The development team working on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo Switch 2 has explained that the remake's character designs are inspired by puppets and marionettes. The approach follows earlier comments from former Nintendo artist Takaya Imamura and forms part of the game's broader visual direction.
Art director Aya Shida said the team wanted to rebuild Hyrule as a rich and detailed world while retaining the original's mysterious, almost dreamlike atmosphere. Although the setting is beautiful and sometimes dark, its inhabitants are colorful and unusual. The artistic challenge was to make those characters feel natural within a world that appears convincing without simply pursuing realism.
During the early stages of development, the team used concepts such as “the atmosphere of a puppet show” and “the analog feeling of films with handmade special effects” as visual references. According to Shida, these forms of expression do not reproduce reality exactly, but can still make fantasy characters feel as though they genuinely exist within their worlds.
The team began by creating sketches of Link, Zelda and the other characters. It also developed a 3D model of the Great Deku Tree, with particular attention paid to its lighting and textures, to demonstrate the type of world in which those characters would live.
Eiji Aonuma said the aesthetic also reflects the nostalgia felt by the current development team when looking back at the Nintendo 64 original. While the original game was created as an innovative project for its time rather than as a nostalgic work, the remake's developers have approached it through an analog style reminiscent of a puppet show. Aonuma, who worked on the original, described that evolution as logical.
The remake is scheduled to launch on Nintendo Switch 2 on November 5, 2026, as The Legend of Zelda celebrates its 40th anniversary. A themed console and matching Pro Controller are planned for October 29, while two new amiibo are expected in 2027. The physical game has also been restocked on Amazon Spain at a listed price of €59.90.
Sources: Nintenderos.