Nintendo details eight changes in Switch 2 remake of Ocarina of Time

This is a new development in a story we reported earlier: Nintendo reveals Switch 2 Ocarina integration in Ocarina of Time remake trailer.

Nintendo highlighted eight new or altered elements in the Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in a trailer ahead of the game’s November 5, 2026 release.

Nintendo is both the developer and publisher of the remake. The game carries an ESRB rating of Everyone 10+ with content descriptors for Animated Blood and Fantasy Violence. The remake remains faithful to the original but includes changes that GameRant describes as more significant than those in the 2011 Nintendo 3DS version. GameRant calls striking this balance difficult.

The eight features shown are dashing, jumping, gyro aiming, reimagined visuals, fully voiced cutscenes, playing songs using the built-in microphone, The Threads of Time, and The Hall of Fallen Foes. Nintendo added dashing and jumping to give players greater control over Link’s movement. Nintendo Life presented the eight features as a bulleted list after a spoiler warning, while GameRant described each change individually in its own breakdown of Nintendo’s trailer.

In the original Nintendo 64 version, Link jumped automatically at ledges. The Switch 2 remake requires manual jumping, bringing the mechanic closer to Breath of the Wild. Gyro aiming makes weapons such as the Slingshot and Bow easier to use, and GameRant lists gyro aiming among the eight changes in Nintendo’s trailer. The outlet frames manual jumping as part of the remake’s updated controls.

Reimagined visuals give well-known locations from the original game a major overhaul to use the Nintendo Switch 2’s capabilities. The graphical upgrade ties directly to the new hardware. Cutscenes are fully voiced, potentially adding more weight to major story moments. The voice acting could add more weight to major moments in the remake of the 1998 game.

The remake lets players sing, hum, or perform songs through the Nintendo Switch 2’s built-in microphone while using the Ocarina, avoiding the need to memorize button combinations. The Threads of Time is a new menu feature that serves as both a quest log and a visual record that changes as players progress. It serves as a piece of art reminding players of events throughout the game. The Hall of Fallen Foes is a new location where players can view defeated enemies and rematch bosses such as King Dodongo.

The original The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launched on Nintendo 64 in 1998 as the franchise’s first 3D entry. A version released on Nintendo 3DS in 2011 added stereoscopic 3D and quality of life enhancements while remaining largely faithful to the 1998 Nintendo 64 game. The 3DS version altered the Water Temple to reduce its difficulty, and GameRant suggests the Switch 2 version might receive comparable changes.

GameRant frames this as uncertain rather than confirmed. A physical ocarina instrument will work directly with the Switch 2 remake, causing Link to perform the exact notes that players play on the real wind instrument. Polygon reports the physical ocarina as one of two major additions outside the game itself.

Series producer Eiji Aonuma demonstrated the feature by playing Epona’s song, the tune associated with Link’s horse. The demonstration showed how real-world notes translate into the game. Players can still input Ocarina notes through dedicated controller buttons. They can also hum notes into the Nintendo Switch 2 controllers’ microphone to produce the same in-game effect as playing the instrument physically.

The Nintendo Switch app Zelda Notes will offer 11 different options for the Ocarina of Time remake. Today’s Record displays accomplishments chronologically with screenshots and tracks daily play time, enemies killed, items used, deaths, hearts lost, rupees earned, distance traveled, and grass cut. Polygon describes Today’s Record as Nintendo’s take on achievements, specific to Zelda, showing accomplishments chronologically with screenshots. The feature tracks a range of play statistics, though Nintendo did not reveal the complete list.

Gossip Quests shows players photographs of locations they must find, awarding points exchangeable for Ocarina scores playable in the game, with hints available for harder locations. Challenge level varies between obvious and esoteric locations. The Play Ocarina section is a digital version of the azure instrument that offers guided playback and lets players record their own songs to share with others via QR codes. Polygon jokes that the codes connect to rickrolling.

The Ocarina of Time Quiz presents questions with four possible answers and a picture that players must answer within 10 seconds. The quiz includes 2,000 questions. Players can attempt the quiz once per day, spend 20 Rupees for another try, and raise Egg Level and Cucco Level through consecutive correct answers. Nintendo showed but did not explain Zelda Notes options including Map, Hall of Fallen Foes, Global Play Data, Photo Studio, Threads of Time, and amiibo, and Polygon says some are self-explanatory while others await more details.