My first Zelda replay is not necessarily a very successful one. With the jump to 3D, I began to examine the core mechanics of a Zelda title, and realize how weird of a relationships they have with each other.
Health system that is continually upgraded throughout the game, but is combined with puzzle-based dungeons, with occasional death pits and combat (which has a shitton of inconsistencies in its own right). If you die you get sent back to the beginning of the dungeon, but you unlock shortcuts to get back to your point faster... but you respawn with three filled hearts every time, no matter how much health you collected throughout the game. This has been a thing since Zelda 1, and it continues to be a thing during the jump to 3D. Why? Isn't being sent back the punishment? I guess it's not as big of a punishment as the originals, because here all the doors that required you to kill enemies in them stay unlocked at least, but... I just don't get it.
In general, I begin to wonder exactly what does stuff like the amount of health, arrows, bombs etc. add to the game. I am struggling to find a reason to not just have the player be able to use abilities without a limit. Not like you ever really lack them in any important moments in this game, but what if you did? Theoretically the system is there to prevent spamming them in combat, but what if you do and you just don't have the tool required to progress? What if a puzzle doesn't click with you fast enough? You're supposed to run out of the dungeon, go buy bombs or gather magic and come back?
In a lot of ways, I think these contrasting mechanics sort of add to the world of the games at large, because the game ends up placing shops in towns to make the game feel more human, and even secrets may contain additional items. And, in theory, you really do want those extra hearts for late-game dungeons, so at least on the first run you can unlock as much as possible, so secret-hunting is well incentivized.
As for specific 2D to 3D transition stuff, a lot of the snappiness is gone, replaced by more deliberate movement and combat. Oh man, do I miss the Pegasus shoes. But you do get Epona... once you become an adult at least. There's a lot gained obviously, no reason for me to get into it, you boot up the game and you hear the music, you see Hyrule Fields with your very eyes. No matter how populated it actually is, what it's populated with, or how that stuff interacts with any other systems, I don't know a person who doesn't see how certain elements of Ocarina are a grand success. Really just depends how much clicks with you and how much you're willing to look past because of it.
Myself, I end up looking past quite a bit, but I do wish I approached this replay differently. Maybe engage more with stuff I haven't before, maybe go for a 100%. Going through it casually when you remember so much, without any added challenge or anything, doesn't do it for me. Too slow for my brain which has been steadily developing more and more zoomy receptors. I could also try a randomizer next time. Nevertheless, I think the next replay some time down the line will help me fully realize my thoughts. Right now it's complicated, and the zoomy receptors wish not to wait for me to write more.
Health system that is continually upgraded throughout the game, but is combined with puzzle-based dungeons, with occasional death pits and combat (which has a shitton of inconsistencies in its own right). If you die you get sent back to the beginning of the dungeon, but you unlock shortcuts to get back to your point faster... but you respawn with three filled hearts every time, no matter how much health you collected throughout the game. This has been a thing since Zelda 1, and it continues to be a thing during the jump to 3D. Why? Isn't being sent back the punishment? I guess it's not as big of a punishment as the originals, because here all the doors that required you to kill enemies in them stay unlocked at least, but... I just don't get it.
In general, I begin to wonder exactly what does stuff like the amount of health, arrows, bombs etc. add to the game. I am struggling to find a reason to not just have the player be able to use abilities without a limit. Not like you ever really lack them in any important moments in this game, but what if you did? Theoretically the system is there to prevent spamming them in combat, but what if you do and you just don't have the tool required to progress? What if a puzzle doesn't click with you fast enough? You're supposed to run out of the dungeon, go buy bombs or gather magic and come back?
In a lot of ways, I think these contrasting mechanics sort of add to the world of the games at large, because the game ends up placing shops in towns to make the game feel more human, and even secrets may contain additional items. And, in theory, you really do want those extra hearts for late-game dungeons, so at least on the first run you can unlock as much as possible, so secret-hunting is well incentivized.
As for specific 2D to 3D transition stuff, a lot of the snappiness is gone, replaced by more deliberate movement and combat. Oh man, do I miss the Pegasus shoes. But you do get Epona... once you become an adult at least. There's a lot gained obviously, no reason for me to get into it, you boot up the game and you hear the music, you see Hyrule Fields with your very eyes. No matter how populated it actually is, what it's populated with, or how that stuff interacts with any other systems, I don't know a person who doesn't see how certain elements of Ocarina are a grand success. Really just depends how much clicks with you and how much you're willing to look past because of it.
Myself, I end up looking past quite a bit, but I do wish I approached this replay differently. Maybe engage more with stuff I haven't before, maybe go for a 100%. Going through it casually when you remember so much, without any added challenge or anything, doesn't do it for me. Too slow for my brain which has been steadily developing more and more zoomy receptors. I could also try a randomizer next time. Nevertheless, I think the next replay some time down the line will help me fully realize my thoughts. Right now it's complicated, and the zoomy receptors wish not to wait for me to write more.