What We Learned From The Legend Of Zelda 40th Anniversary Nintendo Direct
Some movie news, some updates about the Ocarina of Time Remake, and a little more
"ColonelFancy" Mike Lind
9/8/20263 min read
Nintendo held their 40th Anniversary Legend of Zelda Direct, going over details about what to anticipate throughout this celebration of the beloved franchise.
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA MOVIE WILL BE TITLED "THE LEGEND OF ZELDA"
Coming from Shigeru Miyamoto, yeah, there will be no subtitle attached to the film. According to Miyamoto, it will be its own contained story that will pay homage and include features from many (if not all) Zelda games throughout the years.
"This is an original film based on the stories, ideas, and concepts of the series built up through the games for 40 years," says Miyamoto. "Through the creative power and visual expertise of the talent production team, it's become an artistic work worthy of the Legend of Zelda series."
He also teased a significant role for the Triforce, naturally. This is a good approach, I feel, as it won't have to be anchored to previously established lore to tell the story it wants to tell, only drawing from the sources when needed.
The Legend of Zelda will hit theaters April 27th, 2027.
Image: Nintendo
LEGEND OF ZELDA-THEMED NINTENDO SWITCH 2
I almost regret getting my Nintendo Switch at the time that I did, as scalpers are likely going to buy this one up in droves. Even though the Nintendo Switch has seen its first price increase (going up $50 from before), special themed consoles like this quickly become high in demand. With special themed Joycons that include 8-bit decals, and the Switch 2 dock with the Triforce insignia on its front, it may not do anything particularly unique. But it does look really cool. There will also be a special edition carrying case and Pro Controller. The Legend of Zelda Nintendo Switch 2 and its accessories go on sale October 29th, 2026.
MAJOR CHANGES TO THE OCARINA OF TIME REMAKE
Image: Nintendo
The overhaul of the visuals were definitely a given. I have mixed feeling about the style. I appreciate the detail, but there's this ever present glossy look on all of the character's faces. It looks rather jarring. That being said, the environments, enemies, effects, Hyrule castle, and animations all look pretty great. There is enough hyper detail without teetering into uncanny valley territory.
Eiji Aonuma made note that those used to the gameplay of Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild, where you could venture anywhere and do anything is not present in this. It's designed to be a faithful recreation of the Nintendo 64's Ocarina of Time. There are a couple of new elements, like the ability to jump on command. In the original game, Link could only leap across gaps automatically.
Diving below water appears more refined. Aonuma even made note that players used the roll ability to move faster. The Ocarina of Time Remake now lets Link sprint after rolling. A you have to do is hold down the A button. It's also a small notto take for granted, but there's a free roaming camera. The lack of a second analog stick on the N64, this is a welcome quality of life addition. Cut sequences will feature full-voiced dialog. There is also a quest tracker, to easily manage objectives. Aonuma also introduced a unique feature; players can HUM the songs, and the Ocarina will record and learn them. This likely requires the Nintendo Switch 2 microphone, and that feels like a callback to the Famicom version of the original Legend of Zelda, where you could defeat Pol's Voice by making loud noises into the built-in speaker on the controller.
A gameplay Direct will go live 9-9-2026 to likely show more details, but this wraps up a lot of the highlights. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has a release date; November 5th, 2026. So it sticks that landing before Grand Theft Auto VI. The Nintendo Switch 2 has been rather lean on software, so between the nostalgia and a lot of the changes/updates this remakes boasts, this should give Switch 2 owners a reason to log back in or pick up the hybrid console. The full Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct can be viewed here.