Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Switch 2 on November 5, 2026, and the remake has drawn near-universal praise from critics. According to Nordbayern, the game currently holds a Metacritic score of 96 out of 100 from 84 reviews, all of them positive. That places it first among the site's highest-rated games of 2026.
The result is notable for more than the ranking. Nordbayern reports that no game had scored this highly in three years, with Baldur's Gate 3 the last title to reach 96. Within the 2024–2026 window, Zelda leads a field that includes Hades 2 and the Switch 2 edition of Tears of the Kingdom, both at 95.
Why it matters
Ocarina of Time has carried unusual weight since its 1998 debut on the Nintendo 64. The original holds a Metacritic score of 99 and is widely described as the best game ever made, and Nordbayern notes that fans have treated the Link-versus-Ganondorf adventure as the high point of the medium for decades. Expectations for any new version were therefore steep.
A 96 average suggests the remake has met them, at least with reviewers. For Nintendo, the launch also gives the Switch 2 a flagship title in its first year and a strong argument for players who have not yet moved to the new hardware.
What Nintendo changed
According to Nordbayern, Nintendo rebuilt the game from the ground up for the Switch 2 rather than porting the original. The studio lists revised visuals, voiced cutscenes, expanded dialogue, orchestral music, and updated controls and camera work among the changes.
Reviewers quoted by Nordbayern describe this as the definitive way to play Link's adventure and the best entry point into the Zelda series for newcomers. The praise is not unanimous on every point, however.
Where the remake falls short
Nordbayern reports that reviews flag several drawbacks: unnecessary loading screens, limited voice acting, and a lack of side quests after the main story ends. Some critics found certain elements and the overall pacing dated. RPG Site gave the game 80, the lowest of the early scores, and argued the remake is aimed primarily at players new to the title.
The 96 figure is also provisional. Nordbayern notes that user scores are not yet included and that only three user ratings existed at the time of reporting, leaving room for the average to shift.
A marketing moment beyond the game
The release has produced its share of internet curiosity. Golem reported that searching for Zelda leads users to a recreation of Google as it looked in 1998, a nod to the year the original launched. Nintendo has also published a developer interview about the project, the second chapter of a "Ask the Developers" feature on Ocarina of Time.
Whether the critical reception holds will become clearer as user reviews accumulate in the coming days.
