The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time preview – Link faces his scariest challenge yet: the 4K era
The kingdom of Hyrule has been prettified, the soundtrack is newly orchestrated and our hero feels strikingly different under the thumbs … we play a hands-on demo of Nintendo’s Switch 2 remake of a 1998 game-changer When beloved art is revisited and revised, a familiar cry is often heard: “You’re ruining my childhood!” But with Nintendo’s Switch 2 remake of Ocarina of Time, there are also livelihoods at risk…
Key points
- Nintendo's Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time updates the 1998 classic with sprinting, manual jumping and a free-rotating camera.
- The remake features a newly orchestrated soundtrack and a redesigned Link whose doll-like look has drawn criticism.
- Former Zelda art director Takaya Imamura suggested Link's design may reflect Shigeru Miyamoto's love of Japanese puppet drama.
Nintendo's Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time updates the 1998 classic for modern hardware. The kingdom of Hyrule has been prettified, the soundtrack is newly orchestrated, and Link controls differently, according to a hands-on preview.
The preview notes that in the original 1998 version, the shooting gallery owner in Castle Town would rip off players as they aimed with the then-novel analogue stick. In the 2026 remake, more responsive frame rates and a motion-controlled slingshot allow precision adjustments, so targets fall on the first go and his business model collapses.
Gameplay changes and design
Link can now sprint, preventing endless roly-polies across grassy plains. He also has a manual jump, a free-rotating camera, a scrolling inventory bar that replaces menu screen faff, and a fatter wallet for holding gems.
The preview says the remake finds Nintendo in a celebratory mode, similar to this year's Star Fox revamp. For newcomers it shows what the fuss is about without scrutinising the N64 original on unflattering flatscreen TVs. For returning fans, the more controlled shape offers comfort in traditional dungeons after the open-world Zeldas.
[His] love of ningyogeki (puppet drama) is strongly reflected here
— Takaya Imamura
Link's new look and puppetry
Link's look is more contentious. His large glassy eyes and fat cheeks reflect light as if varnished, leading critics to accuse Nintendo of crudely pursuing a textbook next-gen sheen. The preview says the layer of 4K specificity evokes Twilight Princess.
Former Legend of Zelda art director Takaya Imamura wondered on X if the character model drew from Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto's tastes. "[His] love of ningyogeki (puppet drama) is strongly reflected here," Imamura wrote. Writer and translator Paul McQuade said in Japan puppetry is not considered strictly for children and is highly respected, and that Miyamoto could have been influenced by puppet shows aired by NHK in the Shōwa postwar era.
