The stakes are personal for Aonuma. The 1998 Nintendo 64 game was his first project with Shigeru Miyamoto, the Nintendo designer who created The Legend of Zelda and Mario. Aonuma later directed Majora’s Mask and became the producer overseeing the Zelda series. Ocarina of Time also marked a major shift for the franchise, bringing Link’s adventure into 3D and following him from childhood into adulthood.

The new version has been rebuilt for Switch 2, with updated visuals, voiced cutscenes, expanded dialogue, orchestral music, and revised controls. Aonuma said some of the younger developers on the team had never played the original. He sees their fresh perspective as part of what helped the team rethink how the game should feel in players’ hands.

Aonuma’s comments also look beyond this remake. He said he is interested in what younger staff will come up with for future Zelda games, and is glad to offer guidance while they develop those ideas. For now, though, he is waiting to see how players respond when his first Zelda project returns in a new form.