Nintendo Switch 2 Remakes Could Target Classic N64 Game Lineup

After Star Fox and Ocarina of Time, here is a look at which older games the company could rebuild for the Switch era and beyond.

Nintendo has settled into a new habit, and you can see it in what has landed on Switch 2 so far. Star Fox arrived earlier this year with visuals made to match a modern entry in the series, along with a new online multiplayer mode and a few free updates that have kept it feeling fresh.

Next up is the Ocarina of Time remake, and the more details come out, the clearer it gets that this is the most ambitious project the company has ever attempted in this area. It has been rebuilt as a modern game, with changes to the overworld, updated gameplay, adjusted dungeons, expanded story material and more.

For anyone following Nintendo remakes, it's a sign the company is willing to go the extra mile with its classics. That naturally raises the matter of which other classics could get the same treatment. A few weeks ago there was talk of a possible Super Mario 64 remake, and that comes up again below, but it only scratches the surface.

The list of candidates is longer than most people would guess, and this wave of Nintendo remakes could easily run for years. Part of what sparked this is a post from an industry insider who noted that Switch 2 has already produced two remakes with a heavy graphical focus, Star Fox and Zelda, and wondered which game would be next.

Nintendo could follow Capcom's lead with its Resident Evil remakes by building a second pillar of development around large remakes that keep players busy between brand new releases. The Ocarina of Time remake looks like the base for that plan, and it suggests Nintendo remakes could become a regular part of the release schedule.

From there, a Majora's Mask remake looks like a safe bet, though probably a few years away.

After that, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword and maybe even The Wind Waker could each get their turn down the line. The key point is that Nintendo now has a team that can build something like the Ocarina of Time remake, so more Nintendo remakes are realistic and not just wishful thinking.

Nintendo remakes won't stop at Zelda, either. Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 64 were the two games that pioneered 3D gaming in the N64 era, and the company has treated both in similar ways, with several re-releases each. Given that history, it seems almost inevitable that Super Mario 64 gets revisited eventually.

With what has been done for Ocarina of Time, a proper Super Mario 64 remake feels like a matter of when, and the Ocarina of Time remake has pushed that door open. If Super Mario 64 gets that treatment, other Mario games could follow. The Super Mario Galaxy games just received simple remasters, so full remakes of them look many years away. Super Mario Sunshine is a better candidate.

It arrived on GameCube only six years after the N64 classic, on hardware that was already fairly dated, and it still feels like an early 3D game. There are irritating glitches, the camera needs work, and both the visuals and the pacing could use a lift. Some players also feel the balance between Blue Coins, Shine Sprites and everything else is off, so a few extra levels could help.

A Super Mario Sunshine remake could bring quality-of-life fixes, make it feel like a current Mario game and add a bit of new content.

It likely wouldn't come first, since a Super Mario 64 remake would probably go before it, but if the company heads down that road, Super Mario Sunshine looks like the natural next stop. Beyond Mario and Zelda, the company has already shown it will return to older series, as the Star Fox remake proves.

That wasn't the first time for that series, either. Nintendo has released multiple versions of it, along with Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 64, which adds weight to the idea that the N64 platformer is due for another round. The same insider added a comment of his own, saying that given what Nintendo can do with Switch 2, he can't wait to see the next Luigi's Mansion.

That one is curious, since he often reports on things he hears behind the scenes. He didn't mention a remake, so take it as a hint at most. Still, two other sources have said Luigi's Mansion 4 is in development, and since Next Level Games hasn't put out a new release in a while and Luigi's Mansion 3 was a big deal, a sequel can't be far off.

That does leave room for a remake of the original, too. The original already got a 3DS remake, but that console also received new versions of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, and the DS got a reworked Super Mario 64. Nintendo has a history of going back to games many people consider masterpieces, and the first Luigi's game, which isn't even long, is one of them.

A Luigi's Mansion remake would cost less to make than Mario 64 or Ocarina.

A Luigi's Mansion remake built with modern visuals for Switch 2, along with updated controls and quality-of-life tweaks, would be a stellar release that costs far less than something as large as Super Mario 64 or Ocarina of Time, which makes it one of the cheaper Nintendo remakes to produce.

It would likely do well, since the series sells well today. Beyond Super Mario 64 and Majora's Mask, this looks like the most probable pick, whether it comes this generation or the next. Games from the N64 and GameCube era are the most logical targets for Nintendo remakes, since they are the ones aging fastest.

The harder part is finding more true masterpieces worth revisiting. Metroid Prime is one. It debuted on GameCube, picked up some enhancements in Metroid Prime: Trilogy on the Wii, and then returned as Metroid Prime Remastered on Switch 1 in early 2023.

That was already a pretty ambitious remaster, so a full remake isn't likely anytime soon. An upgraded edition for the newer console, with better resolution and mouse controls, would make sense, though. Once the other remakes are out, going back to Metroid Prime might become reasonable.

One game that hasn't been revisited much but arguably deserves it is Donkey Kong 64.

Many players now recognize its flaws, but it was still a beloved entry and the first 3D Donkey Kong game. Nintendo has put real effort into bringing the character back through the theme park, the movies and Donkey Kong Bananza, the latest 3D release and a very good one, so the timing seems right.

Remaking Donkey Kong 64 with modern visuals and cleaner pacing could turn it into something special for today's audience. If you want a pick that fits the same approach, and isn't Luigi's first outing or Mario's N64 debut, Donkey Kong 64 would be it.

There have also been rumors of a Super Metroid remake, but that isn't the kind of project covered here, since a 2D game likely wouldn't be rebuilt in 3D. With more Zelda remakes likely coming, the company may have to start thinking about reworking other things, and maybe reimagining a few.

One series that would be a great fit for Nintendo remakes is Mother. EarthBound was originally going to get a sequel called EarthBound 64, but that was canceled and became Mother 3, which never got an official Western release. Nintendo could go back to the beginning and remake all three games.

The series creator has said he doesn't plan any future entries, but three games already exist, so bringing them to the modern era makes sense.

They don't have to be in 3D, though that would make them feel like new games, and any return would be a treat for a series that deserves a modern audience. Series like F-Zero and Wave Race haven't had a new entry in ages, and remakes let the company return to a proven blueprint without the cost of a brand new game, making Nintendo remakes a stepping stone toward fresh installments.

F-Zero will probably just get a new game, while Wave Race, with its lighter focus on characters, is less of a sure thing, but a remake could still happen. Those are the main candidates for Nintendo remakes in the years ahead, and you can expect the list to grow.