The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time review: "Pure magic – the biggest, boldest remake I've ever played"

My first-ever introduction to The Legend of Zelda was my father – and, although he was always most drawn to the very old-school charm of the original 1987 NES title, little 12-year-old me fell wildly in love with a different entry: Ocarina of Time. More specifically, the 3DS release, and its accompanying special-edition console which we both spent hours browsing eBay for. I had never been so enamored by any world as I was Hyrule then.

Its rolling fields, puzzling dungeons, and enchanting music had me in a chokehold, and to this day, whenever I replay Ocarina of Time on my 3DS, I can hear my dad's timely advice, smell the pine-tree scent hanging in our old car, see the Disney princess decals adorning my childhood bedroom wall… It's become less of a game to me, and more of a second home – something I find myself coming back to time and time again.

That's precisely why, when Nintendo unveiled The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake for the Switch 2, my head was spinning. Would it too feel like home? After completing absolutely everything – and I mean everything – that the new game has to offer, I'm more than pleased to report that, yes, it certainly does. It's home with bright new paint, comfortable new furniture, and one very welcome layout renovation. It's home away from home, even.

You see, just enough of it is the same at its core – the characters, the story, the dungeons, the world – to be as magical as the 1998 original. But, everything that is new in the remake, from the mind-boggling vibrant visuals to fresh puzzle mechanics and more, helps solidify it as a 2026 behemoth worthy of its own place in Nintendo's hall of fame. This a remake, sure, but it's also a reimagining bigger and bolder than any I've ever played before it.

A Link to my past

The moment I boot into the Ocarina of Time remake, I'm met with the same opening menu I've seen so many times before, with Link galloping across Hyrule Field atop Epona, Lon Lon Ranch and rivers sitting in the background – except it's not the same. The detail and color almost overwhelm me. This take on Hyrule is already so alive, so much more alive than I'd ever seen it, and I've not even hit "New Game" yet.

When I do, my heart instantly fills with the warm, nostalgic music of Kokiri Forest. I feel like one of the fairy children myself, enamored with the falling leaves and crystal-clear waters. I also can't help but notice the voices. Yes, voices. Saria's got one, the Great Deku Tree offers no exception, and Navi now feels like a true companion with plenty to say (don't worry, though, you still hear her good ol' classic "look!" and "listen!" remarks).

I never thought that giving the cast of Hyrule a voice could make such a difference, but boy, does it. Every important figure, from the cruel Ganondorf to the Sages, now speaks to Link, helping breathe life into the once-quiet game. Each cutscene, with its new dialogue and striking visuals, immerses me into the tragedy unfolding between timelines more than the older Ocarina of Time releases managed to, and it leaves me in disbelief.

The Legend of Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma recently noted that not all of the Ocarina of Time remake developers have played the N64 original – but "it's thanks to these young people" that it came to fruition, and I can see why. The harmony between veteran devs and younger staff is apparent in how beautifully the old blends with the new. Nothing feels out of place… it's instead almost as though this is the Hyrule I envisioned as a child while playing.

The flow of time isn't always cruel

In my head and heart, every character had a voice – bar Link, of course – and you could see each blade of grass, each ripple in the river… and now, you actually can. The way I recall Hyrule through nostalgia goggles, albeit the way it never was, is the colorful, living kingdom it is today in the Ocarina of Time remake. The "modernization," if you will, hasn't taken away from the original's magic, it's reformed it into one just as genre-defining, but more palatable.

The new magic isn't all in the game's visuals or sound design, either. It's in the gameplay. As soon as I'm in Kokiri Forest, I run and jump about the place to my heart's content – now this is immersion. No more jumping from edge to edge whether I'd like to or not. Yes, this locks me out of a few old, ahem, heart piece hacks, but I'm fine with that if the trade-off is ridding myself of the janky old targeting, walking, and jumping system.

