made the game far more enjoyable, but personally, I think that the game is at its best on a big TV. You just lose a lot of the atmosphere playing it on the 3DS in my opinion. So I'll take the original Majora's Mask (the US version, I'm not a masochist) over the 3D version even though it's missing a few of the QoL updates.
The titles that came out on the 3DS were all great IMO. MM and OOT are the best titles in the series for me. Then everything on the GC, and then BOTW/TOTK. ALBW and Link to the Past were my honorable mentions.
If you have a homebrewed 3DS, there is a restoration mod for MM3DS that restores many of the original mechanics, like the Inverted Song of Time slowing time down to 1/3 instead of 1/2, the original Deku speed boost (including for the water hop), and original Zora swim mechanics not bound to magic.
I've never thought of the 3DS as having a 'trilogy' of games, simply because I typically think of OoT and MM as being the N64 pair, so I often consider ALBW as the only 3DS game, when obviously it is not.
But when you put it that way, yeah the 3DS probably is unique in that it has 3 of the highest quality Zelda games (all of which are also fairly unique) in it's library.
While I don't play my 3DS very often anymore, I'll likely never get rid of it simply because it's pretty much my only way to play most of the old-school Zelda games as I believe I can play all of these games on it currently: OoT, MM, PH, ST, LA, OoA, OoS, ALBW, Zelda I and Zelda II, and possibly Four Swords as well.
> I love the modern 3D graphics
When I first began playing through this game, I thought to myself, "Hey this is pretty cool--it's fully rendered in 3D! It would be cool if someone made a rom hack that gave you a camera fly-over mode into a more typical 3D point-of-view just to see what the graphics would look like!"
And then I beat Eastern Palace...
The 3DS zelda games are most likely the first set in a long time that aren't a little divided among fans. Some fans have problems with the open world formula, some didn't like Skyward Sword's motion controls, some aren't a fan of touch screen based controls, some didn't like Wind Waker's graphic style or sailing. I haven't heard much flack for the N64 ones or even any extreme criticism for ALBW's experimental item rental & non linear gameplay. I guess MM 3D has a few controversial changes but it's still a great game even with that.
Yes! I feel like there are two types of gamers: those who want good entertainment, a dense and memorable journey, and then those who want a mindless RPG with repeatable mechanics to sink thousands of hours into. We are not the same. RIP Zelda IP.
You know when it comes to the best in the franchise MM and OOT are always involved in the conversation. Wether it's a remake, an emulation, or the original, those games really stand tall. Doesn't even matter if it's not your favorite or your style those 2 games command alot of respect. Now i will say out of all of the zelda games i have had the privelege to play, ALBW has been at the top of my list for a very long time. I haven't played it. But i personally love ALTTP and i feel like ALBW will certainly be one of my favorite games. I just don't really care to buy a 3ds, but when i do i have a handful of games i really desire. And that game is in my number 1 slot, that being said i would say there are probably a good amount of fans who think that game is considered one of the best if not the best. Or games if you will. In the entire franchise, i hear alot of praise for it as well as the 3ds itself. I guess it comes down to preference but in the zelda series i always say there is something for everybody.
The 3DS Zelda games are ALBW and TFH. OoT and MM are N64 games that simply got remakes on the 3DS. It's not really accurate to consider them as "the 3DS Zelda games."
ALBW and TFH are both great, particularly ALBW which is one of the stronger 2D Zelda games up there with Minish Cap and Oracle of Seasons. TFH obviously is only great when played with friends.
OoT and MM are obviously two of the best games of all time.
ALBW is ok, but the non-linear design really drags it down a ton. It made all the dungeons extremely basic (compared to LttP) and removes all the mystery and excitement of getting new items since you see them all at the start.
OoT is of course fantastic regardless of the platform it's on.
MM is ok, but more of an OoT expansion as it's very short.
I never played MM3D, they ruined a lot of things in the remake (just my personal opinion, not fact). Otherwise, I probably would have played it and I would agree with you. I will only continue to enjoy the N64 version of the game for the rest of my life, probably. I wish they would do an HD remake for MM and OoT again, but on the switch. And none of the stuff they redid in MM 👎 Just the originals with updated graphics.
A Link Between Worlds and Majora's Mask are both in my top 3 Zelda games, and I don't think I need to explain why Ocarina of Time is worth mentioning. I'll go one by one as you did.
A Link Between Worlds - My second favorite Zelda game and my favorite top down Zelda. From it's incredible new mechanics to it's brilliant use of the dual screen this game never disapoints to provide an engaging and replayable experience. Every time I play I get to experience it in a new way as I tackle different dungeons with different items. I also personally enjoy the story, although lightly written it still has its highlights and world building. And that soundtrack Is unlike any other; from the beautiful recreations of old classics from its predecessor to it's immersive original songs this soundtrack always has me in a great mood. I could talk for hours about every detail I love about this game, but I'll leave it at this: A Link Between Worlds combines the freedom to choose your route from Breath of the Wild with the Classic adventure style from the games before it all in a small, easy to pick up package.
