The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake launches exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 tomorrow — November 5, priced at $59.99 digitally and $69.99 for the physical edition. In India, it arrives at ₹5,499 (digital) and ₹6,499 (physical), Nintendo confirmed in its regional storefront update earlier today. No other platform will get it.
No cloud version. No backward compatibility with original Switch hardware. This is a Switch 2 launch title, full stop. It’s also the first game reviewed for the console, and the first to carry a Famitsu score.
The Japanese magazine awarded it 37 out of 40: 9, 9, 9, and 10 from its four critics. That matches the score Famitsu gave Ocarina of Time 3D in 2011, and falls just short of the perfect 40/40 the N64 original earned in 1998, the first game ever to do so.
Famitsu’s panel called the camera “smooth”, praised the rebuilt graphics and improved controls, but flagged its relative simplicity against modern open-world or narrative-driven titles, noting moments where players may stall, unsure of next steps. That critique echoes early leaks. An NPR review, published prematurely and later pulled, described the pacing as “choppier” than the original and singled out Nabooru’s redesign and fully voiced cutscenes as jarring for players who prefer exploration over exposition.
It also missed the fixed camera angles and found target switching needlessly complex. Nintendo’s changes are substantial but deliberate: symphonic orchestration replaces the N64’s MIDI score. Every major character now speaks. Movement includes a dedicated jump button.
And the Switch 2’s microphone lets players hum or play melodies on real instruments to trigger in-game actions. A companion app, Zelda Notes, adds daily quizzes (2,000+ questions), melody sharing, and adventure tracking. Young Link and Young Zelda amiibo arrive in 2027, retro masks only. Other Zelda amiibo drop at launch with functional in-game bonuses.
The Famitsu score arrives amid wider embargo silence. More reviews are expected within 24 hours of launch. Nintendo has not commented on the NPR leak or the scoring gap between remake and original, nor on whether future Zelda remakes will follow this same fidelity-first approach. For now, the message is clear: this isn’t a reimagining.
It’s a recalibration, built for Switch 2’s hardware, sold only on it, and priced like a premium standalone release.
GDFiled by The Games Desk
Consoles, handhelds, PC gaming and the platforms and hardware behind them.
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