10 Burning Questions About the Ocarina of Time Remake
The recent summer Nintendo Direct wrapped up with some exciting news that many had already anticipated due to leaks: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is being remade for the Nintendo Switch 2, and it’s set to launch later this year.
However, aside from a brief glimpse of the game and a shot of Link snoozing, we’re left in the dark about many details. Naturally, this has sparked a flurry of questions. Here are ten that popped into my mind while reflecting on the trailer over the past hour. Unfortunately, the trailer didn’t provide answers, so let’s hope future reveals will.
A lot of fans are voicing their opinions on Link’s appearance in the trailer, and I can see why. It definitely gives off a “hire this man” vibe. But let’s be real—he’s just catching some Z’s in a dimly lit room. It’s a curious choice for Nintendo to showcase this moment, as no one looks their best while asleep, Link included. What I’m really eager to see is Link in action, exploring the world and interacting with others. Until we see him moving around, it’s tough to judge whether this graphical style leans more towards the aesthetics of Skyward Sword or Twilight Princess, or if they’ve truly captured the essence of Unreal Engine 5.
This is the big question, right? I expected Nintendo to clarify this when they announced the remake, even if just in broad terms. But here we are, still unsure if this will be a faithful, 1:1 recreation of Ocarina with some technical upgrades, or if we’re looking at a complete overhaul with expanded dungeons, new areas, and additional story elements. There’s no way to tell at this point.
For me, the ideal scenario would be a blend of both: a mostly faithful remake with modern controls and technology, plus a sprinkle of extra content—maybe a bonus dungeon or some previously cut material restored. This is a significant question that will likely linger until the game is released, as everyone will have their own take on whether Nintendo nails it.
Will we really have to carry Ruto around? I hope they at least tweak it so she doesn’t vanish and respawn every time a gust of wind blows her way.
This ties into my curiosity about how Hyrule will look. After experiencing the vastness of Hyrule in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, it’s going to be a challenge for Ocarina to capture that same beauty and scale. When it first launched, Ocarina’s Hyrule felt enormous, and I’m not sure how they’ll recreate that feeling in 2026!
What I do want is a vibrant world. My concern from the initial shot was that Link appeared a bit dull, lacking the vividness he had in Ocarina and other recent titles. It felt a bit too Twilight Princess for my taste. Of course, it was a dark scene—no one looks great while asleep. I’m hoping that when the sun rises in the game, we’ll see a Hyrule bursting with color and contrast, especially in Hyrule Field, now that they’re free from the limitations of the N64’s textures.
Nintendo has to update the controls, right? When Ocarina first came out, the enemy targeting and camera lock-on were groundbreaking, but by January 2026, those mechanics will feel outdated. The camera can be erratic, getting stuck behind objects, and switching items through the menu is cumbersome. There’s no way the Ocarina remake won’t feature a revamped system, especially with a new controller. I hope they don’t spend too much time trying to replicate the original’s feel; it’s okay to acknowledge that 3D adventure games have evolved since then.
I hope they don’t tone down Navi! In fact, I’d love for her to be even more annoying. I’m also curious about how they’ll handle her voice. Navi’s iconic “Hey!” has become legendary, and if it sounds even slightly off, it’s bound to irk fans.
With the big movie adaptation of The Legend of Zelda set to release next April, it’s unclear what story, if any, the game will follow. Some production images suggest it might draw from Breath of the Wild, while others hint at a connection to Ocarina of Time. Releasing the Ocarina remake could be a great way to align with a film that tells a similar story, but we’ll have to wait and see if there are any deeper connections.
What’s up with that outfit? Not the tunic, but the other piece. Is that armor? I don’t recall him wearing armor in Ocarina of Time, especially not as a child or while sleeping. One of my pet peeves in gaming is when characters sleep in full armor. I get it—modeling them in pajamas would take a lot of time—but it’s just odd to see someone snoozing in that gear. It’s like trying to sleep in jeans.
So, Link, please take off your armor before bed. Slip into some comfy pajamas like Tingle’s; it’s perfectly fine. We don’t need to keep doing this.
We just found out that Velen Studios is working on a revival of Star Fox, and Nintendo has increasingly trusted outside studios with its major franchises in recent years. Many of these collaborations have turned out well, like the work on Pokémon. While some might argue that Ocarina of Time should be developed by the Zelda team with original veterans, I can also see the merit in giving it to a team of superfans who have fresh ideas on how to enhance this classic. There’s no definitive right answer here, and given Nintendo’s history of being tight-lipped about its development teams, we might not know who’s behind the game until after it launches.
That’s the big one, right? Most of these questions could be addressed in a focused Nintendo Direct, which I assume we’ll get before the game’s release. If I had to guess, Nintendo will want to clear its marketing for Star Fox before diving into what Link is up to, so we might have to wait a few more months for more details. Ocarina of Time is set to release this year, which is a bold statement considering there are only six months left, so we won’t have to wait too long. For now, we can only speculate on the pressing questions, like why Link doesn’t have proper pajamas and if we can handle revisiting Jabu-Jabu one more time.
