Zelda: Ocarina of Time isn't the only remake arriving this year as Link returns in free new release

Nintendo clearly isn’t scared of Grand Theft Auto VI, choosing to launch its The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake around two weeks prior on November 5.

It’s not the only remake of a classic Zelda title to arrive this year, as a free ROMhack has just arrived, bringing Zelda II: The Adventure of Link to PC of all places.

Let’s get the technicalities out of the way as ROMhacks exist in a morally grey area.

In order to enjoy this ROMhack, you will need to own a legitimate copy of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. You cannot and must not download the files online as that is illegal.

You’ll then be able to run your legally purchased files through an emulator in order to get them onto PC.

Then, you’re free to enjoy this ROMhack which should breathe new life into this Famicom and NES classic.

The remake supports widescreens, enhances visuals, and allows for co-op play

As reported by DSOGaming, the remake is the work of Troygentic - and it specifically transforms the NES version of Zelda II, so that’s what you’ll need to run through an emulator.

The ROMhack supports widescreen and that includes specially-made scenery on the sides of your screen rather than a warped and stretched image.

The remake also introduces two-player co-op that allows you to play alongside a friend; uniquely, it’ll be two Links on your screen rather than Link and another character.

You can also look forward to gamepad support, movie playback, a fast-forward option, save states, and improved sprites making for something that feels both classic and renewed.

Troygentic

If you do fancy playing this ROMhack, you can download it from GitHub.

For those who maybe aren’t familiar with this earlier The Legend of Zelda entry, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link first arrived in 1987.

It, unsurprisingly, functions as a direct sequel to The Legend of Zelda as Link sets out to save Princess Zelda once again after she falls under a sleeping spell.

Whereas the original The Legend of Zelda was played from a top-down perspective, this sequel shifted towards side-scrolling gameplay with a much larger focus on RPG elements.

READ MORE: PS5's best Zelda: Breath of the Wild alternative drops to $6 amid 90% discount

It’ll be interesting to see whether Nintendo opts to remake any of the franchise’s oldest entries as they’d arguably be a lot more challenging to reimagine than something like Ocarina of Time.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake will surely fly off the shelves; a recently launched Zelda themed limited-edition Nintendo Switch 2 certainly did.

Whether it wins over those who play it though awaits to be seen. The original Ocarina of Time holds a near perfect score of 99 on Metacritic.

The remake will reveal whether what was groundbreaking in 1998 holds up in 2026 or whether the remake’s new bells and whistles strip it of its brilliance.

Reception following a recent Nintendo Direct was mixed. Some enjoyed the remake’s art style while some said it looked more like an Unreal Engine 5 fan project.

Well, release day isn’t all that far away - and this ROMhack will keep us entertained in the meantime.