Ocarina of Time Remake Suggestions

Back in May I talked about how a full re-imagining of Ocarina of Time could look like. Well, from the little footage we've got, it's too early to tell whether the upcoming Ocarina of Time for Nintendo Switch 2 will be like that, or more of a faithful remake, where they reuse the game's code and simply wrap a modern graphics engine and some shiny new cutscenes around it (like they did with the new Star Fox).

Whatever might be the case, I took some notes while replaying the Nintendo 64 classic for things that they should improve either way, going beyond what they already have done with the Nintendo 3DS version. This will be a long list, so you have to hit the "read more" button.

Replaying Ocarina of Time via NSO

After the announcement of the Ocarina of Time remake for this year, I felt like I needed to refresh my memories of the original game. Well, it's not like I have forgotten everything, because I have played the N64 original so many times over the years that most of it is ingrained into my brain. But it has been over nine years since I had last played the game and some details got blurry...

The best example are probably the Gold Skulltulas. There was a time where I could have listed you all 100 of them of the top of my head. And while I still was able to do this for the most part, I was confused about what Skulltulas on the overworld only appear for young Link and for adult Link. If that's not a dire reason to replay the game immediately, then I don't know...

Last time I played the game on the Wii U. It was during the 30th Anniversary of Zelda, where I had made it my goal to play through absolutely all Zelda games on the Nintendo 3DS and the Wii U, before Breath of the Wild came out. Unsurprisingly, my experience with the game on the Nintendo Switch (2) has been very similar, where a lot of my sentiments from the time still stand. And Nintendo has done some improvements to Nintendo 64 service since its lackluster launch back in 2021, so that it's not any worse than the Wii U version used to be.

Overall, the Nintendo 3DS remake is still the preferred way to play the game (next to the unofficial Ship of Harkanian PC port of the Nintendo 64 version), but for this blog I like to go with Nintendo's latest offerings to see what they can do for you. (That and playing on my Switch 2 is simply the most convenient for me right now.)

In late 2024, I even got the Nintendo 64 controller for the Nintendo Switch, but I probably should have saved that money, because the classic Nintendo 64 analogue stick is absolutely awful. Not sure how we ever managed to play games with that thing... Nintendo really should have modernized this into something that looks mostly like the N64 stick, but feels better.

Well, the main reason to buy the N64 controller was the default button mapping for the normal controllers, which wasn't exactly ideal either. You had to hold down ZR to turn the four face buttons into the C-buttons and it was utterly confusing. So, at the time it seemed like going with the dedicated Nintendo 64 controller was the best option, despite its stick. But shortly after I bought the peripheral, Nintendo introduced per-game button mapping for the service, which eliminates most problems.

It should have been like this from the beginning. And now it looks like Nintendo was making it shitty on purpose, just so that people would buy the additional hardware. It certainly had worked in my case...

Anyway, I went with a Pro Controller in the end and my button mapping for Ocarina of Time looks like the following:

• A: C down
• B: A
• X: C left
• Y: B
• R: C right
• ZR: R
• ZL: Z
• D-pad: C-buttons 

This felt like the most natural with how the buttons on the Nintendo 64 controller were arranged and how they are displayed on the HUD. The only problem was that I'm using the B-button to confirm things inside the game, while it's still the A-button within the menus, which kept confusing me. But this is a general problem, which you also have when coming from a PlayStation or Xbox controller back to Nintendo.

But before you set up your controls, you should pick the right version to play. I simply went with the PAL/European version at first, because that's the one I grew up with, but after Dodongo's Cavern I realized that I probably should have went with the NTSC/North American version instead, which is based on 60Hz instead of just 50. As a result, the PAL version doesn't actually run at 20FPS, but 16.66FPS, making it even more sluggish.

And the difference is quite noticeable. The North American version runs more smoothly and also slightly faster. In the early game you have to run around a lot, back and forth from Hyrule Castle Town to other places, and here the slight increase in speed made things already less dull. I also noticed the difference when killing Gold Skulltulas with the Fairy Slingshot. In the PAL version, I often miss the second shot, because the spider is still in its hurt animation from the first shot. In the NTSC version on the other hand, I can just fire at the spider twice in a row without missing.

The Shooting Gallery mini-game becomes even harder, though, especially since you still have the problem of the all-or-nothing stick sensitivity with these emulated versions. But luckily, there is now the rewind, so you can just quickly undo any mistake. It makes most mini-games easier, where it also helped with the fishing. I got a 20-pounder on my "first try", because I could just rewind whenever it broke from the line. I say "most" mini-games, however, because the Bombchu Bowling Alley is still a pain, even with rewind.

The rewind is generally nice to undo small mistakes with great effect, for example in lava rooms where you need to collect Silver Rupees. Or if you accidentally jump down somewhere where it would take some significant backtracking to return to where you were.

Whenever I replay Ocarina of Time, I try to mix up the dungeon order a bit and this run was no different. Though, for a moment I thought about just doing the vanilla order, but with the remake in mind it's interesting to think about how it could allow for a little more freedom, so I was testing my limits.

As adult Link I first tried to achieve as much as possible without going into the Forest Temple as I could. Free Epona, grab the Hookshot, clear the Ice Cavern, become a member of the Gerudo, and complete the Biggoron's Sword trading sequence, all without going into any of the temples.

Then I proceeded with the Water Temple to secure the Longshot and finished the Fire Temple, before finally doing the Forest Temple. The Fairy Bow is quite the gatekeeper in the game's second half: it unlocks two target shooting mini-games and the whole Big Poe hunt, while it's also required to finish the Water Temple. None of the other temple items in the game give you as much to do.

And of course, beating the Forest Temple is required to get Sheik out of the way, so I could proceed with the Bottom of the Well, the Spirit Temple, and the Gerudo Training Ground. And only then I went back to the Water Temple to clear it, which finally lets you learn the Nocturne of Shadow for the Shadow Temple.

