A bizarre Ocarina of Time remake glitch is making the rounds online, and it’s turning Link into something out of a nightmare. Players have found a way to make young Link appear as a stretched, distorted version of his adult self. The results are as unsettling as they are hilarious.
The Switch 2 remake only launched on November 5. Even so, fans are already finding ways to break it.
What is the Ocarina of Time remake glitch?
The glitch affects certain cutscenes. Normally, young Link appears as the small, familiar hero fans know from the start of the game. However, in this glitch, the game shows him as a strangely warped version of adult Link instead.
The result is a long, lanky Link with odd proportions. He looks less like the Hero of Time and more like a stretched-out puppet. That’s why fans have nicknamed it the “lanky Link” glitch.
How do you trigger the lanky Link glitch?
According to Notebookcheck, the glitch comes from a sequence break. In other words, players skip the game’s normal order of events.
By doing so, they take young Link into areas meant for adult Link. When certain cutscenes then play, the game seems to get confused about which version of Link it should show. As a result, the lanky version appears instead.
The exact cause still isn’t clear. However, since it requires a sequence break, most players won’t stumble across it during a normal playthrough.
How have fans reacted to the Ocarina of Time remake glitch?
The glitch was first shared on Reddit by user WrongLander in the r/gaming community. Unsurprisingly, the post quickly took off.
Most players reacted with laughter. Several commenters compared the distorted Link to a character from Robot Chicken, the stop-motion comedy series known for its odd-looking figures. Others joked that it was the scariest thing in the game, ahead of any Dead Hand or ReDead.
Is there a reverse version?
Possibly. A separate post reportedly showed the opposite problem, with adult Link appearing in a section meant for his younger self. However, a moderator later removed that post, and its authenticity hasn’t been confirmed. For now, the lanky young Link is the version fans can actually see.
Will Nintendo patch the Ocarina of Time remake glitch?
Nintendo hasn’t commented on the glitch so far. It’s not unusual for the company to fix bugs in post-launch updates, especially in brand-new releases. On the other hand, this glitch is harmless and only appears if you deliberately break the game’s sequence.
So, there’s a chance it survives. If it does, it may become a fan-favourite oddity, just like the many glitches in the original.
A long history of Ocarina of Time glitches
Ocarina of Time has always been a glitch-hunter’s dream. The original Nintendo 64 game launched in 1998, and speedrunners have spent decades pulling it apart. Some of its tricks let players skip huge parts of the adventure entirely.
As a result, it’s no surprise that players went straight to work on the remake. Communities love digging into classic games, whether that’s a secret tower in GTA San Andreas or a hidden Easter egg in Jedi Survivor found three years after launch.
Zelda fans have been finding creative ways to enjoy the series, too. One player even lost 32lbs playing Breath of the Wild in VR. With a brand-new Ocarina of Time to explore, the lanky Link glitch is unlikely to be the last strange discovery.