I don't care what anyone says, I'm excited to play this game in three-dee. I haven't played it since I played Master Quest around when it was released on GameCube. I'm jazzed to replay this game.

Why does Nintendo design control schemes like this?  Do they ever stop and PLAY these games?  Having to take one's hand off the pad or buttons to poke around on the touchscreen is very inconvenient.  And what am I supposed to do with the stylus in all this?  Do I have to fish it out of it's slot every time I want to switch items or awkwardly hold it in my hand as I play?  It's just DUMB design and you figure after six years Nintendo would clue in.  This is like an N64 game that requires you to use the analog stick and the d-pad and swap between all the time.  Nintendo never made such a game because they knew it would be an inconvenient broken mess.  So why are we getting this crap now?

Anyway, today is Zelda's 25th anniversary.  I've been checking out Zelda stuff on other sites and that mixed with looking at this preview is just bringing back tons of nostalgia for this game.  As game designers Nintendo really could do no wrong when this game was made.  In a way this, and the first party N64 lineup in general, is almost a curse.  There was nowhere to go but down after this.  This was pretty much the most ambitious title ever at the time it was released.  To top it would take a simlar level of ambition.  Twilight Princess was doomed to compare because aside from the improved graphics it really can't top the scope of this in a significant way.  Hell, I'd say unless Nintendo busts out some unbelievable mechanices that win over all the motion control cynics, Skyward Sword can not top Ocarina of Time.  It can be the best Wii game there is but it won't top this game's impact.  The Wii's hardware restricts the level of ambition required to do so.  Hell, Nintendo's current attitudes regarding game design prohibits them topping it.  They don't go for broke anymore.

To top this I think Nintendo would need to have something like Wind Waker if each square of ocean offered a piece of land as large as Twilight Princess's entire world, with a community as involved in their day-to-day lifes as those in Majora's Mask.  And let's not forget the series has already introduced parrallel universes and time travel just to raise the bar further.  In fact I think the only way to top things is to take everything you could ever do in any Zelda game ever and make sure ALL of those are in one game.

Nothing. You're supposed to use your thumb in such cases.

Eh, am I the only person that really doesn't like the idea of smearing my fingerprints all over my (theoretically) nice 3DS screen?  :confused;

To Ian and Brood,

You're pansies. Get over it.

- Stogi

Probably. It's a touch screen. It's meant to be touched. If you don't like that notion, you can always purchase a screen protector (which still registers your touch inputs). They are bountiful in the accessories sections of gaming stores.

To Unagi,

I'm obsessive-compulsive, and you're a prick.  I openly acknowledge my character fault, but it looks like you're still repressing yours.

Reminding you that this world is made of LOVE AND PEACE,
-Broodwars

As for touch screen protectors, if I ever get a 3DS (unlikely) I'll look into it.  I take it that they don't interfere with functionality of the screen, then?

No I've acknowledged it. Doesn't mean I'm not right though.

Not to spyke this thread, but obsessive-compulsive disorders are a personality or mental disorder, not a character fault.

I think there is some gradation in obsessive-compulsive behavior to allow it to be a personality fault without it being a personality disorder. Then again, most anyone seems to hear about obsessive compulsions is the disorder. Argh, I should really find out if there are any different words or phrases for obsessive-compulsive behavior that doesn't reach the level of disorder.

Anyway, inventory management with the touchscreen sounds okay to me. It probably doesn't take any more time than if you pressed pause or dedicate a button to be a shift for an inventory wheel. It might be faster if you're not afraid to use your thumb instead of your stylus. Thankfully, I have plenty of microfiber cleaning clothes to spare in case of grease and oil build up.

Pansies are people who are intimidated by controllers and need Nintendo to bugger up the controls of their games with stupid novelties like touchscreens and waggle wands to get them to even attempt to play a videogame.

So I can either fumble with a stylus or guck up my screen with my thumb?  OR Nintendo could offer the OPTION of the original controls.  Wouldn't that make more sense?  Why is so bad to ask for the choice?  All I ever ask for is the choice.

