Nintendo’s Zelda Remake Is Rewriting My Memories
After an hour of playing the new Ocarina of Time, I think I prefer it to the old one.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake for the Switch 2 has left me questioning my memories of the original game. I vividly recall spending weeks on graduate school playing the game on my N64, the nostalgic journey now appearing less vivid on the newer version. Bill Pullman's words from Lost Highway echo in my mind, "I like to remember things my own way…how I remembered them. Not necessarily the way they happened."
The remake, priced at $60, initially left me in awe with its intricate detail. Hyrule Castle Town appeared to be a theme park and characters seemed unnaturally shiny. After a few hours of play, however, I found the remake to be a completely fresh experience. It almost feels like a new game to someone who hasn’t played Ocarina of Time before. Yet, for those who have, it might rewrite their memory of it, possibly introducing new mysteries along the way.
Playing the remake, I revisited Link’s early days in his Kakariko forest village. Link's new ability to jump and swim in water added a fresh layer to the experience. The character animations and voice acting felt more immersive, reminiscent of games like Link’s Awakening or Echoes of Wisdom, but with a distinct blend of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom art style. The Great Deku Tree, with its dripping root mouth, now seems more menacing.
Visually, the remake is incredibly detailed, but not as vast as the legendary vistas in Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom. However, the intricacy of the foliage and buildings is striking. Exploring Hyrule Field and Castle Town, interacting with villagers, and wandering shops, I couldn't help but wonder if this bustling level of detail was present in the original.
I also tried out the Ocarina’s spell songs by singing them into the Switch 2’s microphone or tapping the buttons. It was an amusing, albeit gimmicky, feature. Nintendo's holiday lineup of Switch 2 games seems to be a series of throwbacks, with Ocarina of Time joining the other rebooted classics like StarFox. While I enjoyed the remake, I'm curious whether it will reignite my desire to explore Ocarina of Time once again.
Written by urgent.news from CNET's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
