Ocarina of Time Switch 2 Remake Earns 37/40 in First Famitsu Review

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo Switch 2 has received its first reported review score, with Japanese magazine Famitsu awarding Nintendo's remake a total of 37 out of 40. The result is extremely strong in isolation, but it also creates an especially interesting comparison point for one of gaming's most acclaimed releases. Famitsu gave the 1998 Nintendo 64 original a perfect 40/40, while the Nintendo 3DS remake, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, also landed on 37/40.

That puts the Switch 2 edition directly alongside the 3DS version in Famitsu's scoring history, at least numerically, while leaving the original adventure's historic perfect result untouched. With the new version due to release this week, the score offers an early indication of how one of the year's biggest Nintendo releases is being received ahead of broader reviews.

A 37/40 Result From Famitsu

Famitsu's review process is distinct from the single-score format used by many publications. Four reviewers each submit a score out of 10, with those individual marks combined for a maximum total of 40. For Ocarina of Time on Nintendo Switch 2, the panel delivered three scores of 9 and one score of 10.

The resulting 37/40 is close to a perfect panel consensus and is the kind of score reserved for games the magazine views very favorably. Still, the composition of the score matters in the context of Ocarina of Time. A perfect 40 would have tied the remake to the original's celebrated milestone. Instead, the new release falls three points short, matching the score given to the prior 3DS reinterpretation.

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That does not automatically mean the new game is identical in quality to the handheld version, nor does it reveal every strength and weakness of the remake. Review scores are compressed judgments, and Famitsu's total does not on its own explain exactly where individual panelists saw improvements, compromises, or areas where the newer release differs from its predecessors. It does, however, establish a clear early benchmark: the Switch 2 remake has begun its critical run with a score just below perfection.

The Weight of the N64 Original

Any new take on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time enters a difficult conversation by default. The Nintendo 64 original is not merely remembered as a major Zelda game; it is routinely treated as one of the defining releases in the history of 3D action-adventure design. Its approach to targeting, dungeon exploration, item-based progression, cinematic storytelling, and the transition between young and adult versions of Link left an enormous mark on the medium.

Its critical reputation remains unusually formidable. The original holds a 99 aggregate score on Metacritic, making it the only game listed there with that figure. Famitsu's 40/40 was similarly historic: Ocarina of Time became the first game ever to receive a perfect score from the magazine when it arrived in 1998.

Those achievements give every remake an almost impossible standard to meet. A modern version is not only evaluated as a new product for contemporary hardware. It is compared with players' memories of a game that set expectations for an entire genre, and with an original that has spent decades accumulating praise. Even a superb remake can be judged more harshly when the game it revisits is regarded as a near-unassailable classic.

From that perspective, a 37/40 may be read less as a disappointment than as recognition of the challenge involved. The Nintendo Switch 2 game has not equaled the exact score of its predecessor, but it has still received a high result from the same publication that marked the original as an all-time landmark.

Matching Ocarina of Time 3D

The more immediate comparison may be with Ocarina of Time 3D, Nintendo's earlier remake for the Nintendo 3DS. That version also earned 37/40 from Famitsu, meaning both modern revisions now share the same total from the magazine.

The 3DS release had a substantial task of its own. It refreshed a Nintendo 64 game for a handheld platform, rebuilt its presentation, and brought the adventure to a new generation of players while retaining the core structure that had made the original so beloved. Its Famitsu result suggested that the publication saw it as an excellent return to Hyrule without placing it on precisely the same pedestal as the 1998 release.

The Switch 2 edition now occupies a similar scoring position. That parallel is likely to encourage close comparisons between Nintendo's two remake efforts: not just in graphical presentation, but in how they handle controls, pacing, accessibility, interface choices, and the delicate question of which older design elements should remain untouched.

Remaking a classic game is rarely a matter of simply making it look newer. Developers must decide whether to preserve friction that was once part of the experience, revise systems for current player expectations, or add guidance that makes the adventure easier to approach. Each option can produce a different reaction from longtime fans and newcomers. A revision can be welcomed as an overdue improvement by one player and criticized as an unnecessary alteration by another.

Nintendo Reportedly Removed One Quality-of-Life Feature

One reported development detail illustrates the balancing act behind the Switch 2 remake. The game had reportedly included a quality-of-life feature resembling an approach used in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. That feature was later removed after Zelda series producer intervention, on the grounds that it weakened important moments in the adventure.

That decision is notable because it points to a desire to preserve the impact of specific discoveries or turning points rather than smoothing away every potential obstacle. The Zelda series has changed considerably since Ocarina of Time first launched, with later games introducing different forms of navigation, player freedom, and guidance. Bringing a foundational entry forward to newer hardware means determining how much of that later philosophy belongs in the remake.

For a game so closely associated with revelation and progression, the concern is understandable. Ocarina of Time is built around key transitions: moving through its opening world, acquiring tools that reshape how areas are explored, confronting dungeons, and experiencing the consequences of time itself. If a convenience feature provides information too early or directs players past a moment intended to feel surprising, it could alter the rhythm of the original design.

At the same time, modern quality-of-life options are often valued because they can reduce frustration and make older games more welcoming. The eventual reception of Nintendo's choices will depend on how the remake handles that line in practice. Famitsu's 37/40 establishes a positive early verdict, but detailed assessments from a wider range of critics and players will likely focus heavily on whether the new edition feels respectful without feeling overly restrained.

A Major Review Story for Nintendo's Week

The timing places additional attention on the score. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo Switch 2 is releasing this week, with reviews expected around launch. Because of the original's towering reputation, each new assessment will inevitably become part of a larger debate about the place of remakes: whether they should aim for preservation, reinvention, or something between the two.

It is also a high-profile release in a year that has already prompted discussion about potential critical heavyweights. That makes the early Famitsu number a particularly visible starting point, even if one review score cannot determine the broader critical consensus. A 37/40 is a clear endorsement, but it is not the same as the perfect score that remains attached to the Nintendo 64 original.

For Nintendo, the result may be most meaningful as confirmation that the remake has not stumbled under the pressure of revisiting such revered material. Matching Ocarina of Time 3D gives the Switch 2 version a favorable historical comparison within the franchise's own remake lineage. Falling below the N64 release underscores just how exceptional the original's standing remains.

What the Score Means--and What It Does Not

At this stage, the 37/40 should be viewed as an important early signal rather than a final answer. It confirms that Famitsu's four reviewers collectively rated the Switch 2 remake very highly. It also gives fans a simple comparison: 37/40 for the new remake, 37/40 for the 3DS version, and 40/40 for the 1998 original.

But it does not settle the questions players are most likely to bring to the new release. How extensive are the visual changes? Which systems have been modernized? How does the game feel on Nintendo Switch 2 hardware? How much does it preserve from the N64 and 3DS versions? And, perhaps most importantly for longtime Zelda fans, does it retain the atmosphere and sense of discovery that made the original so influential?

Those answers will emerge as more reviews arrive and players begin their own journeys through Hyrule. For now, Nintendo's latest return to Ocarina of Time has opened with a score that is both highly positive and historically revealing: it stands near the top, beside the 3DS remake, while the Nintendo 64 original continues to hold its extraordinary perfect mark.