The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is returning on Nintendo Switch 2 on November 5, bringing one of Nintendo’s most celebrated games back with a substantial remake.
The new version significantly upgrades the original Nintendo 64 game with redesigned characters, improved environments, new textures, updated animations, and additional gameplay features. One of the more noticeable changes is a dedicated jump button, something the original game never offered.
An extended gameplay reveal has added even more momentum ahead of release, and pre-orders are already becoming a major part of the discussion.
Unfortunately, they are also highlighting something that desperately needs to change: regional pre-order bonuses.
Different Countries, Different Ocarina of Time Bonuses
Depending on where you live, pre-ordering Ocarina of Time can result in completely different rewards.
Canadian players ordering through EB Games can receive a holographic slip cover inspired by the classic Nintendo 64 cover artwork. It is exactly the kind of collectible that longtime Zelda fans are likely to appreciate.
Players in the United Kingdom ordering directly through Nintendo have another impressive bonus: recreations of the Spiritual Stones.
These are recognizable items from Ocarina of Time and make considerably more sense as a collector’s bonus than another generic poster, sticker sheet, or digital item.
Meanwhile, the situation in the United States is currently much less interesting. No major retailer-exclusive bonus has been revealed, although early physical copies are expected to include a special foil cover.
And that raises a bigger question.
Why are we still dividing pre-order bonuses by country?
Pre-Order Gifts Should Be Available Worldwide
Regional exclusives have been frustrating collectors for years.
Someone buying Ocarina of Time in Canada should not receive a completely different experience from somebody purchasing the exact same game in the Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, United States, or anywhere else.
If Nintendo produces Spiritual Stones as a pre-order gift, give Zelda fans worldwide an opportunity to get them.
If a holographic N64-inspired cover exists, make that available worldwide as well.
There will obviously be logistical differences between regions and retailers, but those problems should not continually be pushed onto customers.
Gaming is a global industry.
Nintendo sells Zelda around the world. Its fans are around the world. Its merchandise is promoted around the world.
The bonuses surrounding one of Nintendo’s biggest releases should reflect that.
America Should Not Automatically Be the Center of Everything
There is also a broader problem with how gaming promotions are often discussed.
The United States is an enormous market, but it is not the entire gaming industry.
A promotion not being available in America does not automatically make it unavailable. Likewise, something being offered in America does not mean everyone else has access to it.
Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia, and countless other markets have huge gaming communities that spend significant amounts of money on games, consoles, accessories, and collector’s editions.
The conversation surrounding releases needs to grow beyond treating the American market as the default and everyone else as an afterthought.
Instead of arguing about which country deserves the better bonus, publishers and retailers should be working toward making these extras accessible to everyone.
It is 2026. We can do better than turning a Zelda pre-order into a geographical lottery.
Zelda 40th Anniversary Hardware Is Already Selling Out
Demand surrounding the wider Zelda anniversary celebrations has also been substantial.
Most of the Zelda 40th Anniversary products revealed during the Nintendo Direct have already sold out, including the themed Nintendo Switch 2 console and Pro Controller.
Nintendo’s wording surrounding availability appears to leave the door open for additional stock, so fans who missed the initial pre-order window may still get another opportunity.
The Zelda-themed Switch 2 console and several accessories are currently scheduled for October 29, giving them a one-week head start over Ocarina of Time itself.
Young Link and Young Zelda Amiibo Are Coming in 2027
Young Link and Young Zelda amiibo have also been announced.
Both have already attracted plenty of attention, but their release information remains surprisingly vague. They currently have general 2027 release windows rather than firm dates, and available pre-orders have already sold out.
Nintendo is expected to provide additional information next year.
For collectors, that means Ocarina of Time is quickly becoming more than a single game release. Between the remake, console, controller, amiibo, anniversary merchandise, and regional bonuses, there is an entire collection forming around its launch.
November 5 Is the Big Date
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake launches for Nintendo Switch 2 on November 5, while the Zelda-themed Switch 2 hardware and several accessories arrive earlier on October 29.
There is plenty to be excited about.
The remake looks dramatically different from the N64 original, new gameplay mechanics could modernize the experience without completely changing its identity, and Nintendo is clearly treating Ocarina of Time as an important part of Zelda’s 40th anniversary.
But Nintendo and its retail partners should reconsider how promotional items are distributed.
Fans should not need international friends, forwarding services, import stores, or overpriced reseller listings just because the bonus they want happens to exist on the wrong side of a border.
Give Canada the holographic cover. Give the UK the Spiritual Stones.
Then give everyone else the opportunity to get them too.
Gaming is worldwide. Pre-order rewards should start acting like it.
