Nintendo has released the first two chapters of a developer interview for the Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The production team established "change the visuals, but not the experience" as their core principle. They ultimately removed newly added fast travel points, finding that fast travel would diminish the process of exploration.
Eiji Aonuma once suggested adding fast travel points, but testing revealed that teleportation would reduce opportunities for players to discover secrets and details while traversing Hyrule. The production team therefore reverted this change. The world still consists of multiple separate maps rather than being converted into a seamless open world; the foreground and background relationships in Hyrule Field have been adjusted, and locations such as the castle and windmill have been moderately expanded.
The visual team drew inspiration from puppetry and traditional film special effects, aiming to balance credibility, mystery, and a fantastical atmosphere. The team also studied real materials and created fabrics to recreate Young Link's outfit. The new version is led by project director HokWai Ng, with Aya Shida, Hiroki Taguchi, and Masato Ohashi responsible for art, programming, and music, respectively.
This remake is also tied to the 40th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda. Eiji Aonuma wanted the team's new members to use this opportunity to understand the structure and development significance of the original work. He recalled that the original was one of Nintendo's early large-scale 3D projects, and the Z-targeting mechanic was designed specifically to address combat controls in a three-dimensional environment. Hidemaro Fujibayashi views this title as a turning point for the series, as it proved that exploration and discovery could successfully transition into 3D space. The developers believe the original's balance was meticulously crafted, and excessive changes would disrupt the experience players remember.