By Andrew Kramer, Newswire Intern 

September 2026 marks the 40 years since the release of “Legend of Zelda,” a classic video game made by Nintendo. On Sept. 8, Nintendo revealed gameplay of the upcoming remake of “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time,” one of the greatest video games ever made.   

Since its release in 1998, “Ocarina” has topped the charts on video game ranking websites such as Metacritic, where it received a meta score of 99/100.  This score is unmatched 28 years later. The remake will be released on Nov. 5.  

“Ocarina” presents a game that is more than a toy.  By introducing a mature plot, this entry turned video gaming into a more respected medium of art and storytelling. 

Nintendo released an “Ocarina” remake for the 3DS gaming console in 2011, so creating another could be seen as a cash-grab.  Part of the game’s success lies in its powerful nostalgia as the origin of modern 3D games. It continues to serve as a template for new releases in the “Legend of Zelda series,” despite its poorly aged graphics, which the remake can fix for modern players. 

New graphics are not the only thing being added to this game; new controls like jumping and sprinting will make the game much more comparable to new games. Quality of life updates like a new side-scrolling menu is also available, presenting a much faster way to switch items than in the original release.  This menu design seems to be taken from the newest games in the Zelda franchise: “Breath of the Wild” (2017) and “Tears of the Kingdom” (2023).  In addition to controls, new areas of the map that were previously backdrops are now fully explorable. 

Beyond gameplay, “Ocarina of Time” hosts one of the most iconic soundtracks in a video game, which makes sense for a game whose title references an instrument.  As part of the 40th anniversary announcement, Nintendo revealed a playable ocarina merch item purchasable from the Nintendo store. For players who are musically inclined, the Switch 2 console includes an audio input feature that will listen to notes played on the physical ocarina to be transferred into controls in the game.   

The release of the “Ocarina” remake seems to be purposely a few months before the new movie based on the Legend of Zelda series set to release on April 30, 2027.   

The new release is not the only way gamers can play “Ocarina,” however.  The original game with 64-bit graphics is available to play through the Nintendo Classics collection on the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 consoles through the online subscription service.   

In the end, “Ocarina of Time” remains a pinnacle of video gaming and any chance to play it, for the first or 20th time, would be worth every dollar.