Why this game, though? Why not Breath of the Wild 3 or Tears of the Kingdom but with even more boulder-bashing? Because Ocarina is the Godfather of 3D action-adventure games. It invented the lock-on targeting system that every game after it shamelessly stole. It gave us the first truly cinematic boss fights, where you had to wait for Ganondorf to do a little jig before you could stab his stupid, glowing jewel.
And the music! Remember playing the ocarina yourself? That little plastic controller that came with the game? You’d blow into the microphone and it sounded like a dying cat with a head cold. Now, on the Switch 2, you’ll probably be able to use the built-in microphone to play “Saria’s Song” while your dog howls along. It’s a beautiful mess.
Here’s a surprising fact: The original game’s code was so messy that the developers, from a company called Grezzo that specializes in remakes, had to reconstruct the entire engine from scratch. Imagine trying to rebuild a dinosaur skeleton from a pile of chewed-up chicken bones. That’s what this was. They couldn’t just slap a new coat of paint on it; they had to invent a whole new dinosaur.
Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake price leak may give clue about 1:1 status
Wait, It’s Not Actually a Remake?
Hold your horses. I said “remake,” but Nintendo is calling it a “dramatic reimagining.” What does that mean? It means they’ve kept the soul of the game—the time-traveling, the creepy Shadow Temple, the fact that Navi won’t shut up—but they’ve completely redone the graphics, controls, and even the dungeon layouts. Think of it as the original game that went to the gym, got a college degree, and then joined a rock band.
The biggest change? The combat. The old “lock-on-and-circle-strafe-until-the-weak-point-glows” system is gone. Now, Ocarina of Time on Switch 2 uses the seamless, physics-based combat from Breath of the Wild. Imagine dodging Volvagia’s fire attacks with a perfect parry. Or using the Hookshot to yank a Stalfos off a cliff. It’s chaotic and hilarious.
And the water temple? Oh, the water temple. The legendary, cursed, “I need to pause the game to look at a guide for three hours” water temple. They’ve completely redesigned it. No more water-level switches that make you run in circles. They’ve added a visual indicator above the door that tells you, in plain English, “HEY, YOU NEED THE IRON BOOTS FOR THIS.” Finally, Nintendo listened. They gave apologies for our collective trauma.
Nintendo Reveals Ocarina of Time Remake Release Date, a Zelda Switch 2
