The long-awaited fan-made HD PC port of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has arrived ahead of schedule, with players now able to download and enjoy it. The Zelda port has been in the works for some time now, and aims to offer an improved experience compared to the 1998 N64 original.
Over the years, Ocarina of Time has seen many official iterations, though the updates have not always improved with the technology to supersede older models. Recently Nintendo brought the legendary title to its latest console line thanks to Nintendo Switch Online, however, it is considered by some fans to be the worst version of the renowned Zelda title to date, with its inability to match the quality of the N64 version that debuted more than twenty-years prior. Around the same time, a group of fans took the initiative to bring their own version of Ocarina of Time to the modern gaming age on PC, and seem to be having more success than their official counterpart.
The Zelda: Ocarina of Time fan PC port is now complete and available for players to download and enjoy, as reported by VGC. Recreating this HD version of Ocarina of Time requires the usage of the software Ship of Harkinian to extract the assets from legally-sourced N64 ROMs of the game and translate them into native PC versions. By using this technology, the developers hope to circumvent any legal issues by technically not using Nintendo-owned assets. A short showcase of the port can be seen on VGC's YouTube channel. Fans can find download details through Discord.
Besides enhancing graphics, the unofficial Zelda: Ocarina of Time HD PC port adds a variety of other new features including the likes of keyboard and modding support. Harbour Masters is also still at work adding more features such as text to speech among others, and plans on expanding beyond PC to Linux and Mac as well.
It makes sense that Nintendo continues releasing versions of Ocarina of Time every few years, as the game is considered to be one of the best of all time, and its graphics are arguably the only part of the original title that clearly shows its age. This fan version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time seems to be separating itself from the official line with the inclusion of various unique features, and hopefully it will be allowed to flourish as Nintendo has a history of moving swiftly against potential copyright infringement.
Source: ShipofHarkinian/Discord (via VGC, VGC/YouTube)