Hands-on with the Ocarina of Time remake, the most ornate Zelda game ever made

Mario had his moment. Now it's Zelda's turn.

After The Super Mario Movie and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie made billions, Zelda is heading to the big screen next April. So to keep the franchise front and center, Nintendo is lavishly remaking its 1998 classic The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The game debuts Nov. 5th, two weeks before the meteoric arrival of Grand Theft Auto VI — the only major release to dare compete with it that month.

As other companies dodge the Grand Theft Auto juggernaut by avoiding the November release window, Nintendo's wholesome throwback is poised to stand out against the glitzy violence of Grand Theft Auto. While many will play both games, the early holiday season offers a contrast: a family-friendly fantasy or a modern-day crime epic.

They're both gorgeous to look at. GTA's Netflix preview showed off the obsessive photorealism developer Rockstar Games is known for. The Ocarina of Time remake, alternatively, maintains the original game's cartoony aesthetic but layers it with intricate detail.

First impressions

Your tunic isn't just flat green; it's a hand-stitched jumble of embroidered fabrics and leathers. And fairies aren't just simple balls of light; they're furry creatures with mosaic wings. Yet, as someone who grew up with the original game and lost count of how many times I beat it, I found that the remake's baroque environments could confuse as well as dazzle.

Nintendo gave me 90 minutes to play through a cross-section of the game at a New York City preview. I blazed through Kokiri Forest, drinking in its dappled light and rippling waters. Then I dashed through Hyrule Field. Though it's tiny by today's gaming standards, it still felt as vast as I remembered thanks to clever atmospheric lightning. Castle Town bustled more than ever, teeming with banners, flowers and colorful citizenry. Even as I raced to explore as much as possible from the main plot, I couldn't help but stop to admire the scenery and shops of the city.

I was then thrown ahead to the Forest Temple — my favorite dungeon in the entire series. I was making good time and expected to reach its final boss before my session elapsed. Alas, I somehow skipped a chest containing the key I needed to progress. A Nintendo representative pointed me in the right direction, acknowledging that the rich details could overwhelm the eye and make it hard to know exactly where to go next.

Taking a leap

I dwell on the game's aesthetic transformation because its mechanical changes are comparatively restrained. After all, why fix what's not broken? The original Ocarina of Time pioneered 3D video games and established action mechanics that still reign over the industry. Modest updates hit the game when it was repackaged for the GameCube and 3DS. For the Switch 2, Nintendo is applying a user interface reminiscent of 2017's The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and a quest log in the pause menu called "Threads of Time." It's also adding movement features I almost forgot were missing: a jump and a sprint.

In the original Ocarina of Time, you'd automatically jump when you ran off a ledge or gap. While you can choose to keep the old control scheme, the game now allows you to hop on command. It's not too useful in combat, but I did manage to jump to the roof of a forest hut otherwise only accessible through a winding footpath. Don't expect Breath of the Wild openness. The game still seems to be a linear adventure, just one that now allows the occasional vertical shortcut. Also, you can hold a button to sprint, a boon to those who constantly rolled around because it was faster than jogging.

While I've protested Nintendo remakes before, I'll readily admit that Ocarina of Time is not just a safe bet but a smart one. With Zelda so close to its movie debut, the game's poised to ensnare old fans and entice new players. Its sky-high production values also fit a new priority for the company, which has lavished attention on animation as well as gameplay since 2023's Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

The Ocarina of Time remake is the prettiest Zelda game I've ever played. But I'll need more than a 90-minute preview to see if its beauty is more than skin deep.