Do Super Metroid and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time really need a remake?

Super Metroid for the SNES and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64 are probably my two all-time favourite games. And if there are any titles that come close to them in my personal top list, they're likely later entries into the same franchises.

Now, after a first six months that were a smash hit in terms of console sales but ended up faltering when it came to its own catalogue, the Nintendo Switch 2 faces the remainder of 2026 with the need to flesh out that library of exclusives to give many more users a reason to buy the system. In this way, it will avoid the post-launch drought that plagued some of its predecessors and may strengthen its case for facing a more than likely, but no less daunting, price rise.

If we are to believe the mix of rumours and leaks that have flooded social media and the press over the last month, Nintendo's strategy (having already captured the attention of the more casual/mainstream audience with Animal Crossing, Pokopia and Tomodachi Life) is to strike directly at the heart of the most nostalgic Nintendo fan, the one who grew up in the 1990s with the consolidation of its non-Mario franchises. Whether this will be enough to sway the public in a year that is expected to be without Mario or Pokémon, its two main system sellers, and still a long way off a new Zelda, is something we can discuss another time.

But amongst all these supposed leaks, and with the permission of that Star Fox which is so trendy following the cameo by Fox McCloud in Super Mario Galaxy: The Movie, two names stand out: Super Metroid and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time; Samus Aran and Link. Undoubtedly the most significant instalments in their respective series, the third in the case of the bounty hunter (alternatively known as Metroid 3) and the fourth in the case of the Hylian hero (even if you'd rather forget it, there was a Zelda II).

The former cemented the rules of the subgenre we now call Metroidvania, and even today remains a case study in labyrinthine design, elegance and environmental storytelling. Ocarina, for its part, considered by many to be the greatest video game in history for decades, defined many of the rules of modern 3D adventure games, standardised enemy lock-on, elevated the series' dungeon design to new heights with unprecedented verticality, and introduced Nintendo's signature cinematic storytelling.

Furthermore, to become timeless gems, both surprised players with their audiovisual effort and that almost invisible ingredient so often neglected by other major titles: the near-perfect pacing of gameplay.

So, why make a remake? Moreover, both titles are available in their original formats. Even better, if possible, with upscaled graphics and progressive scan, in the Nintendo Switch Online catalogue. Do today's audiences really need a modernisation of these timeless classics to truly enjoy them? Perhaps this last question is the key, and the answer can only be "yes and no".

When we think of a remaster (a restoration that remains very faithful to the source material and aims to replicate the original experience) or a remake (a complete reconstruction, altering various aspects and even introducing new features), the first things that spring to mind are the graphics and the controls. How do they look and play today?

Below you can see the opening moments of both games, which I captured the other day on the Nintendo Switch 2's NSO to prepare this reflection. Both videos will remind those in the know why these games were so groundbreaking and unique, whilst also highlighting the few shortcomings that have become more visible (and tangible) over the years.

• Don't miss: Gaming defining moments: Ocarina of Time

Precisely because they were so innovative, both games established certain control systems that have naturally been refined since. Samus's various jumps, her handling of diagonals, or the nagging issue of jumping against the wall later in the game, become apparent as soon as you take control of the protagonist to search for the Metroid larva child in the colony's laboratory. Similarly, OoT's restricted camera (remember that back then there was no second stick and we moved it by locking onto the centre or the target), Navi's endless tutorial full of spoilers, or how Link handles platforms and pushable objects, all evolved drastically with The Wind Waker (Majora's Mask didn't have time, ironically enough).

On the audiovisual front, I find myself torn by the fact that the pixel is beautiful. Although I no longer play any of these games on a CRT telly with an interlaced signal, the truth is that I enjoy identifying and revelling in the beauty of these treasures despite (or perhaps because of) their technical limitations, almost as if they were interactive cave paintings, particularly in the case of Metroid. Now then, do I want to play them for the umpteenth time with the sheer smoothness and visual luxury that the Switch 2 is capable of?

Well, yes, because as with so many remakes, it will be the perfect excuse to revisit these adventures, see how they impact me with all sorts of details, and probably criticise harshly every time the art direction shows a lack of respect.

However, we agree that a remaster with upscaled graphics and 16:9 aspect ratio with a few visual effects wouldn't be enough to call either of them a remake, and with such a major change come all the risks. If you redraw Super Metroid using MercurySteam's Metroid Dread engine (honestly, I thought they were making Metroid 6 - could it be both?), will you also introduce moves implemented by the Madrid-based studio, such as the parry? And if you go all in with Ocarina of Time, will you keep that map (once immense but now tiny) to preserve the pacing? Or are you seriously considering expanding the scale, drawing inspiration from Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, and opting for an ambitious open world with its inherent mechanics, without reaching the scale of those games and verging on heresy?

And what about the narrative? Although they seem like two rather silent characters, Samus 'speaks' prominently at the start of Super Metroid, as you can see in the video. She recounts the events of the first two games in the first person, and a remake wouldn't be complete without voice acting, would it? Mercury also knows how to cook stunning cutscenes to expand the story or emphasise a climactic moment, but is this something that might disrupt the original's minimalist atmospheric essence?

