Ocarina of Time Remake Rumored for Switch 2 — Here’s What Nintendo Must Get Right

|
By:Mollie Dominy
The image features "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" logo with bold red text. A sword and shield form the background, set against a tan backdrop.

According to the ever‑reliable NateTheHate (may the gaming gods always bless) — with VGC backing him up — Nintendo is lining up a surprisingly stacked slate for the Switch 2. A new Star Fox is reportedly locked in for summer 2026, but the headline everyone’s spiraling over is the big one: a full remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, planned for late 2026 on Switch 2.

On paper, that’s seismic. Ocarina isn’t just a classic — it’s a foundational game for many gamers today! But that’s exactly why I’m torn. Remaking a sacred text is either a triumph or a crime scene, and Nintendo has a long history of playing it safe when it should be swinging for the fences.

The Remake Question: Faithful or Pointless?

If this really is a remake and not just a prettied‑up port of the 3DS version, Nintendo has a choice to make:

Do they rebuild Ocarina exactly as it was, or do they let it evolve?

Because here’s the truth no one wants to say out loud:

If everything stays the same, what’s the point of remaking it at all?

Ocarina is beloved, but it’s also a 1998 game built around 1998 limitations. A remake that refuses to rethink anything becomes a museum exhibit — beautiful, nostalgic, and completely unnecessary.

A Seamless Open World — The One Upgrade That Actually Matters

Ocarina’s world was always implying a seamless map, even when the N64 couldn’t deliver one. Kakariko Village twisting naturally into the Graveyard is proof the designers were thinking bigger than the hardware.

The Switch 2 can finally pay off that vision.

I don’t just want the loading screens gone — I want the world to breathe. Ocarina’s map already has the bones of a connected world. Nintendo just needs to flesh it out without losing the original’s geography. Breath of the Wild proved even the original Switch could handle a seamless Hyrule. The Switch 2 has no excuse.

A Master Quest That Actually Feels Like a Challenge

Cover of "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D" shows a character riding a horse across vibrant green fields with mountains and a castle in the background. A glowing fairy hovers nearby.
Image of Ocarina of Time cover art, Courtesy of Nintendo

The original Master Quest was fun, but by today’s standards? It feels more like a ROM hack with a marketing budget. Enemies shuffled around, puzzles tweaked, but nothing that fundamentally changed how you played.

If Nintendo wants to do this right, they should borrow from Breath of the Wild’s Master Mode:

  • enemies detect you faster
  • enemies regenerate health
  • one‑shot potential
  • no manual saves
  • new enemy variants

And here’s the beauty:

Purists won’t complain because it’s optional.  

Most people never touched the original Master Quest anyway.

Voice Acting — Optional, But Let’s Be Brave

Ocarina’s minimal voice acting is part of its charm. Navi is annoying, but she’s our annoying. Still, Tears of the Kingdom proved Nintendo can cast Zelda and Ganon well.

So give us voice acting — but make it optional.

Let the purists keep their silence.

Let the rest of us hear what Impa, Ruto, and Nabooru actually sound like.

Just don’t give players the option to mute Navi. Quite honestly, Navi wasn’t that bad because she served as the navigation perfectly well. The “Hey! Listen!” only became a problem when the gamer decided to skip several steps or go exploring on their own without completing anything. That being said, let the newer generations have the wondrous mechanic of Navi nagging to add to their experience!

Elemental Chaos, Please

Breath of the Wild’s elemental interactions were some of the most joyful chaos Nintendo has ever designed. I don’t need Ocarina to go full physics sandbox, but imagine:

  • summoning storms with the Song of Storms
  • igniting fields with Din’s Fire
  • lightning strikes targeting metal gear
  • Octoroks getting yeeted off cliffs by sudden gusts

Not everything needs to be BOTW‑level deep — just enough to make Hyrule feel alive.

Enemies With Personality

I don’t need smarter enemies. I need goofier ones.

Breath of the Wild’s Bokoblins roasting meat, arguing, or fighting each other added so much texture. Ocarina’s enemies deserve the same treatment.

  • Let Lizalfos chat.
  • Let Stalfos stretch before a fight.
  • Let Wolfos chase butterflies like idiots.

Give the world character! Show me some imagination!

Let Me Swing My Sword on Epona

This one is simple.

It was annoying in 1998.

It’s annoying now.

Fix it.

Twilight Princess let us swing a sword on horseback. There’s no reason a 2026 Ocarina remake shouldn’t.

And Finally: Let Me Pet the Dog

Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom committed a crime against humanity by not letting players pet dogs. Ocarina’s remake can right that wrong.

Let me pet Richard.

Let me pet Richard as Young Link.

Let me pet Richard as Adult Link.

Let me pet Richard until my Joy‑Cons drift into oblivion.

This is non‑negotiable!

Author

  • Mollie Dominy

    Mollie is an article writer and editor for Total Apex Gaming. She's loved playing and talking about games since she played her first game, Mortal Kombat, much to the dismay of those around her. She loves all forms of video games and uses her research skills to find out about every game she sees so that fangirling can commence.

Mollie is an article writer and editor for Total Apex Gaming. She's loved playing and talking about games since she played her first game, Mortal Kombat, much to the dismay of those around her. She loves all forms of video games and uses her research skills to find out about every game she sees so that fangirling can commence.

Loading...