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The First Review For Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Switch 2 Is In
The first review of the Switch 2 remake of *The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time* argues that improved presentation and nostalgia are not enough to justify a top score. It says remakes should be judged on what they add to the original, particularly when a 10 out of 10 is meant to recognise innovation.
The review acknowledges better graphics, music and voice acting, as well as small visual changes, but says the game remains fundamentally the same Nintendo 64 title. It describes the remake as fan service and suggests a 9 may still be too high, while noting that a new open-world Zelda with substantial dungeons could shift the discussion.
In short
- The remake improves presentation but keeps the original game intact.
- The review argues remakes need more than nostalgia to earn top marks.
- It questions whether a 9 out of 10 is still too generous.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A remake can be an excellent release by making a landmark game more accessible and appealing to play today, even if it does not reinvent it. Better graphics, music and voice acting, alongside the chance to revisit a much-loved adventure, may justify a very high score for the quality of the experience it delivers.
The case against
A top score can reasonably be reserved for games that advance the medium or meaningfully build on their source material. If this remake leaves the original’s design and play largely intact, improved presentation and nostalgia may not be enough to merit a 10, especially when the score is intended to signal innovation.
Explained simply
Ocarina of Time is a 1998 adventure game in Nintendo’s long-running Zelda series. Players guide Link through a fantasy world, solving puzzles and exploring dungeons as they try to stop the villain Ganondorf.
The original was released for the Nintendo 64 and is often remembered as a landmark game, helping establish how large 3D adventures could work. Its reputation and the affection many players have for it shape expectations for new versions.
A remake brings an older game to newer hardware, often with updated visuals or sound. Reviews can differ over whether those changes are enough, or whether a remake should also add substantially new ideas; scores are reviewers’ judgements rather than a fixed measure.