Nintendo says no to Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker remakes

Few franchises have as much of an acclaimed legacy as The Legend of Zelda, as Nintendo's fantasy epic has rarely dropped the ball in its 37-year history. Still, there have been relatively few modern remasters and remakes of the classics from the series' stellar stockroom. 

We went back to the start of the convoluted timeline for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD in 2021, and while there were hopes for more remakes of other 3D entries, the rumour mill is yet to spit out any concrete evidence that more are coming. Now, those behind Zelda have stopped these talks in their (spirit) tracks. 

Nintendo isn't interested in more Zelda remakes 

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Two games that continue to do the rounds are mythical remasters of 1998's Ocarina of Time and 2002's Wind Waker. It's true that they've both had rereleases in 2011 and 2013, but we're talking about full-blown remakes for the Nintendo Switch. 

Speaking to RTL nieuws, Producer Eiji Aonuma has poured water on our hopes of these legends getting a remake. In fact, it doesn't sound like more Zelda remakes are on the way at all. When asked about why the last two games are so different, Aonuma said they were "born from the ideas we had in the past."

2017's Breath of the Wild and 2023's Tears of the Kingdom are open-world adventures compared to a usually linear path. Tying this to remakes, Aonuma said, "We always try to make something that offers more than previous productions. In that respect, we are not really concerned with our old games anymore."

Seemingly putting a final nail in the coffin that we're more likely to get a Tears of the Kingdom sequel than an Ocarina remake, Aonuma concluded, "We prefer to focus on the future." This backs up one Twilight Princess dev promising they hadn't been approached for a remake.

What's next for Zelda?

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Insider Jeff Grubb has repeatedly said more Zelda remakes are on the way, but it seems he's off the money with this one. There's a growing catalogue of Zelda games available as part of the Switch Online service, although there are still some major gaps.

Notably, there are hopes that more GameCube games will join the Switch catalogue, with Wind Waker being a must-have addition. As for the future Aonuma is eyeing up, things are looking pretty good right now, especially with Tears of the Kingdom being the fastest-selling game in the franchise's history.

There's currently no word on a potential Tears of the Kingdom DLC, but as we assume that'll be on the horizon, we can then look ahead at a potential sequel. A trilogy set in this style will surely be a huge hit for Nintendo. Also, if we're getting a Tears sequel, it could be primed for the rumoured Switch 2.