Oxford Street Queue Forms for Midnight Launch
In a first-person essay for The Guardian, an anonymous writer reports joining a queue of roughly 500 fans outside the Argos store on Oxford Street on a Thursday night to buy the Nintendo Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Similar midnight launch events took place globally from Melbourne to Mexico City, with senior Nintendo executives attending tills at key locations, including Bill Trinen serving customers in San Francisco.
Most video games are now purchased as digital downloads that require no travel, but midnight launches historically offered physical spaces for fans to gather in costume and celebrate major releases like Call of Duty, Halo, or Grand Theft Auto. CNN reported that the digital version of the new Zelda game costs $60 while the physical edition is $70, amid broader hardware price increases that saw the Switch 2 rise from $450 to $500 in September due to memory shortages. Circana executive director of games coverage Mat Piscatella noted that overall US consumer spending on hardware is down 9% this year compared to last year.
Exclusive Box Promotion Draws Crowds into the Chill
Attendees braved the November cold for an ocarina-shaped keyring and an exclusive replica of the original 1998 Nintendo 64 box. Staff informed the waiting crowd that everyone would receive the box either on the night or through the mail if stock ran out. IGN interviewed producers Eiji Aonuma and Hidemaro Fujibayashi, who explained that introducing younger developers to the original game and seeing their reinterpretation of it was a primary motivation for the remake. GameSpot noted that background music in the remake utilizes 5.1-channel surround sound, while the core gameplay experience of the original developers was preserved despite extensive internal discussions over mechanics like the jump button.
Store Closures Leave Shoppers Empty-Handed Abroad
Progress halted at 2 a.m. as the London store prepared to close, forcing remaining customers to leave their contact details to receive the promotional box by post after four hours of waiting. The writer noted that a partner who attended the Paris midnight launch encountered massive queues where Nintendo France neither distributed games nor took details to mail out boxes. NYU Stern School of Business professor Joost van Dreunen observed that stakes are high for Nintendo during the holiday season following 24 million Switch 2 console sales since its June 2025 launch.
A legend that began in 1998 for Nintendo 64, expanded with Master Quest on GameCube, entered a new dimension for Nintendo 3DS and now finds itself reborn on the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026… The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a timeless masterpiece for all generations. pic.twitter.com/YMXFgKLVqZ
Frequently Asked Questions About the Zelda Remake Launch
How much does the new Zelda game cost?
The digital version of the Nintendo Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is priced at $60, while the physical edition costs $70, according to data from market research firm Circana.
More on Ocarina of Time
The remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is out today for Switch 2 – cannot wait to jump in. pic.twitter.com/z63DwNPlEn
Keep reading