Nintendo has seemingly done the impossible: to take a game that is so beloved by so many and remake it to complete perfection for modern consoles and even new audiences. Taking the universally loved and widely considered “best game of all time” and making it relevant for the current generation of gamers is not an easy feat; there are generations of fans who have fond memories of Friday nights, Pizza Hut and sleepovers playing this game with friends. Then there are people like me who missed the original Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo 64 because we were a Sega/Playstation household.
So if you missed my first 2 hours of playthrough in our preview article, you can read it here.
After spending a good 20 hours with the game, daring to take on GTA 6 for the coveted Game of the Year bragging rights, I can wholeheartedly say that not only is this a stellar remake for the Switch 2, but one that has also climbed to the top of my greatest games of all time list.
It’s hard to believe a 28-year-old game has the staying power to satisfy its original fans while translating its best bits with modern sensibilities in mind, and bringing in brand-new fans. Yes, I’ve played Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, and I did enjoy them (flaws and all), but Ocarina of Time feels like it’s on a completely different level.
Tales From the Deku Tree
The story is the highlight here; you start out playing as Young Link, living in the Kokiri Forest with other little elves. Each elf gets their own fairy, and while the rest of the population has theirs, Link finally gets his own fairy and is called by the Great Deku Tree to travel to Hyrule Castle and save the Princess, who has been captured by the evil Ganondorf.
Throughout the journey, you travel to lava-filled volcanoes, magical forests, through a haunted desert, even through the body of a massive sea creature. The game is massive, and this is no understatement; the map is ridiculously large, and when I was following the next main story objective, I would get easily distracted talking to strangers who would talk me into helping them with various side quests, puzzles and hidden objects to discover.
Before I knew it, I had spent hours searching for gold spiders to free a family who had been captured and turned into makeshift spiders. It was a long quest that had nothing to do with the main story, but kept me exploring for hours. There are many examples of this in the game, so while it seemed like this may just be a quick romp around Hyrule, I was sucked in for hours and hours of gameplay that kept me coming back for more.
Gameplay-wise, of course it has been modernised to accommodate the Switch 2’s controls, and is best played with the GOAT of all controllers, the Switch 2 Pro Controller. The fight controls feel fluid and responsive, and there is even a quick menu which lets you quickly switch between items. This comes in handy if you are in a pinch in a fight or you run out of Deku seeds because you are trying not to use the auto-aim function.
There is an added jump button that lets you control the jump, which was originally not an option, as Link automatically cleared gaps when necessary. This is a welcome relief, I’m sure, for many of those automated jumps that would have undoubtedly plagued the original version. You can also sprint and roll around, which makes traversal more fluid and engaging.
A Familiar Tune
For me, having only experienced temples in the Breath of the Wild and the Tears of the Kingdom games, I was surprised that the dungeons here were so intense. They weren’t a quick couple of puzzles, and you’re done; I found myself easily getting lost in these dungeons with puzzles and bosses mixing things up.
There are also items to find in treasure chests in each, which help unlock maps and other goodies. I was genuinely surprised at how detailed and beautiful these were, and each dungeon was unique. If you find yourself having completed a mission and you are unsure what to do next, the “Threads of Time” tapestry will keep you in check and show a list of available missions.
There are also hints in here that can show you what area to go to. In between the main missions, you can gain new powers from the Great Fairies; the catch is that these will now cost you Rupees, so be sure to save them up; otherwise, you will have to run around and collect them to access these.
At the start of the game, there are voiced cutscenes that do a great job of introducing newcomers like me to this world, while also providing voice performances for scenes that were previously subtitled only. The first time you meet the guiding owl Kaepora Gaebora, you get a fully acted cutscene, and subsequent ones are minimised to a little bit of voice acting and then the rest in text.
Speaking of new features, you can use your controller’s microphone input and instead of inputting the buttons on the Ocarina to play music, you can hum the tune to have it play out in the game. I will admit, I did play around with this one, but as I don’t have any nostalgic attachment to the game, it felt a little wasted on me.
Even so, this is the first game in a long time where I have turned the music up while playing. The original score by Koji Kondo has been used as the foundation, while Masato Ohashi has infused the orchestral score with an updated design that adds so much character to each environment.
Final Thoughts
For what it’s worth, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time isn’t just a remake; it’s a modern reimagining of what is widely considered one of the best games ever made. After spending many hours with this latest version, I can find myself sitting on the side of complete agreement.
The story, characters, gameplay and music are above anything I have experienced before in a game, and I can’t wait to keep on playing to uncover all the secrets and collectibles.
Nintendo has taken an undisputed classic game and completely reinvigorated it for a new generation of fans. While some fans may be left wanting more from this remaster, it easily holds up as not only one of the best games of all time, but one of the best remakes that feels like it adds to the franchise’s canon rather than being a simple cash grab.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is an absolute masterpiece, in addition to being the best game on the Nintendo Switch 2, and one of the frontrunners for the best game of 2026.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Flawless performance; Beautiful visuals; A nassive open world that’s ripe for exploring
Lowlights: Absolutely nothing
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2
Available: November 5 2026
Review conducted on Nintendo Switch 2 with a code provided by the publisher.
Featured header image provided by the publisher.
