The most exciting part of the ‘Zelda: Ocarina of Time’ remake has nothing to do with playing the game

Nintendo is closing out its 2026 Switch 2 first-party release calendar with a full remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and everyone has something to say about the way it looks. But what about the way it sounds?

I got to play around an hour of the upcoming remake, which launches on Nov. 5, at a recent press event. While there’s plenty to say about the visuals and gameplay, I wanted to take a moment to focus on the soundtrack. Just like with the Switch 2 Star Fox remake that released earlier this year, perhaps my most anticipated aspect of this take on Ocarina is the prospect of having a fully orchestral version of every song on Ocarina‘s brilliant, timeless musical score.

I’m glad to say that, based on what I heard, this is exactly what I wanted.

Ocarina of Time‘s new soundtrack is gorgeous

In the demo, I got to check out four areas that have notably memorable themes in the original game:

• Kokiri Forest

• Hyrule Field

• Hyrule Castle Town

• The Forest Temple

Each theme in the remake was true to the original, as Nintendo swapped out the synthesized instruments for their real-life counterparts. So far, none of the music I’ve heard has strayed too far from the direction of the original, so don’t expect a sudden burst of electric guitar in the boss fights or anything like that. That said, the Castle Town theme did have an added layer of ocarina, which is appropriate. What’s here is both respectful of the original vision and, frankly, sounds a little better to my ears, as a guy who prefers real instruments to their MIDI variants.

Hyrule Field’s theme, which you can hear in the embedded trailer, is particularly triumphant and adventurous. Meanwhile, the Forest Temple is still creepy as hell, with the music contributing to a haunting atmosphere that shines through just as well in the remake as it did in 1998. I’d also like to shout out the iconic, understated title screen theme, which you can hear on the Nintendo Music app right now. It’s still just as quietly confident as ever, a sure aural sign that you’re about to experience greatness, but this time with real instruments.

Now Nintendo just needs to release the full remade Gerudo Valley theme, and I’ll be happy forever.