Topic: Other cosmetic changes to the bonus disk other than high rez?

[Gibdo Master]

It's been my understanding from since the bonus disk was announced for the US that the only difference to the looks would be the higher rez thing. However I was reading this review at the new version of www.zhq.com. In the review he lists several cosmetic changes. I thought he was nuts until I started looking into a couple things. He mentioned something about the design on the mirror shield being different and he's right. In the original N64 version on the top portion of the mirror shield their was a crescent moon with a star in between it. Now on the bonus disk it has something that looks similar to Koume and Koutake's(sp?) head instead. Very weird. The largest blocks you could lift also had the star and moon design on them in the N64 version but on the bonus disk the Koume and Koutake head has replaced it as well. It should be noted that I haven't played the Master Quest part yet so that change is also in the regular version of Ocarina as well.

I'm not really too sure about the rest of the changes like the Master Sword thing though. Also he's completely wrong about the green blood with Ganon since that was a change made on the later carts for the N64 version.

Oh, if you want to compare the N64 version of the mirror shield and the Bonus Disk version go here. Scroll down to the part where they show pics of the shields and there it is.

By the way in order to make sure the mirror shield actually was changed I dragged out my N64 and popped in the Ocarina. Wow, I didn't realize how much better the bonus disk looks. The N64 version is horribly choppy. I can't believe I could even play this game before. Not to mention the N64 controller is really uncomfortable compared to the GC controller.

Anyway has anyone else noticed any other weird cosmetic changes like this?

   

[RickPowers]

Yes, there are some minor cosmetic changes.  Many of these were already documented for the N64 release, with there being at least three different versions of the game.  Ocarina marks the 1.3 release of the game, or the fourth "version".  However, some of the changes you've mentioned were in older versions as well.

Looking at that review, he lists a lot of cosmetic changes that simply do not exist.  You can just make out some details a bit better in high-res than you could on the N64.  

[Gibdo Master]

Yeah, I know that there are different versions of the games despite Nintendo denying it for a long time. In the early carts (not just the gold ones but the early gray ones) when Link stabs Ganon there is red blood instead of green like in later releases. In the fire temple there is a different more demonic sounding chanting that was changed in later versions. There were also several glitches that were fixed throughout the different versions.

I know (or at least I'm pretty sure) that the weird design on the mirror shield in the bonus disk was not in any of the N64 carts. I have a very late version of the cart (didn't get mine till sometime after the price was dropped) and the mirror shield in my N64 game has a moon and star design. Also I've been to a couple of other forums and people that have gold carts concur that their mirror shield has the moon and star design. This tells me that the change is only in the bonus disk. It's just very bizarre that they would change this one little thing. Why? What's even weirder is it looks a lot like Koume and Koutake's head. It has two little triangle like shapes that could be their nose and forehead and then two circles that could be their bulbous eyes.

I realize I could just have an overactive imagination but that's what it resembles to me.  

[The Hero of Time]

when i fought phantom ganon in the forest temple electricity coils around him when you hit him with his own attack (master quest).  i dont remember being able to see this on the n64 version. maybe it was just the worse resolution, but if anyone knows what i mean respond

[Berny]

I too heard that the Fire Temple music was changed in later versions of the game on the N64. I think it had something with the music sounding like a Muslim prayer and I guess someone complained to Nintendo silently changed it in later carts. Now that I think about it, the old mirror shield/pushable block design does resemble the crescent moon design I've seen on top of a  mosque near my house. (I think it's a mosque. I'm not a Muslim though so I couldn't tell you for sure.) Well, I've put my two cents in.

[AquaVDevin]

i could definitely tell the cosmetics changes because today i played OoT on my N64 and i noticed the picture is a lot better on the gamecube then the N64

[Smadte]

Yes, the fire temple music changed. It's too bad. The original was 5 times better than the new one. The new one's a bit annoying, if you ask me. Muslim prayer? OMG, people will complain about anything!  

[Kimchi]

I like the new music more than the old music.  I was playing the fire temple yesterday and I was like... "Whoa.. that old caveman-sounding dude isn't grunting anymore.."

[Marcus Arillius]

I'm not sure, but I though the music when you open an important chest was SLIGHTLY different. Can someone else confirm or disprove that?  I have noticed the higher-res, but it honestly is insignificant.  Its very hard to tell the difference.  There is something different about the sprites in the game.  I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is.  Maybe its the higher resolution.  

[Gibdo Master]

Quote
Originally posted by: Marcus Arillius
I have noticed the higher-res, but it honestly is insignificant.  Its very hard to tell the difference.

Whoa. Have you actually played the N64 version lately. I thought there wasn't a huge difference either until after I hooked up my N64 again and played the game. Believe me there's a big difference. The N64 version is very block and choppy while the bonus disk is smoother and brighter. I couldn't believe I could even play this game back then because I started getting nauseated after a couple of mins of looking at that soupy mess. I was thinking to myself no wonder I had constant migraines during those 5 yrs I played my N64. As an example of the difference in the N64 version you can barely make out Link's eyes while in the bonus disk they are very clear. Even my brother noticed the difference when I played the N64 version and then the bonus disk. He thought that they had completely redone the game until I explained they just upped the resolution.

Also the reason why the sprites look different is because they aren't as good of quality as the 3D models. The higher resolution highlights everything making the detailed models look better but making the simple sprites look worse.  

[Grey Ninja]

Take a close look at the details and facial expressions in the two versions.  The difference is very clear even on my lowly TV.  I can easily make out details and expressions I only remember as blurs on the N64.

[Marcus Arillius]

You're right.  There is a big difference.  It could almost pass for a PS2 game.  

[Gibdo Master]

Quote
Originally posted by: Marcus Arillius
It could almost pass for a PS2 game.  

I've been reading that same thing on other forums and I think it's very funny. It's pretty sad that you can take a N64 game and just up the resolution and then it's almost as good as a PS2 game graphics wise.  

[theaveng]

Anyone who's actually played a PS2 knows that's not true.  Games like Final Fantasy 10, Kingdom Hearts, and Xenosaga look lightyears beyond N64's Ocarina.  For one thing, the characters in the aforementioned games actually look like people, not walking polygons.  Second, in the distance you can see a true background, not just Ocarina-style fog/pop-up.  And finally, the PS2 games listed above can do sweeping vistas without slowdown... something I've heard many people complain N64's Ocarina can not do.

So... please stop the PS2 bashing.  It's fanboyism, and highly untruthful.