Some retailers are holding midnight releases for the Nintendo Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and one has revealed a bonus item that will surely appeal to fans of the N64 version. The original version of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was released on N64 in 1998, marking the first 3D entry in the series. Not only did the game forever change the Zelda franchise, it also had a monumental impact on 3D adventure games as a whole.
During its time on the market, N64 had a lot of beloved games. Three decades after the system’s release, Zelda: Ocarina of Time is still considered one of the very best. At a time when PlayStation was making a huge impact on the video game industry, Ocarina of Time proved that the system could deliver a sweeping adventure unlike anything else on the market. While games like Breath of the Wild have continued to evolve the Zelda formula, Ocarina of Time remains a favorite among fans of the series.
Ocarina of Time Midnight Bonus Pays Tribute to its N64 Roots
French retailer Micromania has announced plans to hold midnight store openings for the remake of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and attendees will have a chance to grab a special N64 replica box. Like the original PAL release, the box is in black and gold, and it even claims to support the Rumble Pak. The Nintendo Switch 2 case seems to fit comfortably inside, thanks to some extra cardboard present. EB Games is offering a similar Zelda: Ocarina of Time pre-order bonus in Canada, but that one is a slipcover rather than an actual replica box. Unfortunately, retailers in the U.S. have not announced much in the way of bonuses.
Midnight releases were once a big part of the video game industry, but they’ve largely gone away. PlayStation is focusing exclusively on digital games soon, but Nintendo seems to be resisting a similar move. The midnight store openings for Zelda: Ocarina of Time give Nintendo another chance to appeal to nostalgia with this game, and retailers like Best Buy are counting on excited fans coming in to get their physical copies as soon as they become available.
Zelda: Ocarina of Time will be one of the final games published by Nintendo in 2026. Grand Theft Auto 6 is set to be released shortly after, and that game is expected to set massive records in terms of sales. Most other games are likely to struggle this holiday season, and a lot of publishers are avoiding the competition. GTA 6 has not been announced for Switch 2, and Nintendo doesn’t seem too worried about Rockstar’s game drawing attention away from Zelda. That bet seems to be paying off, as pre-orders for the Ocarina of Time remake have been high, and options like the Zelda 40th anniversary Switch 2 Pro Controller continue to sell out.
Just as the N64 was once overshadowed by the original PlayStation, the Ocarina of Time remake is somewhat in the shadow of GTA 6. It’s unlikely that the Switch 2 exclusive will even come close to reaching the same level of sales, but everything suggests that the Zelda remake could be the second-biggest game of the holiday season in 2026. Retailers seem to be counting on just that happening when the game is released on November 5.
- Released
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November 5, 2026
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ / Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
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Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
