‘Mario Kart’ & ‘Ocarina of Time’ Played With Oculus Rift
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Things are really starting to heat up on the virtual reality headset front.
Things are really starting to heat up on the virtual reality headset front. First, Valve Corporation, developer of the Steam Machine brand, decides to partner up with Oculus Rift , and then Sony, an entity that’s never too proud to ape its rival’s designs begins dropping hints of a similar project for PlayStation. It’s the motion control arms race all over again.
Luckily, the intrepid gamers of the Internet are on hand to lend a little whimsy to the argument. Last month, Game Rant reported on an interesting spin on the new technology, that saw individual devs retool retro classics for first-person play. The idea, it seems is catching — and now, tens, if not hundreds of old-school remakes are on their way down the bright green pipeline.
The latest examples to hit the web, courtesy of developers DarkAkuma, Apex Studios and YouTube user Chadtronic, center on three of Nintendo’s best-loved series. The first, Mario Kart — available to check out above – features a remixed version of the Double Dash track Mario Circuit, now viewed from a near-wheel’s eye perspective.
Playtest no.2 features beloved Zelda title Ocarina of Time, with players now adopting a new behind-the-eyeballs view of Kokiri Forest. As is typical of these Oculus Riftremakes, the action appears that much more immediate and involvingthan do the standard titles, with boulders bearing down on Link ala Raiders of the Lost Ark .
Video number three continues the Nintendo trend with a look at the Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker . Unfortunately, the port still requires a few bug-squashing, glitch-grabbing fixes, with certain items, like the bow and arrow and King of Red Lions boat failing to respond to free-look commands.
As Chadtronic himself states during the playthrough, even the act of walking up and down a sandy beach benefits greatly from the added immersion of the Oculus Rift. Of course, many of these titles were never designed with such connectivity and immersion in mind, though their obvious suitability does bode well for those games that are designed for VR, not to mention with much better graphics.
What other retro titles deserve an Oculus Rift makeover? Is the technology destined for greatness or gimmick status? How should these games be reworked to accommodate VR control? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to check in with all of the latest Nintendo news, right here on Game Rant.
The latest Mario Kart outing – Mario Kart 8 will appear in stores and online — via the Nintendo eShop – on May 30, 2014.
Follow Sam on Twitter @ GamingGoo.
Sources:, Chadtronic (YouTube)