Did you catch SNL this weekend? The long-running sketch show just took a swing at the biggest gaming showdown of the year: GTA 6 vs. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake. And let's just say, not everyone is impressed.
The bit aired during Weekend Update and featured live-action versions of GTA 6's Jason Duval and Zelda's Link, played by Marcello Hernández and Mikey Day. For six minutes, the two icons bickered over who has the better game, with jokes about stealing cars, buying RPGs, and solving puzzles in Hyrule. Weekend Update hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che were also on hand, with Jost opening the segment by joking, "Now, I don't know much about gaming because I've had sex, but I'm told that people are calling your releases the 'Barbenheimer of video games.'"
The episode was hosted by Dakota Johnson with musical guest Turnstile, and even featured a surprise cameo from Taylor Swift. But the gaming community's reaction? Mixed at best. Many fans felt the humor leaned on stale stereotypes. "Basically all of the jokes here were ones I've already been hearing for like 20 years," one fan commented. Another added, "Aren't these the same jokes we've heard about Zelda since 2000?"
Critics also pointed out that Hernández's Jason felt half-baked, with his GTA references limited to waving an RPG and stealing cars. His outfit—a bloody bandage and a tropical button-up—was compared to a last-minute Halloween costume. Meanwhile, Day's Link earned praise for his surprisingly accurate Ocarina of Time tunic, complete with elf ears and a convincing wig. But the jokes didn't land, mostly involving Link yelling about puzzles and insisting his tunic isn't a dress.
One fan summed it up: "I'm somebody who still watches SNL most weeks but this sketch was pretty rough." Another noted the crowd cheered louder for Zelda and the puzzle joke, suggesting the sketch fell flat from the start. Even some positive comments were confused: "This is funny but also confused how they are doing a parody of a character who we don't know that well yet."
The skit comes as November 2026 shapes up to be a massive month for games. Most releases have cleared out to avoid GTA 6, but Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is the big exception. The former won't be on the console the latter is exclusive to, so it's not a direct head-to-head, but gamers will still have tough choices. The Zelda remake hits Nintendo Switch 2 on November 5, and GTA 6 launches for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on November 19.
So, did SNL nail the gaming humor or miss the mark? Will you be picking up one—or both—of these November blockbusters? Let us know in the comments!
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