After almost 30 years, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time finally has a proper remake on the way, and it's headed straight for the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026. Currently, we don't have much to go on in terms of what any remake will bring to the table aside from the confirmed remastered visuals, but it's still safe to say that this particular remake faces a unique problem like its co-star Star Foxeven a Switch 2 remake, didn't have. Specifically, while Star Fox has succeeded despite being as close to a 1:1 remake as it can be while still being a completely rebuilt and modernized version of its original N64 self, Ocarina of time on the Switch 2 probably won't be given much mercy.
It has already been up for debate, whether Ocarina of timeThe Switch 2 remake should be closer to what Nintendo did with Star Fox 64 or whether it should feel like a completely new experience from top to bottom. But the side of the debate that argues Ocarina of time should be the same game in every way but with a polished surface, just like Star Fox stopped being, don't understand why that approach could work for Star Fox but wouldn't work for Ocarina of time. It would be far too easy to lose Star Fox 64 in the process of redoing it if nintendo took things too far, but with Ocarina of timethere is a lot of room to work with that the developer should definitely take advantage of.
Star Fox on Switch 2 didn't need much more than a facelift
The reason for the Switch 2 Star Fox remake has seen such success is because, aside from its audio and visual presentation, and perhaps some minor quality-of-life issues, it is completely timeless. Changing the gameplay, the rhythm, or even some of its iconic quirks in any way would mean that it doesn't Star Fox 64and at that point it wouldn't be a remake but a completely different game. Of course, there are many fans out there who wanted a brand new one Star Fox game instead of remake, so Nintendo could very well have gone that route instead. And yet the remake has succeeded despite that.
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That thing with a game that Star Fox 64and now its Switch 2 remake, is meant to be played over and over and over again. It's a rail shooter, an arcade air combat game where the goal is always a higher score, a new path, or some other secret that can only be triggered in the right place at the right time. For these reasons we all replayed Star Fox 64 a million times back in its heyday, and we're now replaying it on Switch 2, over and over again, with the same goal in mind. In other words, there really is no need for a game that Star Fox 64 to get anything more than a facelift when it's remade, since the whole point of the experience is to play it over and over again anyway. Ocarina of timeon the other hand, is another story.
Ocarina of Time on Switch 2 should be more of a remake than Star Fox was
Ocarina of time accomplished quite a few things for the gaming industry at large when it launched in 1998, and the ripple effects of what it introduced and established are still being felt today. By and large, Ocarina of time gave developers a working language for 3D action-adventure games by showing how combat, puzzles, navigation, story scenes, items, dungeons, exploration, and even a camera could work together to create a compelling, complete, and thoroughly nuanced 3D adventure. Ocarina of time still influenced the industry in a number of more specific ways, though to the point that most modern action-adventure games wouldn't know what to do unless they were the first to do so.
There really is no need for a game like that Star Fox 64 to get anything more than a facelift when it's remade, since the whole point of the experience is to play it over and over again anyway.
For example, Ocarina of time's Z targeting system essentially solved 3D combat by allowing players to lock onto an enemy or character, keep the camera oriented, and then attack with much clearer spatial awareness. Before that, melee combat in 3D was awkward because the player, enemy, and camera all had to line up. Ocarina of timeThe use of the A button also helped revolutionize the industry by making context-sensitive controls feel normal. Essentially, the function of the A button would change depending on what Link was doing, and in a world where 3D games were suddenly asking controllers to handle dozens of different actions at once, that was groundbreaking.
Of course, these are far from the only ways Ocarina of time influenced action-adventure games and 3D games in general, as it also helped establish 3D action-adventure design. The expectations of cinematic storytelling were also raised after Ocarina of timeas it used real-time cutscenes rather than pre-rendered video, which ultimately ensured that players stayed in touch with what was going on at all times. It also made music a game system by allowing players full manual control over the ocarina while making it a tool that can affect the environment and world around Link.
Despite its influence on the industry, Ocarina of Time could be improved for the modern era
Still, Ocarina of times influence is precisely why its Switch 2 remake should be allowed to reach for more than just visual fidelity. The original game taught the industry how to move through a 3D adventure, but the industry has now spent the last 30 years building on that foundation. If Nintendo comes along Ocarina of time back now it has a chance to make the game feel as miraculous to modern players as it did to those who played it in 1998, but it can only achieve that by meeting modern standards where they are.
There are plenty of areas there Ocarina of time can grow without losing itself. Hyrule Field could feel more like an actual kingdom, with more detail, more life, and more reasons to move through it, while still remaining a guided adventure rather than a vast open world. Castle Town, Kakariko Village, Goron City, Zora's Domain, and Gerudo Valley could all benefit from more realistic NPC routines, stronger environmental stories, and a clearer sense of how Ganondorf's rule changes the world after Link draws the Master Sword.
If Nintendo comes along Ocarina of time back now it has a chance to make the game feel as miraculous to modern players as it did to those who played it in 1998, but it can only achieve that by meeting modern standards where they are.
The dungeons are another obvious place where a Switch 2 remake could go further. Forest Temple, Fire Temple, Ocarina of times infamous Water Temple, Shadow Temple, and Spirit Temple already have some of the strongest identities in the series, but they could be expanded with new rooms, stronger enemy placement, richer puzzles, and more dramatic boss encounters. The goal shouldn't be to replace these dungeons, but to make them feel like the versions players always imagined they were exploring.
And finally, the battle could also be sharpened without swinging Ocarina of time to something unrecognizable. Cleaner swordplay, more responsive movement, smarter enemy behavior, and bosses with more involved phases would all fit in with the spirit of the original. Link should still feel like Link, but there's no reason every fight needs to feel locked into 1998. Of course, such quality-of-life improvements are to be expected, but they're nonetheless worth noting, because if the remake's combat still felt in every way like the original, it's a controversy waiting to happen.
Ultimately, Ocarina of time need not be reinvented. It just needs to be honored by being expanded in the right places. Star Fox worked because its original design was already perfectly suited for faithful repetition. However, Ocarina of time has a lot more room to work with, and a Switch 2 remake should absolutely stretch every inch of that room with its unmatched hardware. Here's hoping Ocarina of time remake on Switch 2 doesn't feel like Link is going back in time but forward, Master Sword in hand.
- Released
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2026
- Developer
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Nintendo
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Nintendo
- Number of players
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Single player
