Nintendo's Ocarina of Time Remake for Switch 2 Blends Nostalgia With New Detail

Nintendo is bringing The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time back to the Switch 2 as a $60 remake, and a first-hand preview from CNET suggests the project aims to reshape how players remember the original.

The author, who played the Nintendo 64 game extensively in graduate school, described an early hour with the remake as leaving them in a "happy haze." For anyone who never played the original, the CNET writer said, the remake could feel like an entirely new game. For veterans, it may become their new mental image of Ocarina of Time.

The preview flags a broader push by Nintendo to rebuild classic catalog titles as full new versions. The effort began with StarFox earlier in the year and now continues with Ocarina of Time, another Nintendo 64 game. According to CNET, both remakes feel so new in their remade forms that they almost read as original works.

At the same time, the writer indicates that Ocarina of Time remains a beat-for-beat return to the source material as far as they could tell, with a few new additions and possibly other undiscovered elements.

In the preview session, the author played the opening section, where Link begins in his Kakariko forest village. Link can now jump and swim, with the writer diving for rupees. The new voice acting was acceptable, and the character animations won the writer over. The art style was compared to a more immersive version of the look used in Link's Awakening or Echoes of Wisdom, blended with Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

The Great Deku Tree, with its dripping root mouth, now appears more sinister or overwhelming, according to the preview. The visuals were described as more ramped up than even Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom, though on a smaller scale: fewer sweeping vistas, more detailed foliage and buildings.

Running across Hyrule Field and exploring Hyrule Castle Town, the author wondered whether the town had this many characters or this much bustle before. Playing as Adult Link in the Forest Temple, the writer found that the graphical overhaul made some environments feel totally new, even after previously finishing the temple in the original and in the Nintendo 3DS remaster.

The remake also adds an option to perform the Ocarina's spell songs by singing them through the Switch 2 microphone, or by pressing buttons as in the original. The CNET writer tried it, felt ridiculous, and found that it worked. The feature was described as gimmicky but fun.

Nintendo's holiday Switch 2 lineup leans heavily on throwbacks, according to CNET: Switch Sports Resort followed by Ocarina of Time. The author expressed a desire for original games as well, but said titles like Metroid Ravenous and the new Kirby and the World Beyond appear to be lined up for 2027.

That timing raises an open question in the preview: whether Nintendo is using remakes to test the Switch 2's graphics capabilities while developing future titles, or trying to hold attention until more Switch owners migrate to the new console. The author said they liked what they played but remained unsure whether it would motivate them to replay all of Ocarina of Time. That answer, they noted, will come soon.

The piece offers a personal, subjective look at a preview build rather than a full review. Details such as the complete scope of changes, final visual performance, and any unannounced content remain unconfirmed. Nothing in the material indicates whether the remake will include the original game as a playable option, or how the pricing was determined.

What is clear from the preview is that Nintendo is treating Ocarina of Time as more than a touched-up re-release. The changes described are substantial enough to alter how the game looks and feels for returning players, while preserving the structure that made the original a landmark.