Link can finally jump whenever he wants. Tap X or B on a Joy-Con 2 and he leaps into the air. That may sound like a minor tweak, until you recall that the original asked players to rely on auto-jump at every ledge from start to finish.
A hands-on preview from Polygon says that small change captures the whole remake. Polygon’s reviewer played The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on Nintendo Switch 2 for about 30 minutes. They described this take on the Nintendo 64 classic as sharp and streamlined, and said it plays better than it ever has.
Nintendo had a hard balance to strike. The remake needs to feel faithful to the original and also fit alongside modern Zelda titles such as Breath of the Wild. Going by the preview, Nintendo appears to have managed both. The reviewer calls the game graphically impressive and still thoroughly modern, and says it is packed with nostalgia for Link’s first 3D adventure.
Much of the demo followed the same path as the gameplay walkthrough that series producer Eiji Aonuma showed during a Nintendo Direct showcase in September. After that, Nintendo opened up a section that hadn’t been shown to anyone.
Moving quickly through Kokiri Forest
The opening is just as fans remember it. The Great Deku Tree sends Navi the fairy to wake Link, the boy without a fairy, and pass along a message. Players then go back through the basics. They talk with the Kokiri, find the Kokiri Sword hidden in a corner of the forest, and gather enough rupees to buy a Deku Shield.
The tutorials teach jumping, lifting objects and throwing them. According to the preview, the controls felt fast and precise, quick enough to clear Mido’s blockade in no time.
The preview calls the Great Deku Tree gorgeously rendered, and it was in the dungeon inside that combat began to come together. Fights against Skulltulas and Deku Babas reportedly feel more responsive than they ever did on the N64.
Items have improved as well. Once Link has the Fairy Slingshot and the bow, swapping secondary weapons is fast because the R button cycles through his inventory. Anyone who kept pausing in 1998 to reassign C buttons will understand why that matters.
Gold Skulltulas steal the show
One collectible from the Deku Tree caught the reviewer’s attention: the Gold Skulltula Tokens look beautiful.
Polygon’s reviewer said the remake’s use of texture and light is unlike anything they had seen on Switch 2. If a tiny bug token looks this good, Nintendo probably put a lot of care into the rest of the game too.
A bit more guidance and a huge open field
When Link leaves the Deku Tree, the owl Kaepora Gaebora sends him toward Hyrule Castle. This is also where the preview first showed Threads of Time, a feature that is new to the remake.
Threads of Time is found in the main menu and records Link’s journey so far. Players can scroll through the major story moments and see where they need to go next. It adds a little hand-holding, but it’s also a useful way to catch up after a week away from the game.
Hyrule Field is huge. Hyrule Castle and Death Mountain are far off on the horizon, and the trek to Castle Town can seem intimidating at first.
Link can now dash, which makes long trips much quicker. The preview also stopped to take on a large Peahat near the town’s drawbridge to see how combat held up against a tougher enemy.
Castle Town is packed with diversions
Castle Town is bustling. Townspeople bustle around, dancing and chatting, and there are plenty of conversations and side quests to lure players away from the main path.
The demo only allowed a brief stop, and the reviewer said they wanted to return with more time.
A first look at the Forest Temple
Next, Nintendo loaded a save featuring Adult Link, who already has the Hookshot by this point. He needs it to explore the Forest Temple, one of Ocarina of Time’s most memorable dungeons and a part of the remake that had never been shown before.
The streamlined movement and combat came together here, and so did the effort Nintendo put into bringing old spaces back to life.
Vines and moss cover the temple’s stone walls, which makes it feel tangible and ancient. Small architectural changes make it feel like a real building while keeping the soul of the original.
Better lighting and textures give each quadrant its own identity, and a mist drifting across the floors gives the temple an ethereal feel.
The boss nobody got to
Even with the faster movement and controls, the session ended before reaching the dungeon’s boss, Phantom Ganon.
After all the winding corridors and puzzles, the preview finishes eager to see how the rest of the game has changed.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launches on Nov. 5, exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2. Phantom Ganon will be waiting at the end of that misty corridor.