The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

For an entire generation of players, Ocarina of Time is the game where they first understood what an epic adventure means. Ocarina of Time 3D from 2011 took this legendary title from the Nintendo 64 and brought it to the 3DS in a way that honors the original while still feeling fresh.

It is not a mere port, but a thorough remaster. The graphics went through a complete overhaul: the models, textures and environments are significantly more detailed, and the whole world of Hyrule suddenly looks the way many remembered it more in their memories than in reality. Stereoscopic 3D lends the temples and duels a pleasant depth, and the touch screen finally solves one of the biggest pains of the original, namely the constant switching of items and the musical instrument in the menu.

The core of the game remained untouched, and that is a good thing. It is still the story of young Link, who travels through time to stop the villain Ganondorf, solves ingenious puzzles in sprawling dungeons and plays melodies on the ocarina that change time and weather. The combat system with targeting of enemies, which Ocarina of Time made famous in its day, still works absolutely superbly. For the daring, the game added a Master Quest with shuffled and made harder dungeons and a mode with tougher battles.

The original game from 1998 is to this day considered one of the most influential titles in the history of the medium and for many years topped the charts of the best-rated games ever. The remaster for the 3DS, on which the studio Grezzo participated under Nintendo's supervision, did not disappoint this reputation in the slightest and reaped excellent reviews.

For new players, it is an ideal gateway into one of the greatest adventures in gaming history, and for those who remember it, the perfect excuse to return to Hyrule. Few remasters manage to please both groups at once so elegantly.

Why play it: The definitive form of one of the most important games of all time, tuned so that it shines even for today's players.