Here are some of the top notch e3 critics have to say about Zelda64, to get more info goto E3news.com!

1.

The Basics

You've probably read on and on about Zelda 64 and what it's supposed to have. No more. The most anticipated N64 game of all time is here at the show, and here's what the game actually controls like.

The controls are relatively simple: The A button controls Link's sword, and once you find the Ocarina (read: piccolo), pressing it will emit a small sound from the instrument. The top C button switches to an overhead view, changing your perspective to include a broader visual range. The left C, bottom C, and right C buttons allow you to manage the objects you pick up and use throughout the game, such as Pachinko balls, hammers, bombs, and boomerangs. However, the B button has alternate functions. If you encounter another character, for example, you will use B to talk to that person. But if no one is nearby, the B button will be your action or search mechanism. The R Trigger button will be your shield. The most interesting control, however, is the Z Trigger, known as the "attention" button. With Z, you will be able to take a closer look at whatever item or apparatus is in closest proximity to you, enabling you to move around that object or character's 3D space without losing sight of it. This utility takes the fighting engine one step further in that the character's perspective moves independently of his actions, imitating real life, so that you'll no longer have to keep refocusing every time you change directions. You'll have the ability to lock the camera on to a specific target or enemy, giving you the freedom to simply fight the enemy instead of fighting the enemy and the camera at the same time. With the camera locked you can attack and dodge enemy attacks, truly implementing battle techniques like never before.

Look for Zelda to hit store shelves before November 23.

2.

After all of the hype, after seeing all of the amazing screenshots, was Zelda really as good as Nintendo has been saying? In a word, yes.

You feel as though you are completely free to do anything and go anywhere because you can.

Personally I have been so excited to play Zelda, and I really thought my expectations were so high that there would be no way the game could actually live up to them. But once I got the controller in my hand and started to play, I played for an hour and finally had to be dragged away.

The amazing feeling of being on an adventure in a vast world is really what the game is all about. Link's world of Hyrule is so vast and so detailed that it seems like a real place. The veil of fog that is typical in N64 games is barely noticeable; you can actually see really far. The game is seen from a variety of camera angles, some fixed, some panning, but most of the time a behind-the-back view. At any time though, the view can be changed to a first-person view for examining objects or aiming the slingshot or bow and arrow. The intelligent camera really gives the game a cinematic look and feel.

Different weapons and items can be assigned to three of the four camera buttons. The A and B buttons are used for sword play and interacting with objects in Links world. At the top right of the screen a word such as speak or open will appear to let you know that you can perform those tasks at that particular moment. The trigger button is used to select targets, if you hold it down the camera stays locked onto that particular enemy, giving players the ability to attack their opponents from all angles. And if you want to turn and run away, all you have to do is let go of the trigger button and you regain regular control of Link.

At first I didn't know how I would like the automatic jumping. But since the game is really an adventure game and not a platform game it doesn't seem to matter that much. Besides, it's superfun to use Link's grappling hook. It's really cool, almost all Spiderman style, swinging from rooftop to rooftop.

Zelda 64 has big giant scary bosses that make you take a deep breath when they appear onscreen. All of the bosses I saw were incredible and each had a weakness that you had to find and exploit. One boss was a giant fire-breathing creature, and you had to throw a bomb down its throat. Then you had to wait until the bomb exploded inside of it until it was safe to attack.

Riding on horseback while shooting your bow and arrow, being able to push and shove nearly everything possible, finding secrets hidden under tombstones, the familiar sounds and music from past Zelda games - everything about the game is great. I can't wait to go play it some more.

3.

Having played Zelda 64 extensively already back in November (I'm not bragging, really), I don't have as much to say about the E3 version of the game. Yes, there are quite a few areas that weren't in the last version, but there's not all that much that I didn't mention already last time. I will say that the Hook Shot is totally awesome (zipping around from rooftop to rooftop in 3D is incredible), and I found it interesting that in one of the Boss scenes, the adult Link had blue clothing on instead of green (the Blue Ring perhaps?). Some of the new Bosses are really nice too, though I still think they're a bit on the easy side (once you figure out that you have to whack the fire dragon Boss with a hammer to stun him, for example, you'll be able to put him away rather quickly).

Some of the key story scenes are done exceptionally well. For example, there's this one area in Hyrule Castle's courtyard where you have to sneak past a bunch of guards (if you get caught, you go back to the entrance). Once you get through, you meet up with Princess Zelda (this is apparently very early in the game), who explains the story of the Triforce and the three sacred stones and all that good stuff. She also explains how she doesn't trust Ganondorf, one of her father's servants, and while she's doing this, you can see him (Ganon) through a window, kneeling before the king. As Link and Zelda peer in the window, Ganon suddenly turns his eye toward Link, as if he somehow knew that he was there all along. It's an exciting tidbit (imagine the fear in young Link), and the choreography of the whole scene is just perfect. I can't wait to see what else they've got in store...

Anyway, that's all for now. Expect to see a lot more on Zelda in the coming months both here on videogames.com and in the pages of
EGM.

4.

After waiting in line for what seemed like hours, I finally made my way through the mob scene surrounding Zelda. The control scheme is very simple to use, and the Z-button lock-on targeting is a very useful tool. Once you're locked onto an enemy, Link will constantly face him, sidestepping around the target and directing all his attacks at that location. It typically picks the closest enemy, so if another one is sneaking up behind you, letting go and pressing Z again will acquire the new target and spin Link around to face him instead. The left, right, and bottom C buttons are used for different weapons, such as the slingshot. The first-person slingshot view can be quite disorienting, but once I got the hang of it, I was shooting a giant spider's eye out with deadly accuracy. The graphics are really quite incredible, especially the animation. Even opening up a simple treasure chest looks pretty breathtaking. The dungeons are faithful to the original Zelda game, as sometimes destroying all the enemies in a room will open a door, or cause an item to appear. All in all, I was pretty amazed with the game.