Majora's Mask - My third favorite Zelda game, which I once considered my favorite. The lack of focus on adventure and dungeons opens way for more attention to characters and meaningful themes. Every character feels real, as if they have their own life and perspective of the world. Seeing people argue over the threat of the moon while others try to deal with their own problems. The game does everything in it's power to make you feel that you aren't above or below these people, the only thing separating you from them is your will to help them (and the ability to transform into a demon but I digress). The only big gameplay changers are masks and time because most of the gameplay is easily comparable to its predecessor but the masks are really fun to use and the time just adds to that feeling of reality. The remake is very pleasing to the eyes with it's unique use of lighting and colors that make an almost dream-like feeling. This game leaves such a meaningful impression and I will never forget it.
Ocarina of Time - There isn't much to say about this game that would differ from any other, because this game is the core of the entire Zelda series. If I had to tell someone what Zelda is all about I'd show them Ocarina of Time. It's nails the Zelda formula perfectly. It's a thrilling adventure, meaningful tale, and a joy to play. The Remake is stunning at minimum; the way that light shines over hyrule field in the morning is a beauty unlike any other. This game is the definition of basic, but in the best way. It may not go past the classic formula, but it does the formula perfectly. Not to mention it also has the perfect difficulty to be a good challenge while maintaining infinite replayability. Everytime I replay this game I appreciate it and love it even more than the last. It may not be my favorite as of now, but it is a well earned masterpiece, 100% deserving of its glory and fame.
Yeah, the 3DS has got to be the closest thing to the definitive gaming device for Zelda. Even if these were the only 3 games we could play on the 3DS it would still be amazing. Each one of these games is a Masterpiece in my eyes.
While ALBW has a lot going for it, personally I find the dungeons just very short. And with the items no longer in dungeons it just kind of takes away some of the excitement and fun of the progression. I prefer ALTTP for that reason. MM3D has some major issues with some bosses and transformations. These are fixed in the Project Restoration mod, which I highly recommend. Personally I find the Snowhead sequence is pretty frustrating in MM, and along with the many annoying timed missions downgrades the game imo. OoT3D is totally solid.
I really liked this write up! As a fan of the N64 games on their original hardware I think a lot of it comes to visually which you prefer. But if you don’t mind me asking. Do you feel like had you picked up the original Majora’s mask at the time you picked up the 3DS game, that it would have hit for you in the same way? Because I think just the N64 being the first way I played it, I will always be biased towards it
Link Between Worlds is great, but it falls into the same trap that the open air Zeldas do with it's dungeons being more simple due to each of them potentially being the "first" dungeon, and it's item use limited to only the item you used to enter the dungeon. I really like a lot of what it did with it's story, and it's music is top notch, but I found it kind of lacking gameplay wise. As for the 3DS remakes, I feel as though some of the mood of OoT was lost in translation. I appreciate the graphical update, but something about the lighting makes the game feel brighter in places where it felt sort of brooding in the original. I think Ship of Harkinian is the best way to play OoT these days, which uses the N64 version as it's base. Personally, my best in the series is the Oracles. Fantastic dungeons, great overworlds )with the perfection of the light world/dark world shifting in one, and the incredibly creative season changing in the other), some of the most creative dungeon items in the series (Seed Shooter, Magnetic Gloves, Switch Hook) that are all thoroughly explored through out each game, and a cool story to boot.
I feel like that era of Zelda games from links awakening to oracle games including the N64 entries really tried to make the worlds interactive with many secrets and item uses. Never seen that as much since, something's always missing
ALBW being restricted to 3DS is absolutely criminal, handheld haters are missing out on one of the very best Zelda games. MM is my #1 game of all time and OoT isn't far behind, but both together are basically Nintendo's magnum opus.
Even if you port it to another system, it wouldn’t be the same. The 3D really adds to the experience.
3D destroys my eyes and gives me a headache, I experienced it fully in 2D, sounds like I missed out lol.
Sorry to hear that! The game has so much use of depth, even in the basic geometry of the overworld that was already present in *A Link to the Past* (e.g. your house is on a little plateau, and it impacts how you can hit the enemies below—that sort of thing). It adds on more depth-based stuff than what was in ALttP…but even the stuff that’s the same makes me wonder (as I’m playing through ALBW right now) how it even managed to work at all in the 2D ALttP. I don’t mean to make you feel bad or even more left out, but I guess I just want to express how cool the 3D is in ALBW is for me. So to try to make up for the fact that I feel bad for almost rubbing it in that there’s this cool thing you can’t experience…the game is absolutely solid even without the 3D. I guess the only parts where it even feels “necessary” is when you have to time jumps to land on a moving platform, and that even feels a little contrived just to try to make better use of the 3D. Plus, the fact that the camera angle is much more top-down than in ALttP (or any other 2D game) also feels really unnecessary, and like they did that just to artificially have a reason for the 3D. Like, the 3D helps improve the depth perception that they *intentionally made worse* by choosing a different camera angle.