It's a shame that Nintendo has never added the Master Quest version to their online service, because I'd like to give those goofy dungeons another run as well. But with the upcoming remake this will probably not happen anytime soon... Maybe I will also go and play the Nintendo 3DS remake one more time in the next months, but I didn't like how they mirrored everything for the Master Quest mode.

And for now I have achieved my goal of refreshing my memories, so I'm ready for the remake and prepared to talk more about Ocarina of Time in the upcoming weeks and months. It will be exciting to see how the game has evolved once more, and I do have collected a number of ideas for how to improve it. More on that later...

Ocarina of Time Remake Announced

The rumors were true, the leaks were real... Nintendo is going to release a remake, or re-imagining, of Ocarina of Time later this year. They have revealed this at the end of today's Nintendo Direct in a short teaser trailer, which shows the story tale from the beginning of the game, about the Kokiri boy without a fairy.

This is done via a tapestry and you can already tell how this is not going to be a mere remake or remaster, like Ocarina of Time 3D, but a whole re-imagining with its own spins. One of the major differences is how the Triforce already resonates with Link here, glowing on his left hand. This didn't happen in the original, because at this point the Triforce was still in the Sacred Realm and not yet split. (But other Zelda games have done something similar later on.)

Visually, this looks a bit like one of those Unreal Engine projects you keep seeing. And maybe Nintendo has hired one of those people to just work on this remake, who knows? Jokes aside, it's actually still the biggest question mark: who is making this remake? Judging by all the leaks, it's probably not Nintendo themselves.

There was some speculation about how Monolith Soft may be working on this, where this had me quite excited, but they are still having their hands full with all the Xenoblade stuff. They are a very big team, so it can't be ruled out completely, but this assumption remains questionable at the moment.

Meanwhile, I really hope that this isn't done by GREZZO (again), because this would mean that we're not getting any more top-down Zelda games in the near future. With their experience on Ocarina of Time 3D, they would be a good choice for this project, but this would be a very painful trade for me personally, because I really liked the direction of Link's Awakening and Echoes of Wisdom.

And whoever is remaking Ocarina of Time here, they will be busy with remaking Majora's Mask next. It will be the same story as with Majora's Mask 3D, where the fans keep asking for it until it eventually happens. It is the natural follow-up, though I've been saying the same for years about Oracle of Ages & Seasons.

But first let's see how this remake will actually look like. So far we haven't really seen much, certainly no gameplay. And we will probably have to wait until the September Direct to learn more... 

Nintendo Direct June 2026 Predictions

This blog awakens from a week-long slumber. But starting tomorrow, there will be a lot more to talk about, because Nintendo has announced a Nintendo Direct and a Treehouse Live for June 9th. This was once more predicted by NateTheHate, who has been quite certain about there being an Ocarina of Time remake, coming to Nintendo Switch 2 this Christmas.

In any case, the Nintendo Switch 2 is one year old now and in desperate need for some news, where it's likely that Nintendo has waited for this particular anniversary to make further announcements. We will be getting the Star Fox remake later this month, which likely will be showcased in the Treehouse Live session. And there is one title from the last Nintendo Direct left, Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, which is probably going to be the Direct's opener. Luigi's Mansion 4 could be another big title for this fall, but the biggest topic of the Nintendo Direct will be...

The 40th Anniversary of The Legend of Zelda

It is now time. The 40th Super Mario Bros. anniversary is fading out and the Super Mario Galaxy Movie was a big hit, where Nintendo will shift their attention towards Zelda for the rest of the year and the first half of 2027, until the launch of the Zelda movie. "Same thing in green," as we like to say in German.

They have wrapped up filming and even moved the movie's launch date one week ahead, to April 30th. So, they might show us a first teaser trailer, like they did for the Super Mario Galaxy Movie in the last Direct. In the very least, Miyamoto will remind us that this movie is coming and that we can look forward to it.

With that in mind, I wouldn't expect any news about a new 3D Zelda for now. Aonuma will likely mention that one is in development and that they are working very hard on it, but they probably want to transition from the movie into the new, big Zelda game in one year, in the June 2027 Direct.

This doesn't mean that we won't be getting anything else, but for the 40th Anniversary we will be looking at remakes and other side projects. And there are a couple possibilities, all coming from different development studios:

• Ocarina of Time Remake / Re-Imagining (Monolith Soft)
• The Legend of Zelda (NES) Remake (GREZZO)
• Shrine Maker (Nintendo EPD)
• Age of Imprisonment Expansion (Koei Tecmo)

The Ocarina of Time remake, as already mentioned, is looking to be the hottest candidate for tomorrow, based on all the recent rumors. This would certainly make some waves, because you have all those middle-aged people out there, who used to love Ocarina of Time in their childhoods, but who have lost interest in Nintendo or gaming due to different reasons. Such a remake, in combination with the Zelda movie, could rekindle that interest. No other Zelda game holds this much power in nostalgia, not even A Link to the Past.

It's also possible that the movie will be somewhat based on Ocarina of Time, because that's where Miyamoto was still heavily involved with the series and he is calling the shots for the movie. And if it's true that Monolith Soft has been developing this remake (or re-imagining), then we could be getting something truly special here, not just some warmed up Ocarina of Time 3D for the sake of it.

As for Grezzo, they are certainly working on another top-down Zelda game, where this still a lot of juice left with their current toy-like style. This could lead into a new coop title, following Echoes of Wisdom, or a remake of the Oracle games. In either of these cases, I wouldn't expect this to be revealed and released before 2027, maybe even 2028, but there is one possibility where they could have cooked up something for this year: a remake of the first Zelda game, also in the Link's Awakening style.

If all those Ocarina of Time rumors turn out to be a bust after all, then I will put my money on this idea, because this is the best fit for the 40th Anniversary. Of course, both these remakes can co-exist, especially if they are made by completely different teams and if Ocarina of Time is more of a re-imagining.

