Nintendo Reveals Why Ocarina of Time Remake Is So Special

Nintendo veteran Eiji Aonuma has admitted he feels nervous about bringing The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time back to modern audiences, and his latest comments also hint that younger developers are contributing to the highly anticipated remake.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is shaping up to be one of Nintendo’s most anticipated titles, but the team behind the iconic adventure is feeling the pressure. A report quoted Zelda's longtime producer, Eiji Aonuma, in Paris, on how he feels about the remake's release. He acknowledged that he’s apprehensive about how the project will be received in the end.

Aonuma is one of the most revered creative minds in the video-game industry. For decades, he’s played a major role in shaping the Zelda franchise. He didn't say he was delighted to play through one of gaming's most renowned experiences again, but rather that the approaching release has been on his mind all along.  

The statements may sound unusual at first, given the original game’s popularity, but they show how important this project is to the Nintendo veteran.

Ocarina of Time was not just another popular Zelda game. It was a huge turning point for the series and helped set many of the design standards later adopted in 3D adventures. During this time, Aonuma grew more and more active in the creative direction of the series and finally became one of the most influential figures in shaping its present identity.

Ocarina of Time was a major point in Aonuma’s career, though Shigeru Miyamoto remained heavily involved in producing the original game. Another distinction between this remake and other Zelda games is difficulty. "Both The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom have been massive successes, and the franchise has grown tremendously since then."

Breath of the Wild sold over 35 million copies, while Tears of the Kingdom sold more than 20 million copies, introducing Nintendo’s fantasy series to a whole new audience. These newer enthusiasts, however, may have very different thoughts about Ocarina of Time. The first adventure had a much more structured way of moving than the last two main-series games, both set in massive open environments.

Most dungeons are designed to be played in a precise order. As Link investigates, he acquires essential items and skills that help him overcome obstacles and move on to the next location. Some dungeons can be completed in a different order, but overall the game is still much more linear than Breath of the Wild, which lets players explore however they want.

That difference is a really significant thing to consider when you show folks the remake today.

Nintendo needs to preserve the original experience, but also make sure that the game’s mechanics, puzzles, and controls are still interesting for individuals who have never played the original Nintendo 64 game. This suggests Aonuma may be anxious about making the remake a pleasing experience for old fans without turning it into a chore for newcomers. Based on the gameplay demos and early previews discussed so far, there's plenty of reason to be positive.

Aonuma also shared an interesting tidbit about the remake’s creation: it sounds like the younger staff working on it have never played the original Ocarina of Time. “The fact that they are not aware of the classic has given a new angle to the project,” adds the director. “They are thinking about what the experience should be when modern people actually have the controls to make the remake,” he said.

They say their involvement helped decide to play the game again in the first place. Nintendo wants to see how the game's mechanics and gameplay could be altered to work with modern hardware and expectations, rather than simply copying the classic adventure. This line also makes me question the development teams working on the project. This could mean external partners working alongside members of Nintendo’s internal Zelda development team.

Another company to consider is Monolith Soft, which has a long history with Nintendo and has worked on past Zelda titles. According to past reports, internal and external Nintendo development teams are working on the version.

For now, there is no clear definition of what each studio is supposed to do, but bringing in younger developers could serve another crucial purpose.

Replicating such an important game might give novice designers a sense of how established rules work before moving on to wholly fresh games. Nintendo has more to gain from this effort than simply teaching Ocarina of Time to a new generation. It might also give the folks who will ultimately shape the franchise’s future valuable development experience.

Letting junior devs work directly on one of Zelda’s most essential games can help them understand why its riddles, exploration, and dungeon design still feel so relevant today. Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask are still two of the highest-rated 3D Zelda titles. Wind Waker and Twilight Princess also became fan favorites in the series.

It seems Nintendo knows the responsibility that comes with revisiting such a major release, at least based on what Aonuma said. The remake needs to keep what made the original great while keeping the design exciting for a whole new generation of players. Nintendo’s apparently taking it very seriously, with both veteran devs and younger, more imaginative people reportedly working on it.