Ocarina of Time Remake Updates Link and Hyrule for Switch 2

The Switch 2 remake of Nintendo’s 1998 Ocarina of Time game debuts on November 5, bringing the Nintendo 64 title to new hardware with rebuilt visuals and changes to how players move through its world. The game retains the original adventure while adding features such as full camera control and the ability to jump freely.

Producer Eiji Aonuma said the added freedom helps connect the remake with newer Zelda games, including the open-world Wild installment and its Kingdom-focused sequel. The developers also adjusted the world to work with free jumping. The updated graphics aim to reveal details that the original hardware could not display, while Navi, the fairy who guides Link, speaks less often.

Producer Hidemaro Fujibayashi said younger team members helped keep the remake focused on what mattered in the original rather than adding novelty for its own sake. Aonuma described a larger production than the N64-era game, involving more people and time. Fujibayashi also pointed to the original’s Z-targeting combat system as a lasting influence on 3D game design.

The remake’s more detailed child Link has prompted a separate conversation among fans, some of whom have compared his polished features to a beauty filter. The redesign contrasts with simpler-looking background characters. Nintendo’s remake changes the underlying geometry as well as the surface details, making it a more extensive overhaul than the 2011 3DS version.

The new look has also raised questions among players about whether generative AI was involved in the game’s visuals. Nintendo has confirmed the use of AMD FSR, an upscaling tool. The remake’s arrival gives players a chance to see how its modernized presentation and controls sit alongside the original’s familiar story and design.