Video: Ocarina of Time's Kakariko Village Gets a HD Makeover In Unreal Engine 4

SIIIIIGH!

I have mixed feelings towards this. It looks pretty and all but it just doesn't feel right to me.

Lawsuit incoming...

I'm still unsure if something like Unreal Engine 4 is quite right for a Zelda game, but I can't deny that this rendering of Kakariko Village is beautiful.

That looks fantastic. Zelda 3D Maker please Nintendo

My gosh now I want the new Zelda game even more. Nintendo I hope u made the right choice to push it back even though I know it was for the best but I am ready for a release date please 😇

Nintendo are holding gaming back. All of their consoles are s generation behind with power and the 3DS screen resolution is a joke. They will never make graphically stunning games like this because they're stuck in the past.

I'd pay a ton of cash to be able to play a Zelda game with these graphics. Although I admit for some reason this video does seem a little odd — the camera angle maybe?

I hate the bouncing camera. That's the reason why I can't stand Gears of War.

@Nerevar
They aren't holding anything back. There are consoles that have ultra realistic graphics. Nintendo's offering is not about graphics, it is about gameplay. Maybe their products are not for you?

@clark_quente "Running? In gears of war? Not without a migraine you don't!"

@Luna_110 Going by those sales numbers, their products are not for a lot of people.
Main problem for me are the online and hardware limitations their still stuck on.

Man, they made my all time favorite even more beautiful...I didnt realize how much i wanted Zelda U until now.

Looks nice, but... isn't that a bit too much grass for a village people actually live in?

The bouncing camera, as mentioned, is the only issue I have with this.

It's nice, but what does it prove? That you can make something "look" nice if you throw a massively-power system behind it that no console this gen can pull off, all the while doing nothing regarding the actual game.

Looks nice. Not sure why people think it looks off. You can have realistic touches while still being fantasy or cartoony.

Alright, guy's, I need your help. I have to pick between Splatoon and SMM. What do you recommend I choose?

@Discostew Um, the ps4 could definitely run that. And according to modern gamers, the ps4 is already "outdated".

I don't like the fact that the camera rocks backs and forth... it doesn't really make sense for it to do that in a 3rd person type game.
@ianolivia

right, just like all the other lawsuits that happened when people made HD stuff of Nintendo.

Whenever someone takes envoriments from N64 games and makes HD remakes of them, they somehow end up looking very generic.

Btw yeah, that bouncy camera. It's a bit distracting.

This is Hank Hill's worst nightmare come to life. Nothing's worst than grass left unmowed and lack of proper lawn care.

It looks amazing !

@Nerevar
'
" graphically stunning games like this because they're stuck in the past."
i find it odd that you say that even tho "The Legends of Zelda Wii U" looks prefect to me
i imagine that you don't like what Nintendo does so my question is why are you on a Nintendo fan site? not interested in the products they make don't play them that simple.

now back to this.

looks really good, but then again this could lead to troubles between Nintendo and this Person, but besides that this looks really coo! and really great look in UR4

Twilight princess would benefit greatly from this, not OoT or MM.

Oh dear God, the bloom is real! It's too real!!!

@GraveLordXD Thanks, that helped.

It really feels 1:1. However I would be nice if it was actually realistic instead of boxy. Still really nice effort.

Get rid of the motion blur and fix camera issues. Other than that, Nintendo should be making a Zelda game that looks similar to this in quality.

Looks absolutely beautiful! Can't wait for the NX's successor in 2022, which will likely be able to handle this.

Looks good, but somehow not fond of it. Something just feels... odd. Great effort though.

Holy crap this looks incredible!
I guarantee that if Nintendo showed off a Zelda game that looks as good as this you'd all be staining your pants with excitement! I know I would!

_{Language.-Morpheel}

It's one of the better efforts I've seen to show off Nintendo franchises in Unreal Engine 4.

