Ocarina of Time Is Back — And Somehow It’s Still One of the Best Games Ever Made

Some games are remembered fondly.

Others become legends.

And then there’s The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Nearly three decades after the original helped redefine what a 3D adventure game could be, Nintendo’s new Switch 2 remake is proving that Link’s greatest adventure still has some serious magic left in it.

The original Nintendo 64 version has spent years sitting near the very top of video-game review history, carrying an almost ridiculous 99 Metacritic score. Now the Switch 2 remake has arrived with a score of 96, putting it right alongside some of gaming’s most celebrated titles.

That is pretty incredible company for a game whose basic story began all the way back in 1998.

Link Is Hanging Out With Gaming Royalty

A Metacritic score of 96 puts the new Ocarina of Time among games such as Elden Ring, Baldur’s Gate 3, Mass Effect 2, BioShock, Resident Evil 4, Uncharted 2, GoldenEye 007, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and fellow Zelda heavyweights Tears of the Kingdom and The Wind Waker.

That is not a bad neighborhood.

What makes the achievement even more interesting is that Nintendo didn’t completely reinvent Ocarina of Time for a modern audience. The remake still respects the structure, atmosphere and design that made the original so important.

There had been plenty of questions before release.

Would the updated visual style work?

Would the gameplay feel too old-school compared with Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom?

Would younger gamers understand why longtime Nintendo fans talk about Ocarina of Time like it belongs in a museum?

So far, critics appear to be answering those questions with a very loud yes.

Nostalgia Helps — But It Isn't the Whole Story

Obviously, nostalgia is part of this.

For an entire generation, Ocarina of Time was one of those games you never forgot. Walking onto Hyrule Field for the first time, pulling the Master Sword, hearing the music of the Lost Woods or discovering what happened to Hyrule after Link became an adult are memories that stuck with players.

But the remake isn't getting great reviews only from people trying to relive their childhood.

Several critics who were never especially attached to the original have praised the new version as well. That may ultimately be the biggest victory for Nintendo.

A remake can make longtime fans emotional.

Making someone who never cared about the original suddenly understand why everybody else did? That is much harder.

Now Comes the Real Test

Critics have spoken.

Now millions of players get their turn.

The remake launches November 5, and that is when things become really interesting.

Today's Zelda audience is very different from the one Nintendo had in 1998. Many younger players discovered the franchise through the huge open-world freedom of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

Ocarina of Time comes from another era.

Its world is more structured. Its dungeons are more traditional. Its progression is more deliberate.

And that may actually be part of its appeal.

The remake gives an entirely new generation the chance to experience the adventure that helped establish the blueprint for modern 3D action games.

Maybe some players will think it feels old-fashioned.

Others may finally understand why people have spent nearly 30 years calling it one of the greatest video games ever made.

Either way, Nintendo has managed something pretty remarkable.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time didn't need its legacy rescued.

It just needed another generation to discover it.

And now Link gets to do it all over again.

Your Nerd Side Take:A 96 for a remake of a game that originally scored 99? We're not exactly calling that a downfall. If anything, it proves that some adventures really are timeless.

For more gaming, movies, collectibles and everything nerdy, keep following Your Nerd Side.