Nintendo has shared a four-part Ask the Developer interview with the creators of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which is set to be released on Nintendo Switch 2 later this week. The interview, which included producer Eiji Aonuma, producer Hidemaro Fujibayashi, and several others from the development team, conveyed the thoughts and ideas behind the creation of the remake.
Part one focused on the fact that Ocarina of Time’s original release was a turning point for the Zelda series and why Nintendo decided to remake the game this year for the 40th anniversary. The original was one of Nintendo’s first large-scale 3D projects, and it introduced Z-targeting, which became a series standard. Aonuma felt this was a good time to remake such an important Zelda title because he wanted players who are used to the freedom in Breath of the Wild to experience a carefully-paced adventure that builds growth and understanding of the story.
An interesting tidbit from part one of the interview is that Aonuma shared that Koji Kondo, the composer, originally delivered music for the final boss theme that felt too bright and upbeat, so he was asked to change it, and he came back with a new piece the very next day. Also, the remake was going to have more warp points for players to fast travel to, but after deciding this removed moments of discovery for the player, Aonuma changed his mind, and the additional warps were removed.
Part two of the interview talks about the remake’s guiding principle of keeping the experience true to the original, as well as the game’s art direction. Director Hokwai Ng shared that everyone who played Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo 64 would have their own memories from the first time they played, and the team wanted to keep the remake true to what players remembered. The team wanted to balance realism and charm with a “puppet-show feel” in terms of the art style, with a familiar presence.
Amazingly, the team was able to reprise the artist who illustrated the map in the original N64 version of the game to draw the new map for the remake. Additionally, a great deal of importance was placed on getting the textures just right; art director Aya Shida explained how the team studied museum materials and made fabric from thread, imagining the story behind each object.
Part three explored how the team adapted the game for a modern era. Many controls had to be refined, such as jumping turning into its own button, and combat being modified as a result. The biggest challenge was modernizing camera controls for a two-stick controller, balancing the need to keep the original game’s strengths while also being accessible to first-time players.
While dungeons and bosses remain mostly the same in the Ocarina of Time remake, some layouts now differ to guide players more intuitively, and item toggling is now easier to smooth out frustrating experiences in places like the infamous Water Temple.
Finally, part four of the interview discusses the game’s music, ambient sounds, and voice acting. The Ocarina of Time remake has over 150 pieces of background music, including new pieces of music for added cutscenes, and everything was recorded with a live orchestra. A new feature that utilizes Switch 2 hardware is that players can hum or play a real ocarina, and the game picks it up to play in-game. Cutscenes are fully voiced, and one actor from the original N64 version of the game reprises her role this time around.
Overall, the development team hopes that Ocarina of Time becomes a lasting memory for players whether they are reliving their original experiences or playing it for the very first time.
You can read all four parts of the Ask the Developer interview for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time right here, starting with part one.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time releases on Nintendo Switch 2 later this week on November 5.
