Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake details revealed by Nintendo

Nintendo says the Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake for Nintendo Switch 2 will launch on November 5. Nintendo EPD Production Group No. 3 handled the project, acting as the group behind core entries.

Image: Nintendo Everything

Series producer Eiji Aonuma says the remake was motivated by the 40th anniversary of the original Legend of Zelda. Aonuma says he wanted current developers, many of whom have only worked on recent titles, to understand the significance of Ocarina of Time. Rebuilding the game is intended to provide insights for future development. Aonuma also says the remake allows players used to the open gameplay of Breath of the Wild to experience more traditional, paced adventure gameplay.

Art director Aya Shida notes the staff sought a visual approach drawing on puppet performances and traditional movie effects. The goal was to create a dense, detailed world while avoiding pure realism. Shida says the team worked to balance the colorful, quirky characters with a darker environment. This included designing clothing textures, such as Young Link's clothes, to look hand-woven rather than machine-made to maintain believability.

While the new character designs look different from the originals, Shida says the team focused on preserving the characters' familiar presence and individuality. Producer Hidemaro Fujibayashi says the team had to avoid recreating the exaggerated movements of the original Nintendo 64 era too precisely to prevent the characters from looking creepy with modern technology.