See now this actually looks good, much better than those other sh!tty UE4 videos. Atmosphere is just as, if not, more important in games, especially in a Nintendo game. Though I'm not fond of that camera and there's too much grass, though that could easily be fixed.

@Nerevar
"Holding gaming back"? Huh, I didn't realise Nintendo cause gaming to stop? And "stuck in the past"? Which is why they continue to make games and consoles, improving every time, right?

Wow, just wow. It looks absolutely beautiful. I really wish Nintendo would embrace these more realistic graphics in some of their franchises. I hate to say it, but I have to agree with @Nerevar to an extent. I love Nintendo, and they will always be the only gaming company for me (Well, excluding a few PS1/PS2 titles), but I am sort of getting sick of being behind in terms of graphical capabilities. I mean, trees and bushes that you can see generate over the horizon of 3D World's Sprawling Savannah? Seriously? That's the kind of thing I'd expect from the N64's generation. I really wish Nintendo had opted for the more realistic, Twilight-Princess-esque design for Zelda Wii U, as seen in the E3 2011 tech demo, as opposed to the somewhat cartoonish, cel-shaded design. The footage of Link running through the sunset field at the VGA's was pretty, I'll admit, but I think it could be far better. This video proves that you don't have to entirely abandon cartoony elements to make a realistic and beautiful game.

Just for the record, The Wind Waker is my favorite Zelda game.

@locky-mavo improving every time.. Improving..
The game cube? What an embarrassment. The Wii was a joke. The Wii u while better is also a joke. There's no improving going on.

@Not_Soos It does look beautiful. It also costs a [email protected]*!ton to make entire games look like that, in both money and time, and in both cases the costs are increasing for decreasing improvements. Nintendo has chosen not to bear those costs, and as they increasingly have to go it alone the choice grows less feasible.

This looks great. The camera is a little to close to Link for my taste, I don't think I could play this for too long without getting a headache. Nice work though.

@Nerevar "Nintendo are holding gaming back."
Ridiculous. The idea that a single company like Nintendo is holding back gaming is absurd.

@Aromaiden it's crazy isn't it? And yet here we are. The biggest offender is the 3DS. They released the new 3DS WITHOUT upgrading the screen resolution. Holding gaming back. And then there's the ps vita witch actually tried to modernise handheld gaming but it's been struggling.

@Nerevar they couldn't have upgraded the resolution without making it a completely different console. Wait for their next handheld, that one will have better resolution.

Exactly. But what do they do? Charge people the same price. Nintendo have done this since the gameboy, bit by bit rereleasing the same handheld with minor upgrades while people fork out the same price. Instead of truely moving forward they're happy to keep taking people's money without bringing something worth while to the table. They couldn't even make a proper 2nd stick on the new 3ds. Holding gaming back

I don't view these HD videos as potential gameplay graphics for Nintendo IP's but rather a fan made tribute to awesome titles.

@Not_Soos I disagree with everything you said except your choice for best Zelda game. So we're all good then

@Nerevar #45 The Vita struggled because Sony failed to properly support and advertise the Vita, and in general failed to make it appealing to most consumers, The Vita failed in comparison to 3DS because of the errors and mistakes Sony made with it.
Anyways, I'd say the lack of advancement regarding the hardware in handheld consoles is due to a lack of competition in that area. As of right now, Nintendo basically dominates it. So if your point is that Nintendo is purposely restricting the rapid advancement of hardware in the handheld console market, then sure I can see that.

@Not_Soos I agree! With everything.

Mouth drops This looks so good. I wonder what Twilight princess or Skyward Sword would look like on this engine.

@ReshaSong They'd probably look entirely different; like they wouldn't even look like the same game.

@nerevar

You seem hopelessly deluded, and unfamiliar with the history of Nintendo and its role as a cornerstone of the industry. Top of the line graphics require a PC full stop, after that we are just bickering over preference (cartoon style, retro, etc). Those console revisions you cite have kept prices to a minimum and make gaming more accessible; I would argue they push the envelope simply by drawing more and more attention to a diverse and simply fun collection of games.

