The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Remake Has Fully Voiced Cutscenes, A Jump Button, And Tons More

Nintendo recently pulled back the curtain on the highly anticipated remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, making it the centerpiece of the grand Zelda 40th Anniversary showcase. Series producer Eiji Aonuma walked viewers through the opening hours of the adventure, shedding light on a wealth of exciting gameplay updates and modern refinements.

The presentation began by showcasing young Link, complete with intricate character textures and refined details. Following the broadcast, an extended trailer offered a deeper dive into the journey, highlighting adult Link alongside a familiar cast of beloved characters and iconic moments.

Aonuma guided audiences through several classic environments, contrasting the newly redesigned assets with faithful layouts. The journey fittingly begins in Kokiri Forest, which retains its nostalgic structure while boasting an extraordinary boost in environmental fidelity. Character animations have been thoroughly overhauled—the local shopkeeper, for instance, exudes a much more vibrant, childlike energy.

As expected, the remake introduces full camera control, liberating players from the fixed angles of the N64 original. Furthermore, Link can now jump freely on command—eschewing the automatic leaping mechanic of yesteryear—and navigate aquatic environments with noticeably faster swimming speeds.

While Saria’s greeting in the village remains text-based, major cinematic sequences throughout the adventure now feature full voice acting. Players can manage their inventory via the classic equipment screen or utilize a Breath of the Wild-inspired item scroll by holding the R shoulder button and triggering tools with ZR. Meanwhile, Navi offers richer, more contextual feedback on almost every element of the world, and tools like the slingshot fully support optional motion controls.

Transitioning to the expansive Hyrule Field, Aonuma revealed a quality-of-life change: instead of rolling repetitively across the landscape, players can execute a single roll to seamlessly transition into a continuous sprint anywhere in the overworld.

To help players track their epic journey, a brand-new “Threads of Fate” interface records past milestones and upcoming objectives, gradually weaving together a magnificent tapestry as the adventure unfolds.

After a scenic look toward Death Mountain and the distant Kakariko Village windmill, Aonuma stepped into Hyrule Castle Town. While regional loading screens have been intentionally preserved to honor the pacing of the original release, the town itself is no longer constrained by fixed camera angles. Character animations breathe incredible life into the surroundings, and time now flows naturally within settlements rather than freezing completely as it did in the classic game.

Ocarina mechanics remain true to their roots, but Nintendo is launching a physical, fully playable ocarina alongside the game. The Switch 2 microphone can detect notes played on the instrument—or even hummed directly by the player—to execute songs in-game. Aonuma demonstrated this feature by playing Epona’s Song to summon his trusty steed.

Hidemaro Fujibayashi, director of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, also stopped by to detail how the companion app, Zelda Notes, integrates with the remake. Earning points during gameplay allows users to unlock ocarina melodies within the app, learn to play them physically, or design custom compositions to share via QR codes. Additionally, the app features a daily trivia challenge, which players can also bypass using in-game rupees.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake launches on November 5, 2026.