When discussing the short list of some of the greatest video games ever created, that discussion almost has to start with “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” for the Nintendo 64.
The Zelda series’ first jump into the world of 3D gaming introduced a litany of revolutionary gameplay mechanics as well as a timeless story, and still sits on the throne as the highest-rated video game of all time on Metacritic, boasting a 99/100.
But with the masterpiece pushing 30 years of age, there are entire generations of gamers who have never experienced the wonder of “Ocarina of Time”.
Sure, a remake for the Nintendo 3DS was released all the way back in 2011, but that was 15 years ago and was also relegated to a handheld device.
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Recently, fans of the series have been clamoring for a full-blown, HD remake of the N64 classic for a bona fide next-generation console, and the rumors started to swirl earlier this year that their dreams would become reality.
Nintendo of America confirmed those rumors with a teaser trailer released on its official X account, with a release date of sometime later this year attached to it.
OK, let’s break this down based on what Nintendo is giving us.
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For starters, it says 2026, though there is no actual release date or even month to go off of.
For all we know, that could mean December 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m., and judging by the lack of gameplay in the trailer, that could be a safe bet.
Game companies are notorious for withholding gameplay footage from trailers the further out from release they are, so I imagine we aren’t getting this new Zelda game anytime soon.
Also, the art style of the footage being presented looks a bit more “hyper-realistic” compared to recent games like “Breath of the Wild” and “Tears of the Kingdom,” which might rub some fans who were averse to that direction the wrong way.
Speaking of fans, in this day and age of online cynicism, public opinion on the trailer is split.
Some are pointing out the lack of gameplay as a sign that this might be more of a pipe dream than anything while others are just excited something they’ve been waiting decades for may finally come to fruition.
Full disclosure, “Ocarina of Time” is my favorite video game of all time, so this one is a little personal to me.
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I see both sides of the argument. It was a little anticlimactic to see zero gameplay footage, but it’s also nice to know that we will be getting this long-anticipated remake sometime soon.
I have been hardened by years of terrible reboots and remakes that turned out to be nothing more than soulless cash grabs, so my guard is up for whenever this bad boy decides to drop.
I would be lying, however, if I said my inner 7-year-old didn’t perk up after seeing this post on my X timeline earlier this morning.
Hold your breath, Zelda fans. The wait is almost over (maybe).
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