Can Ocarina of Time be remade?

Zelda: Ocarina of Time is one of the most analyzed games in the series and, by extension, one of the most discussed in gaming as a whole. With the announced remake, Nintendo faces a difficult task: The original is a classic that sits comfortably alongside heavyweights such as Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VII, but that legacy raises expectations to an extreme level. Fans will come to the remake with more than 25 years of nostalgia already built up.

This game is beloved but has been dissected through speedruns and mods to the point that many know it inside and out and will look at every change under a microscope.

If Nintendo plays it safe and keeps things mostly the same, people may look back and question what the point of the remake was. Change too much, and there will likely be complaints about altering something that wasn’t broken. The best approach is finding that middle ground, the careful modernisation route: updated visuals, a few quality-of-life improvements, and perhaps some additional content.

Image: Nintendo (announcement trailer, via IGN)

On a grander scale, remakes usually don’t exist in isolation and tend to reflect how a company views its past work. This isn’t just for fans of the original; we are getting a glimpse into how Nintendo wants a new generation to engage with their older titles.

This remake also arrives at a fascinating time when the Zelda series has moved in a completely different direction with Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. The Final Fantasy VII remake changed its design to align with modern design standards, so it's worth wondering if Nintendo would take the same approach. It also raises the larger question of how much current design trends should influence a game from a different era.

In the end, this isn’t just about updating a classic, but deciding how to preserve a classic in a rapidly changing medium.