Earlier today, a multitude of gaming sites and creators shared their thoughts on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake for Switch 2. These previews came from a gaming event they attended recently, where they got to experience six parts of the game for about an hour or so each (Kokiri Forest and The Great Deku Tree, Hyrule Field and Hyrule Castle Town as well as the Forest Temple)
And there’s a lot of interesting stuff mentioned in these previews. From changes to dungeon layouts and puzzles to new items and mechanics, there’s apparently a lot more to the remake than meets the eye.
So, let’s summarise all of it. Let’s break down every single major change we’ve seen discussed online, and what it means for the remake here.
General
Starting with new items and mechanics. As IGN points out, gyro controls return from the 3DS version of the game here. So, just about every ‘quality of life’ update that version added seems to have retained on Switch 2.
You also have to manually set up a jump attack too. Instead of just pressing A to use one like in the N64 and 3DS games, now you have to swing the sword after having pressed the jump button.
A logical change for sure, though one that definitely seems like it may take some getting used to.
The map has been updated too. Now it shows which rooms you have and haven’t visited, making dungeons easier to navigate than they used to be.
You can also apparently turn off the HUD too. Indeed, according to various sources, the HUD now supports the normal, pro and disabled options, which show the full thing, keep it to minimum info and remove all of it entirely respectively. So, if you’re used to Pro mode in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, it seems like you’ll be able to use something similar in the Ocarina of Time remake as well.
Other HUD options seem to be as follows:
- Swap Jump Controls
- Ocarina Mic Input (can be humming, presumably also off)
- Swap Ocarina-Playing Controls
- In-Game Interface (normal, pro and off)
- Subtitle Display (on or off)
- Subtitle Speaker-Name Display (on or off)
- Voice Language
- Controller Vibration
New items have also been confirmed too. There’s an extra bottle you can obtain in game (giving you a total of 5), plus an item called the Business Scrub Seed that can be used to summon a Business Scrub at almost any time. If you buy at least one item from them it gets used up, while not deciding to get anything doesn’t deplete your supply.
Hence you effectively have an on-demand shopkeeper you can summon at any time.
Din’s Fire has seen an interesting update too. Now, instead of freezing time when used, the battle progresses as usual. So, it’s not quite as safe to use in hectic situations as it may have been on the N64.
The Hookshot is another updated item here as well. Now, the targets it can be used on a lot clearer (the branch outside the Forest Temple is a more obvious target for example), and it turns red if the reticule lines up with an enemy it can hit.
Navi also gives subtle onscreen hints too, rather than interrupting the game to tell you things as often. So, instead of her randomly chiming in and talking about ‘shadows of monsters that hang from the ceiling’, this is indicated through speech bubbles instead.
Areas
Kokiri Forest
Regardless, onto area specific changes now. For example, the treasure chest with the Kokiri Sword is on top of the ledge in the maze with the rolling boulder, rather at the back of the area. You’ll now need to jump to the platform with the chest to reach it.
So, one of the first puzzles in the game has received a major update.
There are also updated NPCs in the area too. According to Video Games Chronicle, there’s now an NPC that draws pictures of rupees, and teaches you how much they’re worth via a song.
Speaking of rupees, the remake apparently makes it easier to find them too, since the same article mentions being able to more easily afford the shield this time around. Hence it seems like the increase in wallet size provided by the remake may in part be to compensate for the extra money you come across early on.
There’s also that training dummy you can use to practice your swordplay abilities, as spotted in the trailers:
The Great Deku Tree
There are also a few design tweaks in the Great Deku Tree too. Most of these are already known for previous trailers and previews, but the way Big Skulltulas are handled is an interesting change nonetheless. Now, instead of them spinning around after a short time like in the N64 version, you have to hit them to manually force them to spin around instead.
Seems combat will be a bit more… involved in the Switch 2 version.
Hyrule Field
As far as Hyrule Field goes, previews don’t seem to suggest that many major changes here. There are visual tweaks to things like Lon Lon Ranch, and the number of ruins found in the area has certainly increased…
But most of these could be seen in previous videos:
What is new however are the grottoes, and some Peahat placements.
For the former, the ground is apparently cracked where grotto entrances would be. So, instead of just waiting for the controller to rumble like in the N64 version, you get a visual clue to where to use bombs as well.
You also get put in a bit more danger too, since the Peahats aren’t as far off the beaten path anymore. So, just wandering towards Hyrule Castle will put you in harm’s way rather than giving you perfectly safe travel.
Hyrule Castle Town
Meanwhile, there’s been a minor change to how the gate works outside Hyrule Castle Town too. According to the folks at Games Radar, it’s now apparently impossible to run up the drawbridge chain for extra rupees. So, that’s one minor secret that’s been cut from the game.
Another change we’ve seen mentioned by a few sites is the presence of a new bearded man NPC. This guy can apparently sense other bearded men across Hyrule through some random magical ability, which will presumably factor into a side quest at a later point in the adventure.
Add this to a few other extra NPCs (a new blond one apparently warns Link not to spend too many rupees here), and the town area seems to be livelier than ever.
Forest Temple
There’s also a change to the Stalfos room with the pit in the centre too. While in the original this was just a pit that the Stalfos could inexplicably hover across, now it’s an acid pool that damages Link instead. Presumably, this also means you can’t fall to the lower-level mid-battle either.
Another change involves the Wallmasters in the dungeon. In the original version, you saw a growing shadow above you before they fell, while in this one it seems like that’s been replaced by a spotlight that changes colour when they’re about to strike.
The Poe Sister mini bosses have gotten tweaks as well, as have the areas they’re found in. Now, the furnishings in the paths leading to them match their colour schemes, while the final Poe fight with Meg is a tad more involved now, with three phases and slightly tweaked attack patterns.
There are some level design tweaks here too. For example, the part where you push blocks around and climb ladders now has a lift that acts as a shortcut once cleared, while the final rotating room puzzle before Phantom Ganon has torches thrown into the mix too.
Conclusion
Either way, those are all the changes we’ve seen noted in previews and articles about the game, and how they change up the experienced compared to the N64 and 3DS versions of the game. They’re not massive changes all things considered, and feel more like something you’d see in Wind Waker HD or Twilight Princess HD than an Ocarina of Time redo in the style of the wild era games…
But they do feel like interesting tweaks and edits nonetheless, and make us curious what other things are getting edited further down the line.
Regardless, what do you think about the remake? Are you more excited about it now you’ve heard about some of its changes? What other aspects should we have mentioned here?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or over on our Discord server today!