Nintendo’s Ocarina of Time Remake Faces High Stakes on Switch 2

Nintendo has a monumental task in front of it. Later this year, the company will attempt to iterate on perfection with a full remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Because the Nintendo 64 classic is regularly cited as the single greatest video game of all time, the stakes for this project are significantly higher than your average re-release.

Discontent among the fanbase began early, sparked by a brief teaser that showed nothing more than a slumbering Young Link. Beyond that initial reveal, the project has been shrouded in speculation, leaving players to wonder whether Nintendo is planning a daring reimagining or a standard graphical facelift. We are still waiting to see which direction the final product will take, but a recent release provides a potential hint at Nintendo’s current philosophy.

Lessons from the Star Fox Remake

This week saw the release of Star Fox, a remake of the 1997 title Star Fox 64, developed by Velan Studios. The project is a respectful, almost classy, recreation of the original arcade-style shoot-’em-up. Velan faithfully recreated every stage in a one-to-one fashion, leaning on the fact that the original design has stood the test of time for nearly three decades.

While the streamlined controls and polished presentation make for a solid list of upgrades, the remake feels like a lateral move rather than a meaningful evolution. Adding interstitial cinematics—such as showing the Star Fox crew hanging out in their home base—adds polish, but it doesn't necessarily offer new insights into the cast or the story. It leaves the player wondering what was gained by replacing the original text scrolls with cutscenes.

A Mixed Track Record for Remakes

Star Fox fits into a pattern of recent Nintendo remakes that struggle to leave a lasting impact. In 2023, the Super Mario RPG remake swapped pixelated visuals for a modern look, but it arrived with little fanfare. Similarly, the 2024 remake of Mario Vs. Donkey Kong and the updated Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door failed to generate the same excitement as their predecessors, despite the original games' sterling reputations.

However, Nintendo has proven it can deliver high-quality reimaginings. Titles like Metroid: Samus Returns and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening successfully presented old games in a new light. Perhaps the strongest example is Metroid: Zero Mission, which stands as a total reimagining that exists apart from the nostalgia of the original NES title. That remains the ideal blueprint for Ocarina of Time; fans are hoping for a project that offers a fresh perspective rather than just another coat of paint.