As for Zelda, we're already more than used to hearing the princess and other key characters speak, whilst Link remains silent beyond his characteristic shouts. Can you imagine OoT with the ominous visions from the video above narrated by the Great Deku Tree just before it perishes? Zelda, Ganondorf, Sheik and the Sages flexing their tongues? As intriguing as it is risky.

And we've naturally imagined Super Metroid in the style of Dread, but perhaps the best and most authentic solution would be to revive it in flat 2D, with beautiful old-school animated sprites and stunning hand-painted backgrounds. Something between the exuberance of Ori and the Will of the Wisps and the practicality of Hollow Knight, but trying to set itself apart from the barrage of sci-fi Metroidvanias already on the market. That way, the result could be clearly distinguished from the upcoming Metroid 6.

Ocarina faces a similar 'problem'. If it uses the technology of BotW and TotK, the art direction must make the difference. Sometimes I dream of a complete redraw with cel shading, just as TWW bravely dared to do, but by dragging along the somewhat inaccurate label of 'the first mature and realistic Zelda', I am sure (and Nintendo probably is too) that they would be shooting themselves in the foot.

Perhaps the best approach is to respect the style of the original artwork and capture its 90s flavour, whilst always steering clear of all those 'Ocarina of Time but on Unreal Engine' projects that have been torturing us for years with their ugliness and generic nature.

"You've met with a terrible fate"... Now, however much they may have broken grounds back in the day with the musical interactivity allowed by the cartridges, what Ocarina of Time truly deserves is Koji Kondo's famous soundtrack, completely reorchestrated. Yes, we've already been treated to the official concerts before and after the 25th anniversary, and there are several albums. But Ocarina of Time, as its name suggests, is one of the games most capable of moving you through its music (an essential and playable part of your experience) and just for growing up for the first time with the Song of Time, for making the sun rise again, for hearing real flamenco in Gerudo Valley, or for accentuating the magnificent psychedelia of the Forest Temple, it will have been worth it.

And then we could delve into the defining features at the level of game design. How much can you improve or reduce the backtracking in Super Metroid without undermining its intent? Can you tweak Ocarina's dungeons without spoiling their rhythm and ingenuity? When it comes to Nintendo, it is only fair to demand careful attention to gameplay first and then a strong audiovisual presentation.

Finally, let's remember that both series have already had remakes and remasters in the past. It seems these two couldn't be touched, or at least not thoroughly, whether because the timing wasn't right given the release schedule and consoles, or because the technology wasn't quite up to scratch in Ocarina's case.

That said, let's remember that OoT did receive a thorough remaster in the form of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. To this day, it remains probably the best way to play the classic, with improved graphics, refined controls and, in the case of Spain, the Spanish text from the booklet that came with the cartridge already integrated (and completely missing N64 languages such as Italian now added). However, it lost the Rumble Pack vibrations which, as you'll recall, were also used in the game. And although I've said that both gems are available in the NSO catalogue, this version does suffer from the fact that it's only available on a discontinued console, curiously just like Star Fox 3D.

• You might be interested in: [Top 8+1] Star Fox games, from worst to best

Majora's Mask followed suit, completing the N64 brace on the 3DS, whilst the GameCube-Wii era was revived on the Wii U and Nintendo Switch respectively with The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess HD, followed by Skyward Sword HD. We're all but certain that the first two were also planned for the original Switch, but someone thought it was too soon and shelved them. In any case, the three served to test how much to respect or deviate from the originals, without going as far as a full remake. We're talking about managing core systems such as the dual-screen setup or, above all, motion controls, and all these 'filler' games enrich the prospects for the Ocarina of Time Remake. And we haven't even mentioned Link's Awakening, the true audiovisual remake that was exquisitely faithful to the old gameplay.

On Samus's side, the fact that Mercury had already produced a notable 3D remake of Metroid 2: Return of Samus with, ahem, Samus Returns, secured them the Dread contract (remember that, after making several Castlevania games, they are the only official Metroidvania studio in existence). Likewise, Nintendo itself gave us the brilliant Metroid: Zero Mission as one of its first major remakes, and the way it handled the classic 1980s NES title undoubtedly sets the path forward now. Finally, Metroid Prime: Remastered has had so much work put into it that, at its core, it's more of a remake than what it's called, but just like Zelda's Awakening, the first-person sub-series is somewhat out of place here, especially when we want to keep that Prime remaster in our memories rather than the recent Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.

"Time passes, people move. Like a river's flow, it never ends"

The other day I read that current generations don't identify with J-RPG series because they haven't grown up seeing a new instalment every two or three years. And that over 70% of Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth players are over 30. Remakes and remasters have been here to stay for some time now, and can be viewed in a harmless light as a convenient way to pad out the catalogue between main instalments. Super Metroid and Zelda: Ocarina of Time were and remain masterpieces. You can play them today just as they are and you'll soon understand why. I do so every now and then, just as I do with Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Street Fighter II Turbo, or Half-Life 2. At the end of this reflection, I feel liberated, yet at the same time I harbour equal parts enthusiasm and concern. Any excuse is a good one to replay these classics, and they may well inspire me in unexpected ways, but as history has shown, it is extremely difficult to get it right.