Nintendo Drops Ocarina of Time Remake For $60, And Gamers Are Having A Full-Blown Meltdown Over A 27-Year-Old Game
Oh boy, here we go again. Grab your pitchforks, dust off your N64 emulators, and prepare your most creative "corporate greed" hashtags, because Nintendo just did the thing we all knew they were going to do. The Kyoto overlords have finally announced a full-blown remake of *The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time*, and it’s coming at the low, low price of your firstborn child and exactly $59.99. That’s right, folks. The same game your dad played while wearing JNCO jeans and listening to Smash Mouth is now going to cost you the same as a brand new AAA title. And the internet? Oh, the internet is losing its collective goddamn mind.
Let’s rewind. Yesterday, Nintendo casually dropped a trailer that sent shockwaves through the gaming community. Not because it looked bad—actually, it looked pretty slick. They’ve given old Link a fresh coat of paint, slapped some ray tracing on Hyrule Field, and made Navi’s "Hey! Listen!" sound even more like a mosquito in your ear. The graphics are crisp, the framerate is buttery, and the Guardian Stalfos now have individual beard hairs. It’s the definitive version of a game that has been remastered, ported, and re-released more times than *Skyrim*. But here’s the kicker: They’re charging full price. $60. For a game from 1998.
And the comments section? Absolute dumpster fire. You’ve got the usual suspects: The "This is a slap in the face to loyal fans" crowd. The "I’ll just emulate it on my Steam Deck for free" warriors. The "Nintendo is the most anti-consumer company on Earth" brigade, conveniently forgetting that Sony charges $70 for a *Last of Us* re-remaster. And of course, the "Back in my day, we got this game with a gold cartridge and a free strategy guide" boomers. It’s like watching a car crash made entirely of hot takes.
Look, I get it. On the surface, paying $60 for a game that’s older than some of the people reading this article feels like getting a speeding ticket for walking too fast. The original *Ocarina of Time* was a masterpiece. It defined 3D action-adventure games, spawned a thousand "Z-targeting" mechanics, and gave us the Water Temple, which is still the bane of every gamer’s existence. But here’s the thing: It’s also a game that has been available on every Nintendo console since the Bush administration. You can play it on the Switch right now via the NSO expansion pack, which costs like $50 a year and also gives you *Banjo-Kazooie*. So why would anyone drop $60 on a remake?
Because we’re all suckers, that’s why. And Nintendo knows it.
Let’s be real for a second. The outrage is performative. We all know that this remake is going to sell like hotcakes, and by "hotcakes," I mean it’s going to break sales records faster than you can say "It’s dangerous to go alone." Nintendo has mastered the art of the FOMO release. They drip-feed us nostalgia like a dealer giving out free samples. First, it was *Link’s Awakening* for $60. Then *Mario 3D All-Stars*, which was literally three games in a trench coat for $60, and it was a limited-time release because Nintendo hates the concept of "having nice things." Now, *Ocarina of Time* gets the full treatment, and we’re all supposed to act shocked?
Here’s the thing that gets lost in the Reddit echo chamber: It’s not just a port. The remake is supposedly built from the ground up in the Unreal Engine 5. We’re talking fully redone textures, dynamic lighting, environmental physics that make the Deku Tree look like it’s straight out of *Avatar*. The Great Deku Tree’s interior is now a fully explorable, photorealistic nightmare. The horse-riding sections actually feel like you’re riding a horse instead of a toaster on wheels. And yes, Jabu-Jabu’s Belly still looks like a fever dream, but now it’s a high-definition fever dream. So is it worth $60? That depends on how much you value your childhood.
But let’s talk about the elephant in the room: The price. Everyone is pointing fingers at Nintendo like they’re the only ones doing this, but have you seen the rest of the industry? Activision sells a skin for $20. EA charges you to unlock Darth Vader. And Nintendo, for all their sins, at least gives you a complete game. Is it overpriced? Absolutely. Is it still going to be the best-selling game of the year? You bet your ass it is.
The AITA of this situation is clear: Nintendo is the asshole for charging $60, but they’re also the asshole because they know we’ll pay it. And we’re the assholes for pre-ordering it anyway. It’s a symbiotic relationship built on mutual greed and nostalgia. We want to recapture the feeling of being 12 years old, sitting cross-legged on a shag carpet, blowing into a cartridge. Nintendo wants our credit card numbers. It’s a match made in heaven.
So what’s the verdict? Is this a cash grab? Yes. Is it a shameless exploitation of our fondest memories? Also yes. But is it also going to be one of the most polished, lovingly crafted remakes of a legendary game that you will absolutely sink 40 hours into while ignoring your responsibilities? You already know the answer.
The game drops in November, just in time for holiday rage. Pre-orders are already live. And if you think you’re above the hype, just
Final Thoughts
The asking price for a theoretical *Ocarina of Time* remake feels less like a reflection of production costs and more like a bold stress test of Nintendo's brand equity—gauging just how much nostalgia can be monetized. While a rebuilt Hyrule with modern controls would be a masterpiece, charging a premium over the value of the original risks alienating the very audience who cherished it for its groundbreaking design, not its polygon count. Ultimately, the price tag isn't about the game; it's a statement of intent, forcing us to ask whether we're paying for a timeless classic or simply for the privilege of revisiting it in high definition.