A remake of the first game could even be shadow-dropped right after the Nintendo Direct, similar to Metroid Prime Remastered, so we already have something to play until Ocarina of Time comes out later this year. It could also still be available on the Nintendo Switch, with a prettier version for the Nintendo Switch 2, so that the Zelda fans who haven't migrated yet aren't left out entirely during the anniversary.

It could also be a free download, as a gift for the anniversary (Nintendo could still make money from selling physical copies via the Nintendo Store). A remake of the first Zelda game makes a lot of sense for this occasion and in the current top-down style, but it's not exactly a crowd-pleaser, unlike Ocarina of Time.

Now, the modern Breath of the Wild brand also wants to be served as a slice in the 40th Anniversary birthday cake, where this could go into different routes. The Super Mario Maker was originally made for 30th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., where now it could be Zelda's turn with an equivalent in 3D.

Alternatively, Age of Imprisonment could be getting some paid DLC. Keep in mind, though, that the free updates have made the game very much definitive, where there is even a special reward for clearing every mission in the Forbidden difficulty mode (see here). So, the probability that Koei Tecmo will expand the base game even further goes towards zero. However, they could add a whole new game mode for a Ganondorf campaign, where playing as Ganondorf has been a very common request from fans (and they listen). Call it "Rise of the Demon King", or something like that, which would be entirely separate from the main game.

Finally, the 40th Anniversary itself may come with some other goodies and events. They could revive the Zelda concerts, release more amiibo, reveal some new merchandise, or even a special-themed Nintendo Switch 2. And the anniversary itself should get a fancy logo, which is something they had skipped with the 35.

 

Better on Nintendo Switch 2 

In other news, an ever-green topic are always free updates of Nintendo Switch games and Nintendo Switch 2 Editions. There could even be some ties to the 40th Anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, where Skyward Sword HD hasn't gotten an update yet. But similar to Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, they could drop this at any time, so I wouldn't necessarily expect any news tomorrow.

Age of Calamity is left as well, where Koei Tecmo may have been working on a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of the game, instead of an Expansion for Age of Imprisonment. Or maybe we will be getting both...

But as for other Nintendo franchises, the biggest candidate is easily Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Sakurai's team at Bandai Namco has finished working on Kirby Air Riders last year and is likely working on a new Smash Bros. game next, but it will take years for this one to come out. And a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Ultimate could keep things afloat until then, which is a similar situation to Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Don't expect any major new contents with that one, however, because they will need to keep the online multiplayer backwards compatible with the Nintendo Switch playerbase. Maybe they will add some more stages and/or Echo Fighters, but those should be part of a free update. A Switch 2 Edition on the other hand could add a new game mode exclusive to the new hardware.

 

Metroid?

Let's not forget that Metroid will be getting 40 later this year as well. However, Nintendo has yet to celebrate an anniversary of this franchise, so I wouldn't hold my breath, especially when they are busy with Zelda. It's also too early for Metroid Prime 5, though I'm sure the rumors about it being in development are true, despite the lack of success of Metroid Prime 4.

But MercurySteam may have been cooking in the meantime. They are not doing so well, with lay-offs announced just some weeks ago (see LinkedIn), where they could certainly use another hit. And Metroid Dread was one of their biggest hits. We could be looking at a Super Metroid remake, where this would be a lot of remakes in 2026, or potentially even Metroid 6. Even an HD remaster of Metroid: Samus Returns would be fine at the moment.

 

Retro Challenges 

Instead of releasing another "Nintendo World Championships" title, it looks like Nintendo will update the Nintendo Switch Online apps to include similar, NES Remix-style challenges (source). Select titles in the NES, Super Nintendo, and Game Boy collections will receive such challenges, which already got installed with the latest update of these apps. And this will probably unlock tomorrow, after the Nintendo Direct.

 

Conclusion

There have been boring Nintendo Directs in the past, but this won't be one of them. I haven't been as excited about a Nintendo Direct in years and I'm 100% positive that Zelda fans will be feasting good tomorrow. Stay tuned for a busy month on Hyrule Blog.

Re-Imagining Ocarina of Time

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?

The Ocarina of Time Remake Rumors Gaining Traction

Well, I have been in doubts about the rumored Ocarina of Time remake, but I may stand corrected. Nintendo has just announced a Star Fox remake last night, which was another big part of the same rumors. It felt a bit too convenient after the Fox McCloud cameo in the recent Super Mario Galaxy Movie, since these projects should be entirely unrelated (they even said that the idea came from Illumination, not from Miyamoto himself), but here we go.

Anyway, the Ocarina of Time rumors are getting a lot more support now, mainly from Nash Weedle. My biggest question always has been about the development team, because it seemed unlikely that the main Zelda team or GREZZO have had the time to be working on this. And apparently it's Monolith Soft, the studio behind the Xenoblade Chronicles series, who helped creating the world of Breath of the Wild. I hope they are ready to work on Majora's Mask right afterwards, making them a third Zelda team for years, but first let's see how their version of Ocarina of Time is going to look like.

Nash even had the idea that they are going to split the game up, similar to the Final Fantasy VII remakes. One game for young Link and one game for adult Link. But this makes me only doubt that he has ever played Ocarina of Time before in his life. If something like that were the case, then switching between past and future would mean switching between games, similar to how Oracle of Ages & Seasons worked on the Game Boy Color. And no one wants that. Plus, it makes no sense even from a technical standpoint, since a majority of the game world gets shared between young and adult Link with only a few differences.

However, it could indeed be that we're not dealing with a faithful remake here, but some crazy re-imagining that has only the name and characters in common with the original. A new game based on the classic ideas, with a much bigger world and all that. It's interesting to think about, where this could give the project a whole new appeal, for old and new fans alike. But it would be also at risk at losing the original charm.

Let's see. Like everyone and their mothers, I'm expecting there to be a Nintendo Direct in early June, which is hopefully going to put an end to all these rumors. It's time for the 40th Anniversary of The Legend of Zelda to kick in, where I'm sure that it's going to feature some remake next to the upcoming movie.

