The Ocarina of Time Remake Is Here, and It's a Proper Cartridge Worth Framing
Twenty-eight years after it first landed on the Nintendo 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is back. Nintendo's full remake arrived on Switch 2 on Thursday 5 November, and for a lot of us this is the game that made 3D adventures click. Here's what's new, why the physical copy is the one to own, and how to give it the spot it's earned.
What's actually new
This isn't a quick polish. Nintendo has rebuilt Hyrule with reimagined visuals, given the soundtrack a full symphonic orchestral makeover, and added fully voiced cutscenes with expanded dialogue.
Link finally has a dedicated jump button and can dash, you can aim the bow and slingshot with motion controls, and swapping items no longer means diving into the pause menu.
Our favourite touch? Hum a melody into the Switch 2 microphone, or play it on a real instrument, and Link's ocarina responds. Zelda's Lullaby in the living room, anyone?
There's also the Threads of Time, a woven tapestry that recaps the story and shows your current objective, plus the Hall of Fallen Heroes, where the monsters you beat become statues you can read up on or rematch.
Switch 2 only
The remake is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, so it won't run on the original Switch. Want a nostalgia hit first? The N64 original is still playable through Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack.
A proper cartridge, not a code in a box
This is the bit that made us smile. The physical edition has the full game on the cartridge. No Game-Key Card, no download needed to start playing. In a year when plenty of boxed releases are little more than a code, that matters.
The first print run also comes with a textured foil cover while stocks last, and some retailers have already sold out of those. If you've got one, look after it.
We've said it before and we'll keep saying it.
Why physical games still matter
Give Hyrule a spot on the wall
Our Switch 2 ShowCase frame was made for games like this. Your case sits securely in a slipcase, front and centre, behind Plexiglas UV100 glazing that gives it 99.7% protection from UV light.
Make it properly yours with an engraved plaque in one of five colours. Launch day, your total hours, or the line that still lives rent free in your head. Hey! Listen! is right there.
Still got your Switch Zelda games on the shelf? We've got a frame for those too.
One last thing
Ocarina of Time is the game so many of us grew up with. Now there's a new version, on a proper cartridge, with a cover worth showing off. Don't leave it in a drawer.