In my experience as an avid gamer, I have heard no game dubbed the “greatest game of all time” more than The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64.

A pitch perfect blend of action, puzzle work, an enthralling story and, at the time, bleeding edge technology; Ocarina captured the imagination of gamers the world over and showed them that a game can be more than just the sum of its parts. In the minds of many, Ocarina sits on pedestal higher than any other game in history. It is no wonder, then, the 3DS remake has been so highly anticipated.

While its reign as a technical marvel has long since been trumped, Ocarina of Time returns to the Nintendo 3DS to prove that great games aren’t just about the power of the processor.

That’s not to say the game isn’t impressive. Though the 3DS’s initial launch lineup was surprisingly diverse, it was noticeably lacking in games that could really show off the power of the new handheld. Well it is few months late, but Ocarina is that game.

Re-mastered from top to bottom, this game looks great on the small screen. Colours and textures really pop in this fantastic fantasy world.

While the combat itself isn’t nearly as complex of a system as you will find in most modern games, it is still fun. The thrill of traversing temples and dungeons remains intact, and the puzzles are just as great as ever. The story is still exceptional, although it really has come time for Nintendo to start adding voice acting to the series.

While the button layout is different, the basic control scheme remains the same and Link is still the nimble little warrior that people will remember him as. Like the original, however, there are still some occasional issues with the camera angle when maneuvering Link around the environment.

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is essentially a straight port from the original without too many 3DS specific attributes, other than the 3D itself, having been added. The touch screen has essentially been relegated to inventory duty for Ocarina, which is a bit of a shame. It would have been nice to see just a little more system integration.

The 3D aspect of the game can be rather impressive. Sprawling country side and larger than life foes look excellent in the extra dimension, though like most of the handheld’s other games, the 3D will likely begin to hurt your eyes relatively quickly.

So is this game still the greatest of all time? Well, no.

However, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a worthy remake of the original and a great game by any standard. Some of its features feel dated but that is to be expected.

This game serves as a reminder that imagination, attention to detail and pride in craft are still the most important things driving the development of games. The creators of this remake have not forgotten that, which is why The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the best game on Nintendo 3DS to date.