Let’s put the Hero of Time to bed once and for all

It’s another day ending in Y, so naturally, the internet is talking about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. This time around, it’s because some (rather credible) rumours are floating around that sometime in the near future, Ocarina of Time is going to be available on the Nintendo Switch 2.

Except it already is, right? At least, it is if you have a subscription to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack.

Well, to be more specific, rumour has it that a full remake of Ocarina of Time is in the works. According to leaks shared by NatetheHate, we should expect to see the Ocarina of Time remake towards the end of 2026.

As a former Zelda diehard, I want to be excited by the prospect of an update to the franchise’s magnum opus. Even as a games journalist, I struggle to come up with a better answer when asked for my favourite game than namedropping Ocarina of Time. Despite the fact that the older I get, the less it becomes “my kind of game” – I’m not exactly enthralled by elves, combat, or needing to save the princess – there isn’t a lot that I feel competes with the prowess of the now-classic. It easily earned its title as one of the most-loved games of all time, a long time ago – genre or mechanical preferences be damned.

Ocarina of Time’s worldbuilding and fantastical storytelling sets it apart from so many of its peers. Although the dungeons are challenging – famously so – getting lost in the woods and dazed in Kokiri Forest by belligerent Deku Scrubs is no hard task. As a child, I’d spend hours shooting down targets in Gerudo Valley, jam out to the Gorons’ truly bizarre beats, and dream of the civilisation beyond the waterfall in Zora’s Domain. The whimsy and magic Ocarina of Time conjures up is difficult to beat.

Much of my childhood was spent attempting not to fry my fingertips off feeling around the back of the TV for SCART connections, and getting frizzy hair from being pressed up against the front of a CRT, trying to make out exactly what Navi was trying to get me to do next. So all of that’s to say, I love Ocarina of Time as much as the next guy who decided to make his childhood fictional obsessions his whole career. And I’m not afraid to say it. But, all of that aside, I just don’t feel like Ocarina of Time should be the next in line for a remake.

Ocarina of Time has had a lot of (deserved) love over the years

There are a few reasons why Ocarina of Time doesn’t really need another remake. For starters, it’s had just about enough attention over the almost three decades since its release. No, this isn’t rage bait – and yes, I did just spend the last 250 words or so waxing lyrical about it. But, since it launched, that game has cropped up time and time again like a weed you just can’t get out. 

First, it was officially ported for the GameCube as a part of The Legend of Zelda: Collector’s Edition. Later, you could pick up its mean older cousin as a part of Master Quest, which was a tougher re-imagining of Ocarina of Time, also on the GameCube. All of that happened by 2002, within just five years of the original Nintendo 64 release. And, by 2003, you could also pick it up for the iQue Player.

That wasn’t the end of it, of course. As of 2007, you could also pick it up from the now-defunct Nintendo Virtual Console to enjoy on the Nintendo Wii. By the mid-2010s, you could also grab it on the Wii U – if you owned one, that is. 

So far, we’ve only covered ports and emulation, which isn’t the same as a title receiving a full remake. But, as you probably remember, Ocarina of Time already has a remake – one for the Nintendo 3DS. That came out in 2011, right between the ports coming out for the Wii and Wii U.

As far as my memory serves, the 3DS remake was pretty good. It looked nice, with a lot of the jankiest and most jagged edges being sanded down by the technological leaps made in around 13 years. With nice new assets came a few other edges being sanded down, with some gameplay mechanics being simplified and hints being hidden around the map in case you wanted a little help.

That’s not where Ocarina of Time was left in the past, though. At the end of 2021, Nintendo’s strategy-adventure-extravaganza finally made it to the Nintendo Switch. And, eventually, that port was also playable on the Switch 2.

So, just to clear things up: in less than thirty years, Ocarina of Time has received seven re-releases and one remake, if you count the Switch and Switch 2 compatibilities as one, since they’re both on the same service. That’s around one re-release every three-and-a-half years.

Aren’t we kind of done? Is that not everything there is to do in that take on Hyrule? Can we finally leave?

Even without having bags of retro tech, converters, and upscalers hanging around, you can currently play Ocarina of Time on modern hardware with a subscription service. Admittedly, I’m not a fan of paying monthly to easily access a game I already own, but it is out there. Plus, besides the 3DS remake, it isn’t trapped on old hardware or unavailable to access due to scarcity or compatibility at all.

Unlike a number of other Legend of Zelda titles, of course, which have met with an unfortunate fate – if not an outright terrible one. Besides titles released for the Nintendo Switch, like Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, or Echoes of Wisdom, and the series entries that have made it to the Nintendo Classics service, there are a lot of titles you can’t access on modern hardware at all.

One standout example comes to mind, and I don’t imagine it’ll surprise you at all. Where is our port or remake of Twilight Princess?

