The recent rumors had me thinking... What if they are not remaking The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, like Grezzo did on the Nintendo 3DS? What if Monolith Soft (or whatever studio is set on this hypothetical project) is actually working on a complete re-imagining of the game? What would that look like? And what could this lead to?
Just to clarify, since these terms are sometimes used interchangeably: both a remake and a re-imagining are created from the ground up, unlike a remaster. But a remake is vastly faithful to the original, while a re-imagining is essentially a new game based on the classic's setting and premise. For example, Link's Awakening for the Nintendo Switch is a remake, while Metroid: Samus Returns is a re-imagining. They are both based on Game Boy classics, but take very different approaches here.
The lines can blur between all these definitions, where Ocarina of Time 3D was arguably somewhere between a remake and a remaster. But so far we have been talking about a similar project, just with much better graphics. The same old Nintendo 64 game with a new look, modernized controls, and some new features – basically like the upcoming Star Fox. (Though, that one already goes beyond that with its new cutscenes.)
However, if this was indeed the rumored "Project Legacy" by Monolith Soft, then this would open the doors for something a little more creative. They could strive to make this a retelling of the N64 classic, one that hits the right notes on the ocarina, but is ultimately more epic. Something that will be a new experience for everyone. Think of the more recent Resident Evil remakes, where they have respected the source material (for the most part), but built a modern game around it.
To some this may be blasphemy, because Ocarina of Time is still regarded as one of the best games of all time. A timeless masterpiece. But this timeless masterpiece may appear clunky to those who have gotten into the Zelda series with Breath of the Wild (which are a lot of players), where a mere graphical update won't necessarily fix that.
Maybe the best way to convey what a re-imagining could bring on the table is by looking at some key artworks for the classics. Let's start with the cover art for the Nintendo 3DS remake:
It's absolutely beautiful, isn't it? It's also a lie, a false promise, because the actual game doesn't look like this. Hyrule Field isn't this big and vibrant, nor do you have all those forests and mountains in the background. With a re-imagining it could totally look like this, however.
They could even expand the game world into something that dares to go beyond the limitations of the Nintendo 64 (and Nintendo 3DS). It doesn't mean that they should turn Ocarina of Time into the "open air"-style, free-climbing experience of Breath of the Wild, but it is an opportunity to explore this old, beloved Hyrule even further. To make it the vast, adventurous place that it was in the eyes of a child back in 1998. To bring the same sense of awe.
Imagine standing at the top of Death Mountain and being able to see more than just Kakariko Village at its feet. You could view all of Hyrule from up there, see how it all connects. This view alone would already justify taking such a different approach, where they could take this classic land to a new level. Imagine being able to go past Hyrule Castle and explore the woods or fields behind it, simply because you now can.
Hyrule Castle Town is a fantastic example, because this has always been a place with a fixed camera. In a remake of this scale you would certainly be able to walk freely through the town and look at everything in close detail. You could truly stand in front of the Temple of Time and marvel at this monument from more than just two camera angles.
And this isn't just about the environments, because they could add a lot more to the characters of the game as well. In Ocarina of Time most of the Gorons, Zora and Gerudo all looked the same. Unlike the Kokiri and the Hylians, there were just copy-pasted character models. But in a remake each of them could get a unique face and name, just like in Breath of the Wild. It would make it so much more meaningful when you rescue all the Gorons from the Fire Temple if each Goron was a recognizable individual.
Of course, if they were to expand the world, they would need to fill it with new contents. This could range from additional Pieces of Hearts to new collectibles and even dungeons. One thing that I would completely change are the Gold Skulltulas and Big Poes.
It never really made much sense to me how the Gold Skulltula curse was independent from time. When you collect your 100th token as an adult, it will also lift the curse in the past for some reason. Therefore, I would make this quest exclusive to young Link and reflect its impact in the future. If you haven't lifted the curse (yet), the House of Skulltula in Kakariko Village will be a dead place. But if you have lifted the curse, it will turn into a shop, and each member of the family that you save will make the place livelier.
To make up for it, adult Link will need something new to hunt. And that's where the Big Poes come in. Their original implementation was never really much fun, where they were limited to fighting them on horseback on Hyrule Field. They could become more like in Twilight Princess, where you can find and fight them everywhere. Maybe you need the Lens of Truth to see them, to give that item a bit more relevance.
Young Link could also receive more masks, while adult Link gets a collection of different-looking armor pieces, where both of these could lead a to a number of different perks, similar to the outfits and accessories in the more recent Zelda games.
Let's move on to the next artwork. I had this one hanging in my room as a poster when I was a boy. And it was truly imaginative, but yet another false promise. At no point in the game you're fighting together with Sheik, let alone against this many enemies at once. It simply wasn't possible on the Nintendo 64. I referenced this poster quite a bit when Hyrule Warriors became a thing, because that game essentially realized this vision for the first time in the Zelda franchise. Now, of course a re-imagining shouldn't turn the combat into a large-scale, "Musou"-style battles. But there are several ideas to think about with this particular artwork.
