The key facts

  • The Ocarina of Time remake was released on November 5 as part of the Zelda series' 40th anniversary.
  • With a Metacritic score of 96/100, it ranks among the year's highest-rated games according to critics.
  • Nintendo reported a decline in quarterly net profit but maintained its full-year forecasts.

Release of the Ocarina of Time remake

On Thursday, November 5, Nintendo released the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time—an updated version of the classic game from the 1990s. The release coincides with the 40th anniversary of the series and is rolling out gradually worldwide, as reported by the AFP news agency. The series follows the warrior Link, who battles the evil demon Ganondorf across different eras to save Princess Zelda.

Critics' Scores and Player Reactions

By the eve of its release, the game received a score of 96 out of 100 on the Metacritic aggregator, placing it among the highest-rated projects of the year. Remake producer Eiji Aonuma told AFP a month before launch that he was 'extremely nervous': 'I don't know how it will end; I can't stop thinking about it.' Reviews have partially alleviated his concerns: IGN called the game 'an exceptional remake of an incredible game,' while Keza MacDonald, in her five-star review for The Guardian, wrote that the Nintendo team 'transformed one of the best games of the 1990s into one of the best games of the 2020s.'

Nostalgia and Stakes for Nintendo

A second AFP article, published on the day of release, conveys buyers' reactions. In Tokyo, 27-year-old Takumi Kawata told the agency that he played Zelda extensively on the Nintendo 64 during his childhood and is delighted by the improved graphics; his brother Kosuke Kawata praised the 'stunning' visuals, especially the forests. American tourist Marissa Olvera recalled spending 'an entire summer' playing the original Ocarina of Time. The article also adds context: the series was created in 1986 by Shigeru Miyamoto, and the two most recent major installments—Breath of the Wild (2017) and Tears of the Kingdom (2023)—have sold a combined total of over 55 million copies.

What This Means for Nintendo

For the company, the release is not only a milestone event but also a market test. According to AFP, analysts are monitoring how much the remake will boost sales of the Switch 2, which became the fastest-selling gaming console device globally upon its launch in 2025. On that same Thursday, Nintendo reported a decline in quarterly net profit but maintained its full-year forecasts. Sources have not yet specified exactly how much the release influenced console sales.