Why the Ocarina of Time Remake is the Time Travel We Need
- Brandon Sherbo
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
I think we’re all feeling the same thing since Nintendo Direct announced the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, coming in 2026. Widely regarded as one of (if not the) greatest video game ever made, Ocarina of Time has changed the lives of millions. It has sparked a love of video games in us, brought us closer together with friends and family members, and told a heartfelt story about courage, bravery, love, and friendship that has remained unmatched across the decades.
With this remake, the idea of Link time travelling from adulthood to childhood, back and forth, feels beautifully literal—it’s a chance for us to bridge the gap between who we are now and the kids we used to be.
Playing Ocarina of Time is one of my earliest memories, lounging in bean bag chairs in 1998 when I was five years old with my dad and big brother and the Nintendo64, eyes wide as we got our very own fairy guardian, armed ourselves with a small sword, and started the adventure of a lifetime. I remember the shock as the Deku Tree withered. I remember racing across Hyrule to get to the city before dark. I remember being captivated by Zora’s Domain and Ruto. I remember Zelda, my first crush–or was it actually Link? I could list the memories on and on and on.
There was so much influence on me from that game from childhood that made me who I am. It made me devotedly obsessed with gaming. It made me eternally grateful to my dad for getting it for us. It made me smarter. It made me braver. Most importantly, it made me kinder.
What it really means to me, what I’m most excited for, is that I feel like I can experience my inner kid entirely. With all the stresses in this life going on with day-to-day life and the political climate, I feel like getting in touch with myself from back then is just what I need right now.
I think of it a little bit like time travel… Just six notes on an ocarina… and I can go back to 1998 for a little while.
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