I feel sorry for you

@Nerevar

I feel sorry for you

Oh. For what exactly, a differing opinion?

I should be sorry that you can't enjoy Nintendo products like a normal person because you are obsessed with graphics over fun.

I'm truely thankful that we have a company like Sony taking the lead with gaming while a fossil like Nintendo is getting left behind. I feel sorry for people like you supporting a company that does nothing for gaming while are happy making money from those rubbish amiibo toys. That's basically what Nintendo is now, a toy manufacturer ripping people off with their 'mascots'

@Nerevar I feel Nintendo's done a decent job of avoiding the negative trends of the gaming industry (up until now, and the sucess of amiibo), specifically microtransactions and overpriced DLC. They definitely have strong mascot brand recognition, so it's hard to pass up making a lot money cashing in, selling trinkets and whatnot (look at Angry Birds/Rovio, that stuff is everywhere). Konami isn't even going to make non-mobile device games, other than metal gear online. The times they are a chaingin. I don't think it's all bad though.

Just for the record: I don't hate Nintendo. The N64 was an incredible console that helped change Gaming for the better. But it's been down hill from there. And I have to have a 3DS because natsume refuse to put a harvest moon on vita.

Wow. I think it's perfect.

Your sympathy is loathsome, I don't judge Sony gamers on their tastes and preferences. Why should I play referee to some other console when I choose not to play it?

As your posting record shows you have rarely deviated from a habit of criticism. Dissing Nintendo makes you a poor ambassador for Sony as well, gaming is a hobby that shouldn't be limited by loyalty to a brand or console.

Cool video! I never really expected these comments to turn into a console opinion war. Gaming is for fun and since everybody is different, people will find what makes them happy on different systems and with different games and genres. End of story. I suppose I am what you would call a 'Nintendo fanboy' but that doesn't mean I'm a hater on other systems. Each and every console has its pros and cons. I was obsessed with Nintendo as a kid, then sucked into Playstation 1 and 2 all through middle and high school and now am back with the Wii U. All the while, I've had every Gameboy iteration there ever was. The point is, games are for fun and I believe you can find that anywhere on any system and there is no 'right' or 'wrong' side to choose. It's all down to preference so people should stop arguing about dumb things. :S

I would have to say wow if this came out in 2006. Nowadays I have seen better, sorry but this generation is too flashy. It's pretty much the same thing I said to the FFVII remake too. The time for opportunity already passed, right now any flashy project in HD has been seen and done to death already.

I made fun of this when they tried to do Mario, but this is actually a wonderful experience! All the building were the same buildings from Ocarina of Time, but it all looked great, with the leaves falling, the puddles of water, the realistic parallax of the mountains in the background, and the music he used just tied it all together!

@Nerevar
Oh man what have you done? How dare you voice a personal opinion about Nintendo that isn't anything other than praise! How dare you want more from the company that you've supported for years? How dare you have desires to see your hobby evolve! Won't anyone think of the children!

I do agree somewhat, I don't think that Nintendo deliberately set out to hold themselves back, but I do fear that they're growing a little lazy and relying on their reputation more than their innovation. The Wii U being dying off so early, the N3DS only utilising its power for one game (could be wrong on this) and the loss of third party support. These all suggest that they're no longer the industry leaders they used to be and are instead, reliant on repeating the same success they've had with previous products. E.g. NSMB games being near identical, the Wii U aiming for the exact same market share as Wii, no new IP's outside of Splatoon.

Though in all fairness "more of the same" is very much a Japanese concept so maybe not Nintendo exclusive, but it does influence them all the same. I agree that can be very frustrating for Nintendo fans who want more.

@yannah21 I'd go with splatoon now, mario maker later. They're both great though, you can't lose.

Apparently it is a twenty year old guy from Australia that did this on his own.
He started studies this year at the Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE).

