The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3DS set for June 19

By Jeff Hughes April 13, 2011

Ocarina 3DS — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Nintendo says The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is set for release on the 3DS come June 19. The remastered N64 classic will bring Zelda fans enhanced 3D graphics, new intuitive control scheme and new-ish adventures to play through.

Along with the pleasure of 3D with no glasses and portability, the new release of Ocarina of Time will retain analog control with the 3DS Circle Pad, and will allow players to use the touch screen for the inventory system.

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The old tale of Hyrule’s creation and the pursuit of the Triforce will also include the Master Quest second adventure. Originally intended as an expansion of the N64 title, Master Quest was later released as a bonus for pre-ordereding The Wind Walker. The second adventure will not deviate from the upgraded look and feel of the original title, and offers revamped dungeons and more challenging puzzles.

Recently celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Legend of Zelda franchise is thriving in this new gaming era with Ocarina of Time coming out in two months and Skyward Sword coming to the Wii soon. Nintendo continues to meld nostalgia with the latest innovations in console gaming, showing its savvy this time by choosing a title many consider to be one of the best video games ever as part of its initial escort with the 3DS.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

I'm a SF Bay Area-based writer/ninja that loves anything geek, tech, comic, social media or gaming-related.

Gaming

You need to get this oddball Zelda game for free before the 3DS eShop closes

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The day of reckoning is fast approaching: The Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShop isclosing down on March 27. When that happens, you’ll no longer be able to make any digital purchases on those systems. Considering that several games on each platform only ever got digital releases, it’s creating a bit of a preservation nightmare. Hidden gems that never came to another platform, like Affordable Space Adventures, will be totally lost to time.

But it isn’t just obscure indies that are impacted by that change: One of Nintendo’s biggest franchises is about to lose a piece of its storied history. You’ve only got just over a week to grab a certain Legend of Zelda game before it disappears forever -- though it’s probably not one you’re expecting.

Computing

How Zelda: Ocarina of Time speedrunners break the N64 in incredible new ways

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ReSpec is normally a column about the wonderful, technical world of PC gaming, but occasionally there are topics that are too good to pass up. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is universally acclaimed as one the best Nintendo 64 games ever made, and while it's not a PC title, the highest-level, most technical speedruns of the game expose how games work on a fundamental level. More importantly, these incredible feats are only possible with a lot of community effort.

Ocarina of Time is a game that would take a normal player around 30 hours to beat; the most skilled speedrunners, who aim to play the game as fast as possible, can beat it in around three hours and 40 minutes without glitches. But the Any% category of the game, which tasks players with completing the game regardless of the methods used, is down to three minutes, 54 seconds, and 566 milliseconds. And yes, those milliseconds matter. The second-place record holder is less than a full second behind the world record.

Gaming

Grab these Nintendo 3DS games before the eShop closes

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While the Nintendo 3DS had a rocky launch, the handheld system recovered gracefully and ended up having one of the best game lineups of any Nintendo system. Many of these 3DS games, like Super Mario 3D Land and Fire Emblem Awakening, were very popular and well-known. Still, the 3DS had a lot of fantastic games that not as many people know about and threaten to be lost to time when the eShop closes down.
The 3DS eShop will shut down soon, preventing people from purchasing new games. As such, we've been reflecting on the system's vast library and all of the fantastic games that 3DS owners will no longer be able to buy digitally. From games that we think will skyrocket even further in price after the store shuts down to some enjoyable hidden gems that didn't get the attention they deserve, you might want to snag these 3DS games before you can't anymore after March 27.
Ever Oasis

Grezzo is one of Nintendo's most underrated developers. It's delivered top-notch The Legend of Zelda remakes like Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and Link's Awakening. So what if I told you that it used that experience to make an original IP for 3DS that's one of the best-looking and expansive games on the system? Ever Oasis, a 2017 3DS game, follows a young kid as they help a water spirit named Esna build an oasis and try to save their brother from Chaos.
The result is a mix of 3D The Legend of Zelda and city management games. Players can venture out into surprisingly large open worlds and dungeons to restock and grow the number of "bloom booths." This mix of open-world exploration, dungeon crawling, and oasis-building will keep players engaged for dozens of hours, and it also stands as one of the deepest and best-looking action-adventure games on the platform.
Ever Oasis didn't get much attention when it launched because the Nintendo Switch had been released a couple of months earlier. Still, it stands as one of the 3DS' best games, so it's a shame that more people don't know about it. It risks being forgotten forever now the 3DS eShop is closing down, so check it out before the closure; it will surpass your expectations.
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