The Ocarina of Time Remake Again

NateTheHate has doubled down on an Ocarina of Time remake for 2026 in a podcast today, stating that this will truly be a remake and not just a remaster of the 3DS remake. And now this seems all but confirmed to the internet.

Well, it's what everybody and their mother wants to hear. Conveniently, he is also now talking about a new Star Fox game, right after Fox McCloud was announced to appear in the Super Mario Galaxy Movie for some reason. And I think that's the whole logic behind these so-called leaks. "They are putting Fox in the new Mario movie, so it makes sense for there to be a new Star Fox, right? They have released an Ocarina of Time LEGO set, so it makes sense to get a remake of Ocarina of Time, right? Why else would Nintendo do these things...?"

Maybe there is some wishful thinking in it as well. If you have the status of Nate, where a lot of Nintendo fans and video game journalist can't wait to hear your gospel, then you can throw out your predictions or your wishlist disguised as insider information. People will hear whatever you have in mind and then keep asking about those titles, which creates demand. And maybe one day Nintendo will actually give us the Ocarina of Time remake that everyone has been talking about for years...

I'm not claiming that it's truly like that, nor am I saying that a new Star Fox game or an Ocarina of Time remake are in no way possible for 2026. I'm just saying that we should be careful with such "leaks", because they have been often wrong in the past, which includes the stuff from Nate. Last year he claimed that we will be getting Kirby: Planet Robobot for the Nintendo Switch and I'm still waiting for that to happen... He is a reliable source for Nintendo Direct dates, though.

As for the actual likelihood of an Ocarina of Time remake, I keep saying the same thing: there is the big question mark of the developers. Who is going to remake the game? Who? Hmm? But so far none of the supposed leakers and insiders have said anything to answer this question. A good-looking remake for the Switch 2 will be quite the effort, so this isn't something that Nintendo or GREZZO will have done as a small side project.

So, either they have a different studio to take on this job, where this would require a huge amount of trust from Nintendo, or it's all just overblown speculation at this point.

Likewise, it's always a red flag when people talk about a new 3D Mario when we have just gotten Donkey Kong Bananza from the 3D Mario team last year. To be fair, Nate says that it's not happening this year, but this is after claiming that there will be a 3D Mario ready for Christmas 2026. And now he makes it sound like they have postponed this to 2027, but either way this is very questionable information.

LEGO: Ocarina of Time – The Final Battle Revealed

We knew that this was going to happen for a while, but this Friday Nintendo and LEGO have revealed their latest collaboration around The Legend of Zelda. This new set will focus exclusively on Ocarina of Time, depicting the game's final battle exactly as you would remember it – with Link leaping high through the air and Zelda shooting her laser pistol.

To be fair, I think the set is actually quite neat. Ganon looks impressive and you can change its pose like with an action figure. There are three custom mini-figures, where there is also one for Ganondorf, who you can hide under the rubble:

The price points looks to be even more expensive than the Deku Tree set, however. That one had 2500 pieces for 300€, while the new one offers 1003 pieces for 130€. There is probably some special stuff in there, like Ganon's blades, but I'm no expert on the matter and LEGO is generally known to be overpriced. In any case, I have yet to buy any of the LEGO stuff around Zelda and I'm not sure I ever will, mainly because I wouldn't know where to display it.

The animated trailer for this set had me thinking that they might also make a LEGO game based on the Zelda license in the future. There would even be lots of potential here if they were to explore the entire Zelda series, like they did with the newest LEGO Batman game, Legacy of the Dark Knight. It's not necessarily something I want, but I also wouldn't be opposed to it.

Dawn of a New Year – 2026

While it's technically just a change in date, there is something magical about looking forward to another year and what exciting things it may bring for your hobbies and passions, like The Legend of Zelda. And with the 40th Anniversary taking place from February 21st onward, there will certainly be something to talk about.

 

Expanding Worlds

The year starts with a small collaboration between The Legend of Zelda and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The 3.0.0 update for the game will launch on January 15th, in exactly two weeks, and contain a number of new features, including new amiibo-induced crossovers.

You will be able to obtain outfits, items and furniture based on the Zelda series, as well as two new villagers: Tulin and Mineru from Tears of the Kingdom. Sadly, the Zelda-themed villagers from New Leaf are not returning for this, but it's still better than nothing and will allow Zelda fans to make their islands feel a lot more special.

In general, updates and expansions like this one could become a strong point of interest in 2026. For example, Hollow Knight: Silksong will get its first free expansion, Sea of Sorrow. And it's possible that Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment may get further DLC. There are no shared plans so far, but there is certainly demand for playable Ganondorf and Sonia, where Koei Tecmo may follow up on that. It wouldn't be the first time.

Another game that sees a lot of demand for DLC is Mario Kart World. 200cc, more costumes, the Koopalings, or contents based on Donkey Kong Bananza are what first comes to mind, but for a major expansion they could return to the crossovers with other Nintendo franchises. Bring back Link and the Master Cycle (Zero), introduce Zelda as a driver, and have an island that represents Hyrule. And Samus is practically begging to make a guest appearance in Mario Kart with her newest toy, Vi-O-La.

 

40th Anniversary of The Legend of Zelda

Super Mario Bros. was celebrating its 40th Anniversary last year, which was mainly used to advertise the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy Movie, where at the forefront was a two-in-one "port" of Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 for the Nintendo Switch.

Well, there is also a Zelda movie coming up, but it won't be part of the anniversary, since it's scheduled to launch in theaters on May 7th next year. Still, they will get the ball rolling this year and in the very least present us with a first trailer, while potentially using the anniversary to create some hype.

But a glimpse is also the best what we can hope for when it comes to a new Zelda game. The latest installments, Tears of the Kingdom (2023) and Echoes of Wisdom (2024) are still too recent for anything to be even close to finished. The next 3D Zelda game should be right in the middle of its development, where maybe Nintendo will present us a first teaser trailer.

