Last night's Saturday Night Live featured a surprise appearance during Weekend Update, with cast members Marcello Hernández and Mikey Day portraying Jason from Grand Theft Auto VI and Link from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, respectively. The sketch positioned the two characters as rivals vying for the title of biggest video game release of the holiday season.
Colin Jost, hosting the Weekend Update segment, introduced the characters by noting Grand Theft Auto VI's highly anticipated November release, suggesting other games have delayed their launches to avoid direct competition. The segment then devolved into a comedic back-and-forth, with the characters trading barbs about Link's perceived effeminacy and the nature of life in Vice City. The exchange included props such as a rocket launcher and a fairy bottle.
The sketch's style was described by one observer as reminiscent of MAD Magazine from the mid-2000s, with a noticeable influence from showrunner Lorne Michaels. The costume design for Link was highlighted, noting the detailed fidelity of the character's appearance, which mirrored that of Nintendo's upcoming remake of Ocarina of Time.
This comedic collision comes as Grand Theft Auto VI continues to cast a long shadow over the upcoming release schedule, with many major titles reportedly shifting their launch dates to September and October to bypass its November debut. Nintendo's recent surprise announcement of the Ocarina of Time remake also targeting the same timeframe, though on a different console generation, sets up a media cycle showdown between the two highly anticipated titles. The SNL sketch served as an early, albeit fictionalized, media engagement between these two gaming juggernauts.