Well folks, the Nintendo Direct has come and gone, and the rumoured Ocarina of Time remake has finally been announced for Switch 2. Here’s the reveal trailer from the end of the Direct presentation:
As you can see, there’s not really much to go on yet. We get some tapestry like story cutscene summarising the early parts of the game’s plot, and a shot of Young Link in bed in his house… and that’s about it. The whole thing is over and done within 1 minute and 40 seconds.
Yet despite this lack of info, there are still some interesting details we can glean from this trailer. Like say, the whole story presentation with the tapestry like image and voiceover.
This isn’t something that’s in the original N64 game or its 3DS remake, and feels like a possible replacement for Ocarina of Time’s intro. Presumably, Nintendo wants to keep the whole ‘tapestry/scroll/mural’ thing from the rest of the series going in this remake too, and will probably have at least a few more backstory cutscenes in this art style.
The story here seems to be told in the past tense too. This could just be a trailer detail or some sort of illustration of the game as a ‘legend’, but it could also mean the story’s being told to someone at a later date. Maybe the Deku Tree Sprout is retelling it to a Korok later or something?
Then there’s the art design here. We don’t see very much of it, but it definitely appears to be going for a more realistic feel than the other Zelda games of late, with less stylised textures and more realistic looking character models than either the wild era games or the 2D toy style ones. Indeed, given its similarities to the original game’s art style here, we’d hazard a guess they’re trying for something akin to the promo art for that game. The original OoT style, except remodelled and retextured to look like a game from 2026.
And the logo has a few interesting differences too. Most notably, the designs for the Master Sword and Hylian Shield. These look completely different to the ones used in the original game’s logo:
The original N64 version of the Ocarina of Time logo
The Switch 2 version of the logo
Indeed, they seem to be based on the versions used in current Zelda games, like Skyward Sword, A Link Between Worlds and the Wild era games. So, presumably the designs for a lot of elements will be updated to look more like their present-day versions.
Which is something we’re a little worried about to be honest. Ocarina of Time wasn’t exactly set in the same era as many of the later games, and the older designs for items and elements had a lot of their own charm there. Hopefully the actual characters, species and enemies won’t stray too far from their roots design wise. We don’t want any OoT enemies or species to look like they’re from Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom here.
Finally, there’s the 2026 launch date. That’s surprisingly early for a game like this one, especially given the limited amount of footage shown in this Direct. Surely Nintendo aren’t just gonna release this game with a couple of trailers and call it a day?
No, there’s almost certainly something else planned for the next few weeks. Like say, a game exclusive Direct with a lot more info on the title.
Indeed, given that both Splatoon Raiders and the new Star Fox game are either getting one or already had it earlier this month, we’d bet anything that Ocarina of Time is getting the same treatment. A full 15+ minute breakdown of the game and its changes in the next couple of months, likely with an actual release date included near the end.
Regardless, the Ocarina of Time remake has now been confirmed, and we’ve gotten our first glimpse at it from today’s Direct. Hopefully we’ll get a much more detailed look before its release this year.
Source:
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – Coming 2026 (YouTube)