So, we should not expect another 25th Anniversary, which was huge and revolved around the launch of Skyward Sword. The 30th and 35th anniversaries didn't coincide with a new Zelda game and therefore haven't brought much on the table (only some amiibo, an artbook, and a Game & Watch system).

Maybe this will repeat here. Or maybe they have something else in store, where the likeliest candidate is another remake. And you may already know where this is heading, since the rumor mills have been running for a while: Ocarina of Time.

It simply makes sense. They have remade or remastered all 3D Zelda games at least once, where now they can start it all over again. And this could also get fans of traditional Zelda excited for both the Nintendo Switch 2 and the movie.

If this is really a thing, the only question is who has been working on such a remake. The folks at Tantalus, the developers of Twilight Princess HD and Skyward Sword HD, are good with ports and texture updates, but not necessarily remakes. And the folks at GREZZO, who had developed Ocarina of Time 3D, have effectively taken over the top-down Zelda branch.

Speaking of, instead of Ocarina of Time, we could also be looking at a remake of Oracle of Ages & Seasons. This could have been developed in parallel to Echoes of Wisdom, where there are even some indications that this might have been the case, or at least that they were remaking the Oracle games at some point. The accessory system was clearly based on the Magic Rings and the return of Smog as a classic boss was rather curious... Make out of that what you will.

Alternatively, we could be looking at something else entirely, like a Shrine Maker based on Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. They have already been pushing both games with the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, where they got the first Nintendo Switch 2 Editions, and such a project could be the next step. However, it probably wouldn't be an official part of the 40th Anniversary.

In any case, they could release a 40th Anniversary Edition of the Nintendo Switch 2, just to annoy all the Zelda fans who have purchased a Nintendo Switch 2 already. That's a classic Nintendo move. 

 

40th Anniversary of Metroid?

Nintendo has yet to celebrate any of the anniversaries of their other Action Adventure series, but there is a first time for everything. To be fair, they had the perfect opportunity in 2021 with the release of Metroid Dread, but didn't seize it. In any case, it will have been five years since the last 2D Metroid release, so it's time for another remake or even Metroid 6. And theoretically it would have been possible for MercurySteam to cook something if they hadn't been busy with their latest 3D game, Blades of Fire... So, it's probably best to not expect anything.

Hero of Law

Usually, I'm not much into ROM hacks and randomizer stuff, because I hardly can keep up with the official releases, but this week I'm on a Zelda community gathering. And here I could witness this absolutely marvelous crossover between The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Ace Attorney.

It was made by Newer Team and you can find everything you need to know on the game's website. I can only advise to give it a try, where it's a short game and you will be in a for a fun evening.

Talon got killed and Princess Zelda found him on a visit of the Lon Lon Ranch, where it looks like Malon did it with a Poacher's Saw. Link in his finest Zora Suit becomes her defense, while Ganondorf Dragmire poses as the prosecution, which is absolutely hilarious.

Any fan of Ocarina of Time will immediately know who actually did it, but of course it's about delivering proof by using evidence and all given statements. Like in your regular Ace Attorney game. It's a bit weird to have Link talk as much, but he also often just delivers his thoughts, where a lot of it is funny.

Overall, this ROM hack is absolutely impressive. The soundtrack is also a banger. If nothing else, go download it for a treat, also on the Hero of Law website. 

Nintendo Music: Ocarina of Time 3D Added

Another month, another Zelda addition to Nintendo Music, this time with Ocarina of Time 3D. I already had speculated that we might see this when they added The Wind Waker, but with no link from or to The Wind Waker HD back in January. The reason is that these remasters / remakes got their own soundtrack CD release, which is what many of the albums in Nintendo Music are based upon. And that's exactly what we are getting here.

The differences between the Nintendo 64 and the Nintendo 3DS music are small, but you may notice some here and there, since the music for the Nintendo 3DS version was actually remade, as faithfully as that might be (Iwata Asks). The soundtrack does have less tracks (51 compared to 82), because it doesn't feature the "Get Item" melodies, for example, and also combines certain songs into one. But it comes with the orchestrated credits theme that was made for GREZZO's staff listing. That's from the good, old times, where these remasters still showed you the original development staff in their credits, as they should.

Anyway, it may feel a bit redundant, but this is nice to have nevertheless. I'm glad they added it to the library. Though, it's curious that they are prioritizing this over adding Majora's Mask. Maybe next month...

Got the NSO Nintendo 64 Controller

Since I became a subscriber to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack thanks to Four Swords, I can also play Nintendo 64 games on my Nintendo Switch now. But using a Pro Controller isn't fully ideal here, because the button layout can be slightly confusing (it puts C-Left on the Y-button and C-Down on X) and you have to hold down ZR to get the proper C-button experience, or use the right stick like on previous systems.

Now, as part of Nintendo's Black Friday deals in Europe, they have offered a discount on the Nintendo 64 controller that you can get for your Nintendo Switch, so I thought that I should give this a try... Which I did today with some Ocarina of Time.

And it certainly gives you an authentic experience, maybe a little too authentic. The analog stick is the same old stiff twig as in the original, which will probably wear down if you do too many quick spins. And the motor for the built-in Rumble Pak is such a monster that you could use this thing for a drill hammer.

I never owned a Rumble Pak for my Nintendo 64, so I've only experienced this once or so before, but I don't feel like I missed anything back in the day... Well, finding all the secret holes without the Stone of Agony was certainly a challenge, but I had too much time to play this game as a kid anyway.

The backside of the controller also features the home and screenshot buttons, as well as a tiny ZR button, which is used for the cursor and applause during online sessions. And it can be charged via USB-C, where they provide with one of the same cables that also come with a Pro Controller.

As far as I know, the emulation does not support the Controller Pak as of now, which means that you have to rely on Suspend Points with games like Turok 2: Seeds of Evil that didn't have battery saves. But I'd rather have this than the monster rumble.