It’s time to shine the Sun’s Song on other series entries

Unlike Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess isn’t currently playable on modern hardware (through official legal means, that is – Twilight Princess is on its way to having a fanmade PC port as we speak). Twilight Princess isn’t even on the Nintendo Classics service yet, even though the GameCube was added to the Switch 2 on launch.

As a result, if you want to play Twilight Princess, you need to grab an older console instead. Unlike Ocarina of Time, which you can still easily experience whenever you want via Nintendo Classics. I know which one I would rather have access to again.

Admittedly, Twilight Princess has also had its share of ports and re-releases. It came out on both the GameCube and Wii in near tandem, just weeks apart from each other – or concurrently, in some regions – and was later re-released for the Wii U as The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD. Bizarrely, you could even play it on the Nvidia Shield at one point. Yes, the TV device. Even with all of that in mind, though, it isn’t as readily and easily available as Ocarina of Time already is.

I’m surprised that Zelda’s most gothic (and furry) title hasn’t been remade or re-released for modern hardware yet. If you spent any time on DeviantArt in the 2000s or 2010s, then I’m sure you don’t need to be told this, but it sold rather well. So much so, that up until Breath of the Wild launched in 2018, it was actually the biggest seller of the entire franchise. It shifted almost 9 million copies during its lifecycle, for god’s sake.

Hell, even Skyward Sword, which sold substantially fewer copies than Twilight Princess, got a high-definition remaster for the Switch back in 2021, giving it a home on new hardware. Twilight Princess, on the other hand, hasn’t been touched since the days of the Wii U and the Nvidia Shield. It’s hard to imagine why.

If there’s one thing Nintendo loves, it’s money. So why is it still moo-moo milking Ocarina of Time dry, when it could easily move onto another cow, and possibly make even more?

(I know, I’m mad I said that too. Sorry.)

Everything there is to know about Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake

Now that I’m done rambling about why it shouldn’t happen, let’s take a quick look at what we do know – or might know – about the Legend of Zelda remake.

Is Ocarina of Time definitely getting a remake?

It’s not actually certain yet. It’s still currently a rumour, based on a tip shared by NatetheHate.

When is the Ocarina of Time remake coming out?

Since it’s a rumour, we don’t know for sure yet.

But, it’s a rumour that’s thought to relate to the fact that Zelda celebrated its 40th anniversary back on February 21st. So, if it’s coming, presumably it’ll come at some point in 2026 as a part of the anniversary celebrations.

One other thing to keep in mind is that technically, The Legend of Zelda has multiple anniversaries, as it came out in different regions at different times. For example, the first game wasn’t actually launched in the United States or across Europe until 1987.

On the off-chance that a remake drops on Ocarina of Time‘s birthday, that’s coming up at the end of the year. Ocarina of Time had a staggered launch around the world, slowly rolling out between November and December 1998 in all regions it was released in.

Can you play the original Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2?

Yes! So long as you have a subscription for the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, that is. That’s how you get access to the Nintendo Classics service.

The Nintendo 64 library is only available with the full Expansion Pack subscription, so you won’t be able to play it with a regular subscription.

What is the Nintendo Classics service, and how much does it cost?

Nintendo Classics is a service that comes with Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions. It’s effectively a library of selected games for various old consoles that you can play on your Switch or Switch 2.

Which Legend of Zelda games are on the Nintendo Classics service?

Since there are a lot of different consoles available via Nintendo Classics, there are also a lot of different Legend of Zelda titles available to play. Which ones you have access to depends on whether you are subscribed to the Expansion Pack, and whether you have a Switch or a Switch 2.

All of the Zelda games you can expect to access through Nintendo Classics are:

Game title	Subscription	Console	Platform
The Legend of Zelda	Switch Online Subscription	Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)	Switch or Switch 2
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link	Switch Online Subscription	Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)	Switch or Switch 2
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past	Switch Online Subscription	Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)	Switch or Switch 2
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX	Switch Online Subscription	Game Boy	Switch or Switch 2
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons	Switch Online Subscription	Game Boy	Switch or Switch 2
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages	Switch Online Subscription	Game Boy	Switch or Switch 2
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	Expansion Pack	Nintendo 64 (N64)	Switch or Switch 2
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask	Expansion Pack	Nintendo 64 (N64)	Switch or Switch 2
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap	Expansion Pack	Game Boy Advance (GBA)	Switch or Switch 2
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past & Four Swords	Expansion Pack	Game Boy Advance (GBA)	Switch or Switch 2
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker	Expansion Pack	GameCube	Switch 2
Soulcalibur II*	Expansion Pack	GameCube	Switch 2

Okay, Soulcalibur II obviously isn’t a Legend of Zelda game as such. Link is there, though. He’s even on the box.

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Toni Oisin H.C. is the Head of Audio at QSO Media. Read more of his writing here.

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