Nintendo has revealed the development team responsible for creating The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake.
The Super Mario Bros. company typically keeps its cards pretty close to its chest when it comes to the behind-the-scenes details for its biggest releases. The Legend of Zelda series is no exception, but Nintendo did offer a peek behind the curtain as part of an Ocarina of Time remake installment in its Ask the Developer Q&A series.
Fans have speculated who might be behind the Nintendo Switch 2 reimagining of an all-time classic since it was announced. While some believed Xenoblade series developer Monolith Soft might be leading the charge, for example, the interview confirmed that it’s actually Nintendo’s Entertainment Planning & Development (EDP) Production Group No. 3 that’s responsible for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake.
Featured in the first interview chapter are franchise producer Eiji Aonuma and series directing veteran Hidemaro Fujibayashi, with EDP Production Group No. 3’s HokWai Ng, Aya Shida, Hiroki Taguchi, and Masato Ohashi also listed as interviewees to be featured in future highlights. In other words, the core team behind one of the most highly-anticipated games of the last few years is the same group behind most The Legend of Zelda projects from the last 30 years.
Longtime fans of the original Nintendo 64 game (or even its 2011 Nintendo 3DS remake) who have feared the Switch 2 version of the story could tarnish its reputation can probably rest easy knowing it was in experienced hands. That said, it is always possible another team like Monolith Soft could have chipped in as a support developer, though we likely won’t know the full list of team members until we have a better look at those credits in a few days.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake launches for Switch 2 November 5. Although it was made by the same hands that have helped keep the classic fantasy franchise kicking for decades, that doesn’t mean the developers weren’t willing to experiment where they could. During the interview, Aonuma explained that he tried to “basically let the developers make whatever changes they genuinely felt were necessary.”
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Preview Screenshots
“I wanted the team to make The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time their own, and to follow through on their own ideas about what the game should be,” he added. “That said, I did deliver my fair share of lectures along the way. (Laughs) I took a step back to observe how the younger members of the development team would reimagine The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time using the insights and answers they had arrived at on their own.”
Fujibayashi added that, from his point of view, it was important for the team to have a clear outline for what would and wouldn’t be changed from the Nintendo 64 game early on.
“For people like us, who know both the original The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and the recent 3D Legend of Zelda games, there’s no shortage of things we’d like to say when it comes to designing a game,” he said. “(Laughs) That’s why I took a step back and supported the team from a broader perspective by helping them clarify the things they needed to be mindful of when designing the game.”
Nintendo Switch 2: The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition Console Images
Despite having a good plan for how Nintendo and EDP Production Group No. 3 would tackle The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake from the get-go, Aonuma recently admitted that he’s still a bit nervous to see how fans will respond. Meanwhile, Google recently launched a time-traveling Easter Egg to help build up hype for this week’s new Switch 2 game.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
