Is Nostalgia Sinful? What Ocarina of Time and Star Fox 64 Teach Us
Do you have a favorite movie, show, or game that instantly brings you back to your childhood? Something that instantly boosts your mood because of the emotions it emits and the memories it resurfaces?
Nostalgia, described as “a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one’s life, to one’s home or homeland, or to one’s family and friends; a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time,” is an extremely powerful emotion. It can influence our thinking and actions.
Gaming can be a very enjoyable experience for many (myself included) and sometimes, it comes with nostalgia.
Today, I want to discuss two nostalgic childhood games on the Nintendo 64 (N64)—Ocarina of Time and Star Fox 64—that are getting/did get remakes, and why nostalgia requires wisdom.
Ultimately, nostalgia isn’t inherently sinful, but without biblical wisdom and discernment, it can tempt us to make unwise choices.
How I Became an N64 Child Despite Being Younger Than the Console
When I was a child, some family friends gifted us their N64.
Thanks to these friends, we had many different games, including Super Mario 64. I didn’t understand how saves worked, so I’d choose one of the saves available, never really knowing how to beat the game.
Everything changed for me when some other family friends gifted us another N64 and a copy of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Ocarina of Time has absolutely stunning music and an immersive storyline. I don’t remember how old I was when I first received the game, but I was probably in elementary school or early middle school.
I was not great at the game, however. I got stuck fighting a Deku Shrub in the first dungeon, The Great Deku Tree, because I didn’t know how to use my shield.
Thankfully, I didn’t have to go through my first journey through Hyrule alone, as I picked up many allies along the way.
One of my many Zelda friends helped me through my great stumbling block—shielding—and even helped me in Dodongo’s Cavern, the second dungeon, when I couldn’t figure out how to get past a wall.
Our house inadvertently introduced multiple families to Zelda, and we all became super fans of the franchise. I even sewed Link costumes for my friends (and brother) and even tried to make a Princess Zelda costume for myself. We had so much fun playing the game together, and I will continue to treasure these memories for the rest of my life.
Star Fox 64
The other game I became very engrossed with was Star Fox 64.
Star Fox 64 was unique in the sense that it didn’t have the option to save your progress and pick it up the next day. You had to complete the game in one sitting, or go back to the beginning. So I’d play through Star Fox 64 over and over again, memorizing the dialogue, and pushing through.
It took years, but I eventually managed to beat the game (with the help of many allies).
It may have taken ~four years between watching my friend and finally beating the game, but it’s been much longer since those days. In fact, it’s been more than a decade since I first beat Star Fox 64, and the game has become nostalgic for me.
Nostalgia can be fun, but it must be paired with discernment and wisdom.
Why Nostalgia Requires Wisdom
Allowing nostalgia to dictate our choices and thinking can be unwise. It’s important to understand that “Nostalgia, the longing emotion, is not sinful—no emotion on its own is sinful. But nostalgia can tempt us to dwell in the past and make us ineffective in the present.” Even though nostalgia in and of itself can be neutral, it’s important to be aware of the sometimes negative influence that it can have on us. As GotQuestions notes:
In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon addresses the comparing of past with present: “Say not, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’ For it is not from wisdom that you ask this” (Ecclesiastes 7:10). Is Solomon saying that nostalgia is unwise or that being nostalgic is wrong? If so, why?
What Solomon seems to be addressing in Ecclesiastes 7:10 is not the feeling of nostalgia per se but the foolish attitude it can sometimes foster.
…When a person allows a feeling of nostalgia to consume him, it can lead to all kinds of unhelpful and unfruitful behavior. (source)
Take, for example, the nostalgic pull to purchase something because of its connection to positive memories. It may not be financially feasible, and in some cases may not even be worth it, but the desire to relive the past is often really strong and, in my opinion, many companies seem to understand that.
The Ocarina of Time & Star Fox Remakes
Nintendo is releasing remakes of these two childhood-defining games—Ocarina of Time and Star Fox 64—this year:
The Ocarina of Time remake hasn’t been released yet, but Star Fox has:
Ocarina of Time’s quality remains to be seen (I’m nervous based on the trailer), but I’ve already watched my brother play through the new Star Fox, which is a near-clone of the N64 version, which was a remake of the original SNES Star Fox.
The 2026 version of Star Fox may be updated, but it’s basically the N64 version with some added cutscenes and graphics. In some ways, this makes it difficult to justify purchasing if you already have access to the original (which has better voiceover, anyway).
The Switch 2 version is nearly $60 on top of a nearly $450 gaming system (prices as of August 2026), and who knows how much Ocarina of Time will be.
Appealing to nostalgia is an extremely effective and persuasive marketing tool.
Nostalgia is an Effective and Persuasive Marketing Tool
Of course it’s tempting to get a Switch 2 to play these games; nostalgia is a powerful emotion. Although we don’t yet know if the Ocarina of Time remake will hold a candle to the original, plenty of people, driven by nostalgia, will preorder the game. I even preordered Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the sequel to Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a few years ago.
However, dropping $600+ to play a handful of games is not something to take lightly. It’s not that spending money on hobbies is inherently sinful (assuming one is wise, generous, and God-honoring with their money), but it’s a lot of money to spend.
When considering allowing nostalgia to dictate our purchases, we should stop and consider a few things:
- Can/would this purchase honor God?
- Have I prayed about this purchase?
- Can I/we afford it? Gaming systems are fun, but they cut into a large chunk of money.
- Will the game be available to play later, even if you waited a while before getting it? Most likely the answer will always be yes.
The point here isn’t to shame anyone for wanting or even buying a Switch 2. The purpose of this post isn’t to suggest that spending money on hobbies is wrong. My point here is that we should let wisdom and discernment, not a nostalgic feeling, determine where and when we spend our finances.
Personally, I still want to own a Switch 2 someday, but I know that wisdom means waiting patiently and enjoying the gift of playing on my brother’s console.
Conclusion: Is Nostalgia Always Bad?
Nostalgia connects us to our past. Sometimes, remembering where we came from is a positive thing, and nostalgia isn’t necessarily sinful. Nostalgia can be a wonderful feeling.
When nostalgia is involved, we need to use wisdom, discernment, and a biblical perspective so that it doesn’t control us.
This entry really made me reflect for quite awhile. I have always been nostalgic, there are times I remember and miss, mostly because of an event that occurred where my memory reminds me of a good time. Most of these memories are related to movies or songs. My first really big nostalgia comes from seeing Star Wars in 1977 with my brother Greg. But then, I can even remember seeing Bambi even earlier, I remember the theater where I saw it on Boston Rd. and it was cloudy.
Now, as an adult, I have the Star Wars Dvd on my shelf with other movies, some with strong nostalgic feelings and others not so much. I also have nostalgic feelings with church and the Bible, times where something impacted me for whatever reason and I still remember. If I was a preacher, I would probably use a lot of illustrations that reference movies I’ve seen over the years. I think Nostalgia can help us to relate to other people and have a connection, even if it is for something like a story or videogame. It can help us interact and become closer, hopefully to bring us all closer to the Lord by our similar interests in lives that are sometimes difficult and hard to traverse.
Ai on the internet gave a long discussion of nostalgia with the prompt: can nostalgia be good.
Summarizing what it said: Nostalgia is largely a healthy and constructive emotion that can enhance mood, strengthen social ties, and provide comfort during change, as long as it is experienced mindfully and in moderation.
Thanks for a thought provoking discussion!