I usually HATE how unreal engine games look and feel. From the demos and some games but This looks incredible. It doesn't look cheesy or a bad computer game like some do. This actually flows together and creates something wonderful.

I have a few issues with it on a technical level but my main gripe was the quantity of snow. Ok, include some on distant mountain tops, that'd be a nice touch, but there shouldn't be any near the village whatsoever.

Unless that was all bloom lighting making the mountains look like that. Which is a whole seperate issue. Otherwise I kind of enjoyed it.

The running camera movement makes me dizzy XD

You do realise that he'll be running this on a computer far more powerful than the Wii U! Just because it can be done, doesn't mean it can be run!

Looks great! Sure there's a few details people have mentioned but it's pretty great if you ask me. What would be really nice now would be to see people play with rendering effects. I'd love to see how this looks with the Zelda U style rendering or even something watercoloury like in Skyward Sword, or a hybrid of the two perhaps.

This is ... Wow. But everyone is right, cool tribute but just not right for Zelda. But something like this style would be good for like when they put link in soul calibur.

Hmm, correct me if I'm wrong but at least the Nintendo 64 could tell the difference between what a footstep on grass and a footstep on concrete sounds like

That being said this is a very nice rendition of the village. It doesn't even feel that out of place either for the Zelda Universe.

Hopefully Twilught Princess HD will look great too.

Hmm, correct me if I'm wrong but at least the Nintendo 64 could tell the difference between what a footstep on grass and a footstep on concrete sounds like

That being said this is a very nice rendition of the village. It doesn't even feel that out of place either for the Zelda Universe.

Hopefully Twilught Princess HD will look great too.

Ugh, that camera makes me queasy. Still, really nicely done, it looks fantastic, he's done a fabulous job of recreating Kakariko down to every last detail.

However I'm glad Nintendo's own Zelda games usually opt for a more creative and original art style. It's the reason Wind Waker (even the non-HD GameCube version) still looks great to this day, while Twilight Princess - which released years later - has aged very poorly. Graphics-wise.

I'm sure Zelda U will still look attractive say 10 or 15 years on, by which time this Unreal demo will look very dated and low-res.

No reason why cartoony visuals can't benefit from improved graphics. People don't think it would be awesome if we had a 3D Mario that looked like a Pixar movie?

Lolling at the people saying this looks weird and not right for Zelda. All this is is really good graphics. Technology is advancing every day. Even it it takes 50+ years, games will eventually look like this. Yes, even Nintendo.

Wow, that looks lovely.

@Nerevar I'm not sure if you are a flaming bait troll, but if you are being serious here, then let me point out some flaws in your argument. I will ignore the more opinionated points since, well, they are opinions.

"All of their consoles are s generation behind" Actually just two are behind if you want to be technical.

"The game cube? What an embarrassment. The Wii was a joke. The Wii u while better is also a joke. There's no improving going on." You seem to be confused here about what "improve" means. It can mean taking small steps going up. The Wii U is an obvious improvement due to its bigger game capacity, higher resolution, and bigger specs over the Wii. Then again, that somehow is not an improvement at all...

"And then there's the ps vita witch actually tried to modernise handheld gaming but it's been struggling." Probably because Sony failed to strike a chord with the market. They royally screwed up the launch with those memory cards and failed to give most people a reason to own a Vita. Sony also tried the PSP Go and that failed miserably.

"Instead of truely moving forward they're happy to keep taking people's money without bringing something worth while to the table" Nintendo DS introduced a second screen and was a smash hit, but I guess that doesn't count for anything...

"That's basically what Nintendo is now, a toy manufacturer ripping people off with their 'mascots'" Uh...most toy companies "rip people off" with mascots. Matter of fact, what is your point here?

Are you convinced that upgraded graphics are the only improvements in gaming?

Anywho, back to topic, while it does seem visually impressive, I'm not moved at all. I prefer the much more colorful and simple design of Ocarina on the N64 and 3DS. I'm not a big fan of realism, though I am occasionally impressed by large improvements.

