Eiji Aonuma, producer of the Zelda series at Nintendo, has stated that some of the younger members of the team tasked with remaking The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time had never played the original game. He argued that this lack of prior experience is a positive factor for the remake's development.
Ocarina of Time was originally released on the Nintendo 64 28 years ago and is widely regarded as one of the most influential video games ever created. However, Aonuma noted in an interview with AFP (via Japan Times) that a significant portion of game developers today were born after its release.
"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," Aonuma said. He expressed his keen interest in seeing what younger staff members will imagine for future Zelda titles and is happy to offer his guidance as they collaborate on the next installment.
This sentiment follows Aonuma's previous comments suggesting that Nintendo's collaboration with Koei Tecmo on Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity might influence future mainline Zelda games. Age of Calamity, a spin-off title, combines musou-style combat with the Zelda universe and was developed by Koei Tecmo.
Nintendo previously announced in September 2023 that it had no plans for DLC for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and is focusing on a new game in the series. Aonuma did not rule out a return to the Hyrule featured in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, stating that a new reason to revisit the world could lead to such a decision.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is scheduled to launch on Nintendo Switch 2 on November 5, 2026. Recent previews have highlighted the changes made in the remake, including redesigned puzzles and updated boss fights, compared to the original N64 version. A special episode of Nintendo Voice Chat has also been released to discuss the remake in more detail.