Nintendo announces UK midnight launch for Ocarina of Time remake with free N64 boxes

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

Nintendo announced an official UK midnight launch event for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Switch 2 remake at the Nintendo Experience Zone inside the Argos store on Tottenham Court Road in London, set for November 4, 2026, ahead of the game’s Thursday, November 5, 2026 release date.

Purchasers of the game at the London event receive a free Nintendo 64 box replica modeled after the original UK box design, built with an inner tray and slipcase made to hold the Switch 2 version. They also receive a free Ocarina key ring while supplies last. Both incentives apply to buyers of the game.

The Nintendo Experience Zone has operated inside the Argos store since earlier in 2026 and stocks consoles, games, and merchandise for Zelda, Mario, and Animal Crossing. Nintendo described the pop-up as temporary at its announcement. The venue follows a Nintendo London pop-up at Westfield Shopping Centre that ran for about a month in October 2025 and sold merchandise once available only at Nintendo’s permanent stores in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, San Francisco, and New York.

Nintendo’s retail stores in San Francisco and New York City are holding midnight launch events for the remake on November 5, 2026, offering special promotional deals and exclusive items. The San Francisco store operates from 9pm to 11pm PT within a two-hour window. Entry requires a Warp Pipe Pass, with sign-ups opening October 26, 2026 at 3pm PT on a first-come, first-served basis and a limit of one pass per person. The pass costs additional money and does not cover the price of the game, and buyers are limited to one copy of the game.

Nintendo said its New York store would sell the Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition Switch 2 console on October 29, 2026, but buyers must reserve a Warp Pipe Pass for a designated shopping session and are limited to one console each. This arrangement is separate from the November 5 midnight launch events.

Best Buy announced select stores across the United States will hold midnight launch openings for the Switch 2 remake, starting at 12:00am local time on November 5, 2026. Customers who pre-ordered the game, the anniversary console model, or the Pro Controller can change their order to collect it during the midnight launch. Participating stores will carry limited stock of the Zelda Edition Switch 2 console, the game, and the Zelda-themed Pro Controller. The official Best Buy website lets customers check which stores are participating by selecting their state.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake arrives Thursday, November 5, 2026 exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2 at a retail price of $69.99. The Switch 2 version includes quality-of-life improvements, an enormous visual overhaul, new music arrangements, and minor new content.

Nintendo released the limited-edition Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition Switch 2 console and Pro Controller on October 29, 2026, one week before the remake. The console costs $519.99 and the Pro Controller costs $99.99, while the standard Switch 2 costs $499.99. Nintendo acknowledged it underestimated demand for the special edition console, with replenishments planned but without confirmed dates or quantities.

Bill van Zyll, Nintendo’s Latin America vice president and general manager, made the demand statement in an interview with Brazilian YouTube channel Coelho no Japão. Nintendo raised the price of the standard Switch 2 to $499.99, attributing the increase to market conditions including an AI-driven component shortage impacting the entire gaming industry.

The anniversary console and controller use a black, gold, and green color scheme with triangle-shaped decals around a Triforce symbol and the Hylian Crest, inspired by Link and the Triforce of Courage, and the Pro Controller includes a display stand decorated with Hyrule Castle. Nintendo revealed the hardware in September through a Nintendo Direct showcase. Fans who buy the console will have access to a set of themed Joy-Con 2 controllers, and the Zelda-themed carrying case and screen protector cost $39.99. A Nintendo-exclusive Pro Controller with a Zelda display stand costs $109.99.

The Switch 2 runs almost all Nintendo Switch 1 games, supporting both physical game cards and eShop downloads, with only a very short list of incompatible titles that is shrinking as patches are released. Paid Switch 2 Edition upgrades cost around $10. Subscribers to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass can play GameCube games including F-Zero GX, Soulcalibur II, and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. PCMag UK notes this GameCube compatibility is exclusive to the Switch 2 and is not available on the original Switch.

ComicBook.com notes that skepticism about the remake’s quality exists among some fans, contrasting with broader excitement around the 2026 release. Projects such as Halo 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 defined the midnight physical gaming release tradition. Nintendo’s San Francisco store also said in a late October 2026 post that buyers receive a gift with a copy of the remake while supplies last. Video Games Chronicle’s hands-on preview said, “As my time with the Ocarina of Time remake demo came to an end, I found myself falling in love with the game again.”