Nintendo released its remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on November 5, 2026, a from-the-ground-up reworking of the 1998 Nintendo 64 classic built exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2. Critic reviews published around launch have placed the game at 96 on Metacritic, making it the best-reviewed release of 2026 so far.
Why it matters
Ocarina of Time is one of the most cited influences in modern game design, and this is the most complete modern version of it: rebuilt visuals, voiced cutscenes, an orchestral score, and an ocarina that responds to the player's own humming through the Switch 2 microphone. A 96 Metascore — three points behind the 99 held by the N64 original, which remains the highest-rated game in Metacritic's history — means Nintendo has delivered a near-perfect preservation of a 28-year-old landmark.
What changed
- Rebuilt for Switch 2. Nintendo describes the game as a classic tale "built from the ground up for the Nintendo Switch 2 system," with revamped visuals, voiced cutscenes, expanded dialogue, and a score orchestrated and performed by a full orchestra.
- The ocarina now listens. Players can play the Fairy Ocarina or the Ocarina of Time with traditional buttons, or by humming — or playing a real instrument — into the Switch 2 microphone.
- 60 frames per second. Digital Foundry measured a steady 60 fps in both docked and handheld modes, compared with the N64 original's 20 fps.
- New entry points. The Nintendo Switch app adds ZELDA NOTES, a game companion service that includes a smartphone ocarina, and any Legend of Zelda amiibo figure unlocks in-game extras.
Background
The 1998 original holds a 99 on Metacritic, while the 2011 Ocarina of Time 3D port for Nintendo 3DS sits at 94. This release arrives in the 40th anniversary year of the Zelda series: digital copies purchased before November 23, 2026 include a 40th-anniversary digital wallpaper as a bonus. The Guardian's Keza MacDonald gave the remake five stars, writing that the new cutscenes "brought out the latent epic drama in a previously sparse tale." Kotaku's pre-launch roundup noted that no review in the initial set dipped below an 8.
Sources: