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Nintendo Switch 2 Remakes Are Just as Important as New Games
Nintendo may be looking forward with the Nintendo Switch 2, but that doesn’t mean it’s leaving its biggest classics behind. Following the release of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and the earlier return of Star Fox, Nintendo says remakes now sit alongside brand-new games as an equally important part of its software line-up.
Speaking to Polygon during the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Nintendo of America Senior Vice President of Product Development and Publishing Nate Bihldorff said new games and remakes both have a place in its catalogue “of equal importance”.
That is a notable position after a year where the Switch 2 has leaned into substantial rebuilds alongside new releases. Star Fox returned as a cinematic reworking of Star Fox 64 in June, while our review examined how successfully Fox McCloud’s familiar adventure translated to Nintendo’s newer hardware.
Ocarina of Time Shows How Nintendo Approaches Remakes
For Bihldorff, the appeal extends beyond selling nostalgia back to existing fans. He pointed specifically to how many players may never have experienced the original 1998 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, meaning the Switch 2 version effectively becomes a completely new 2026 game for that audience.
Nintendo’s own official overview of the remake reflects that approach. The game retains the original adventure while introducing completely overhauled visuals, voiced cutscenes, expanded dialogue, modern camera controls, jumping and dashing, and a refreshed soundtrack. The gaming giant detailed those additions when it revealed the November 5 release and expanded gameplay changes, building substantially on the brief Ocarina of Time remake reveal earlier this year.
The result is less about preserving a game exactly as it existed and more about keeping its underlying design recognisable while removing some of the barriers that come with returning to a title almost three decades later.
No Next Remake Announced Yet
Bihldorff’s comments should not be mistaken for confirmation that another remake is already waiting in the wings. The compnay has not announced another classic remake beyond its currently revealed line-up, nor has it identified which older franchise could receive similar treatment next.
There are certainly plenty of candidates. Our own look at Nintendo’s reliance on Star Fox 64 nostalgia raised the opposite side of the argument, questioning whether repeatedly revisiting familiar peaks can eventually come at the expense of giving dormant franchises genuinely new ideas.
Bihldorff’s comments suggest there is room for both approaches. New games remain crucial to moving its franchises forward, but for players who never owned an N64, GameCube, or another earlier system, a rebuilt classic is not necessarily a return trip at all. It may simply be their first one.
