The Ocarina of Time remake almost shipped with Breath of the Wild-style warp points, according to series producer Eiji Aonuma, who explains in Nintendo’s latest Ask the Developer interview that he suggested the fast travel feature himself, watched the team build it, and then had it taken out again because it was ruining the game.
Honestly? Respect!
With the Switch 2 remake landing this Thursday, 5 November, the interview also reveals why Nintendo wanted to remake a 28-year-old game in the first place, and it’s not just about selling nostalgia to people in their thirties. So did Nintendo make the right call, and what does it tell us about the remake? Let me explain.
Why Did Nintendo Cut the Warp Points?
As GamesRadar reports, Aonuma pitched warp points as a way to speed up getting around Hyrule, but playtesting showed people were zipping past all the little detours and distractions, and missing the moments of discovery that come from stopping to poke at something odd on the way.
In other words, the slow trek across Hyrule Field turned out to be part of the design, not a bug, and the team decided that the thing everyone thinks they want was quietly making the game worse. Instead of warping, Link can now run and jump, which is honestly a huge upgrade on the original’s tried-and-tested method of rolling everywhere like a very determined hedgehog!
HonestlyThe original N64 game already had its own fast travel in the form of the warp songs you learn later on, and nothing in the interview suggests those are going anywhere, so cutting the extra warp points shouldn’t mean walking to every temple forever.
A Remake to Teach Nintendo’s Younger Developers?
This is the genuinely interesting part, because in the Ask the Developer interview, Aonuma and producer Hidemaro Fujibayashi explain that the remake was tied to the series’ 40th anniversary, and that many of the current team know the open-ended Breath of the Wild era far better than the 1998 game that defined 3D Zelda.
VGC picked up on Aonuma’s hope that rebuilding it would “trigger new insights” in those younger developers, and he admits he was surprised by how little the team ended up changing, because the more they worked on it, the more protective of the original they became. Here’s what we know about the remake going into launch week:
- Release date: Thursday 5 November 2026
- Platform: Nintendo Switch 2 only
- Price: $59.99 digital, with physical copies listed at $69.99
- New movement: Running and jumping, but no warp points
- Kept: Z-targeting and the original’s paced, story-driven structure
Is the Ocarina of Time Remake Playing It Too Safe?
That’s the worry, isn’t it, because a remake where the developers kept being surprised at how little they changed could easily end up being a very pretty version of a game a lot of people have already played several times on N64, 3DS and, for some people (definitely not me), emulators.
On the other hand, the warp point story suggests a team that actually tested its ideas and threw out the ones that didn’t work, rather than bolting modern features on for the sake of a bullet point on the back of the box, and that’s exactly the kind of restraint I’d want from a remake of a game this important.
Fun FactNintendo’s $10 gap between digital and physical Switch 2 games means the Ocarina of Time remake is cheaper on the eShop than on a Game Card, so if you don’t care about the box, digital saves you a tenner.
Should You Buy the Ocarina of Time Remake on Day One?
If Ocarina is your favourite Zelda, I suspect you’ve already pre-ordered and nothing I say will stop you, and that’s fine, because everything we’ve heard so far points to a careful, respectful remake rather than a cash-grab. If you’re on the fence, reviews should land before Thursday, so there’s no harm in waiting a day or two to see whether “faithful” means “lovingly rebuilt” or “a bit too safe”.
And if you’re in London and fancy a free replica N64 box with your copy, we’ve already broken down whether the UK midnight launch is worth freezing on a pavement for!
FAQs
Does the Ocarina of Time remake have fast travel?
The Ocarina of Time remake doesn’t have Breath of the Wild-style warp points, as they were cut during development, but Link can now run and jump.
When does the Ocarina of Time remake come out?
The Ocarina of Time remake launches exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on Thursday 5 November 2026.
How much is the Ocarina of Time remake?
The Ocarina of Time remake costs $59.99 digitally on the Nintendo eShop, while physical copies are listed at $69.99.
About The Author
