Eiji Aonuma, producer of The Legend of Zelda series, praised the improvements made to the Water Temple in the Switch 2 version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, calling it his personal favorite version of the temple. Quick-access buttons and more flexible camera controls reduce operational hurdles, allowing players to focus back on the puzzles themselves.
In the original N64 release from 1998, Link had to repeatedly equip or unequip the Iron Boots to sink or rise in water-filled rooms. Since each switch required entering the menu, the rhythm of observing the environment and thinking through puzzles was easily disrupted.
The Switch 2 version follows the approach of the 3DS remake, allowing players to map relevant items to quick-access buttons on the screen for instant switching with a single press. Eiji Aonuma believes this adjustment saves players from wasting energy on menu navigation.
Camera control is also key to improving the experience. The original version did not allow free adjustment of the viewing angle, making it difficult for players to determine their orientation and understand the three-dimensional structure of levels when searching for adjacent rooms underwater or in tight spaces. Smoother camera controls combined with quick Iron Boots operation reduce friction not inherent to the puzzle design itself. The "best version" is Aonuma's personal assessment and does not represent every player's experience.