Nintendo believes remakes deserve just as much attention as entirely new games, and the release of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on Switch 2 on November 5 is the latest example.
Speaking to Polygon, Nate Bihldorff, Nintendo's Senior Vice President of Product Development and Publishing, said the company considers both approaches equally important to its lineup.
"I do think that new games and remakes both have a place in the Nintendo stable, of equal importance, to be honest. There are fans of every single IP that we have out there. Of course, having new games in those series is wonderful, and I look forward to them as much as anyone else does, but there's also a deep satisfaction in revisiting games that were very, very special, like Ocarina of Time," Bihldorff said.
His comments come as Nintendo brings one of its most celebrated Nintendo 64 adventures to Switch 2, giving longtime fans another opportunity to experience the game while introducing it to players who may never have played the original.
For anyone preparing to return to Hyrule, our Ocarina of Time Switch 2 guide covers the game's release time, price, download size, and pre-loading details.
Emmanuel Umahi
Why Nintendo believes remakes still matter
Bihldorff's comments reflect an argument Nintendo has been making for some time. In July, legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto defended the company's approach to remakes during an interview with Famitsu.
Miyamoto pointed out that younger players do not always have access to older games, particularly as gaming hardware and technology move forward.
"Some people might say there are a lot of remakes, but after five years, a lot of people have outgrown games and stop playing them. Young people today don't have the opportunity to play games from 10 years ago, so remaking them to be more playable and releasing them again is a good way to meet the demand," he explained.
He also argued that introducing new audiences to older games can help create interest in future projects. The commercial success of remakes can provide additional resources for developing new titles, meaning these releases can contribute to Nintendo's future rather than simply revisit its past.
Ocarina of Time also gives Nintendo's developers a lesson in game design
There is another reason the remake matters, particularly to the people making Nintendo's games today.
In an official Ask the Developer interview, Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma explained that revisiting Ocarina of Time was partly about helping younger members of the development team understand the original game's design and influence.
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