Nintendo has been on a pretty big remake kick lately with the return of Star Fox and an Ocarina of Time reimagining slated for the near future. These titles have maintained a strong legacy of being some of the best Nintendo games out there, but it can sometimes feel like the industry is relying too heavily on remakes instead of pushing new IP and fresh sequels forward. Although this might be true in some cases, there are games out there that are completely worthy of the remake treatment, and Miyamoto has recently shared his thoughts on why remaking games is actually a great thing.
Now that the Star Fox remake has launched on the Switch 2 and Ocarina of Time is expected to arrive before the end of the year, there are already questions about which beloved classic Nintendo will remake next. That remains to be seen, but it wouldn’t be surprising if more Legend of Zelda remakes followed Ocarina of Time, especially if it happens to be a huge success. Even if remakes aren’t necessarily your thing, Miyamoto’s stance on the matter is a solid reminder of why certain remakes need to happen.
Miyamoto Believes That Remakes Help Preserve Classic Games and Push Franchises Forward
For longtime gamers who have been around for both the original Ocarina of Time on the N64 and the first remake for the Nintendo 3DS, it’s understandable to write off another remake. The game has already been made twice, so surely that should be enough for Nintendo. It’s become a little more complicated than that, though. There is an entire generation of new gamers who have never played a Nintendo 3DS and have potentially never even seen the N64 in person. It’s a wild thought, but playing classic games simply isn’t accessible for every kind of gamer now, since there is such a huge age gap.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Guess the games from the emojis.
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There have been plenty of great game remakes made over the years, and they can even significantly improve upon the original. In addition to Star Fox, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is one of the most recent remakes that has taken the first iteration to a higher level and introduced it to a brand-new, younger audience. Black Flag Resynced is far more than just a solid remake. It has given the Assassin’s Creed franchise a much-needed positive kick that will hopefully mark a new era for the series’ upcoming new entries. Miyamoto sees remakes as a strong revitalization tool, and Black Flag Resynced demonstrates that he’s ultimately right.
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. Letting people know the original games also leads to future developments, so we’ve been actively pursuing that recently.
Unless someone is actively trying to build a collection of old consoles and games, most gamers who are teens and young adults aren’t going to be able to experience games like Ocarina of Time the way they were originally intended. A port of the game is available on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service, but there’s something special about playing it on the original console. Also, there’s the unfortunate truth that many younger gamers are immediately going to be deterred by Ocarina of Time and Star Fox‘s outdated graphics and gameplay.
The newer generation has different expectations of how a game should feel to play, and it’s hard to blame them if they can’t connect with older games when they’ve got to experience the top tier graphics and gameplay of games like Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and God of War. Outdated controls hold a special charm when it comes to revisiting older games, but it’s much easier to be charmed by clunky mechanics and boxy graphics when there is a nostalgic, emotional connection involved.
Nintendo Seems Determined to Bring More Remakes to Life, and That’s a Good Thing in the Long Run
Granted, there have definitely been some unnecessary game remakes (cough, cough, Until Dawn). However, when it comes to the most popular game franchises, it makes sense to revamp older entries every now and then in order to capture the attention of potential new fans. A series can only go so far as its audience, and appealing to the younger generations is the best way to ensure longevity.
Nintendo’s Next Choice for a Remake Is Going to Be Interesting
Miyamoto has made it clear that Nintendo is “actively pursuing” remakes at the moment, so it wouldn’t be too surprising if more were announced later in the year or 2027. More classic Legend of Zelda remakes of beloved entries like Majora’s Mask and Twilight Princess feel like real possibilities. Remaking games like Pokemon Colosseum or greenlighting a Kid Icarus revival could be great options to pursue, too. Nintendo has a deep well to pull from when it comes to remake possibilities, so it’s going to be fascinating to see which games the company chooses to bring back into the spotlight for a new audience.
Nintendo has not revealed a release date or price for the Ocarina of Time remake, so leaks and rumors about these details should be taken with a grain of salt until officially confirmed.
The gaming world may sometimes feel like it has become a land of remakes, but that actually isn’t the case. There are still plenty of amazing original games and sequels that are pushing the industry forward. Even though there are definitely a lot of game remakes coming out in 2026, there are just as many fresh stories to dive into.
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.
September is a perfect example of just how many new games there are to look forward to. Games like Marvel’s Wolverine, The Blood of Dawnwalker, and Control Resonant are just a small example of what the month has in store for fans. Remakes might not always be as exciting as announcing a new entry in a series, but bringing games like Star Fox and Ocarina of Time to the Switch 2 paves a new path that allows such popular franchises to last even longer.
Source: Famitsu
