The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is unironically timeless. The original game is still perfectly playable today in the form it was released as for the N64 nearly 3 decades ago. And for fans looking for updated visuals and controls, they need look no further than OOT’s 3DS remaster released exactly 15 years ago on June 16, 2011.
Bearing that history in mind, Nintendo’s newly announced Ocarina of Time for the Switch 2 absolutely can not be a 1-to-1 remake of the original game with better graphics. In order to be a true rebirth of OOT, it needs to be a completely new experience that captures the original atmosphere and charm of the OG version while still doing something novel and refreshing.
If this game is just a simple remake, then it automatically fails to respect the true spirit of creativity and innovation that made the original Ocarina of Time the greatest game ever made. For a game as groundbreaking as Ocarina of Time, recreating it with a game that isn’t equally ambitious would just be an insult to the original.
Ocaria of Time Deserves a Reimagining, Not Just a Remake
Nintendo has kept its cards close to its chest so far with this Ocarina of Time “reborn” (as Nintendo refers to it on their official website), and it’s likely doing so for good reason. Ocarina of Time is the highest-rated video game of all time, and is still considered by many as the absolute best game ever made — by Nintendo or otherwise.
Simply confirming the remake even exists was enough to build hype around it, and Nintendo’s brief initial teaser has already gotten fans talking. Right now, the most notable reveal in the trailer is young Link’s new design, which is absolutely the most realistic and high-fidelity version of Link in any Zelda game so far.
Without even revealing much in the teaser, Nintendo has confirmed that this remake is a project with a lot of resources behind it that will be the most visually detailed the series has ever looked. Nintendo’s subsequent description of the game has doubled down on that fact, confirming the remake will contain “stunning visuals, updated designs, and timeless gameplay.”
That promise of “updated designs” was already shown in the trailer, as Link wore a completely new tunic unlike that of the original game. But those kinds of major graphical overhauls come at a cost.
Leaks have already corroborated the fact that Switch 2’s version of OOT will have a substantial budget. For this project to really pay off, then, Nintendo needs to pull off all the stops to make this game feel truly special, and that extends far beyond just a graphical upgrade.
In short, if this new Ocarina of Time on the Switch 2 is just a straightforward remake, it not only risks damaging the good name of the original, but it could very well lead to a financial loss for Nintendo.
There’s Still One More Zelda Timeline Branch Ocarina of Time Has Yet to Create
Zelda fans are right to be concerned about how Nintendo might be treating this remake, because Ocarina of Time is the kind of beloved classic that never really had to be touched to begin with.
Thankfully, Nintendo has already confirmed the game will contain the same “timeless gameplay,” which is great news for fans worried that Nintendo might turn OOT into BOTW 3. At the same time, that doesn’t mean Nintendo should just play it safe.
The Zelda franchise is all about exploration and a sense of discovery, and that goes for the Zelda Team’s game development philosophy as well. Following the beaten road was not the condition that led to Ocarina of Time’s creation in the first place.
It was Nintendo’s spirit of innovation and desire to create something unique and amazing that led them to completely redefine what was possible in 3D action adventure video games.
Approaching the creation of this remake with anything less than that desire to make a new masterpiece that stands on its own would just do the entire Zelda franchise a disservice. And worst of all, if the game’s budget is really as big as it seems, playing it too safe with this remake could even make this game a commercial failure.
While hardcore Zelda fans will absolutely buy a 1-to-1 OOT remake no matter what, more casual players could very well pass it over unless this is a truly modern Zelda adventure that’s just as ambitious as they’ve come to expect with the Wild Era.
That doesn’t mean the gameplay needs to be open world, but it does need to be comparable in scope to other titles in the modern action adventure video game landscape that Zelda single-handedly revolutionized in the first place.
Whether fans can believe it or not, there’s absolutely a timeline in which this is the best Zelda game yet — better than BOTW and perhaps even better than the original OOT.
There’s absolutely a timeline in which Nintendo can recreate the story and world of Ocarina of Time, with all its memorable locations and iconic characters, while also making an entirely new game in the process. There’s a timeline in which Nintendo retells a far more fleshed-out version of Ocarina of Time’s story, and situates it in a version of Hyrule that has even more secrets to explore and feels even more immersive. There’s a timeline in which Nintendo recreates the most unforgettable aspects of Ocarina of Time’s beloved dungeons, while also completely reimagining them with far greater scale, brand-new puzzles and more difficult boss battles.
That’s the branch of the timeline this Ocarina of Time “remake” needs to exist in; Zelda fans just need to have the courage to imagine it.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is scheduled for release exclusively on the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026.
- Released
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2026
- Developer(s)
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Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
- Number of Players
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Single-player