10 Things We Want to See in a Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake

Video game remakes are potentially hotter than they've ever been right now. Recent modernizations of iconic titles like Resident Evil 2 and Final Fantasy 7 have shown that there's still a market for them, and that there always will be. As a result, the rumor mill is constantly buzzing about which game is getting the treatment next, and one possible upcoming remake sounds like one that we've waited quite a while for.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was remade on the 3DS back in 2011, but even back then, you could sense its limitations. What we've really been waiting for is a high-end, big-budget blockbuster remake in the style of RE2 and FF7. If you believe the rumor mill, that is on its way for holiday 2026.

Reliable leaker NateTheHate has said pretty confidently that, along with a new Star Fox game in 2026, Ocarina of Time is due for a big time remake. It's going to be positioned as the big holiday title for Nintendo, and with this year being the 40th anniversary of the Zelda franchise, now is the time to do it. In anticipation of a possible April announcement, we've put together 10 things we want to see in the remake.

10 A Special Edition

Party Like it's 1998

If there's one thing that can help make a game feel like a major release, it's a limited-time special edition packed with physical goodies and cool extras. There's perhaps no game more deserving of that than a potential Ocarina of Time remake.

An OOT-themed Switch 2, complete with a unique dock and Joycons, as well as a gold cartridge for the game, would be outstanding to see. If we're celebrating Zelda's 40th birthday, let's do it in style by rolling out the red carpet for the franchise's most iconic game.

In addition to the console, if Nintendo doesn't go all out with some new OOT Amiibo figures, then something has gone wrong. Any Ocarina of Time remake needs some Amiibo support, and new Link and Zelda figures would be a great way to celebrate.

9 New Temple Designs

It's Time to Have Water Temple Nightmares Again

The temples in Ocarina of Time have long been a source of inspiration for many game developers looking to explore the adventure genre. Each one has outstanding structure, puzzle design, and aesthetics, but for a remake, it may be time to look at them a bit differently.

While I would never argue in favor of toning down the trauma of the dreaded water temple, a rite of passage for any teenager in the 1990s, I do think there's an argument that remixing the dungeons may be a good idea; even for the sake of variety if nothing else.

We've all played Ocarina of Time to death at this point, and simply presenting the dungeons as-is would be a little disappointing. And for newcomers, having the same dungeons as before may lead to them being able to breeze through a bit too easily thanks to the internet. If we're going to haunt the dreams of the new generation, there's no reason for the old-school fans to be left out.

8 Switch 2 Exclusivity

Make the Switch

Despite the price increase, both for games and the hardware itself, the Switch 2 is outpacing the original console pretty efficiently. And if there's anything a brand-new home console that's selling like gangbusters needs to solidify the platform's library, it's a huge first-party exclusive.

I can't think of a better candidate than a potential Ocarina of Time remake. Considering that the original OOT launched a little over two years after the N64 in November 1998, a remake launching for the Switch 2 for Christmas in 2026 puts it right on track to echo the original game's landmark release.

Not only that, but if Nintendo is going all out with the remake, Switch 2 is the absolute perfect home for it. It hurts for Switch 1 owners, but taking full advantage of the hardware and what it can do is the only right thing to do for a game as big as this.

7 Exploring the Cutting Room Floor

The Holy Grail of Cut Content

During its almost four-year development cycle, Ocarina of Time packed a ton of content into its cartridge. It also left a lot on the cutting room floor, as the amount of cut content for Ocarina of Time could almost fill an entire game.

When it was just known as Zelda 64, OOT had some significantly different animations, models, environments, and even combat systems. If you've even peaked at some beta content, you've seen just how cut down OOT was to get to release.

Preserving this for all generations feels like an important thing for Nintendo to do. This is one of the most important games of all time, and a remake celebrating exactly what made the game what it was alongside the new version feels right.

6 Voice Acting

Hey! Listen!

Beginning with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the franchise dipped its toe into voice acting. Famously one of the industry's most iconic series that didn't seem to care about voice acting, the franchise seems to have embraced it lately.

