Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Breaks Sales Records (For Real-Life Ocarinas)

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a stellar remake of a beloved classic, so it only makes sense that it would have somewhat of a halo effect. And given that it’s how a lot of millennials learned what the heck an ocarina even is, it makes sense that it would have an impact on demand for the simple wind instrument.

Eric Bernard, manager of Songbird Ocarina, previously explained how accurate the ocarina playing is in the remake. (The answer: very accurate.) So we reached out regarding how the Ocarina remake is impacting his business, and apparently, it’s doing very well.

Bernard said that online order volume radically increased starting September 8, when Nintendo debuted a Nintendo Direct presentation that showcased the game. And then November 5, the actual release day, was a record-setter for the company. Songbird sells a few different models of the instrument modeled after the iconic blue Ocarina of Time found in the game, and that date marked the most of those models it has ever sold in a single day.

Bernard also expounded further on the accuracy of the ocarina playing, now that the game has been released. He noted that the game’s audio-detection system doesn’t require the songs to be played in the exact key of the original music. So while you could learn from Link’s own finger movements, you could also play in any of the other 11 possible key signatures to get the same result.

The ocarina is a major plot element in Ocarina of Time, and Nintendo made it the centerpiece of this remake in a few ways. It has an audio-detection mechanism that allows you to hum into the mic to summon songs, and an officially licensed electronic ocarina accessory from Hori lets you emulate the real movements to play.