Since the announcement of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake for Switch 2, the desire to go back and experience the original in preparation has proven overwhelming for some of us. It didn’t take long until I booted the NSO version up again, N64 pad grasped in my mitts, ready to step out of Kokiri Forest once again.
The game is just as beautiful and wonderful as ever, but one thing that almost always catches me off guard is how funny it is. Maybe it’s the dark undertones and Ganondorf’s iron grip on the land that sticks in my memory, but it’s also chock full of moments that make me giggle and grin from ear to ear.
In some ways, it’s difficult to imagine how these moments might look with vastly improved visuals. Will they still have the same impact? Might a hyper-realistic King Zora scooching to the side on his bum actually look weirdly…unsettling?
It’s too early to answer such questions, so for now, I thought I’d go through seven hysterical Ocarina of Time moments that I’m intrigued to see recreated. Spoilers if you haven’t played Ocarina (tut tut)…
#1 Darunia boogies to a hot beat
Darunia, the leader of the Gorons, is a little down in the dumps when you first encounter him. Yet after a few hints from his compatriots, it becomes clear that music is the way to his heart.
Upon playing Saria’s Song on the Ocarina, Darunia launches into a wild dance, throwing his face from side-to-side and waving his arms around with unrestrained joy. Punctuated with the occasional “C’mon!” and “WHOOOOAH!”, it’s a wonderful moment.
#2 Goron group hug
The moment when Darunia whacks Link on top of the head as way of saying thanks for defeating King Dodongo is funny enough, but the real hilarity comes immediately afterwards, when two Gorons drop from above to give Link a big hug.
Why do they go about it in such a creepy way?! Naturally, Link isn’t too keen on being crushed by living boulders, so he legs it before any of them can reach him. The scream of sheer terror is the icing on the cake.
#3 Kaepora Gaebora punishes impatient players
Okay, this is less laugh-out-loud, yet I can’t help but titter at Nintendo’s temerity for mixing up the confirmation options when cycling through Kaepora Gaebora’s text.
It definitely feels designed to punish eager beavers rushing through as fast as possible, as mashing ‘A’ repeatedly will only force you to listen to the whole thing again. It’s so devious, and I love it.
Did you get all that?
#4 Koume and Kotake bicker as they perish
After defeating Koume and Kotake at the end of the Spirit Temple, the twins don’t just fade away quietly. They start bickering about their age after lamenting that they’re simply too young to die. The back and forth escalates to the point where they both just kind of give up and float up into oblivion, promising to return to haunt Link.
It’s a great showcase of Ocarina’s writing which, for its time, was pretty excellent throughout. Poor Koume and Kotake, though. I shouldn’t laugh at your demise, but it’s just too hard to resist.
#5 Ingo loses
Ingo is an absolute tool. Completely selling out to Ganondorf to gain control of Lon Lon Ranch is despicable. Yet this makes it all the more satisfying — and hilarious — when you defeat him in two horse races to earn the legendary Epona.
The way he melts down and clutches his head while moaning about his defeat is glorious. I only wish there were more opportunities to humiliate him.
#6 Princess Ruto gets close and personal
When we meet Princess Ruto within the depths of Jabu-Jabu’s belly, she comes across as a bit of a spoiled brat. Using her royal status to full effect, she demands Link carry her around to locate Zora’s Sapphire. But upon leaving, she becomes a little more enamoured with our Hylian hero…
Immediately upon their return to the outside world, Ruto gets unusually close to Link, having decided that, yes, this is the boy for her. Link reacts exactly as you’d expect, recoiling with horror and falling into the water, letting out that delightfully over-the-top scream of his.
#7 King Zora’s shuffle
The first time you witness King Zora shuffling out of the way after you show him Princess Ruto’s letter is simply unforgettable. Just when you think he might be done, he just… keeps going. And going. And going.
It’s utterly ridiculous, and it makes for what might be the funniest moment in the game. My fear is that Nintendo might see the reputation it’s garnered and think players want a much shorter sequence in the remake.
Don’t you dare, though. If anything, make it longer.
Ocarina of Time is crammed with more humorous moments, but frankly we’d be here all day. Regardless, I’m itching to see how Nintendo handle these scenes in the upcoming Switch 2 remake.
If there’s anything you think we’ve egregiously missed, do let us know with a comment down below.