For nearly 20 years, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was my favorite game. While it was eventually supplanted by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Ocarina of Time remains a formative, treasured gaming experience that laid the foundation for the wider 3D action genre. However, I am the first to admit that while the original Nintendo 64 version – the only one available on Switch and Switch 2 – has aged better than most games of its era, much like its iconic hero, it doesn't take long to realize it's from a bygone era.

For years, I wanted Nintendo to bring the 2011 3D remaster to Switch, but it's doing me one better: a full, from-the-ground-up remake with lush visuals, several quality-of-life improvements, and even voice-acted cutscenes.…