The latest update for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Switch 2 proves that this game is not just a simple 1 to 1 remake, it’s something much bigger.
The big update fans are talking about right now is a new ad page in a Japanese magazine for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The ad is the same logo fans have seen since the trailer was initially revealed, but it comes with a new description of just three words that actually changes everything about this game: “Reborn Across Time.”
This new description, combined with that new logo that shows a very different version of the logo that players got with the N64 version, makes it abundantly obvious this game is not just a simple remake, it’s a complete reimagining from pretty much all angles.
Ocarina of Time is a Reimagining of the Zelda Classic, Not a 1-to-1 Remake
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Nintendo -
Nintendo -
Nintendo
Ocarina of Time is not the first Zelda game to be associated with the word “reborn.” It was also used in a single early ad campaign for the Skyward Sword remaster for Switch, but this usage of the word was different. Unlike with Skyward Sword, which only used the term a single time, this new OOT ad is at least the third time Nintendo has associated the word “reborn” with the new Ocarina of Time, making this choice of wording feel more intentional than that of Skyward Sword.
And the imagery for OOT revealed so far really does support the idea of the game being reborn much more than simply remade. In fact, this game has never been outwardly called a “remake” by Nintendo. The only time the word “remake” was ever used for this game was in a leaked metadata description posted on Nintendo of America’s website that was quickly taken down the second fans noticed it.
The N64 classic has been reborn as a full remake for the Nintendo Switch 2. Experience Ocarina of Time with stunning visuals, updated designs, and timeless gameplay.
By erasing this description and constantly using the word reborn, it’s as though Nintendo is actively trying to avoid the notion of this being a remake at all, which makes a lot of sense when looking at the very little revealed about the game so far.
If this were just a straightforward 1:1 remake, Nintendo would be more eager to show off the visuals in this game, because that would be the main selling point (fans have already seen this happen with the recent Star Fox remake, which was quite literally just a simple remake with a visual overhaul). But that’s not the case with this game.
It seems that perhaps showing off much more than 90 second teaser for this “reborn” version of OOT will unveil significant changes which Nintendo prefers fans to speculate about for now. And even in that Nintendo of America description of the game that called it a “full remake,” it was still made clear that the game would feature “new designs” alongside the “timeless gameplay” of the classic.
Importantly, “timeless gameplay” does not mean everything is staying the same. It does mean that, at the very least, the general dungeon crawling and exploration formula that made the original the highest-rated video game of all time will be preserved. But that meta description never said anything about the storyline remaining unchanged.
Ocarina of Time on Switch 2 Is Already Making Dramatic Changes Fans Aren’t Talking About Enough
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Calling this game a “reborn” version of Ocarina of Time instead of a remake has major implications that fans are already beginning to see, whether they realize it or not.
In the teaser trailer alone, which didn’t even show any gameplay, it was made obvious big changes were coming. For starters, the entire trailer was a never-before-seen cutscene that was not in either the original N64 version or the 3DS remake.
Just the fact the Triforce was shown flashing on Link’s hand in the introductory scene of the game proves 100% that this game is not a simple remake, because that never happened in the original game.
Additionally, the trailer subtly confirms that the first dungeon of the game has already been overhauled. The outside design of the Deku Tree (which is the location of the first dungeon in OOT) is significantly different from that of the original, so it’s only logical that the inside of the Deku Tree will be significantly different as well.
The teaser also confirmed the game will have a new soundtrack and full voice acting, and even Link’s tunic design is unlike any fans have seen in a prior Zelda game. All this was showcased within a teaser that was under 2 minutes long and showed only moments of in-game footage, none of which was actual gameplay.
With Ocarina of Time being reborn instead of remade, there could very well be major storyline changes ahead to accompany those not-so-subtle changes already revealed in the trailer.
Ocarina of Time was the actual game that split the Zelda timeline into three branches forever, so it wouldn’t actually be surprising at all to see this new game even make its own new timeline, perhaps tying it into the Wild Era games which have infamously remained disconnected from the rest of the timeline.
With recent reports honing in on early September for Ocarina of Time’s first gameplay trailer, the time is almost here.
- Released
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2026
- Developer(s)
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Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
- Number of Players
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Single-player
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