First of all, uninterested =/= intimidated

Secondly, the new controls will be a great improvement over the originals.  I can just imagine what your reaction would be if they hadn't updated the controls:

What, identical controls?  Do they not realize that having to pause your game, use a clunky control stick to toggle through a static grid, map to your button, and unpause your game is SO time consuming and dated?  It's like they stropped trying after 1998, they're so clueless.  Anything to save a buck, am I right?"

If you're that worried about gucking up your screen, then use a damn napkin beforehand!

"Intimidated" is the term Nintendo has used.

This will be my first time playing Ocarina, seeing that I never owned a N64 as a child. I have had it on the Wii's VC for awhile now, but haven't got around to it. The first time I played Super Mario 64 was on the DS as well, so it looks like I will continue my trend of playing 64 games for the first time on a handheld.

That's one of my problems with the DS, and a reason why I sold mine.

To those worried about the touchscreen, I take it none of you own iPod Touch's, iPhone's, Zune HD's, are any other device with a touch screen then?

Aside from my cellphone (and it only exists to make phone calls, as I can't stand to carry the thing around), no.

I used to worry about screwing up my touchscreens, but you just get used to it after a while, especially if you have an iPod. It's just a part of owning that piece of technology. You deal with it, or you don't buy it.

Nope. All useless devices to me.

We'll all have our chances once tablets become the dominant personal computing device.

Get those microfiber cloths when they're cheap.

I doubt that's going to happen.  Tablets are too restrictive.  PCs have dominated because they provide the flexibility needed in the business world.  Something like an iPad is all fine and good for some regular Joe who just wants to email his friends and watch movies and such.  Let's say you need to type up a 20 page report by tomorrow morning.  Are you going to use a touchscreen for that?  Yeah right.  You need to do things efficiently and that means you need a keyboard and a screen in front of you.  No tablet would work with a shit for that.  In the business world you need to get shit done.  PCs have their share of problems but they have the flexibility to fuck around with them to make things work.

Tablets and pretty much any Apple product are... and I hate to say this on this forum... for casuals. Seriously though that's just the way they are.  They're very convenient for specific purposes but once you need something out of the ordinary they're too restrictive to do what you need to do.  Tablets might be very popular with home users but you will not see businesses using them.  And since I'm a computer programmer a tablet for me is borderline useless.

In other words the sort of person that would be utterly annoyed by gucking up their touchscreen with fingerprints is the same type of person who would find a touchscreen to be completely worthless.  Touchscreens are a gimmick and they're popular with their target demographic which is no surprise.  That's just good marketing.

Tablets are becoming popular for businesses too, but I agree that they will never replaces PC's (I am including laptops in that grouping). At most I see them supplementing PC's.

Actually, typing on an iPad works pretty well, at least in landscape orientation. It also supports bluetooth keyboards. I wrote a term paper on my iPad last spring when I'd just gotten it to try it out, and it worked well.

You're clearly not paying attention, because all kinds of businesses are using iPads now, and it's only the first model.

Touch screens are not at all a gimmick, and are being implemented into more and more devices. You may want to consider stopping using technology, because given your total opposition to any kind of change, you're just going to get angrier and angrier.

The iPad keyboard is OK, but I would not want to write a report on it. For one, it's not 100% accurate. I guess it's not a problem if you use a real keyboard with it.

I really hope that doesn't happen... PCs have gotten bad enough as it is. I guess I'd better take real good care of my computer hardware before computing devices become total garbage for the average user.

I like advancements in technology.  "Advancements" is the key word.  Taking up half your screen with a keyboard with no tactile feedback and then mucking that same screen up with fingerprints is a step backwards.  It has "neato" factor and little else.  I'm not swayed by such things.

For example I am impressed by the fact that the 3DS can bust out visuals that are about Gamecube quality.  That is very cool and has obvious advantages in portable videogame design.