Quick answer: Famitsu gave The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake for Nintendo Switch 2 a 37 out of 40, from scores of 10, 9, 9 and 9. It is the first published review score for the game. The 1998 Nintendo 64 original was the first game in Famitsu history to score a perfect 40. Current as of Nov 4, 2026, one day before the Nov 5 launch.
Update (Nov 4, 6:50 AM CT): Western reviews are now live, and the remake debuted at 96 on Metacritic. See our Ocarina of Time remake review roundup.
The first real verdict on Nintendo’s rebuilt Ocarina of Time is in, and it comes from the one outlet with the most history attached to this game. Japanese magazine Famitsu scored the Switch 2 remake 37/40 in its latest weekly issue. That is an excellent score by any normal standard. It is also exactly three points below the review that made Ocarina of Time a legend.
The Famitsu scores, reviewer by reviewer
Famitsu’s Cross Review has four critics each score a game out of 10, then adds them up. For the remake, one reviewer gave a 10 and three gave a 9.
- Praised: the new, more comfortable camera settings, friendlier controls and game flow, and the rebuilt, highly detailed graphics.
- Held back: reviewers called it relatively simple compared with many modern games, and said there are moments where players may not know what to do next.
How 37 compares with past Ocarina of Time scores
- Ocarina of Time (N64, 1998): 40/40, the first perfect score Famitsu ever gave
- Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS, 2011): 37/40
- Ocarina of Time (Switch 2, 2026): 37/40
So the Switch 2 version ties the 3DS remake, even though this one is a much bigger rebuild with voiced cutscenes, a jump button and a free camera.
Our take: the complaints are about 1998, on purpose
Read the two knocks again. “Simple” and “not sure where to go” are both features of the original design that Nintendo chose to keep. In its Ask the Developer interview, Eiji Aonuma explained that the team added warp points and then cut every one because shortcuts skipped moments of discovery. The remake did fix friction points, like the Water Temple and the old auto jump, but it was never meant to become a modern open world Zelda. If that faithfulness is what you want, the 37 is close to a rave.
One other early read has surfaced. NPR posted a review two days early and pulled it. It carried no score, but secondhand reports say it praised the craftsmanship while calling the remake one of Nintendo’s safest bets.
When do the rest of the reviews arrive?
Nintendo has not announced an embargo time. Metacritic hinted at midweek, and recent big Zelda releases had reviews go live the day before launch, so more scores should land on Nov 4. The original sits at 99 on Metacritic, the highest score on the site.
The remake launches Thursday, Nov 5, only on Switch 2, at $59.99 digital or $69.99 physical. Digital copies should unlock around 11 PM CT tonight. Our release time and preload guide has the download size and unlock times.
Sources: Famitsu weekly Cross Review (via VGC, GamesRadar+, Nintendo Life and Nintendo Everything, Nov 4); Nintendo Ask the Developer Vol. 24.
