With my all new 3DS XL in hand last night (got the blue one folks!) one of the first things I did after the system update was finally check out the Zelda 3DS trailer. Sure, nothing was going to be shown that I hadn’t already seen, but I really was wondering how the 3D itself affected the world. Previously, Nintendo had stated they really wanted the 3D itself to have a major impact on the next Zelda game.
The problem? It doesn’t. In fact, I would argue the 3D usage in Zelda 3DS only solidifies how gimmicky 3D can be when done for the sake of simply having it. Sure, the trees have depth, the mountains have depth, Link looks like he is flying off the screen as he is sprung in the air, and it all “feels neat”. But at no point did it feel essential.