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Ocarina of Time Switch 2 remake: hands-on previews ahead of 5 November launch

Three outlets played early sections of Nintendo's Switch 2 remake of Ocarina of Time, due 5 November. All praise the modernised controls and visuals; the Guardian also discusses debate over Link's redesigned look.

3 outlets · 2L · 1C · 0R First reported Account updated
Image: Screen Rant
Image: The Verge
Image: The Guardian

1 / 3

The story, neutrally told

Left · 3The Verge, the Guardian and Screen Rant published hands-on previews of Nintendo's remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Switch 2, a reworking of the 1998 Nintendo 64 game. Mixed · 2The game launches on Thursday, 5 November, exclusively on the Switch 2. Left · 3The Verge's writer played about 90 minutes at a preview event in New York City, covering Child Link and Adult Link sections; Screen Rant played roughly an hour at the 2026 Nintendo Holiday Showcase, including Kokiri Forest, Hyrule Field, Castle Town and the Forest Temple; the Guardian played a demo in demo pods.

Left · 3All three describe control changes: a dedicated jump button, a way to swap items or weapons without the pause menu, and (per the Guardian and Screen Rant) a sprint that removes the need to roll across fields. Mixed · 2The Verge also lists a new progression marker called Threads of Time and Zelda Notes integration in the Nintendo Switch app, plus right-stick camera control; Screen Rant mentions a tapestry mechanic that fills in as players hit milestones, a humming-based Ocarina input it did not test, and added characters and dialogue. Mixed · 2The Guardian says the soundtrack is newly orchestrated, and Screen Rant likewise describes an orchestrated rendition of the music.

Left · 1The Verge says the more realistic art style lets the game show horror themes, citing the Forest Temple's blood-red stained-glass light, and calls the remake a smaller-scale adventure than modern Zelda games. Left · 1The Guardian reports that Link's glassy-eyed, round-cheeked redesign is contentious: critics accused Nintendo of chasing a next-gen sheen, while former Zelda art director Takaya Imamura wrote on X that Shigeru Miyamoto's love of ningyogeki (puppet drama) shaped the look, and translator Paul McQuade called the doll-like style plausible. The Guardian adds that Nintendo is tight-lipped about its intent and that the character looks coherent in motion. Centre · 1Screen Rant says Nintendo reps told testers no one had reached the Forest Temple boss within the 30-minute limit, and that the water and sections were restricted by the demo.

Left · 3All three reviewers are positive. The Verge calls it the best-looking, best-playing version; Screen Rant says Nintendo found the sweet spot; the Guardian calls it a polished victory lap, with the caveat that Hyrule Field may not inspire the awe it did in 1998.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left2 outlets

Framing
Enthusiastic previews that weigh the remake's fidelity to the original; the Verge stresses modernisation and a darker feel, the Guardian a witty, reflective take on the redesign.
Emphasis
Art direction, atmosphere, Link's look, scale compared with Breath of the Wild.
Leaves out or plays down
Neither describes the Kokiri Forest or Castle Town segments in the detail Screen Rant gives.
Charged language
“surprisingly terrifying”“yassified”“polished victory lap”
For example
“and surprisingly terrifying at times” — The Verge
“It’s a polished victory lap for a game with little to prove.” — The Guardian

Centre1 outlet

Framing
Service-style hands-on walkthrough, section by section, concluding that the remake does justice to the original.
Emphasis
Quality-of-life changes, new NPCs and dialogue, and playful details like Cucco attacks.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not mention the debate over Link's redesign or the smaller scale of the world.
Charged language
“Zelda at its absolute peak”“masterpiece”
For example
“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is Zelda at its absolute peak.” — Screen Rant
“created a gem that does justice to the original masterpiece” — Screen Rant

Right0 outlets

No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

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