Seriously I think I almost shed a tear watching this, the music, great detail in the village, but young link could be better. Still a great demo to show off, I really hope we will be playing a Zelda similar to this on the NX someday in the future.

I'm not sure why people are criticising this for not being good enough or not being able to compete with their beloved Nintendo. This is at best an art project, it's someone using the tools at their disposal to create a homage to something they clearly love (and that's a good thing). He's not competing with Nintendo, nor is he trying to show them up, he's simply giving us fans a chance to see one of our favourite environments in UE4. Personally I think that it looks fantastic, sure it's not exactly how I would have done things, but part of the beauty of art is learning to appreciate the artists vision. I'd love to see more from this chap.

Wow, that looks beautiful. Would love to play a new Zelda game with these kinds of graphics.

This comes down to whether you feel the N64 graphics carried a charm with them. I feel that a large part of the atmosphere is missed... Kakariko village is a small burg indeed but not abandoned, overgrown with knee-high grass. The sun glinting eerily and drowning out all the surroundings? Zelda titles are king at projecting a vibrant and lived in world. So this kind of modern dubbing is hardly a threat, and more of a gee that's neat. But not befitting of Nintendo.

This looks great! I think people need to calm down and a little and just take this for what it is: a fan project. People are raging about this like it's a trailer for the next Zelda game, it's just a guy who wanted to recreate a piece of a game he liked and show what he can do with 3D modeling. I think it looks great although I agree it doesn't quite feel like a Zelda game, but I really don't think that was the point.

@OptometristLime
But it's not intended as a threat, why are you concerned with that or how it may or not be befitting of Nintendo?

The water! !!!

@Jimtaro

Sorry but I don't quite process what you are trying to say. If it's that a Nintendo themed level should not be compared to the benchmark, that being the original level what comparison would you suggest?

I hope you don't consider this snippet to be impressive enough to stand against modern gen efforts. The only reason I'm going on about the atmosphere is because it's a tangible part of the Zelda experience, maybe for you it's there but I think this could be a tech demo for any game.

@OptometristLime
What I'm saying is that it's not a tech demo and shouldn't be judged as such, despite a lot of people doing just that for some very odd reason. I've not considered whether it's impressive enough to stand against modern efforts, or that it needs to be compared to the original, simply because it wasn't intended for such a task and to do so would be illogical.

The creator has simply decided to pay homage (note: not compete with) to a video game location close to his heart, he's used the tools available to him to recreate it as best as he can and wants to share the results with fellow fans. Not to insult his skill, but it's like a child drawing a picture and the parents criticising it for not being an exact match of the real thing. It just doesn't make sense.

Now THIS is more like it!!

So much better than that trashy Metroid one a while back.

@Aromaiden I was thinking the same thing. It almost looks too good. It doesn't "look Zelda" to me.

Now this actually looks like an artstyle that fits Zelda.

Lot's of criticism on this one. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I felt like it was a wonderful true HD update as opposed to Windwaker's bloomfest and it remains faithful to the original cartoon design. I would pay full price for a remake on this scale of Ocarina of Time.

This is beautiful. Would be awesome to see Zelda U like this, but IDK if the Wii U had that much power. Can someone answer that?

@Jimtaro Really? Saying stuff like "Nintendo are holding gaming back", "there's no improving going on", "I feel sorry for you", and "I'm truely thankful that we have a company like Sony taking the lead with gaming while a fossil like Nintendo is getting left behind" aren't the opinions of a poor, innocent chap who is getting bullied by the big bad Nintendrones. They're the ravings of a troll.

@Kage_88
No, they're not ravings of a troll, they're simply someone's opinions which anyone has the right to have. However it's the knee jerk offensive reactions of some people that do come across as ravings. By all means debate and discuss an intelligent response, but telling someone that they shouldn't be on this site simply because they don't blindly support Nintendo 100% (for example) reeks of mindless fanboy behaviour.

