Musician Jon Batiste Praises New Zelda Ocarina of Time Remake

The long-awaited remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has launched on the Nintendo Switch 2, drawing overwhelmingly positive early reviews from critics. Musician Jon Batiste, who received early access to the game as a superfan, shared his initial thoughts during the launch event at the Nintendo store in New York.

Player Reactions

Batiste noted that the reimagined title keeps the core spirit of the 1998 Nintendo 64 original while adding welcome twists and surprises for players. He compared the update to a musical movement that passes an inspiring melody down to a new generation. The artist also recalled how the original game completely changed his perception of video games by blending open-world adventure with action elements.

Game Details

Built exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2, the game follows the hero Link as he tries to stop the villain Ganondorf from stealing the mythical Triforce to take over the world. Batiste also highlighted the iconic soundtrack created by composer Koji Kondo, noting that learning to play those game scores on instruments helped shape his own early interest in music.

Context

Remakes of classic video games are increasingly common as developers look to attract both nostalgic older fans and new players on modern hardware. Franchises like Zelda often rely heavily on their memorable musical themes to build lasting emotional connections with their audience over decades.