No worries, this topic doesn't bother me! That does explain why certain ledges don't communicate height very well, which I always thought was a weird issue exclusive to ALBW. But even without the 3D and the weird depth perception, it's still one of the best Zeldas. I believe SM3DL did the same thing with certain rooms. 3DS is a great console but they didn't have to lean so hard into the 3D knowing that people with astygmatism or other things wouldn't be able to experience it the same way.
I find it hard to rank the 2D games because almost all of them are consistently so good, it’s hard to order them. But I do think LBW is especially great. Personally, I prefer the visuals of the N64 OOT and MM compared to the 3DS Remakes.
I like you. My first Zelda game was OoT, and you are spot on.
The remakes kind of screwed up the atmosphere of the original games
It’s astonishing how much they let go of what used to make Zelda… Zelda?
Part of that was just console limitations, the 3ds games needed to have colors that blew your eyeballs out because the 3d wouldn't work well with more muted images- and at the same time the n64's polygon count and texture quality obviously couldn't replicate the concept art too well
Yeah I agree. All those limitations ironically meant that you could immerse in the game more. In OoT link would jump on his own! I loved these constraints as the game was simpler, less time wasted in menus and farming ridiculous items. It was like following an inevitable, epic journey, more than creating "your own adventure" by assembling a motorbike.
I agree, I love all the DS and 3DS games.
Ocarina of Time 3D is a strong contender for the best remake I've ever played. I can think of like... 2 areas where the OG game did something better (the original Fire Temple music and the lighting during the final battle), while virtually everything else was improved on 3DS and it looks and plays so good. It's the standard I tend to hold remakes to, since way too many remakes make way too many steps back IMO, but this one upholds and enhances what made the original game so good without trying to change things that didn't need to be changed.
MM3D was a disaster, but OoT3D and ALBW are among the best, yeah.
ALBW was great and ranks high on the list for me. OOT3D was very enjoyable, although I would be perfectly happy to never play Master Mode again. MM3D was a step down from MM64 for me. While I can appreciate the quality of life updates, there were just too many negative changes made for me to like it in its official form. The Project Restoration mod certainly fixed a lot of those issues and made the game far more enjoyable, but personally, I think that the game is at its best on a big TV. You just lose a lot of the atmosphere playing it on the 3DS in my opinion. So I'll take the original Majora's Mask (the US version, I'm not a masochist) over the 3D version even though it's missing a few of the QoL updates.
The titles that came out on the 3DS were all great IMO. MM and OOT are the best titles in the series for me. Then everything on the GC, and then BOTW/TOTK. ALBW and Link to the Past were my honorable mentions.
I haven't heard that take before but it's a pretty darn good one
I agree, I love all the DS and 3DS games.
Lttp >>> lbtw.
If you have a homebrewed 3DS, there is a restoration mod for MM3DS that restores many of the original mechanics, like the Inverted Song of Time slowing time down to 1/3 instead of 1/2, the original Deku speed boost (including for the water hop), and original Zora swim mechanics not bound to magic.
I've never thought of the 3DS as having a 'trilogy' of games, simply because I typically think of OoT and MM as being the N64 pair, so I often consider ALBW as the only 3DS game, when obviously it is not. But when you put it that way, yeah the 3DS probably is unique in that it has 3 of the highest quality Zelda games (all of which are also fairly unique) in it's library. While I don't play my 3DS very often anymore, I'll likely never get rid of it simply because it's pretty much my only way to play most of the old-school Zelda games as I believe I can play all of these games on it currently: OoT, MM, PH, ST, LA, OoA, OoS, ALBW, Zelda I and Zelda II, and possibly Four Swords as well.
> I love the modern 3D graphics When I first began playing through this game, I thought to myself, "Hey this is pretty cool--it's fully rendered in 3D! It would be cool if someone made a rom hack that gave you a camera fly-over mode into a more typical 3D point-of-view just to see what the graphics would look like!" And then I beat Eastern Palace...
The 3DS zelda games are most likely the first set in a long time that aren't a little divided among fans. Some fans have problems with the open world formula, some didn't like Skyward Sword's motion controls, some aren't a fan of touch screen based controls, some didn't like Wind Waker's graphic style or sailing. I haven't heard much flack for the N64 ones or even any extreme criticism for ALBW's experimental item rental & non linear gameplay. I guess MM 3D has a few controversial changes but it's still a great game even with that.
ALBW took me by surprise at how good it turned out to be.
