The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a mostly faithful remake, true, but there’s a generous handful of tweaks and expansions that fill out this version of Hyrule beautifully. Most of those changes are grim. This game is sad — if speaking to the Kokiri after clearing The Great Deku Tree dungeon didn’t clue you in on that, just chat to people with the Mask of Truth on — and it wants you to be sad too. One of these changes flies in the face of misery and is defiantly happy, though, and it involves the game’s bestest boy: Richard.
Richard is a dog, a very good dog. You might even say the best dog. Though even if you didn’t, his owner, Mamamu Yan, certainly would. She lives in Castle Town at the start of the game, and her favorite things to do are watch Richard play and talk about how much she loves Richard. It’s cute! Less cute when she’s rude about the town’s other dogs, but no pup can choose their owner, I guess. It’s not Richard’s fault. He’s a blameless angel.
And in the 2011 Nintendo 3DS version of Ocarina of Time, he’s a literal angel. After young Link spends seven years in the Sacred Realm, Castle Town is in ruins thanks to Ganondorf and an army of ReDead, the Zelda series’ version of zombies. Navi doesn’t say it when you get her to tattle on the monsters, but given how much of a horror show the rest of the game is, it seems pretty likely these creatures used to be the denizens of Castle Town. Not all of the town’s weird and wonderful folks died, though. Some of them escaped to Kakariko Village, including Mamamu Yan. In the 3DS version, she speaks of Richard in the past tense. He was the best dog, a famous one, even. Mamamu Yan doesn’t seem particularly distressed about Richard’s death, but I certainly was when I played.
Get Polygon’s Wishlister newsletter
A weekly cheat sheet to what you’ll eventually love to play. No buying, no
commitment — just saving for later.
Sign up free
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
In the Switch 2 Ocarina of Time remake, Richard lives! He’s alive and well, frolicking happily around Kakariko Village during the daytime and remaining decidedly un-lost at night. Little guy obviously learned his lesson back in Castle Town. Anyway, I originally thought maybe Mamamu Yan was one of those people who names every pet the same thing. Maybe this was Richard the Third or something. But no, it’s the same wonderful little fuzzball from before. Mamamu Yan waxes at length about the virtues and splendor of her Richard, with no mention of ancestors or dead Richards or anything of that kind.
It’s a sweet little bright spot and a welcome one after stumbling into the village following the horrors of Future Castle Town. Good boy, Richard. May you live forever.