Nintendo did it again: the Ocarina of Time remake matches the whimsy, wonder and joy of the 1998 original, then surpasses it. It is the most faithful adaptation we could have asked for, and it brought back our nostalgia while making new nostalgia to boot. If you are interested in a phenomenal video game, buy it, especially if you loved the original or The Legend of Zelda in general.
We bought our own physical copy and beat the game on Nintendo Switch 2, playing both docked and handheld. We did not do everything there is to do, but we know this game well: we have played through Ocarina of Time about four times in our lives, on the Nintendo 64, in the 3DS version and now here. The screenshots in this review are from our own Switch 2 recordings.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time came out on November 5, 2026, as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, developed and published by Nintendo. On Nintendo’s US store it costs $69.99 for the physical edition and $59.99 digitally, and our price and editions guide compares them. We are leaving the story out of this review on purpose. If you have never played Ocarina of Time, you should get to see it for yourself.
The Same Whimsy, Wonder and Joy
Series producer Eiji Aonuma has called this remake “a faithful interpretation using modern technologies,” and that is exactly what it turned out to be. The shape of the game you remember is all here. What matters more is that the feeling came with it: the whimsy, the wonder and the plain joy of being in this world, all intact 28 years later.
For us, the moment that said it all was the opening. We have seen it on the Nintendo 64 and on the 3DS, and going through it all over again here had us smiling through a tear.
That is the nostalgia doing its work, and it would have been enough. But this remake does more than remind you of 1998. It has managed to make new nostalgia of its own, which is why we say it surpasses the original instead of just matching it.
Quality of Life Is a Godsend
Every change Nintendo made to how the game plays works: a free camera, a dedicated jump button, a sprint that comes from holding the roll, optional motion aiming, a conversation log for lines you missed, and Threads of Time, the new quest log. So do the bigger additions: a fully explorable Hyrule Castle Town, a day and night cycle that runs everywhere, and the Hall of Fallen Foes. Our guide to everything that has changed has the full list.
The easiest one to explain is quick swap. The 1998 game sent you to the pause menu every time you wanted to change boots. Here the Iron Boots sit on the D-pad, one press on and one press off, and holding R brings up a bar of your other items without stopping the game.
The dungeons all hold up, and those changes are a big part of why. With the friction gone, what is left is what made them great in the first place. Quality of life is the phrase we keep coming back to with this remake, and it is a godsend.
Incredible to See and Hear
The visuals, the voice acting and the orchestral soundtrack are all incredible, and the scenery in particular is insane.
This is also the first time Ocarina of Time has had a voiced cast, and our voice cast guide lists who plays whom.
What Did Not Work
Honestly, we struggled to come up with anything. The one thing we can point to is the microphone ocarina, which lets you hum or play songs into the Switch 2’s microphone. It is a little wonky. It is also optional, switched on in the Options menu, so you can leave it alone if it does not work for you.
Performance and Stability
Performance: It all holds up, and it is great both docked and handheld. Our 60 fps guide has the technical details.
Stability: We hit no crashes, no soft locks, no glitches and no other bugs in our playthrough.
Should You Buy the Ocarina of Time Remake?
Buy it if you are interested in a phenomenal video game, and especially if you loved the original or The Legend of Zelda in general. We have played this game on two earlier systems and still loved it, so having played it before is no reason to pass.
The one catch is hardware. It is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, so owners of the original Switch cannot play it, as our Switch 1 guide explains.
The verdict
What we loved
- Matches the whimsy, wonder and joy of the 1998 original
- Brings back the nostalgia and makes new nostalgia of its own
- Incredible visuals, voice acting and soundtrack, with insane scenery
- Every dungeon holds up, and the quality-of-life changes are a godsend
- Runs great docked and handheld
- No crashes, soft locks or bugs in our playthrough
What we did not
- The optional microphone ocarina is a little wonky
The most faithful adaptation we could have asked for, and one that surpasses the original. Anyone interested in a phenomenal video game should play it, especially fans of the original or The Legend of Zelda in general.
How we review games explains what our scores mean. A 5 is a game we expect to still be talking about years from now. People are still talking about the 1998 original 28 years later, and this remake earns the same. Every guide for the game is on our Zelda hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Ocarina of Time remake worth buying? Yes. It matches the whimsy, wonder and joy of the 1998 original, then surpasses it. We bought our own copy and would tell anyone interested in a phenomenal video game to get it.
Is the Ocarina of Time remake faithful to the original? Yes. It is the most faithful adaptation we could have asked for. The changes smooth out how it plays, with a free camera, a jump button and quick item swapping, and our guide to what has changed lists them.
Is it worth playing if you already played the original? Yes. We have played through Ocarina of Time about four times across the Nintendo 64, the 3DS version and this remake, and it still brought back the nostalgia and made new nostalgia too.
Does the Ocarina of Time remake run well docked and handheld? Yes. It was great both ways, and we hit no bugs in our playthrough.
Can you play the Ocarina of Time remake on the original Switch? No. It is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive.