Hands-on with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

Ocarina of Time on the 3DS is exactly how you remember Ocarina of Time. Only it isn’t.

Nintendo has tastefully brushed over the graphics with the HD paint pot -sharpening up textures, increasing the draw distance, and sprucing up the character models with extra detail and colour.

Gone are the washed-out N64 Vaseline look and choppy framerate you've forgotten about, and in their place is the game exactly as you remember it.

But it's still undeniably 13 years old. Can Ocarina of Time offer a relevant link to the past, or is it already well beyond its twilight years?

Other than the inclusion of the Master Quest and special Boss Attack mode, very little has been added or changed as far as we can tell.

The sound remains the same - expressive orchestral computer beeps that you'll end up humming throughout the day - as does the frustratingly slow start.

There's one new gameplay element in the main story that's new, however. Throughout key locations such as the Deku forest and Temple of Time there are now Sheikah stones, which act as not-too-subtle hints about where to go to next.

Before purists scoff, it’s worth remembering that these are optional and can be completely skipped and ignored.

What can’t be ignored are the 3D effects, which are excellent.

Combined with the increased draw distance (you can now see far beyond the edges of the map, for one) the effect as you dash across Hyrule fields either on foot or on Epona is fantastic - full of depth and colour.

The starting area, complete with falling blossom, is brilliantly done, and the first time Navi disappears back to wherever she hides, leaving a trail of sparkles that dance out of the screen, you'll be impressed.

Switching to first-person to fire the bow or hookshot is disconcerting at first, as you arm seems to be sitting right in front of you, but once your eyes adjust the impression of depth is incredibly effective.

The controls are, in the main, expertly put together. The lower screen handles maps, menus, and Navi’s incessant nagging (touch her icon to hear a tip, or just ignore her altogether).

There's the option of controlling the first-person view using the gyroscope controls, but as anyone who’s played Super Monkey Ball 3D will know - 3D and moving around just doesn’t work, and I’d be very surprised if anyone doesn’t immediately switch back to the usual D-pad scheme within seconds of trying it.

This valiant but ultimately surplus attempt to drag in one of the 3DS’s new features is the only duff note in an otherwise flawless rendition.

The joystick and quick button assignments work perfectly, and the titular ocarina (complete with songbook in the bottom screen) just feels more natural to play with the 3DS’s button layout than it does on the old N64 controller.

I’m going to end this preview not with a customary note of cautious optimism but with a bold statement instead - Ocarina of Time will be received warmly by old and new alike.

Yes, it will still have that odd pacing problem that will no doubt be felt more keenly now that it’s on a portable device, but the gameplay still feels as relevant now as it did when it was first released all those years ago.

There's a reason why this game still appears at the top of favourite game lists, and it’s not just nostalgia.

The evocative world, the delightfully simple-but-deep combat, and intricately designed dungeons are just as satisfying to play as they ever were, and we're looking forward to returning to the fields of Hyrule when the game launches on the 17th of June.