40 Years of the Zelda Franchise
On September 8th, Nintendo presented a direct focused on The Legend of Zelda franchise and its 40 years of history. The broadcast, which began with a beautiful orchestra, showcased a new mix of the franchise's musical themes while highlighting the journey of the games so far, from the first title to the most recent. The idea was to create a nostalgic and even tense atmosphere, using the Triforce as a transitional icon in the tones of the presentation: starting with Zelda in her calmest sounds, moving through Ganon with more intense and melancholic tones, and finally ending with Link in a tone that evokes adventure and excitement.
Next, Shigeru Miyamoto discussed the trajectory and innovations of the games chronologically, from the first release to the latest, showing that with each game, new interactions and mechanics were introduced to surprise the audience. Finally, he introduced the teaser for the The Legend of Zelda movie.
The teaser revealed the title without a subtitle and presented a beautiful reinterpretation of the game's original logo, reminiscent of the golden cartridge of the NES, along with the global release date: April 30, in theaters everywhere. Miyamoto made it clear that there is no subtitle because the work is a complete reinterpretation, a merging of the stories told over these 40 years, forming a completely new narrative.
Following that, new content for the Nintendo museum in Japan was showcased, featuring various new attractions that will arrive throughout the rest of the year, as well as new themes for Nintendo Today.
Additionally, several new collectibles were briefly shown, such as Amiibos, a Ocarina of Time, Panini mangas, and even a new LEGO set of Link with Epona in the classic pose.
Then, Koji Kondo highlighted that the orchestra will be taken to various locations, traveling through several cities in Japan, Europe, Asia, and North America. He presented the dates for the concert and gave a brief explanation about the orchestra.
Finally, Eiji Aonuma spoke about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, reminiscing about the game made in 1998, considered one of the greatest icons in gaming. He made it clear that the remake in production will be faithful to the original but with adjusted mechanics. Some examples shown in the gameplay video included:
- Free camera mechanics
- Redesigned UI with a cleaner look
- Items using the same selection menu as Breath of the Wild
- Graphics with a more realistic approach, yet still in line with the series
Another significant difference from the original game is that, using the controller's microphone, you can hum the tones of the game's music to perform songs like the Sun Song.
An important detail is the visual, showcasing a mastery that only Nintendo could achieve: the lighting uniquely illuminates the environment of the Kokiri Forest, and the vegetation creates a singular setting, making the small village where we start the game not only nostalgic but also impressively beautiful.
We can see a bit of the game's animation, highlighting details like jumps, attacks, and even Link's swimming as a child. Navi still maintains her behavior of serving as a targeting lock, preserving the essence of the old games.
Further along in the gameplay, we saw the market with NPCs and the grandeur of the city in relation to Link, who still takes some time to cross the area from one end to the other, along with shops, facades, and beautiful details.
Link's tunic contrasts with the clothing of the Hylian characters — something more rustic compared to the detailed and precisely tailored outfits. It was also shown that this time, regardless of where you are, the day and night system remains dynamic.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will integrate with the Zelda Notes app, providing more information, additional challenges, and hints for locations that should be visited, along with the freedom to use a virtual ocarina to listen to the music directly in the app. Some quizzes will also appear in the app to test your knowledge about the game.
Shortly before the end, a special edition of the Nintendo Switch 2 was announced in celebration of the 40th anniversary, accompanied by a themed controller and even a carrying bag.
And before concluding, another trailer for the game was shown, this time revealing more characters: a glimpse of adult Link, Ganondorf, Sheik, Zelda, Ruto, and many others, as well as showcasing the visuals of the maps and even the fishing mechanics.
The game also received a release date at the end of the trailer: November 5, 2026, possibly entering the competition for this year's The Game Awards.
Certainly, 2026 is a great year to be a Zelda fan.