There's plenty to uncover now, too, even though this remains the Hyrule I know and love at its base. I can't bomb my way into secret grottos in Hyrule Field any longer, for instance, but instead, I use my Ocarina of Time to play the Song of Storms and whisk away a spinning plant resting atop the treasure-laden holes. I don't have a Shard of Agony, but I do have a new item that points me towards Gold Skulltulas specifically.

Not every collectible, whether a heart piece or Gold Skulltula, is in the same location (nor is the old rupee cheese grotto in Kakariko Village, sadly, as far as I can tell), but that's part of the fun. Why should a remake be entirely one-to-one when it can recreate the beauty of its predecessor while managing to feel a little different… different enough to keep me invested, to keep me searching every nook and cranny – that whole home away from home thing.

Like a river's flow, it never ends

Between the fact that I can hold five bottles now, the glittery fairy notes adorning ruins and rocks across Hyrule with mini-puzzles (some new, but many simply acting as guides to free health or mana), free camera and improved aiming, and how, uh, I'm no longer locked into never-ending dialogue loops with Rauru – er, sorry, Kaepora Gaebora – I find myself more than pleased with the remake's creative liberty. I'm having old and new fun here, never bored.

Past guides help when needed, sure, but I'm still kept on my toes in dungeons and elsewhere by even the slightest of changes. Seriously, don't ask me how long I spend obsessing over the Ice Cavern heart piece I just knew had to be there… you don't want to know (it wasn't there). But you know what? The dungeons never feel grueling – no, not even the dreaded Water Temple. The better visuals and improved controls go a long way there, unsurprisingly.

Smaller experiences like the Great Deku Tree as child Link are very cool this time around, yes, but as I go on, it only gets better and better – until it blows me away. The Forest Temple is pure magic, burning candles, twisting hallways, liminal poolrooms-esque spaces, and all. The Fire Temple is a volcanic experience packing more heat than it's ever boasted before. The Shadow Temple is… well, eerie. The Dead Hand is somehow even more terrifying.

My fight with Shadow Link is challenging, too, just as I always found it, but I breeze through most boss encounters. Controls are just better, so I'm able to snap back quickly from any mistakes (but I do, admittedly, die to my own stupidity often… like, erm, by blowing myself up and falling into lava). This newfound ease, I'm sure, some will complain about. I find it very welcome, however, as nothing ever feels too easy.

The rising sun will eventually set

The dungeons and puzzles are only the icing for me, though – the story and writing here are the cake. I mentioned the voice acting and visuals already here, but they all combine to add a weight to a story I never previously realized was so moving. Everything is so heightened. From scenes of genuine peril, to quiet moments of haunting loss even amid celebration... I sob.

Something about this Ocarina of Time remake moves me like its predecessor didn't, and I can't put my finger on why… It must be everything about the remake, both its old and new qualities.

I'm not finished with the game just yet, as I've got one final heart piece to find to 100% all of its collectibles – and, on that note, I must express how thrilled I am that the post-game map shows you where you're missing some still – but I quickly uncover it inside of Death Mountain. Then, I am finished. Then, I feel empty. This is when I'm faced with my biggest problem with the remake: I can only have one active save file.

That, and there's no Master Quest version to play through. So, for the time being, my journey with the Ocarina of Time remake ends. I'm sent back to the menu screen that still lives rent-free in my head, left wishing I could explore more of this take on Nintendo's gem, or at least enjoy it once more without losing the mark of my previous progress.

This is the true – and only significant – setback of the Ocarina of Time remake for me: I must part ways with it after just 55 hours despite itching for more. I must sit waiting, hoping that Nintendo graces us with Master Quest DLC later down the line. Until then, I'll be eyeing the "New Game" option on the main menu, pondering whether I should wipe it all and take another plunge. I simply must hum Zelda's Lullaby into my Switch 2 microphone again…

Browse through our roundup of the best new games coming if you need another title to look forward to, or explore our lineup of the best Zelda games to play after the Ocarina of Time remake.