We’re just a few weeks away from the release of Nintendo’s Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and IGN’s Logan Plant (a Nintendo Wire alumnus!) recently got the chance to preview the remake. There isn’t a whole lot of new info or footage, but there are a few key takeaways and nuggets of information for those that are patiently waiting for November 5th. The full preview is beautifully written and incredibly smart, so go check it out if you can, but for those who want a quick rundown, you can find one below:
First and foremost, Logan’s preview hammers home that this is not a 1:1 remake, detailing expanded dialogue from characters in Kokiri Forest and Castle Town as well as new and expanded cutscenes in the Forest Temple. There are thoughtfully revamped puzzles as well, with the puzzle you need to solve to get the Kokiri Sword being entirely redone. Since you no longer need to learn the intricacies (or challenges) of the N64 version’s camera controls and using Z-targeting to manipulate your field of view, the puzzle has been changed to instead focus on Link being able to jump on command, being the first time in the remake you’re required to jump to solve a puzzle. The same idea of educating the player on how this game’s world and controls work persists in the updated version but it’s now executed within the remake’s parameters, meaning an early puzzle is still an effective tutorial.
There’s also a big focus on the idea that the new rendition is very interested in presenting a more logically constructed world. Rather than floating platforms bridging gaps, giant holes in the middle of rooms, or switches causing ladders to drop down from nowhere, every piece of the world you’re interacting with is tangibly and believable connected to the environment. That floating platform is now a crumbling bridge, that giant hole is now a pool of acid, and that switch is now connected to the ladder it drops down as part of a larger mechanism that you can see working as you deftly plink a Deku Seed into the switch with the Fairy Slingshot. They’re small changes that ground this world without taking away the fantasy elements, instead enhancing them with believable logic.
Finally Logan smartly points out a big throughline from the original Ocarina of time to this remake, illustrating his point with the history of the original game’s Z-targeting as explained by the designers in an Iwata Asks interview from 2011. Inspired by a trip to Toei Kyoto Studio Park where the designers saw a stage show featuring one samurai fighting off several ruffians, Z-targeting has Link focus on one enemy, while the others circle around, waiting their turn like the choreography of a stage fight. The Ocarina of Time remake seemingly carries forward the stage inspirations in its set design, lighting cues, and overall world-building. It’s an incredible point being made and really showcases the level of care that has gone into reimagining one of the greatest games of all-time.
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake release date
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo Switch 2 releases on November 5th, digital copies will be available on the Nintendo eShop for $59.99, while physical copies will be available at retail stores and online for $69.99. You can pre-order your copy on Amazon today.
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