Remember when Nintendo pulled a fast one and hid The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom‘s Depths from us ahead of the game’s launch? Well, I think we have reason to believe they could be doing something similar with the upcoming Ocarina of Time remake on Switch 2. To be fair, Tears of the Kingdom‘s Depths is an incredible experience, and I personally feel it was a great move by Nintendo not to spoil it ahead of time. It made the big discovery that much more worth it, and considering personal discovery is at the heart of both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom‘s design, the decision not to include the Depths in TotK‘s marketing makes sense. The question is, however, what could Nintendo be up to with the Ocarina of Time remake, if anything at all?
Even before Ocarina of Time previews finally started revealing that the remake wasn’t, in fact, a complete 1:1 reimagining of the N64 classic, there was a lot of speculation that Nintendo could have been hiding things from players. After all, some players were let down by the remake’s initial reveal, simply because it looked like little more than a visual overhaul with a few quality-of-life touches. Sure, there’s nothing inherently wrong with that when it comes to remaking a title as beloved as Ocarina of Time, but it’s also understandable that there were plenty of Zelda fans out there who wanted the original game to evolve a bit more in a remake. Well, now that early previews of the game have surfaced, we’re starting to see that the Ocarina of Time remake might actually be more than meets the eye, with redesigned puzzles and dungeons, as well as new NPC dialogue and more exploration opportunities. But is that all? What if Nintendo is actually hiding even more, say, after the credits roll?
Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake Could Be Hiding Master Quest Behind Its Credits
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest was first released in 2003 as a pre-order bonus for The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. This was, of course, back when pre-order bonuses were actually more than just in-game cosmetics, as this particular bonus meant that we essentially got two games for the price of one. The reason I say that is because Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest was actually the full original game, now on a GameCube disc, but with overhauled dungeon layouts to make the experience feel fresh for those who had already played Ocarina of Time on the N64 enough times to have the dungeons memorized.
What if Nintendo is actually hiding even more, say, after the credits roll?
To be honest, it was an incredible time to be alive—for me, anyway. I had just had my wisdom teeth pulled, so I got to stay home from school for a couple of days and swap between playing a revamped version of my favorite game of all time and a brand-new Zelda game with an art style that more than piqued my curiosity. Both experiences were fantastic, of course, but playing through Master Quest truly did feel like playing an entirely different game.
Now, the reason I’m bringing up The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest is because I believe Nintendo could be hiding it as an optional New Game Plus mode of sorts at the end of the upcoming Ocarina of Time remake. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time the studio has kept a big surprise hidden, and Tears of the Kingdom‘s magnificent Depths are proof of that. But the other reason I suspect there’s a chance Master Quest could be waiting at the end of the Ocarina of Time remake is because that’s precisely what awaited players in 2011, once the credits rolled on the Nintendo 3DS version of the game.
Ocarina of Time Remake’s Changes Make a New Master Quest Even More Exciting
In the 3DS version of Ocarina of Time, beating the game unlocked Master Quest, which gave players an entirely new reason to jump back into Hyrule. The dungeons were different, enemies dealt twice as much damage, and the entire world was mirrored, making even familiar locations feel a little strange. It was a fantastic way to reward players for finishing the game, especially those who had already experienced the original Ocarina of Time more times than they could count. And considering how much Nintendo is already changing with the Switch 2 remake, I can’t help but wonder what a modern version of Master Quest would look like.
Of course, the fact that the remake already features redesigned dungeons complicates things a bit. After all, if Nintendo is changing puzzles and dungeon layouts in the base game, how much further could it take them in Master Quest? Personally, I think that’s what makes the possibility even more exciting. Imagine finally finishing the remake, only to discover that Nintendo has an entirely different version of Hyrule waiting for you, complete with even more challenging dungeons and surprises that weren’t in the original game.
I’m certainly not saying Master Quest is guaranteed to be in the remake, and I don’t think it would be quite the same level of surprise as discovering the Depths in Tears of the Kingdom. But Nintendo has done this before, and I think it would be a shame if it didn’t take advantage of the opportunity again. If nothing else, it would give longtime fans like me one more reason to spend another hundred hours in Hyrule. And considering Ocarina of Time remake’s amiibo aren’t even coming out until next year, surely Nintendo intends to keep us in the game for as long as possible, and Master Quest would certainly help.
- Released
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November 5, 2026
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ / Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
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Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
