1. What’s New?
For many who are playing Ocarina of Time for a second, third, fourth etc. time, one of the appeals will be the prospect of new elements which the first game did not possess. The inclusion of 3D will be a big factor. The resurgence of 3D in popular entertainment has displayed itself most prominently in movies – with a steady rise in the number of movies set to be remade or re-released to take advantage of this new technology. Nintendo’s latest portable gaming device, the 3DS relies a great deal on this innovation in attracting consumers. For long-term fans, however, it should be noted that 3D is not always at the top of the list when it comes to new releases, judging by the message boards on several gaming websites. Other additions, meanwhile, include revised graphics, use of the 3DS touch-screen, added game modes, and gyro-enabled motion. All of these allow for an enhanced experience of the original game. For many, it is the prospect of re-capturing their original experience with the game – by instilling a sense of ‘newness’ back into that experience.
2. Change vs. Preservation
So, people wanted change. To a certain extent, that is... For many fans, however, awaiting the new version of Ocarina was a combination of excitement and apprehension. There were many who wanted to see a lot more additions than ended up being in the game – new dungeons, new characters, new quests etc. I must admit that I felt a little disappointed when I realised that none of these would make in into the game. For others, however, any amount of change is too much. For these gamers, anything short of a direct translation of the original (though perhaps with minor graphical improvements) would be considered detrimental to the ‘classic’ Ocarina experience. Of course, there will be plenty of gamers who fall somewhere in between the two extremes, but judging by a lot of the discussions I’ve seen play out in the various forums; this was always one of the more pressing concerns.
3. Gotta Get Them All
Finally, another group to consider would be the fans of Nintendo, whose loyalty to the company (and the games it produces) mean they would likely purchase the new game, regardless of how much was changed or left the same. There has been much criticism of the ‘hardcore fan’, Nintendo or otherwise, with many suggesting that such gamers are playing right into the company’s hands by paying several times for the same game. The funny thing is, though, that many of those supposedly ‘gullible’ consumers are well aware of what they are doing, and jokingly express so in their posts. They know they are serving Nintendo’s needs, yet what they get out of it is worth so much more to them that it simply doesn’t matter. Some gamers suggest that Ocarina 3D’s revised graphics and gameplay enable the game to be experienced as it was meant to all along – the ‘definitive’ Ocarina experience. Whether or not this is the case, for many, playing the title is more than a simple case of ‘re-playing’ the original. Rather, it is the unique experiences one carried over from playing the original game, combined with a new awareness of the game’s legacy, and more recent titles in the Zelda series.
Thus ends my brief look at the latest Zelda offering. I may return to this in the future, once I have finally had the pleasure of ‘re-experiencing’ the game for myself and offer some of my thoughts. Until then, as always, feel free to comment on your own experience with Ocarina. I would love to hear from anyone, regardless of whether they fit into any of the categories I discussed. Perhaps none of what I have sad applied to your own experience – in which case, you have my permission to make me sound like an idiot :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment