Older gamers will have fond memories of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. In fact, for a lot of gamers, it will likely have been their first Legend of Zelda game period if you’re of the Nintendo 64 generation. And oh boy, what a Legend of Zelda game it was. With a story that was as extensive as it was dark and creepy combined with some satisfying action and puzzle gameplay, it received the adoration of an entire generation. In the years afterwards, that adoration only became greater and greater with the passage of time, and the growth of nostalgia. Nintendo is fully aware of the power of that nostalgia, which is likely why we’re getting this bit of news that confirms all the rumors that we’ve been hearing.
Nintendo is proud to announce and confirm the existence of a modern remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo Switch 2. This confirmation even comes with a confirmed release window of 2026, which means that we’ll get to see this modern remake sometime this year. How do I know this? Well, it’s all from the brand new trailer that Nintendo just released on YouTube for Nintendo Direct 2026. You can watch that trailer below to see a UHD Link for yourself, as well as Nintendo’s own words about this remake:
Nintendo Direct 2026
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: The Nintendo 64 classic returns for a new generation in 2026, reborn exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2!
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Getting Nintendo Switch 2 Remake in 2026
Honestly, hearing the little bits of Saria’s Song playing throughout the trailer did indeed bring back a heft dose of nostalgia for me. I’m actually part of that generation where Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was a key part of my childhood. Hearing that music combined with the visuals, including the sight of a UHD Link with the Triforce glowing on his hand, brought back so many memories of Link waking up at the beginning, and then exploring around Kokiri Forest. Complete with no ability to manually jump, might I add. Only an auto-jump feature when you walk off of platforms and awkward camera angles.
Ahhh, those were good times, but that was for the original The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time all the way back in 1998. I do believe most people will hope that this modern remake for the Nintendo Switch 2 will feature not just graphical improvements, but also improvements to the core gameplay. Perhaps we might even get a bit of survival-lite gameplay reminiscent of Breath of the Wild? It would be quite fitting to see elements of modern Legend of Zelda make an appearance in this remake. At the very least, please give Link the ability to manually jump, Nintendo. Maybe even fix those awkward camera angles that made platforming artificially difficult at times? It’s just a thought from an older gamer who would like to see maybe just a few improvements to go along with the remake.
Oh well, at least we know that this The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is going to see a release this year. We have no idea exactly when this year, but it will be in 2026. And based on that trailer, I do believe that it will be worth the wait. Especially when we look at the reception for the previous remake for the Nintendo 3DS back in 2011.
Comments?
What do you all think? Are you eager to find out what this modern remake for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will be like? Did watching that trailer and hearing Saria’s Song give you chills down your spine? Tell us your listening thoughts in the comments section below.
Reviews