It’s almost been a week, and we’re still thinking about that Ocarina of Time deep dive Direct. The new details are one thing (hello, Goggles of Truth!), but it’s the visuals that are stuck in our minds. It all looks so shiny, so crisp, so… different.
Of course, it’s hardly a drastic departure — these are still very clearly the characters and locales that we all remember from the N64 — but still, the new look has been enough to leave us heading back to the original on NSO (or a swanky Analogue 3D, in some cases) just to really soak in the differences.
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We’ve already covered how some familiar scenes in motion compare between the old and the new, but it’s about time that we get into the real nitty-gritty. The Ocarina of Time Japanese website is full of gorgeous character art, and we wouldn’t be doing our jobs as self-respecting Zelda fans if we didn’t pour over every detail and compare it to how the characters and vistas were rendered in Nintendo’s key art back in the ’90s (as wonderfully collected on Flickr by History of Hyrule).
So, let’s dive into some side-by-side comparisons, starting with the man (and boy) of the hour…
We’ll start with the iconic hero pose — Adult Link with the Master Sword and Hylian Shield in hand, building up to an attack. It has been rather beautifully recreated in the new visuals, letting us take in every part of the fresh detailing. Come on, just look at that belt patterning!
And let’s give a shoutout to Epona’s glow-up, too. Just look at that shiny new mane, the felt underside of the saddle, the metal hooves!
Sitting Child Link has been similarly recreated, though it’s nice to see that the great ‘right hand swap’ of the Wii era is still flipping designs all these years later.
The trusty slingshot still appears in the same hand, at least. Look, the little guy is even still closing his right eye for aim.
The addition of the Roc’s Feather in free-jumping Link’s new cap is a neat touch, too.
Young Zelda
We’ve got a similar side-by-side for Child Zelda, too. While the original art didn’t have a matching pose, you can see just how much detail has been added this time around. The princess is positively draped in Triforces, and the entire dress is embroidered up the wazoo. Shame the red necklace didn’t make the jump, mind.
Most pressing of all, however… is that eye colour change. We knew there was something missing from the new look, and it’s the baby blues!
Ganondorf
Old G-daddy looks as menacing as ever in the new design. He appears to be wearing quite a lot more leather (steady) than we had pictured back in the N64 days, and look at the little tassels on the Gerudo cloth around his neck and waist. Also, is that… a little cape?? We’re obsessed.
Saria
Oh, darling Saria. The somewhat “Oowoo” voiceover in the Direct trailer might have rubbed us up the wrong way, but this new design is really very sweet. It might be the biggest detail upgrade, too. The beloved Kokiri’s turtleneck is still present and correct (albeit now a little less chunky), but the tunic has had a huge facelift, and look! Gloves!
Darunia
How is Darunia… less veiny in the new art? We like the added Goron bracelets and a slightly more modest loincloth, but there’s something about the modern look that’s a little less imposing. Hey, maybe that’s the point!
Princess Ruto
There are only so many extra details you can add to a character that’s mostly scales, we suppose. Slightly uncanny webbed feet aside, this is a darn faithful look.
Impa
The Impa design has had a Saria-level detail boost. The armour and chestplate look much more battle-ready, doing away with the ’90s Gladiators-esque bodysuit that sat under the original design. She also comes with a subtle Sheikah eye on the forehead, this time, complementing the one attached to her neck.
Sheik
Here we have another case of Nintendo sticking to the fundamentals of the N64 design, while dialling the detail up to 11. Just take in all of the individual stitch lines on Sheik’s outfit, giving the whole thing a certain homemade feel. We love how the gold harp and dagger stand out against the more subdued blues, too.
Kaepora Gaebora
Okay, okay, very pretty, but we have one big question with this one: Is the upside-down head fakeout not going to make the cut this time around? Remember how you’re never really sure which way up ol’ KG’s head is thanks to the eye-shaped plumage under the beak?
The fake ‘eyes’ are now all the way down on the chest, and we can’t imagine the whole thing’s going to flip 180 degrees. It’ll be a damn shame to see that joke go.
That’s your lot for individual characters, but we know that what you’re really after is the chance to see all the 1:1 recreations with neat little zoom options. You can do exactly that by launching the tool below — and yes, we’ve thrown the 3DS Link and Epona in there too because we just couldn’t resist.
