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1998 original
1998 Ocarina of Time release dates
The original Nintendo 64 game shipped in four waves at the end of 1998. Japan was November 21, North America November 23, Europe December 11, and Australia December 18. Those dates describe the cartridge, not the 2026 Switch 2 remake.
| Fact | Reading | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | November 21, 1998 | 2 publishers · Nintendo + Wikipedia |
| North America | November 23, 1998 | 1 source · Wikipedia |
| Europe | December 11, 1998 | 1 source · Wikipedia |
| Australia | December 18, 1998 | 1 source · Wikipedia |
Later official releases of the same game
| Release | Platform | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ocarina of Time / Master Quest | GameCube | 2002-11-28 JP; 2003-02-18 NA; 2003-05-03 PAL | Wind Waker preorder bonus disc |
| Collector’s Edition | GameCube | 2003, late, by region | Disc also includes Zelda, Zelda II, and Majora’s Mask |
| iQue Player | iQue | 2003-11-18 | China; first official digital release |
| Virtual Console | Wii | 2007-02 NA and EU | No rumble; the Stone of Agony does not work |
| Ocarina of Time 3D | 3DS | 2011-06 | Separate page: 3DS dates |
| Virtual Console | Wii U | 2015-07-02 | Rumble returns |
| Nintendo Classics | Switch; later Switch 2 compatibility | 2021-10-25 on Switch | Needs Expansion Pack |
| 2026 remake | Switch 2 | 2026-11-05 | New production, release date |
Why the 1998 date still gets searched
Metacritic’s 99 and a reported 7.6 million copies sold worldwide are attached to this edition. I cite the score and the sales figure as historical record from the Wikipedia article and the Metacritic cross-check, not as a claim about the 2026 game. North American preorders included a gold cartridge that collectors still name. That gold cart is not a 2026 SKU.
Revisions, only as far as the sources go
The cartridge saw small revisions, commonly called 1.0, 1.1, and 1.2, that adjust bugs, a few symbols, and some audio. I am not listing every byte-level change here. Zelda Wiki and the 1998 Wikipedia article are the places that inventory them. For how the 2026 game differs in play, use differences.
Questions
What is the original Ocarina of Time release date?
November 21, 1998 in Japan; November 23 in North America; December 11 in Europe; December 18 in Australia.
When did the GameCube version come out?
The Master Quest bonus disc was November 28, 2002 in Japan, February 18, 2003 in North America, and May 3, 2003 in PAL regions.
Is the Nintendo Classics copy this version?
Yes. It is the 1998 game, added October 25, 2021. It needs an Expansion Pack.
Sources
- Nintendo 64 Nintendo Classics https://www.nintendo.com/au/games/nintendo-switch/nintendo-64-nintendo-classics/
- Wikipedia, 1998 game https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Zelda:_Ocarina_of_Time
- Wikipedia, 3DS version https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Zelda:_Ocarina_of_Time_3D
- Nintendo Life, every release https://www.nintendolife.com/features/song-of-time-every-zelda-ocarina-of-time-release-from-n64-to-switch-2
- Metacritic 2026 https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time-2026/
- Nintendo N64 original game https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n01/n64/software/zelda/index.html
Checked 2026-11-03.