Ocarina of Time Remake Is "the Perfect First Zelda Game," Says Nintendo

Bill Trinen, Nintendo of America's Vice President of Player & Product Experience, told IGN why the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, released November 5, 2026 exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2, is in his view the best entry point into the series.

"The perfect first Zelda game"

Speaking at the remake's launch event at the Nintendo Store in San Francisco, Trinen didn't mince words: "This is the perfect place for your first Zelda game, because you are gonna learn everything that there is about the world and the characters that will serve sort of as the foundation for all the others, all the games that came after." He added that the game "is sort of a really foundational story for the lore of the Legend of Zelda," covering Link's journey to becoming a hero and his relationship with Zelda and Ganondorf, and summed up the series' moral core as "the idea that wisdom and courage combined can overcome power."

A personal history with Ocarina of Time

Trinen isn't a neutral voice on this one: his nearly 30-year career at Nintendo began translating bug reports for the original N64 version of Ocarina of Time back in the '90s. The remake arrives as part of Zelda's 40th anniversary (the original NES game launched in 1986), with Ocarina of Time having made history in 1998 as the series' first 3D entry.

A favorite moment, and a new favorite game

Trinen also shared his favorite moment in the game (spoiler warning for anyone who hasn't played it): leaving Kokiri Forest for the first time and seeing Hyrule Field open up. Asked for his all-time favorite Zelda, he smiled and dodged, naming Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, or Breath of the Wild depending on the era, before concluding that the Switch 2 Ocarina of Time remake is now his new favorite, given the original's impact on Nintendo and the industry.

Key takeaways

• Bill Trinen (Nintendo of America) calls the Ocarina of Time remake, out November 5, 2026 on Switch 2, the best entry point into the Zelda series.
• Comments made to IGN at the remake's launch event at the Nintendo Store in San Francisco.
• The remake arrives as part of Zelda's 40th anniversary (first game in 1986, Ocarina of Time in 1998).
• Trinen, whose Nintendo career began translating the original Ocarina of Time, names this remake his new favorite Zelda game.

Sources

• IGN — "Nintendo Exec Bill Trinen Explains Why the Ocarina of Time Remake Is the Perfect First The Legend of Zelda Game" by Ryan McCaffrey (updated November 6, 2026)