Entertainment
What ‘Legend of Zelda’ Superfan Jon Batiste Thinks of ‘Ocarina of Time’ Remake and the Game’s Iconic Score
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Published 11/5/2026 1:13:33 PM
Ocarina of Time' Review, Score Talk With Jon Batiste
Hey! Listen! “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” remake is out, and the initial response from critics is overwhelmingly positive. And while it’s still too early to tell exactly what gamers will make of the reimagined title, which released Thursday, musician Jon Batiste has offered up a teaser review as one of the lucky few superfans who got early access from Nintendo.
“I’ve gotten to play the new one, and I haven’t finished it, but you can sense that there may be some twists, some surprises that are welcome, but it’s not gonna be completely different. And that’s to its credit,” Batiste told Variety during an interview at Nintendo’s “Ocarina of Time” launch event held at the Nintendo store in New York Wednesday night. “That’s the way a melody or a musical movement, it inspires that generation and you pass it on to the next generation and they take it and take the essence of what resonates for them, but then it’s also got some other things that make it really of the now.”
Built exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2, “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” remake is based on the game released in 1998 for Nintendo 64. As in the original “Ocarina of Time” game, the remake follows Link, who must become the Hero of Time and protect the kingdom of Hyrule from the evil Ganondorf, who is plotting to steal the mythical Triforce from the Sacred Realm in hopes of ultimately taking over the world.
“That one opened my whole perception of what a game could be, and I think it did that for a lot of us,” Batiste says of playing the original 1998 release. “It feels like you’re in a universe all its own, and there’s this sort of open world that it blends things that I loved about games that I played before. Like, I love ‘Street Fighter 2’ and we love to play that because my sister and my cousins, we could have competitions and all of us could play together. But then there’s this sort of open-world RPG, but not, but action-adventure that ‘Ocarina of Time’ introduces to the canon and it makes you realize that you can blend this sort of gameplay and more.”
As a musician, Batiste naturally has an affinity for the music of “The Legend of Zelda” franchise and says he has a special fondness for the “Ocarina of Time” soundtrack from composer Koji Kondo.
“Then there’s the score,” Batiste says. “One of the things that I loved about many of the games that we played was the scores. And I started to even play those scores on instruments when I was getting to the age of us really getting into music. So this was the game that opened my mind to the possibility of what peak gameplay could be, and then you could see sort of from that point on in my choices of what I would play and what I would immerse myself in. It’s like, oh yeah, I’m trying to find that feeling again. That’s the vibe, and now it’s coming back. If it doesn’t change anything and it just captures that essence and reintroduces that to the world 20 years later, it would already be an amazing achievement.”
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Mexico’s beloved Guillermo del Toro descended on the 24thMorelia Film Festival like the rockstar he is, greeted by hordes of shrieking fans that impressed even the most jaded in the crowd.
In town to present the much-anticipated 3D Re-Release of “Pan’s Labyrinth,” he was everywhere all at once, holding a masterclass where tickets were as elusive as a seat at Cannes that went on for nearly three hours and a free-wheeling press conference that extended past its time limit.
It was his third time at the fest, 20 years after his multi-Oscar winning “Pan’s Labyrinth’ first played there and years later with his 2018 best picture Academy Award winner “The Shape of Water.”
Before the presser kicked off, Del Toro, an Honorary Doctorate recipient from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), received the Filmoteca UNAM Medal, an honor also bestowed on Alfonso Cuarón, in town to support his son Jonas Cuarón’s opening night film, “Campeón Gabacho,” which he produced.
Alongside Del Toro were festival director Daniela Michel, “Pan’s Labyrinth” producer Bertha Navarro, his then young lead Ivana Baquero and DP Guillermo Navarro, who took home the cinematography Oscar for his stunning work on the anti-fascist fable.
Reflecting on a question posed midway through the press conference about what has stayed the same and what has changed over the 20 years since “Pan’s Labyrinth,” del Toro responded with tears.
“The state of our species and society today goes beyond anything we could have imagined back then. But I recognize the same sadness and despair. It pains me deeply to see one, two, or three generations fail the next. We’re handing down a world in ruins, morally, socially and spiritually fractured, with the very fabric that once allowed us to tell fables and parables falling apart.”
Asked whether he knew beforehand if “Pan’s Labyrinth” would be well received, Del Toro recounted how his collaborations with both Navarros sustained him through all the challenges they faced.
“We embarked on an adventure that was financially horrifying but cinematically beautiful,” he said.
“You never know how a film will be received. We only found out when we screened it for the first time at Cannes. We got that famous standing ovation that lasted more than 22 minutes, and from that moment on, everything changed. It changed our lives.”
“I think ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ marked a before and after for me. In terms of creative freedom, possibilities and everything else, I’m where I am today because of that film. But none of it would have been possible without the faith of my immediate family, Bertha and Guillermo.”
Said DP Navarro: “Guillermo and I share the belief that cinematic language is storytelling through images that convey emotion and narrative. ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ is the ultimate expression of that. The camera is constantly searching, discovering and communicating.”
“It was also an incredibly difficult shoot. We had a limited budget, had to find unconventional solutions and took risks that could easily have failed. But we gambled and we won. Without a doubt, it’s my best film, and I hold that experience close to my heart. I hope new generations will continue to discover and appreciate it. And now, 20 years later, it returns. Olé!”
Producer Navarro, who also backed Del Toro’s career-launching feature debut “Cronos” and his much-lauded “The Devil’s Backbone,” said: “When he gave me the screenplay for ‘Cronos,’ I was absolutely fascinated. Talent shines, and you have to know how to recognize that light. That’s what I saw in Guillermo.”
“It’s been an incredible privilege to have made those three great films with Guillermo. I’ve produced many films throughout my life, but those three hold a much deeper significance for me. They changed my life.”
Baquero concurred: “’Pan’s Labyrinth’ undoubtedly opened doors for me, both into the genre and in my career. We’ve talked this afternoon about how much the film changed our lives, professionally and personally. For me, acting went from being a hobby – I had worked before ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ – to becoming my profession. Without that film, I might not be here today. It unquestionably marked a turning point in my career.”
Reflecting on its impact on young audiences. Del Toro noted: “There’s an urgency and a fragility and ferocity that coexist in ‘Pan’s Labyrinth.’ And somehow, I think it’s an urgent moment to speak, for the film to speak to a new audience.”
Local politics also crept into the conference, with a journalist asking him what he would say to the young people protesting in his hometown of Guadalajara over its current issues of contaminated water, repression and the alleged kidnapping of protesters on Oct. 11.
He responded:“This morning at my masterclass, I gave young people the floor to speak about these issues. It’s terrifying that something so fundamental should have to be fought for instead of being resolved through basic humanity and responsible leadership.”
“I said it clearly: “Their voices must be heard, and I stand with them 100%. It’s unacceptable that this remains unresolved or that anyone would try to silence them. Speaking out, protesting, and demanding a solution are fundamental rights – anytime, anywhere.”
The Morelia Film Festival began on Oct. 16 and wraps Oct. 25.
