BetweenThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomand its predecessorBreath of the Wildsetting the stage for a new era of the series, Nintendo might want to consider take a look back at some of its classicZeldatitles. Most notable among these older titles that could use anew makeover would beOcarina of Timefor the Nintendo 64, and possibly even its successorMajora’s Mask.
While many of the classic titles have seen remasters and 3D updates for the 3DS in the past, these still feel a bit weak in comparison to the stunning visuals found inThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomon the Switch. However,Ocarina of Timeshows its age in more than just visuals, even in the remaster, and so it could use a rework through the more modernZeldaengines and combat designs.
RELATED:Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s Purah is Much More Than ‘The Paraglider NPC’
Ocarina of Time as an Aging Masterpiece
It can’t be understated how much of a groundbreaking gameOcarina of Timeand its sequel were during the Nintendo 64 era, as they set the template for nearly everyZeldatitle to come. The popularity of the first 3D titles in the series even managed to spawn a host ofsimilarZelda-like gamesof the time likeDark Cloudand more recently indie hits likeTunicandDeath’s Door. However, as influential and beloved asOcarina of Timeis, it hasn’t aged gracefully in all departments.
Many of the controls feel antiquated, even in the most recent remasters andports ofOcarina of Timeto Switch, and the world design is nostalgic, but minimal in comparison to the much newerTears of the Kingdom. This is the fate of all games, even ones that feel timeless to diehard fans, as new technologies and quality of life norms start to overshadow the older, archaic designs. As a result, a game as impactful and influential asOcarina of Timedeserves to get the remake treatment to bring the classic style of the first 3DZeldainto the modern era of gaming.
Function over Form to Enhance Ocarina of Time’s Gameplay
To be clear, aZeldaremakewould be more than just adding some extra polygons to the environment and character models and calling it a day. Similarly, it shouldn’t just transpose all ofOcarina of Time’s dungeons and towns directly onto the map of Hyrule fromBreath of the Wildand make it a one-to-one for the new series. Instead, the approach should start from the ground up, beginning with a design philosophy that Nintendo has previously seen success from the 3DMariogames. Simply controlling Link, no matter the environment, should be engaging and fun.
ForOcarina of Time, this would mostly come down to the ease of access of Link’s tools, as well as the flow of combat. Specifically, combat should resembleTears of the Kingdommore than it doesOcarina of Time, where players have options between overwhelming guarding opponents, dodging their attacks, or parrying for a counterattack. This would replace the more stiffcombat ofOcarina of Time, where players weren’t able to get through the enemy’s defenses without waiting for the opportunity after an attack.
One aspect that shouldn’t change, however, is the more linear nature ofOcarina of Time. Wherefreedom of exploration inTears of the Kingdomis the new title’s strongest feature,Ocarina of Timesucceeded with a much more linear progression, as new locations offered Link new tools to overcome previous obstacles. It’s a progression model that could then be enhanced with more hidden locations, characters, and side quests to interact with on a new map that stays true to the older title, while still updating the style to more modern games.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis available now for Switch.
MORE:Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is Leaving Money on the Table With Community Creations
