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Nintendo Opens the Zelda: Ocarina of Time Pre-orders Fans Were Waiting For
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Nintendo has quietly opened pre-orders for the Ocarina of Time-shaped Switch 2 accessory tied to its remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, after conspicuously leaving the item out of its official gameplay reveal event. The electric ocarina, called Link, lets players interact with the game more immersively, and its surprise availability offers fans a chance to secure Zelda-branded merchandise at a time when other Switch 2 pre-orders, especially the themed console, have been extremely hard to obtain.
The ocarina costs $49.99 and releases on 5 November, the same day as the game itself, having previously been shown without a price or release date. It offers Free Play and Auto-Play modes with 12 pre-set songs, connects to the Zelda Notes app so players can save and share tunes via QR codes, includes a headphone jack, and comes with a display stand; notably, it is not a true wind instrument, as sound is triggered by a mouthpiece button rather than blowing. The article also notes that pre-orders for the 40th Anniversary Zelda Switch 2 console remain scarce, selling out rapidly across retailers such as Amazon, Target and Nintendo's own store, with some GameStop branches no longer taking console pre-orders at all.
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In short
- Nintendo shadow-dropped pre-orders for its Ocarina of Time electric ocarina accessory.
- Costs $49.99, releases 5 November alongside the game itself.
- It's button-operated, not a real blown instrument; console pre-orders remain scarce.
How this story developed
- 2 months ago Nintendo has surprised fans by suddenly opening pre-orders for the electric ocarina accessory tied to its Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, an item that was notably absent from the game's official gameplay reveal event, which instead pushed pre-orders for a 40th Anniversary console and a foil game cover.
- 2 months ago Nintendo has quietly opened pre-orders for the Ocarina of Time-shaped Switch 2 accessory tied to its remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, after conspicuously leaving the item out of its official gameplay reveal event.
- 2 months ago Nintendo has launched surprise pre-orders for the electric ocarina accessory tied to its upcoming Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, having notably left the item out of its official gameplay reveal event, which instead promoted pre-orders for a 40th Anniversary console and a foil game cover.
Explained simply
Nintendo is remaking The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Switch 2, and alongside the game it has been rolling out a range of tie-in merchandise and hardware. This includes a special-edition Zelda-branded Switch 2 console and now an electric ocarina accessory, a physical device modelled on the instrument Link plays in the game, which lets players press buttons to "perform" music that then works in-game.
The story matters because demand for this Zelda-themed hardware and merchandise has been unusually high, with previous pre-order windows for the console and related items selling out within minutes at major retailers. That has left many fans frustrated and constantly checking for restocks, so any new or unexpected pre-order window, such as the one for the ocarina, draws significant attention.
Key players include Nintendo, the games company behind the Zelda franchise and the Switch 2 console, and major retailers such as Amazon, Target and GameStop, who sell the consoles and accessories and have struggled to keep pace with demand.