Ocarina of Time Remake vs the N64 and 3DS Versions: What Changed

By Nerdy Ned · Updated October 2026

The Ocarina of Time remake launches Nov 5, 2026, only on Nintendo Switch 2, at $59.99 digital or $69.99 physical in the US. Compared with the 1998 Nintendo 64 original and the 2011 Nintendo 3DS version, Nintendo says it changes the visuals, controls, voice acting, music and progress tracking.

This post separates what Nintendo has confirmed from what outlets have reported after watching the footage. I have not seen any reviews, so treat anything labeled “reported” as one outlet’s reading of a trailer or Direct.

The three versions at a glance

The N64 and GameCube dates come from Wikipedia’s Ocarina of Time article, and the 3DS details from its Ocarina of Time 3D article. Everything in the right-hand column is from Nintendo’s press release or outlets covering the Sept 8 Direct.

How long this has been coming

Nintendo announced the remake during a June 9, 2026 Nintendo Direct with a short, gameplay-free teaser. Game Informer’s report did not name a developer, though it noted that Grezzo made the 3DS version. I have not seen a developer confirmed in the sources I read.

The date and first gameplay arrived in the Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct on Sept 8. Siliconera notes it is the second remake of the game, after the 3DS version.

Graphics and art style

Confirmed

Nintendo’s press release says the visuals are overhauled “down to material textures,” areas are fully remodeled with new details, and the game has faster load times. It also says the day/night cycle continues everywhere, including towns.

Reported

• Game Informer described the look as “somewhere in the realm of stylized realism.”
• Source Gaming described environments as Unreal Engine-style with chunky, toy-like characters. The Sixth Axis compared the sheen to Star Fox and called the base look claymation-like. Those are writers’ impressions, not specs.
• The Sixth Axis said Hyrule Castle Town is now a fully rendered 3D area with back alleys and dancing townspeople, and that time keeps passing in town where it once stopped.
• Eiji Aonuma said the art direction aims to “invoke nostalgia for the original game,” as reported by games.gg.

My read: the sources agree it looks very different, and none of them say it matches the N64 look. If the old look matters to you, Nintendo has a nod to it: the Young Link and Young Zelda amiibo (2027) unlock masks that give Link a retro graphical style.

Controls and combat

Confirmed

• Newly added jump and run button commands.
• Improved camera control with the Right Stick.
• Snappier actions and smoother gameplay.

Reported

• Gyro or motion aiming for ranged items such as the slingshot (Best Buy Canada, The Sixth Axis, Gearlive).
• Holding the roll button becomes a sprint, according to The Sixth Axis and Gearlive. Siliconera describes it as a dash replacing rolling to move faster.
• Z-targeting style enemy lock-on remains, per The Sixth Axis.
• Source Gaming reports third-person aiming, a swimming air meter, simplified Iron Boots, and Link jumping onto ladders. I only found these in one outlet, so I would wait for reviews.

For comparison, the 3DS version added gyro aiming, a touch-screen item menu and analog aiming options. A button for jumping is the big change from both older versions, since both auto-jump.

Content, voice and story

Confirmed

• Cutscenes are expanded, with fully voiced characters who say more.
• Symphonic orchestral music and refreshed sound.
• Threads of Time shows your story progress and next objective, with a tapestry that fills in as you advance.

Reported

• Link stays silent, according to Gearlive.
• The Sixth Axis reports that Aonuma said loading screens are being kept intentionally.
• Gearlive reports the slow-motion hit effect from the N64 is gone and that entering shops no longer triggers a load, with larger transitions reportedly unchanged.
• Source Gaming reports levels stay faithful and linear, with some redesigned rooms and puzzles, such as a burnable spiderweb in the Deku Tree. games.gg also reported expanded minigame content in Castle Town shops, but I only found that once.

What is new on Switch 2

• Hum to play: Link plays a learned song when you hum it into the Switch 2 microphone. Nintendo says the game also responds to new ocarina peripherals.
• Zelda Notes app: Nintendo’s release lists Today’s Record, Gossip Quest, a virtual ocarina on the touch screen and a quiz with over 2,000 questions.
• Amiibo: Young Link and Young Zelda launch in 2027 and unlock retro-style masks.

What the 3DS version had that the remake has not mentioned

The 3DS version added stereoscopic 3D, touch-screen item management, gyro aiming, the Master Quest dungeons, a Boss Challenge mode, Sheikah Stone hint videos and the Shard of Agony. The Switch 2 has no 3D screen, so the first cannot return as it was.

For the rest, no source I read says whether Master Quest, Boss Challenge or hint videos are in the remake. Threads of Time looks like the replacement for hint videos, but that is my inference, not something Nintendo said.

Ned’s Verdict

From the specs and the footage coverage, this looks like a true remake and not a re-release: new controls, remodeled areas, new voice work and a new progress tracker. For someone who only knows the N64 version, the jump button and camera alone will change how it feels.

If you own the 3DS version, the question is Master Quest and extras. I would wait for reviews and the full feature list before assuming they are there. Reviews were not available when I wrote this, so I am making no judgment on how it plays.

Whatever you pick, the remake does not erase the classic: Omelete’s guide says the N64 library is on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, though you should confirm Ocarina of Time is in it today.

Keep digging: our Ocarina of Time remake pre-order guide, our Zelda 40th anniversary guide and our Zelda games in order list.

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Sources

• Nintendo press release (Business Wire): Zelda 40th Anniversary
• Game Informer: Remake announced (June 9, 2026)
• Game Informer: Remake launches this November
• The Sixth Axis: Gameplay reveal
• Gearlive: Hum the songs
• Siliconera: Release date set
• Source Gaming: Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct
• games.gg: Remake release date
• Best Buy Canada: Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct highlights
• Zelda Universe: Pre-orders
• Wikipedia: Ocarina of Time
• Wikipedia: Ocarina of Time 3D
• Omelete: Where to play the original