Nintendo eShop viewers got roughly 20 minutes of footage from the Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time during the Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct this morning. The demo paired the familiar dungeon-and-forest structure with updated visuals, UI changes, and a new control layout.
Eiji Aonuma described the project as “largely a faithful remake of the N64 classic, reborn on Switch 2 with modern controls and a strong focus on detail.” That frame matters for players who want the same route through Hyrule but a cleaner interface and fewer original-era friction points.
Kokiri Forest on Switch 2
Aonuma opened the gameplay with Kokiri Forest, where paved stone paths, defined wooden staircases, grass moving in the wind, forest spirits in the air, and modern sunlight through the trees replaced the flatter look of the original release.
Link’s outfit also got a visible redo. His woven green tunic now shows layers, sewn-in patterns, and a flared hem, while a feather and several beads sit in his hair and across the costume.
UI Changes and Control Slots
The footage also showed a new equipment screen with four empty slots on the left side, and the Ocarina and Navi mapped to the left and right directional buttons. The top and bottom directional slots were blank in the demo, which suggests the control setup is built for expansion rather than a fixed early-game layout.
That design points to a practical change in how the remake may handle items later on, because the empty slots leave room for more shortcuts without forcing players back into menus as often.
Wallet Limit to 200
The wallet display in the footage showed a maximum capacity of 200, up from the 99 rupees the original N64 game allowed, and a blue rupee worth five was added during the demo. For players, that means less early-game pressure to spend immediately and more room to carry currency between pickups.
The remake still looks locked to the bones of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, but the footage makes clear that Nintendo is changing how it is played, not just how it looks. The open question now is which later items will fill those empty shortcut slots, since the demo left the top and bottom positions unused.
