Despite The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time being widely considered to be one of the greatest games of all time, series producer Eiji Aonuma has admitted that he is still quite worried about the release of the upcoming remake. In an interview with AFP (via Japan Today), Aonuma spoke about the title’s release.
“I’m all nervous about releasing the remake of ‘Ocarina’ because I don’t know how it’s going to turn out; I can’t stop thinking about it,” he said. While many might find Aonuma’s thoughts on the matter puzzling, his worries shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone since the upcoming title is a remake of a game that was originally released all the way back in 1998.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has always been well-regarded for defining many of the aspects that would go on to become core parts of the entire franchise’s identity. This ranged from the Z-targeting lock-on system to the interplay between unique items and dungeons, puzzle design, and even how the core combat works. Not only have these aspects been further refined in the almost three decades since the original release, but more fans who got into the Zelda franchise in more recent times might even find them puzzling.
The last mainline entries in the series have been The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Both of these titles had an emphasis on the open world, player traversal, and a gameplay sandbox that could allow players to toy around with the special tools given to them early in the games. However, Ocarina of Time, while still featuring a relatively open design, is a lot more linear than what modern fans might be used to.
Interestingly, the fact that the Ocarina of Time remake might bring in a younger audience plays a major role in Aonuma’s worries. “It’s thanks to these young people, by thinking about how to adapt the game in the best possible way, how to make it fun once you have the controls in your hands, that this remake came into being.”
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s remake was officially unveiled in June with a trailer giving us our first look at the game’s depiction of Hyrule in modern visual fidelity. The title is also set to include a few other changes over the original, such as the addition of a dedicated jump button, expansions to various zones like Kakariko Village and Goron City, a streamlined inventory system that allows for single-button item swapping, and even some entirely new additions, like boss rematches and the Hall of Fallen Foes.
The remake is making its way to the Nintendo Switch 2 on November 5th. The title faces quite a bit of stiff competition, since it is coming out just two weeks before the juggernaut that is Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto 6. For more on Ocarina of Time, here are 15 details worth knowing before you dive into the game. Also, take a look at our thoughts on why the journey in Ocarina matters more than the scale of the game.
