Back when Ocarina of Time came out on the Nintendo 64, I was able to play through it and I really enjoyed it. Back then, I wasn't particularly good at videogames and I remember I had to use a strategy guide in order to complete it. Fast forward to now and I decided to download the classic on my 3DS, thinking buying the game outright was a better deal than the N64 expansion on the switch. I am happy to say that the Nintendo 3DS version of the game is simply impeccable.
Having gotten better at games over the years, I decided to make sure I got through this game with no assistance and I was successful in that endeavor. The dungeons, puzzles, and quests are a lot of fun to figure out. Each dungeon feels fun and challenging in its own way. My personal favorite dungeon was probably the spirit temple, as there were a lot of neat ideas built into it that were fun to figure out. Also, the gameplay didn't feel dated at all. The only major issues I recall was having to hit the L button to pull the camera behind Link. Outside of that, there are many quality of life improvements that made the game feel streamlined and so the puzzles were a joy to solve.
Performance on the handheld was quite solid. Though there were times where I noticed the frame rate would tank. In the final boss fight, there was a lot of effects on screen, causing a noticeable slowdown. Fortunately, these issues didn't lead to any issues defeating the boss. Given that the game is 23 years old, the character models look a bit dated, but it has a charm that made me nostalgic and I didn't mind at all.
Overall, the game is absolutely worth the $20 I paid for it and I recommend it to anyone looking to play the game again. I've always had a soft spot for Zelda titles and the 3DS is, in my opinion, the best way to play it.