Best Way to Play: Ocarina of Time

Since The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is one of the most well-known and respected video games ever made, it scarcely needs an introduction. It should come as no surprise that many of us want to play this classic again, whether to relive past experiences or to get a firsthand look at a piece of video game history. Since Ocarina of the Moment is one of this month's Games of the Month, now is the ideal moment to do it.

However, there are numerous methods to play this game in 2024; which one should you choose? We'll go over each choice, beginning with the original N64.

When you boot up the original Ocarina of Time, you can feel the growing pangs of early 3D. The "cinematic" 20 fps framerate is well below contemporary norms and can be challenging to readjust. Still, the low resolution isn't much of an issue (and can be upscaled on an emulator).

However, the slowness of the text boxes' creep is the killer. Although the game was designed with kids in mind, it hurts to see text slowly appear on your screen without any ability to stop it. It's no wonder that practically every subsequent iteration of Ocarina of Time speeds up the dialog because every NPC encounter and item pickup drags on much longer than they should.

Thankfully, Ocarina of Time Redux, a patch for the N64 version of the game, exists. It has many changes and enhancements, including updated character models, double text speed (wow!), assigning some things to the D-Pad, and much more. It's also relatively easy to install using an online tool. Use this romhack if you plan to play the N64 version.

However, why choose the N64 version? Naturally, you won't have many options if you like to play on the original hardware. Still, the N64 version is also a decent option for less expensive handhelds like the RG35XX H. Additionally, as Nintendo Switch Online exclusively sells the original edition, it's the only version you can obtain if you use official Nintendo channels.

The GameCube re-release of this game will come next. Unless you have a copy of the Zelda Collector's Edition disk or want to play on a GameCube, there isn't much reason to revisit this one. Since the GameCube version is a duplicate of Ocarina of Time running in an emulator, it seems pointless to emulate it. If you have one, You can dump the N64 ROMs from a copy of the GameCube version. From there, I suggest simply running it in an N64 emulator, which provides an identical experience with far less strain on your machine.

One of the first games to be released on the 3DS was Ocarina of Time 3D, which was praised for being an accurate port. Overall, the game appears more modern and fresh because all textures and models have been recreated in a new graphic style with more polygons.

I had a moment when I started this version on my Odin 2. Since I already own a 3DS, I haven't experimented much with 3DS emulation, but watching this game run smoothly and upscaled to 1080p was fantastic. You know, when you're playing the games you grew up with, it hits differently.

In any case, this game edition also includes some gameplay enhancements. The 3DS's second screen is wholly utilized, with a plethora of touch buttons and hotkeys. Text boxes operate significantly faster than the original, and gyro aim is natively included, making some game elements nearly insignificant.

Regretfully, this is what detracts from the game's 3DS edition. Suppose you don't have a sophisticated and ingenious control arrangement. In that case, you must continuously go between panels to examine maps, change things, and access some of your assignable item hotkeys. This user interface saves a lot of Time if you're playing on a 3DS; otherwise, it tends to interfere.

Ocarina of Time's most recent iteration is somewhat different. Available on Windows, Linux, MacOS, and Android, Ship of Harkinian is an unofficial native port of the Internet of Things. (UPDATE: Ship of Harkinian also recently received a PortMaster port, allowing all of your favorite RK3566 devices, or any other device that supports PortMaster, to run the best possible OoT!)

Any mobile device worth its salt should be able to achieve a full 60 frames per second. Our setup instructions were created on a T618 device, such as the Retroid Pocket 3+ because it functions sufficiently well on these devices. It can handle any aspect ratio and support resolutions up to twice as high as your native resolution.

Ship of Harkinian is relatively easy to set up. It's as easy as finding the correct ROM, renaming it, pointing SoH to it at startup, and letting it do its job. The instructions mentioned above provide more details.

Ship of Harkinian is unmatched in terms of customization and adjustments. It comes with four preset choices to make it as easy as possible to achieve the desired experience, along with several built-in quality-of-life enhancements. Additionally, everything is adjustable and toggleable if you want to get your hands dirty.

Installing mods is as easy as dragging and dropping files into a folder, and it has all the mod support that a decent PC game should have. By doing so, you can import HD textures, create fresh, updated custom models for characters, NPCs, and things, and fulfill the goal of every introverted geeky guy from the 00s: becoming Master Chief.

Several options are available to those who want to start Ocarina of Time in 2024. Ultimately, it's difficult to argue that the Ship of Harkinian isn't likely the most excellent experience available in contemporary technology. Make sure to choose the 3DS version if you're playing on one. Use the N64 version (with the Redux patch, if you also can't bear that awful text speed) if you're playing on an original, low-end, or FPGA system.

However, I won't pass judgment if you choose a different version. The finest video game is ultimately the one you play, and Ocarina of Time is still a timeless classic that is worth your Time regardless of how you choose to play it.