The combat itself has never been that good. There is a lot of waiting for the right moment to strike, especially with enemies like the Stalfos, who will simply block all your strikes like a wall, unless they are about to hit you. And there is an opportunity here to make the combat more dynamic and fun overall. But there is also an opportunity here to let you fight more than three monsters at the same time. Those were limitations of the Nintendo 64, limitations that are no more. A re-imagining could make the combat a lot more challenging, but also a lot more satisfying at the same time.
And maybe they could even let you fight side-by-side with other characters, like Sheik and the Sages. Sheik's role in the game is very important, but for the most part he/she simply turns up to teach you a new teleportation song.
Speaking of, the teleportation system is completely archaic. Even at the time it was inconvenient compared to what they had established already in A Link to the Past, where you hit the Ocarina button and select a point on the map. Exploring Hyrule as young Link is a total slog, where all you get is a total of three portals acting as shortcuts from A to B. The game really could use an overhaul in this department, maybe something similar to the Song of Soaring from Majora's Mask.
And this is where Sheik then would need a new role. Maybe songs like the Minuet of Forest or the Bolero of Fire could act as keys to opening the respective temples, where you need to perform a duet – similar to how it's done in The Wind Waker with Medli and Makar. And this is where they could make things a little more interesting. Maybe you have to fight your way through the patrolling Moblins in the Sacred Forest Meadow with Sheik at your side, so you can reach the temple together.
But we also need to talk about the eponymous Ocarina of Time and the wonder that this idea once brought with it, because it is something that was never fully realized in the original game. The time traveling is in many ways nothing more than a switch to a "Dark World", only that this Dark World is Hyrule's future. Being able to go back and change things in the past feels like a huge opportunity, but the closest thing you get to this is planting Magic Beans.
Back in 1998 on the Nintendo 64 this was just the way it was. The game was already massively impressive for its time and any limitations were understandable. But this isn't the case in 2026 any longer and there is a lot more they could do with this concept. The Skulltula house was already a good example for how this could look like: you fix the curse in your childhood and reap new rewards as an adult.
And they could put a spin on more things from the original. For example, there is this scene where Bongo Bongo breaks out of the well in Kakariko and the whole village is burning. In a re-imagining the monster could lay waste to the entire village, turning it into another ghost town, just like Hyrule Castle. So, you return to the past, not just to retrieve the Lens of Truth from the Bottom of the Well, but to also face Bongo Bongo there as a child, weakening the creature and forcing it to retreat to the Shadow Temple. And when you now return to the future, this will have saved Kakariko from destruction.
And there are more possibilities like this. In the very least, they could heavily expand on the Magic Bean concept, turning them into massive beanstalks that you can climb in some places, in addition to the flying leaves. Or the Time Blocks could be overhauled, so it doesn't just magically teleport them elsewhere, but to the other time period. When you remove a time block as an adult, it will appear in the past around the same area, and vice versa, where this could allow for some new puzzles.
As far as unrealized ideas goes, there is a lot more than the time traveling to work with. It's where they truly could make the fans freak out by adding things that they have been asking about for decades. Let's have a fairy fountain somewhere for Epona with a unicorn statue in it and see the reactions unfold.
Or, we could get a fully realized Temple of Light dungeon in the re-imagining, which acts as a proving grounds for adult Link. The Medaillons could even serve as abilities and magic spells, like how it was planned originally. The Fire Medaillon would replace Din's Fire, while the Water Medaillon may create a water barrier around you, as a nerfed alternative to Nayru's Blessing. Just as an example.
This would give you an additional edge for completing each temple, where the re-imagining may even let you play the other five temples in any order you like. It was already possible to some degree in the original, e.g. you could beat the Fire Temple before the Forest Temple, or even play the Spirit Temple before the Fire and Shadow Temples. (One complaint I always had was how you suddenly needed the bow at the end of the Water Temple, where changing this one switch would already give you a lot more options.)
With the Medaillons as more meaningful rewards, this could lead interesting scenarios where you pick the next temple based on your preferences. Beating the Fire Temple before the Water Temple still makes the Dark Link battle significantly easier, even more so when the fire spell is attached to this. But you could also play the Water Temple first, where the Water Medaillon offers additional protection from fire attacks.
Conclusion
Yes, Ocarina of Time was a masterpiece and maybe all it needs are some quality of life updates and prettier graphics, just as we had it on the Nintendo 3DS. But maybe such a remake could also become the first new Zelda game for the Nintendo Switch 2, where it realizes a three-decade-old vision in a way that excites both longtime fans and new players alike.
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