The Highs of Zelda, the Disappointment of 3D

Last Thursday, Japanese nerd hero Shoko Nakagawa bought The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. She wasn’t alone; the game sold out at stores across the country. [[link]] She was ecstatic. On her widely read blog, Nakagawa posted pics of her with game, held behind her back, held in front of her face, and even [[link]] stuffed it in her mouth.(new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=995c4c7d-194f-4077-b0a0-7ad466eb737c&cid=872d12ce-453b-4870-845f-955919887e1b'; cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "995c4c7d-194f-4077-b0a0-7ad466eb737c" }).render("79703296e5134c75a2db6e1b64762017"); }); “It’s here, it’s here, it’s here, it’s here,” she wrote over and over again about the “god game”. Nakagawa rocketed to fame in 2005, as otaku culture became popular in part due to Train Man. Her blog has been accessed over a billion times. The 3DS launched in Japan with a somewhat lackluster line-up. There was a Professor Layton title, but there wasn’t a Mario game or a Zelda. As much as Nintendo tries to cater to third party developers, people buy Nintendo hardware to play Nintendo games. Finally, Nintendo’s released a 3DS port of the N64 classic The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, giving players a chance to enjoy the title with improved graphics and glasses-free 3D. Nakagawa, who’s successfully made the leap from Akihabara idol to mainstream celeb, encouraged her readers to purchase the game. But the next day, Nakagawa followed up her Zelda 3D celebration with another post, writing how nostalgic the game is, reminding her of when it first came out. The key difference this time is the addition of 3D. But is that addition necessary? “Raise your hand if you’ve been [[link]] playing a bunch in 2D even though it’s got 3D,” Nakagawa wrote in another post. One thing that’s been somewhat baffling about Nintendo of late is the relentless desire to put some sort of twist on its hardware. With the Wii, that can lead to new gaming experiences—but that’s not always necessary. Most are happy enough to play a polished port of a classic Zelda game. So, raise your hand if you’ve been playing a bunch in 2D even though the 3DS has 3D. Culture Smash is a daily dose of things topical, interesting and sometimes even awesome—game related and beyond. (Top photo: Sony Music)