Nintendo Music Released

The next out-of-nowhere surprise is the launch of Nintendo's newest smartphone app: Nintendo Music. Not to be confused with Wii Music, this is effectively their own little Spotify, where members of Nintendo Switch Online get to listen to video game soundtracks without any additional costs.

I gave it a try right away this morning and this is quite neat. The interface is clean and the playlists are extensive for the given games. At first I thought that these are only a sound selection, but those are the "highlights" with only the most important songs and you can also listen the complete soundtrack with everything.

For example, the default playlist of Breath of the Wild contains 62 songs, where you have the opening, the shrine music, the villages, the Champion themes, and so on. But the app also has the complete soundtrack with all 211 tracks, which only was available in Japan so far, like most of the official soundtracks. This one contains every piece of music you might want to listen to, including the DLC stuff and the epic trailer themes. It's a blast, and you also get a unique screenshot or image for almost every track to spark your memories.

Well, I don't know why the Windmill Hut theme from Ocarina of Time isn't part of the highlights, but at least it's there... And there are also playlists based on characters, which may even span different titles. Like, there is the Great Deku Tree, where you get tracks from both Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild. That's good to have when you're building the corresponding LEGO set, I guess...

The only problem with this app is the same as with any of the NSO offerings: they are drip-fed. So far there are 22 soundtracks available and they will gradually expand this over time, because Nintendo wants to keep this thing in the news. I can think of a number of reasons why they don't release all their old games at once to the service, since they still need to be tested and potentially re-rated, and so on. But in this case it's only music...

The biggest effort at this point should be translating all the titles into English and adding screenshots for every song. That's still a good amount of work, don't get me wrong, but hopefully this will see additions on a more frequent and extensive basis than what they are doing with NES, SNES, and so on.

Here's what soundtracks are included in the app as part of the launch, with the gaming system and the number of tracks in parenthesis:

• Super Mario Bros. (NES, 16)
• Metroid (NES / Famicon, 12)
• Dr. Mario (GB, 8)
  
• Kirby's Dream Land (GB, 15)
• Donkey Kong Country (SNES, 26)
• Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES, 26)
• Star Fox 64 / Lylat Wars (N64, 39)
  
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64, 82)
• Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade (GBA, 100)
• Metroid Prime (GCN, 36)
• Nintendogs (NDS, 50)
  
• Tomodachi Collection (NDS, 62)
• Wii Channels (Wii, 62)
  
• Super Mario Galaxy (Wii, 81)
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch, 211)
• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch, 149)
• Super Mario Odyssey (Switch, 136)
• Kirby Star Allies (Switch, 213)
  
• Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch, 407)
• Splatoon 3 (Switch, 118)
• Pokémon Scarlet & Violet (Switch, 199)
• Pikmin 4 (Switch, 153)

The ones of bigger interest to this blog are highlighted, so Zelda fans will only get Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild for now, where they've started things with arguably the two most popular Zelda games. But we will certainly get more in the future, where The Wind Waker and Skyward Sword are already announced to come soon, among others.

However, let's hope that they will keep it simple and not bring the NSO Expansion Pack into this. It would be lame if you only could listen to the soundtrack of Tears of the Kingdom, for example, as long as you're paying for the advanced subscription.

But it would be compelling, because this is some very good value added to Nintendo Switch Online, where for me personally this is fantastic to have. I love listening to video game soundtracks, but I've gotten very lazy about managing MP3s on my phone, since there is Youtube and I rarely listen to music out in the wild. Right now I mainly have some indie game soundtracks on there, which I got from Steam: Hollow Knight, Death's Door, TUNIC, Dorfromantik, and some others. I also have some soundtracks from the Trine and Unreal series, where those are some great tunes.

As for Nintendo music, I have two MP3s from Spirit Tracks, the main themes, because that's the music you want to be listening to during a train ride, but that's really it. The other Nintendo-related albums on my phone are remixes, like Essence of Lime... So, having this app will fill a big gap for me and I love it.

In addition, you can create your own playlists, and shuffle things while hiding certain games as spoilers. You can also extend songs where applicable, so that they loop like they do ingame (which is very clever). They have thought of everything important and I highly recommend to check this out.

Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 LEGO Announced

 

Remember the Zelda LEGO leak from early 2023? As with the Nintendo Switch OLED Tears of the Kingdom Edition, which also got leaked around that time, this was the real deal and we finally have an official announcement now. There is going to be a LEGO set of the Great Deku Tree from both Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild.

Unlike the Super Mario stuff, which was made for toddlers, this is a lot more advanced and something for serious collectors and builders. But using The Legend of Zelda was without a doubt right choice to level up Nintendo's partnership with LEGO.

There are so many fantastic details with this. You have the Master Sword, Hylian Shield, Deku Shield and Ocarina of Time as items. You have figurines of the Hero of Time (adult and child), Champion Link, and the Zelda from Breath of the Wild. And there is a Sheikah Slate slate.

In the Ocarina of Time version you get Deku Babas, the Sprout of the Deku Tree, a Gossip Stone, and a part of the "Inside the Deku Tree" dungeon with a Skulltula and a treasure chest on the backside. There also seems to be a mechanic, which lets you drop the Skulltula on a rope. The Breath of the Wild version on the other hand has Hestu and many small Koroks, as well as Walton's spot on top of the tree, the Spore Store on the backside, and a terminal for placing the Sheikah Slate.

This is a 2-in-1 set, meaning that you can't build both simultaneously, it's either one or the other. So, if you want the other at some point, you will have to dismantle it all and then start building from scratch.

The Ocarina of Time version does have Link's house from the Kokiri Forest in addition, however, essentially as this small separate set, where I'm hoping that you can build this in any case. Because then you would have at least something to display the Ocarina of Time figurines and items, even if you have the Breath of the Wild Deku Tree assembled. But I'm not sure about that.

