Ocarina Of Time Could Be Coming To Nintendo Switch
Can you hear that? It's the tuneful melodies of "Saria's Song", "Zelda's Lullaby", and "Song of Storms" blowing in across the winds of Hyrule Field. It's no secret that we're big fans of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, with the 1998 Nintendo 64 classic rightly earning its place as one of the greatest video games of all time. More than just taking the Zelda series forward, Ocarina reinvented 3D games and popularised the target lock system.
Following the runaway success of Ocarina, it was followed by The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask in 2000 and has since been re-released as an advanced port for the Nintendo 3DS in 2011. With the upcoming release of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword on the Nintendo Switch, there are obvious questions about whether Ocarina will get the same treatment. There have been plenty of rumours about a Remastered collection of Zelda classics, and now, they've resurfaced again.
What's the Ocarina of Time on Switch rumour?
According to trusted insider NateDrake, the Zelda announcements could soon be pouring in. As well as speculating about something related to Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, he spoke about an "Anniversary Collection" that would give both Ocarina and Majora's Mask a modern tune-up. Discussing what Nintendo has planned, NateDrake explained, "Maybe we see Ocarina and Majora's Mask in some way. Whether it's as HD N64 games on the eShop, similar to what we saw with Mario 64".
Expanding on whether it would be similar to the recent release of Super Mario 3D All-Stars that combined Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy, NateDrake continued, "I don't know if you bring them in a retail pack though". Still, he's sure we'll "definitely see those games in some form" this year. All we need now is an official announcement from Nintendo - and perhaps a release for Breath of the Wild 2.
Will we get Ocarina of Time on Switch?
Although NateDrake has been right before in terms of Nintendo updates (correctly confirming Apex Legends was coming to Switch), the leaker has also just missed the mark on others. Only recently, he claimed Breath of the Wild 2 will launch on the mythical Nintendo Switch Pro. Both Wind Waker and Twilight Princess already had HD updates for the Wii U, so bringing them to the Switch is an easy move. Then again, it seems strange that they wouldn't be bundled with Ocarina and Majora's to remember all Zelda games from that era.
The idea that Nintendo will release two Zelda bundles this year seems a little farfetched, but in terms of fan-favourite status, re-releasing Ocarina and Majora's would undoubtedly be the more popular. When it comes to marketability, Ocarina and Majora's would be an easy sell on the Switch. Not that there's anything wrong with a glossy revamp for Skyward Sword (thanks to its Breath of the Wild-inspired look), but we'd expected something a bit more.
It's no secret that Nintendo's E3 showcase was a showstopper, however, some of us hoped for more. Instead of Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda, we hoped for an announcement of the Classics Collection. Importantly, just because E3 has been and gone, that doesn't mean the rumour has been completely debunked.
Remembering it's the 35-year anniversary of Zelda in 2021, players are still holding out hope there's more on the way. Then again, we could have a pretty quiet anniversary year where all we get is Skyward Sword and another Breath of the Wild 2 trailer. Perish the thought!