【The Legend of Zelda】A complete remake of the NINTENDO 64 version with renewed graphics! Leaving its name in history as a masterpiece action RPG, the Switch 2 version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is finally released!

“What if you could enjoy the adventure you were engrossed in back then once more with the latest visuals?” What seems likely to grant such wishes of game fans is “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time”, fully remade for Nintendo Switch 2. The masterpiece that appeared on NINTENDO 64 and captivated many players returns carrying a beautifully reborn world and evolved operability. Moreover, it is not merely making appearances gorgeous. What wants attention drawn is that even the fun of new play is incorporated while cherishing nostalgia. Even people who say “I played it in the past so I know the contents” should surely want to run around the land of Hyrule with fresh feelings.

The protagonist of the story is Link, a boy living in Kokiri Forest. His life of spending peaceful days changes greatly due to words told by the guardian deity of the forest, the “Great Deku Tree”. Amazingly, he was shouldering the major mission of saving Hyrule. The existence threatening the world is Ganondorf, who conceals terrifying ambitions. To confront such a formidable enemy, Link steps out of the forest where he was born and raised together with his partner, the fairy Navi. This is precisely the point that tickles the heart in this work, isn't it? Rather than a hero capable of anything from the beginning, a still young boy dives into an unknown world and overcomes numerous trials. While watching over that growth, before you know it, you can taste the mood as if you yourself became a member of the adventure.

What is indispensable when talking about “Ocarina of Time” is the original mechanism of going back and forth between two eras. Triggered by a certain event, Link, who was a boy, grows into an adult appearance. However, not merely becoming stronger is the interesting part. Tools and actions that can be used differ between childhood and adulthood, and scenes appear that cannot be broken through unless understanding respective characteristics. The fun of solving mysteries while thinking “Maybe I can advance here in a child's appearance?” or “Won't something change if I return after becoming an adult?” is exceptional. Because the flow of time itself becomes the key to strategy, discoveries increasing the more you explore is also a charm. At the moment of opening a path racking your brains, a voice seems likely to spontaneously come out like “I see, so that's it!”

Swords and shields are not the only weapons of the hero. In this work, the “Ocarina”, which is also the title, plays an important role. By playing melodies learned during the journey, mysterious effects are born, and you can advance the adventure advantageously. Furthermore, in the remake version, in addition to conventional button operations, playing using the microphone of the Nintendo Switch 2 console itself is also supported. It is surprising that you can act upon the game world by humming or making sounds with actual musical instruments. Link on the other side of the screen and the sounds you play connecting, doesn't it make you excited just by imagining? Music becomes not mere production, but the power that moves adventure. This special experience would precisely be the real pleasure unique to “Ocarina of Time”.

In this full remake, in addition to the renewal of graphics, ease of play is also significantly improved. Becoming newly able to operate jumps and dashes with buttons, the fun of moving Link expands further. Also, through making event scenes fully voiced, characters' emotions and the story's sense of tension seem likely to be transmitted much more easily. In addition, in the new function “Traces of Time”, you can look back on past events like a story and confirm the next objectives. When resuming play after a long time, not having to get lost wondering “Wait, where was I going next?” is something to be grateful for, isn't it? It also supports the smartphone linkage service “ZELDA NOTES”, and the point that convenient functions supporting adventure are prepared cannot be missed either.

The charm of “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” is not only the fun of exploring a magnificent world. In the story where a boy faces destiny and grows across time, there is a special power remaining in players' hearts. Racking brains over mystery-solving, listening to music, and hearts beating fast every time advancing to unknown places. Such original joys of adventure are tightly packed in this work. Both people who traveled Hyrule in the past and people who meet Link for the first time from now on can probably make unforgettable memories in the newly reborn world, can't they? Come, take the ocarina in hand, and depart on a journey that transcends time!