The Ocarina of Time remake is now available on Nintendo Switch 2 Since November 5, 2026. It has achieved an average score of 95 on OpenCritic after 49 reviews and a 100% positive rating from critics. That same day, Nate Bihldorff, Nintendo’s senior vice president of product development and publishing, visited the company’s flagship store in New York and explained how the project fits into the console’s catalog.
The idea Bihldorff conveyed in that conversation with Polygon is simple: Nintendo releases games constantly, and its diverse portfolio of proprietary titles allows it to alternate releases. In that schedule, a remake doesn’t function as a pause between new releases, but rather as another piece of the puzzle.
The executive also acknowledged
He enjoys anticipating which titles will generate the most excitement among fans, and expressed satisfaction with the response this return has received.
A release destined to sustain Switch 2’s year
The game was the Switch 2’s big launch title for 2026, and Nintendo championed it as its main first-party offering. Around it, the console’s first year was planned as an eclectic lineup featuring titles like Kirby Air Riders and Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream. The company held back the announcement of the remake to use it as a selling point for the hardware.
The move was risky. Bihldorff described the project as creatively risky due to the weight of the original, considered for years the best video game in history, and argued that the final product speaks for itself. According to him, the team was aware of the challenge, and their enthusiasm outweighed their fear of making mistakes.
What changes in the Ocarina of Time remake on Switch 2
The game is not an emulation of the Nintendo 64 cartridge. It features reimagined visuals, a revamped soundtrack, modernized gameplay, new dialogue, and voiced cinematic cutscenes. Nintendo is listed as the developer and publisher.
In addition, it features a dash ability to cover distances, motion controls for aiming, and the option to sing songs into the Switch 2’s built-in microphone. It also incorporates Threads of Time, a feature for reviewing the story and active objectives. The ESRB rating is Everyone 10+ for animated blood and fantasy violence.
Hidemaro Fujibayashi, producer of Zelda, pointed out that the Switch 2 allows for things that the technology of the original era couldn’t do. Along those lines, the IGN review describes the result as a blend of the world and dungeon design of classic Zelda games with the movement and presentation of more recent titles.
Notes from a comeback that borders on outstanding
OpenCritic compiles 49 reviews with an average score of 95 and unanimous critical acclaim. Scores include IGN 9/10, Eurogamer 5/5, GameSpot 9/10, Forbes 9/10, Tom’s Guide 4.5/5, Nintendo Life 9/10, Shacknews 10/10, and TheSixthAxis 9/10.
Not all the reviews are unqualified. Nintendo Life describes the remake as a very safe proposition and notes the absence of Master Quest or a hard mode. Shacknews, for its part, compares it to the work studios like Capcom have done in revisiting their own classics. The reviews included were published before the release date.
What is not yet confirmed
Beyond this release, Nintendo has not confirmed any other Zelda remakes, nor have they announced release dates or platforms for future projects. There are also no details regarding pricing, editions, or additional content for the current game.
What remains is a precedent: a remake of a Nintendo 64 classic arriving on a new console with 49 reviews and an average score of 95. If the company maintains the alternation between remakes and new games that Bihldorff described, the next announcement will have a high bar to meet. Meanwhile, the Switch 2 release schedule continues to move forward with the rest of the titles Nintendo has in development.
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Fountain: CBR Games
