Zelda: Ocarina of Time Price Suggests Classic 1:1 Remake

For anyone who's been checking every corner of the internet for Ocarina of Time remake news, you might need to brace yourself because here comes something that might actually give you some concrete answers regarding when you should be ordering the game and seeing the gameplay as well.

An insider was able to uncover a cached page of a listing that was originally put up on a large online retailer’s site regarding the Ocarina of Time Remake. This cached page apparently showed the game's release date to be set for August 4th, which people are thinking is more likely to be the pre-order release date and not the release date itself, given the fact that the page has already been taken down from their site.

The removal of that page is quite telling by itself, as retailers usually do not remove pages unless they were accidentally posted early.

So what does this mean for you if you're trying to figure out when Nintendo is finally going to show gameplay for the Ocarina of Time remake? There are really two ways this could go. One option is that the gameplay-focused Nintendo Direct happens very soon, potentially as early as Monday, the day after this leak surfaced, or maybe sometime later in the month.

The other, more likely option is that Nintendo waits until right before pre-orders open, meaning you'd see the Direct sometime between August 1st and August 4th. Since August 4th falls on a Tuesday, and Nintendo tends to make big announcements early in the week, a Monday reveal lines up pretty well with how they've handled things before.

But what about your chances of getting to play the Ocarina of Time remake once pre-orders open? It is possible for you to expect the month of September, October, or November. It will be highly unlikely if December comes into play, considering how close it is to the holiday season, and Nintendo will definitely not like competing against itself around Christmas time.

Other releases on the calendar matter here, too. Splatoon Raiders is coming out in late July, Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave lands in mid-September, and Nintendo Switch Sports Resort arrives in late October. Nintendo isn't likely to release something as massive as the Ocarina of Time remake right on top of any of those.

The calendar gets more crowded from here.

You've also got Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition sitting in December, plus a wave of third-party heavy hitters like the new GTA entry. All of that narrows things down quite a bit, and points toward a mid-November release as the most realistic outcome, especially if Nintendo isn't worried about going head-to-head with other big titles that month.

Looking at how Nintendo has handled pre-order windows for other Switch 2 games gives you a decent frame of reference, too. Pokémon Legends: Z-A had a gap of about two to three months between pre-orders and release. Donkey Kong Bananza sat around for two months. Kirby Air Rider was closer to one to two months. Star Fox had the shortest gap at around seven weeks.

Considering all this, while September might not be ruled out at this point entirely, the extra lead time necessary for such a big title, along with Nintendo not speaking a word about it in the last Direct, makes it seem more likely that they are waiting until November. If they had intended to release the Ocarina of Time remake earlier than that, you would probably have heard something by now.

The fact that they are waiting to release it is an indication that they are going to market it separately. Now let's rewind a bit, because there's another piece of this puzzle that's just as interesting: pricing. Before this pre-order date leak even surfaced, another retailer, a smaller specialty seller, had briefly activated pre-orders and listed the Ocarina of Time remake at $59.99.

The leaked price is lower than what a lot of fans were bracing for, with earlier expectations sitting closer to $70 or even $80.

This is given how Mario Kart World launched at that higher price point. The reason why this pricing leak sounds credible is that it corresponds with Star Fox, which was sold for $60 in physical version and for $50 in digital one. The description that accompanied that first leak of Ocarina of Time remake stated that this game will have new graphics and designs, but still have "timeless gameplay."

This phrase is very similar to the one used when advertising Star Fox. In other words, Star Fox retained its basic mechanics but updated its design. So, if Nintendo treats the Ocarina of Time remake in the same fashion, then there is nothing wrong with the pricing of this game. If the Ocarina of Time remake ends up priced around $59.99, that would honestly count as a pleasant surprise.

Apart from these two aspects, there are some additional bits of information about this title that are circulating out there and are worth paying attention to. One of the speculations is that Nintendo is working on a special Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of the game, which is similar to what the company is doing with other old games.

There's also talk that Nintendo might hold a separate Direct entirely centered around The Legend of Zelda's 40th anniversary, which would be a pretty big deal if it happens. On top of that, rumors about a new 2D Zelda entry have been floating around, along with earlier reports about a possible Twilight Princess remaster for Switch 2, though insiders close to that particular rumor have said it's currently stuck in limbo with no clear timeline.

None of that is confirmed either, but stack it all together, and a pattern starts to emerge.

Put it all together, and you've got a picture that's starting to come into focus even without an official word from Nintendo. A pre-order date around August 4th, a possible Direct landing right before it, a price that could land closer to $60 than $80, and a release window most likely sitting in November.

None of this is confirmed, and Nintendo could easily shift plans at any point, but the pieces line up well enough that it's worth paying attention to over the next few weeks. If you've been waiting to plan around the Ocarina of Time remake's launch, this is probably the closest look you'll get until Nintendo makes it official.