A while ago, I was invited to Nintendo’s European headquarters to go hands-on with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo Switch 2. Needless to say, I was very excited to get my hands on this legendary game. We all know the impact the original Nintendo 64 version had, and to this day it’s still considered one of the best games ever released. So how does this Nintendo Switch 2 version hold up? It’s still too early for a final verdict, but from what I’ve played so far, I’m convinced this is indeed the only game that can go head-to-head with the behemoth that is Grand Theft Auto VI. Let’s jump in!
Kokiri Forest
My hands-on was divided into two parts, one playing as Young Link and one as Adult Link. The first thing I played was the actual beginning of the game, shortly after Link wakes up and opens his door to enter Kokiri Forest.
I’ve seen the trailers and I’ve seen the graphical upgrade from a distance, but nothing prepared me for opening that door and actually running around Kokiri Forest myself. This is Nintendo flexing the power of the Nintendo Switch 2 right out of the gate, and it was honestly pretty emotional to run around in the same place that shaped such a huge part of my childhood. Everything looked so good, from the floating dust particles to the way the water and grass move in the wind. This is the Zelda game I thought I was playing as a kid, and this is exactly how I imagined a next-gen Zelda to look and feel. It all looks pretty breathtaking, and during those first couple of minutes I was mostly just wandering around and taking everything in. Enjoying my new jump button and diving for Rupees, I really was living the dream.
Kokiri Forest is packed with little details, and some of the houses have been relocated to fit the overall layout a bit better, but besides that, this is still the Kokiri Forest you remember from back in the day. Remake-wise, this stays much closer to what Nintendo did with Star Fox than what Square Enix did with Final Fantasy VII, but that didn’t bother me at all. Once I got over that initial sense of awe, I wanted to find my first sword and shield so I could meet the infamous Deku Tree for the first time all over again.
As seen in the trailers, the Great Deku Tree received a pretty impressive makeover and was certainly one of the more impressive characters of my session. He’s also fully voiced this time around, and it’s exactly that deep, old voice full of wisdom that you would expect.
For those fearing that Link will also speak, don’t worry. Aside from his iconic shouts, he doesn’t suddenly interact with the other voiced characters through full dialogue. Nintendo really stayed true to the original in that regard, and I was relieved they did.
The voice acting of the supporting characters really elevates the overall experience. Hearing the Great Deku Tree talk while orchestral music plays in the background simply hits so much harder. It really feels like a gorgeous interactive fairy tale, and this new version benefits greatly from those additions. After the short dialogue, it was time for me to enter the Deku Tree, find the Fairy Slingshot and make my way through the opening section of the game’s first dungeon. As someone who played both the original and the 3DS version of Ocarina of Time before, there obviously weren’t many surprises waiting for me here. Most of the changes are visual, with the enemies receiving quite an overhaul to match the new style. It sits somewhere between realism and a dark fairy tale, and the Big Skulltulas are every bit as scary as I remember them.
More importantly, the gameplay still works remarkably well by today’s standards. The much more modern camera controls make a huge difference, especially during combat, and help bring the original gameplay closer to what you would expect from a modern release. Everything felt smooth and natural to play. At no point did it feel like I was playing a classic game with a new layer of paint slapped on top. It genuinely felt like a modern game. There were also creators in the room with me who had never played the original before and, after talking to them, they confirmed that it didn’t feel like an old game to them either.
Enter Hyrule Field
After spending some time inside the Deku Tree and saying goodbye to Saria, which hits a lot harder thanks to the upgraded presentation, it was time for me to enter Hyrule Field. For the sake of the demo, I could make my way towards Hyrule Castle, so I didn’t really get to explore much of the Field just yet, but the graphical overhaul is immediately noticeable. Vegetation is everywhere, a lot of which you can cut down with your sword, while other locations loom in the distance, waiting to be explored. Since I rolled across this Field countless times as a kid, that was naturally the first thing I did during my session as well. Rolling is still incredibly satisfying and, even though the new sprint button is a lot more effective, some things should simply stay the way you remember them. So rolling around it was. With that being said, Hyrule Field is still that familiar central hub connecting the different locations, but thanks to all those added details, it looks better than ever. This became especially clear when the sun started to set and everything was bathed in that gorgeous golden glow. As far as Zelda games go, this might just be the most beautiful one to date.
Since I couldn’t explore much further, I made my way to Hyrule Castle Town to see how it looks now. Long story short: it’s far more alive and interactive than ever before. This is perhaps one of the biggest overhauls I’ve seen so far, and the developers really went all out by adding tons of new visual details and even new alleys to wander into. A lot of the houses are accessible, meaning you can simply walk inside and discover who lives there. You can also help out staff in some of the stores or even play minigames in some of the more interactive shops. The Temple of Time is accessible as well and, even though I couldn’t do much inside, it has never looked this impressive. Walking around Hyrule Castle Town really made me realise just how big of an upgrade this version truly is. Everything feels more alive, more lived-in and much more like part of this larger fairy-tale world. One word of advice, though: please don’t hit the Cucco with your sword.
Forest Temple
The last part of my session introduced Adult Link right in front of the Forest Temple, one of the original game’s most beloved dungeons. I had the Hylian Shield, Master Sword and Hookshot in my inventory, and I was ready to explore the temple like never before.
Standing in front of it, seeing all the small particles floating through the air and the added vegetation, once again proved that the art direction of this version knows exactly what it’s doing. Before I could enter, I had to defeat two enemies guarding the entrance. With Navi, I could lock onto them while still moving around freely, charge up my spin attack and go in for some devastating blows when the timing was right. I’ve said it before, but the way combat has been modernised to feel more responsive is a masterclass and deserves a lot of praise. Inside the temple itself, those combat skills would be put to the test multiple times.
Now, for those who remember this temple, you’re probably wondering if the Switch 2 version keeps the eerie and spooky vibe of the original. It absolutely does. What I really liked about this dungeon is how much the lighting works in favor of its atmosphere. Everything feels dark, mysterious and slightly unsettling, and the enemies you encounter fit that mood perfectly. Wallmasters dropping down from above are still as stressful as ever, while the Stalfos look more intimidating than before thanks to their updated designs. Like everything else, the new enemy designs don’t miss the mark and really add a lot to the overall atmosphere. I felt completely immersed while solving some classic puzzles and making my way towards the four Poe Sisters before eventually facing Phantom Ganon. The goal of the temple is still to find your bow, defeat the four Poe Sisters and ultimately face Phantom Ganon, who charges out of paintings on horseback during the boss fight. Since I’ve played the game before, I was able to make my way through the dungeon rather quickly, but that doesn’t take anything away from its quality. The level design is still extremely fun and rewarding and, even by today’s standards, it fits right in. Just like I’ve said before, I never felt like I was playing an old game with a modern coat of paint. This genuinely felt like a great adventure game that could still stand proudly in today’s market. Playing through this iconic dungeon once again proved just how good Ocarina of Time actually is, and experiencing it while it looks this good exceeded all of my expectations. Ever since my session, I haven’t been able to stop imagining what all those other iconic locations and temples might look like in this version.
Early conclusion:
It’s still too early for a final verdict, but my first impressions are extremely positive. Ocarina of Time still feels like Ocarina of Time, only now it finally looks and plays the way I remember it in my head. If the rest of the game keeps this level of quality, this could easily become one of the most important releases of the year.