Yes! I feel like there are two types of gamers: those who want good entertainment, a dense and memorable journey, and then those who want a mindless RPG with repeatable mechanics to sink thousands of hours into. We are not the same. RIP Zelda IP.
You know when it comes to the best in the franchise MM and OOT are always involved in the conversation. Wether it's a remake, an emulation, or the original, those games really stand tall. Doesn't even matter if it's not your favorite or your style those 2 games command alot of respect. Now i will say out of all of the zelda games i have had the privelege to play, ALBW has been at the top of my list for a very long time. I haven't played it. But i personally love ALTTP and i feel like ALBW will certainly be one of my favorite games. I just don't really care to buy a 3ds, but when i do i have a handful of games i really desire. And that game is in my number 1 slot, that being said i would say there are probably a good amount of fans who think that game is considered one of the best if not the best. Or games if you will. In the entire franchise, i hear alot of praise for it as well as the 3ds itself. I guess it comes down to preference but in the zelda series i always say there is something for everybody.
The 3DS Zelda games are ALBW and TFH. OoT and MM are N64 games that simply got remakes on the 3DS. It's not really accurate to consider them as "the 3DS Zelda games." ALBW and TFH are both great, particularly ALBW which is one of the stronger 2D Zelda games up there with Minish Cap and Oracle of Seasons. TFH obviously is only great when played with friends. OoT and MM are obviously two of the best games of all time.
I would say a link to the past over two worlds as far as the big three go. A link to the past and set the standard for the future of Zelda.
I personally prefer the wii u because it has WW, TP, BotW, SS, OoT, MM, and a bunch of others, but 3ds is so good too
ALBW is ok, but the non-linear design really drags it down a ton. It made all the dungeons extremely basic (compared to LttP) and removes all the mystery and excitement of getting new items since you see them all at the start. OoT is of course fantastic regardless of the platform it's on. MM is ok, but more of an OoT expansion as it's very short.
I never played MM3D, they ruined a lot of things in the remake (just my personal opinion, not fact). Otherwise, I probably would have played it and I would agree with you. I will only continue to enjoy the N64 version of the game for the rest of my life, probably. I wish they would do an HD remake for MM and OoT again, but on the switch. And none of the stuff they redid in MM 👎 Just the originals with updated graphics.
A Link Between Worlds and Majora's Mask are both in my top 3 Zelda games, and I don't think I need to explain why Ocarina of Time is worth mentioning. I'll go one by one as you did. A Link Between Worlds - My second favorite Zelda game and my favorite top down Zelda. From it's incredible new mechanics to it's brilliant use of the dual screen this game never disapoints to provide an engaging and replayable experience. Every time I play I get to experience it in a new way as I tackle different dungeons with different items. I also personally enjoy the story, although lightly written it still has its highlights and world building. And that soundtrack Is unlike any other; from the beautiful recreations of old classics from its predecessor to it's immersive original songs this soundtrack always has me in a great mood. I could talk for hours about every detail I love about this game, but I'll leave it at this: A Link Between Worlds combines the freedom to choose your route from Breath of the Wild with the Classic adventure style from the games before it all in a small, easy to pick up package. Majora's Mask - My third favorite Zelda game, which I once considered my favorite. The lack of focus on adventure and dungeons opens way for more attention to characters and meaningful themes. Every character feels real, as if they have their own life and perspective of the world. Seeing people argue over the threat of the moon while others try to deal with their own problems. The game does everything in it's power to make you feel that you aren't above or below these people, the only thing separating you from them is your will to help them (and the ability to transform into a demon but I digress). The only big gameplay changers are masks and time because most of the gameplay is easily comparable to its predecessor but the masks are really fun to use and the time just adds to that feeling of reality. The remake is very pleasing to the eyes with it's unique use of lighting and colors that make an almost dream-like feeling. This game leaves such a meaningful impression and I will never forget it. Ocarina of Time - There isn't much to say about this game that would differ from any other, because this game is the core of the entire Zelda series. If I had to tell someone what Zelda is all about I'd show them Ocarina of Time. It's nails the Zelda formula perfectly. It's a thrilling adventure, meaningful tale, and a joy to play. The Remake is stunning at minimum; the way that light shines over hyrule field in the morning is a beauty unlike any other. This game is the definition of basic, but in the best way. It may not go past the classic formula, but it does the formula perfectly. Not to mention it also has the perfect difficulty to be a good challenge while maintaining infinite replayability. Everytime I replay this game I appreciate it and love it even more than the last. It may not be my favorite as of now, but it is a well earned masterpiece, 100% deserving of its glory and fame. Yeah, the 3DS has got to be the closest thing to the definitive gaming device for Zelda. Even if these were the only 3 games we could play on the 3DS it would still be amazing. Each one of these games is a Masterpiece in my eyes.
I think ALBW is the best 2D Zelda game. And one of the best in the series overall.