For an Ocarina of Time remake, it almost seems silly to not have voice acting. I don't think anyone at Nintendo is ready to give Link a voice yet, but the NPCs and supporting characters around him would greatly benefit from having voices.

It may be fun to bring back Matthew Mercer and Patricia Summersett as Ganon and Princess Zelda, as well. Creating a sort of internal consistency for the voices here could be good moving forward, as any potential future Zelda games could piggyback off this.

5 A Consistent Camera

The Times are Changing

It's admirable how well developers were handling cameras back in the early days of 3D gaming, and Ocarina of Time was no different. That being said, I don't think it's entirely controversial to say that the camera in Ocarina of Time, as well as many other games from that era, can be a bit fidgety at times.

3D cameras in games are far more enjoyable today, and any potential Ocarina of Time remake would need to utilize that. While the fixed angles have their charm and I would never besmirch them, the Zelda franchise itself has moved well past this style of camera.

A fully 3D, controllable camera with the right analog stick is an absolute must. If the rumors about the OOT remake basically being Breath of the Wild are true, then I don't think that's anything we'll need to worry about.

4 Archival Content

Open Up the Archive

Remakes and remasters of classic titles these days are usually not hyper focused on the game or games themselves, and tend to celebrate the legacy. If any game has a legacy worth celebrating, it's most certainly Ocarina of Time.

There are untold amounts of development documents, artwork, music, and archival content that would be absolutely lovely to see preserved here. The game was in development for almost four years, so the amount of archival development content that you could include as extras is probably pretty high.

It would also be fun to have other versions of the classic game available. Potentially throw in one with the old Fire Temple music, a music player, a box art gallery with different regions, and dust off the development documents, and you've got something pretty special.

3 Fully Open-World

The World is Yours

Playing Ocarina of Time today, it certainly has the soul of an open-world game, but doesn't quite achieve all the qualifications for a full representation of the genre. Once you leave Kokiri Forest, you are dropped into a big 3D world, but areas are gated and the progression is more of an open-zone structure.

With a remake, now is the time to blow the roof off and go fully open-world. Use Kokiri Forest as a training ground much in the same way the original does, then just yank the leash off and send us on our way.

I love Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, but exploring an open-world Hyrule that's based more on a traditional version just sounds like too much fun. If it's more structured like the original, I don't think anyone will complain, but a fully open-world remake of Ocarina of Time is one of those wishlist games that nearly everyone has. There's never been a better time to pull the trigger than right now.

2 Quality of Life Improvements

You'll Get Your Rent When You Fix this UI!

Considering the limitations of the N64 hardware, it's hard to entirely blame Nintendo for any sort of funky issues with their older titles. Everyone was learning, and the technology was so new, but the UI and menu design in Ocarina of Time was certainly not without its faults.

A remake of OOT would definitely address any and all of these issues. In the old game, you had to pop into the menu, then assign an item to a face button, then back out to use it.

On paper, it's not that bad, but having to switch between different boots and weapons this way still feels rather awkward today. Being able to quickly swap to what you want is a must and most likely a given, as those oddities from retro game design are rather rare these days.

1 New Content

A Nintendo Tradition

It wouldn't be a new version of a classic Nintendo game without them tossing in some sort of oddball new content, and I think the Ocarina of Time remake will most certainly adhere to that. It may be something as simple as a new weapon, but I think we can go bigger.

New mini-games, gyro aiming, and NPCs would be nice, but I think it would be excellent to dust off the Light Temple, a dungeon that was cut early in the game. Adding an entirely new dungeon, complete with its own new mechanic, unique items, and enemies would go a long way in making this remake a special, must-play event.

Beyond that, expanding already existing areas with new things to do and hidden locations to discover could be a lot of fun. No matter what form it takes, I think it's fairly obvious that the OOT remake will have new content of some kind, but the scope of that remains highly speculative until we hear from Nintendo, which could happen as soon as this month.