Instead how about asking why he thinks Nintendo is holding gaming back, or why he thinks Sony does things better? Or best of all, accept that some people have become jaded with Nintendo for perfectly valid reasons? Anything is better than the instant "you don't like Nintendo so you're stupid" response, that really doesn't help anyone.

@TeeJay Well my main issue is more directed towards the video and presentation itself, as it felt off to me. I'm fine with the improved graphics though; I thought they looked pretty.

@Jimatro #65 Lol, that first paragraph.

Wow, this looks pretty neat! The camera motion doesn't look very nice, but other than that, I like it!

Beautiful, this half-realistic style is what best suit 3D Zelda games, in my opinion. It's a game where I want to feel that I'm right there. Since Nintendo showed that Zelda Wii U first demo, I'm wanting a Zelda like that. Hey, it's Nintendo's fault.

@Nerevar So in an alternative world where Nintendo didn't exist video games will be more advanced? That thought made me chuckle.

@Discostew The PS4 could definitely run this. Heck, the Wii U could too.

In one word: NO ! This looks horrible and is severely headache inducing as well.

The music is from the album "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Hyrule Symphony", released in 1999, if anyone was interested. More of a string ensemble than symphony really, but some nice stuff nonetheless. There's also a medley of the older games which includes a short Ballad of the Windfish arrangement that's still my favorite.

As others have said, it looks very pretty... and soulless.

This is delicious looking.

Very nice, person who made it should be proud.....but it's lacking Nintendo.

Pretty and all that but it definitely feels off. Leave it to Nintendo themselves to do it right.

The best one I've seen so far, certainly more in keeping with the style of Zelda than others. Just a shame there was no Graveyard or Dampe in this video.

@BoilerBroJoe

Thanks for the heads up on the CD. I'm listening to it on YouTube right now! I love all the orchestral Zelda music, I can't wait to go see the Zelda Symphony in Dublin this November!

@BoilerBroJoe Thank you. I didn't know about that release at all.

@TeslaChippie Probably because it doesn't include any characters nor items except for Link.

(That applies to anyone saying it's "soulless").

That looks amazing. I would love a game like this. It looks like it would be fun just to explore the wide world.

Looks alright but Zelda WW HD looked a lot better than this. And also please god no on the motion blur bouncy camera. Zelda is not at all affiliated with gears of war and will never be.

Love this, but I don't like how it the environment feels cold which really is against how it is in the games.

@KingofSaiyans First off, that's a wonderful troll comment.

Second, the PS4 can't even pull a game off like this without the game being boringly linear and only 4 hours long.

@subpopz hmm, so a game like The Witcher 3 focuses on 'being pretty' and not being fun? Same could be said about Metal Gear Solid V or Forza Horizon 2

@KingofSaiyans I do own both PS4 and Wii U and enjoy both.

I just get upset when so much focus is on the visuals when the games are still great. I don't think Pikmin 3 would be a better game with more polygons and higher res textures just like I don't think Metal Gear Solid V would be a worse game with slightly less visual flair. Beefier specs don't always mean higher quality games as we've seen too many times this generation already.

That amount of people criticizing the video for not being good because the graphics are too good so it's not Nintendo-y or getting all defensive over Nintendo's lower end hardware is quite comical.

Yes, graphics don't make a game good by themselves, but nor are they irrelevant (or you'd still be playing of the NES), and there certainly isn't a reason you should have to be choosing between game play over graphics when you could just have both.

This did look surprisingly good, Link-model included!

I'd rather play NES Zelda with these graphics than the original NES graphics even with NES gameplay. Its true that graphics don't make the game, but amazing games deserve amazing graphics. N64 Zelda is perfectly playable on the N64. But the graphics are now clearly dated. 3DS Zelda OoT and MM looks better but there's still a lot of work that could be done. We don't need to discuss OoT's gameplay because we already know thats amazing.