Well, I loved LEGO as a child, but unlike my love for Nintendo this didn't transition into adulthood and I haven't played with LEGOs for over 25 years. Basically, LEGO became uninteresting once I got my Game Boy and Nintendo 64 in the late 90s. But this really has me excited, I totally want this, where this will make three different periods of my life come together in one big nostalgia package.

You can find and preorder this set on the LEGO website. It's 2500 pieces and costs 299€, which is utterly insane. You can get a Nintendo Switch for that money... But if you're buying big, valuable figurines you will end up in this price category as well and this LEGO set is also something that you can put in a display cabinet once you're done.

It's an unreasonable purchase nevertheless, but at least I'm able to afford it, which would have never been the case back when Ocarina of Time was a thing. And from the looks of it, you're able to get these LEGO sets much cheaper from other stores and retailers, so it might be a good idea to wait a little while.

What I'm not going to do is buy two, where I had considered that after the leak, because then you can display both variants right next to each other. But certainly not for that price... And then you have a reason to rebuild it from time to time, which is part of the fun.

They know their target audience for this, though, which has certainly added to the price, alongside the license. It's people who grew up with both LEGO and Zelda, who are now "responsible adults" with more money than time, unable to resist such a blast from the past.

Ocarina of Time's 25th Anniversary

This blog rarely acknowledges the anniversaries of the individual Zelda games, other than the first, but Ocarina of Time always has been an exception, since the game is one of the biggest milestones in the Zelda series. For its 10th and 20th anniversaries we've looked at the game's accomplishments and legacy, so this time let's talk about the future of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

There lately have been rumors floating around that we might get something for Zelda other than Tears of the Kingdom in the year 2023, which led to some speculation about a potential remake of Ocarina of Time, which could be shadow-dropped in the same way as Metroid Prime Remastered. However, this would likely not become a proper remake, but rather a remaster of the Nintendo 3DS version, which was released in 2011.

The timing is also questionable, because Ocarina of Time is always tied to its direct sequel, Majora's Mask. Whatever they are to do with Ocarina of Time now, you would expect Majora's Mask to receive the same treatment later on. But the Nintendo Switch won't be forever, where we will see a successor at some point in the next couple of years. And then it will be preferable to get remakes of both Nintendo 64 Zelda games for that system, with much prettier graphics.

In any case, both Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask will see new remakes eventually. With the release of Skyward Sword HD in 2021, they have remastered or remade each classic 3D Zelda game at least once, where now it can begin all over again. Whether this will happen anytime soon or not, remains to be seen. (If we were to get one more remake on the Nintendo Switch, I personally would prefer Oracle of Ages & Seasons to follow up on Link's Awakening.)

A remake of Ocarina of Time should include all the improvements of the Nintendo 3DS version, naturally, but also come with more detailed maps, similar to what they have done for Majora's Mask 3D. Generally, it probably wouldn't hurt to modernize the interface and other aspects of the game a bit, while staying true to the original, like it was done with the remake for Link's Awakening.

But one nitpick I always had about the game, which finally should be fixed with a remake, is how you need the Fairy Bow at one point inside the Water Temple to get a key, right at the end of the winding tunnel full of vortexes. If this weren't the case, then you would be able to play the Forest, Fire, and Water Temples in any order, highlighting how open and non-linear Ocarina of Time already was, long before Breath of the Wild...

One thing that Nintendo also could do now, in order to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the game, is to add Master Quest to the Nintendo Switch Online library. Outside of Ocarina of Time 3D, this has never been re-released, even though it's technically only a modified ROM, where they potentially could have put this on the Wii Virtual Console. Maybe this would have left a sour taste, because you would have needed to buy the game twice to experience both versions. But that's not an issue any longer with the new subscription model, where you have access to all Nintendo 64 games as long as you're subscribed to the NSO Expansion Pack. So, this would be great timing to get the classic Master Quest back.

Tears of the Kingdom – Tear of Time?

After studying the different abilities in Tears of the Kingdom, we already could notice that Recall is different from the others. It glows in a golden light and it is represented by a stylized kanji, instead of the green Zonai magic and a straight-forward symbol used for Ascend, Fuse, and Master Hand. Well, and if we look at the tear that Zelda is holding in the last trailer, we can see that it has the Recall symbol on it, which stands for time:

We can also see how Zelda activates the same glowing light when she falls, probably to save herself (thanks to Zeltik's analysis for this one, I didn't spot this myself). Fans of the theory that the Goddess of Time mentioned in Majora's Mask and Hylia could be one and the same will certainly enjoy this connection.

We also have seen how Link obtains this glowing light at what appears to be the large temple structure that we saw time and time again at the large group of sky islands, which is probably the tutorial area.

Perhaps this is the final reward that you will obtain there, like the Paraglider at the Great Plateau, instead that this is given to you by Zelda, or at least left by her. And then you will move on to collect the remaining tears, where each of them will give you a new ability.

It would be the best of both worlds. You get a starting kit of abilities, like in Breath of the Wild, which are enabled by his Zonai arm. But the golden gauntlet he wears will let him use the tears in addition, and with them you will collect new "items" throughout the game, which will let you progress in different ways. And this could mean that these are more much significant than expected.

The "wind" ability for example most likely will be a replacement for Revali's Gale, where you obtain this from Tulin or together with Tulin. If these characters are truly the new Seven Sages, then these tears could be what the Medallions originally were originally supposed to be in Ocarina of Time. In earlier versions of the game you could assign them to the C-buttons and use them for abilities, where the Fire Medallion would have worked like Din's Fire for example. And perhaps now, 25 years later, we finally get to have this idea in action.

Tears of the Sages

That final trailer for Tears of the Kingdom, which is just super addicting, is talking in riddles about what's happening in the game, but it's showing us so much at the same time that Zelda fans sure will put the pieces together.

Well, I'm a fan, and to me it looks like we're getting a scenario very close to that of Ocarina of Time. Link and Zelda found Ganondorf as the source of the Malice. Reawakened he takes over Hyrule Castle and reigns with terror over the land. To defeat him it needs the Blade of Evil's Bane, as well as the power of seven Sages, where each of them is holding on to a tear, which looks a bit like the Amber and Dusk Relics from Skyward Sword with that yin and yang form.

We have seen a couple of these potential sages in the trailer, all equipped with such a tear at some point:

• Zelda
• Riju
• Sidon
• Tulin
• The Zonai figure
  

About the last one, his name is mentioned in the leaked artbook. Diving enthusiastically back into the Zelda community after the new trailer, I happened to pick up this info by "accident"... And his name actually gives away quite a lot. You don't have to read the following if you don't want to:

He is Rauru. Yes, you've heard right. And if you look at the mysterious figure on the carvings, it does look a bit like an owl, doesn't it? But this essentially confirms that they are going with the idea of the sages here.

It's also nice that Rauru is now a Zonai, presumably, so that each sage comes from a different tribe, while in Ocarina of Time there were two Hylians as sages with Zelda and Rauru. Of course in that game you weren't meant to know that Zelda is the final sage until the very end...

Anyway, there is certainly going to be a Goron sage, where we already could see someone with Daruk's Boulder Breaker in the trailer. It's likely Yunobo, but for some reason Nintendo doesn't want to reveal this character yet.

And naturally the last sage is probably going to be a Sheikah, where I would place my bets on Paya, who is basically a young Impa. If Riju could learn how to properly fight since Breath of the Wild, then so can she.

Well, but what do the tears mean? They don't have them from the beginning, where you first can see Sidon without it and later with it. But it seems that some of these sages have faced a loss in the recent past. With Tulin it's likely that something has happened to his father, Teba, or else we probably would be accompanied by him instead. And Sidon will seemingly lose his father during the game as well, because not only has he this tear on his hand, but also the Zora crown on his head, making him the new Zora king. Maybe these tears represent their grief?

The only thing that Riju has lost so far is her hair, which is sad enough, but certainly not on the same level. But with what's happening in Gerudo Desert, she might have lost her home... (As long as it's not Patricia, it's fine, because they will need that secret weapon of mass destruction.)

And if Paya is truly one of the last sages, then this probably won't bode well for Impa, but this is getting very hypothetical at this point. Of course, this doesn't mean that something bad has to happen to these characters, because they are the sages. But it might be that their grief is ultimately what lets them become sages in the first place.

Maybe Ganondorf is even targeting certain individuals, because he is afraid that they will become the sages that he still knows from the past. In that case Impa would certainly be one of those targets, because it wouldn't be the first Impa to cross him... It does make sense and would make for a much better villain.

Zelda, Link, and co. have little knowledge about Ganondorf and what has happened in Hyrule prior to the Great Calamity. But Ganondorf knows everything. He knows about the Triforce, he knows about the Goddesses, he knows about the sages, and so on. And he will hopefully use this knowledge to his advantage to become the respectable villain that he is supposed to be.

If you look at the artworks, you can see that the tear on his forehead is red. Naturally, Ganondorf is not one of the sages, but what if he is hunting for the tears himself? The red tear might be related to the Gorons, where he took this from Death Mountain. Perhaps it's even the reason why we haven't seen the Goron sage yet, because something terrible might have happened to him after a confrontation with Ganondorf.

Reviving my Nintendo 64

While I have a collection of older Nintendo consoles and games, I'm not much of a retro gamer. I still have my Wii U hooked up to my TV, where this is as "retro" as it gets at the moment and I mostly stick to my Nintendo Switch and the PC for gaming. My older systems rest somewhere in boxes, but from time to time I feel the need to check everything out to see if it still works.

Now, there is the problem that I don't have a tube TV any longer, not even a TV with a SCART input. So, I did get an adapter from Kaico (from my own money, so I'm not sponsored or anything), which gets put into the Nintendo 64 directly, converts the signal to HDMI, and even upscales it to 1080p. I already had the same item for my old Xbox, where I was quite happy with it and now decided to get one for my remaining consoles without HDMI.

There are also a variety of SCART to HDMI adapters available, but such a native adapter felt more natural to me and it also doesn't need an extra power source, you just plug it into your console and then use any HDMI cable. It's very simple. Of course a SCART adapter can be used on pretty much all the old consoles, but this thing also works with your Super Nintendo and GameCube, since they have the same output port. So, this really covers the rest of my old consoles, which were the Nintendo 64 and the GameCube. But I've only tested my Nintendo 64 so far and the result was quite satisfying...

My first test was with Turok: Rage Wars, because that's my only Nintendo 64 game that didn't make make it on PC or a later Nintendo system. This was also my first Arena Shooter and is therefore still quite dear to me, where I was immediately happy to see that the 100% save game on my Controller Pack is still alive. It won't be that way forever, since everything for Nintendo 64 relied on batteries, where I probably should make a back-up soon, as long as it's still possible...

Both my save files for Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask are also still there, which is quite incredible, given how it's been over 20 years. Most of my Game Boy cartridges have dead batteries by now, however, where it's only a matter of time for the Nintendo 64 stuff to meet the same terrible fate. But since I have all of these games on later systems it's not really critical... Only the above save from Turok: Rage Wars would be a bit of a loss.

The two Nintendo 64 Zelda games don't look as good, where the graphics appear a lot more pixelated and the picture is a bit too bright. The Temple of Time now really looks like it was supposed to be the Temple of Light:

Well, it looks much better on the photo, because this is making things darker as well, but in reality I can hardly read the "500" in the bottom left corner, because the backdrop is simply too bright. Of course it stops to be a problem once you leave the Temple of Time...

It probably helps that Turok: Rage Wars was quite dark by default and got also made for split-screen multiplayer, where they kept the graphics clean and simple to keep the performance up. But for whatever reason the image doesn't fill the screen, while it does for the two Zelda games. So, it's not perfect by any means and I can't 100% recommend it, but for my purposes this adapter turned out to be a good and simple choice.