Shigeru Miyamoto, a prominent figure at Nintendo, has publicly addressed and defended the company's strategy of remaking classic video games. His comments follow the release of a reworked version of Star Fox 64 for the Nintendo Switch 2 earlier this year and ahead of the anticipated launch of an updated take on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, expected later in 2026.
The decision to revisit iconic titles has been met with mixed reactions from the gaming community. While some welcome the opportunity to experience beloved games with modern enhancements, others express a preference for entirely new entries within popular franchises, rather than replaying familiar narratives.
Speaking to Famitsu, Miyamoto explained the rationale behind these remakes. He noted that after several years, many players may have moved on from older games, and crucially, younger generations often lack the chance to play titles released a decade ago. He stated that remaking these games to be more accessible and enjoyable for contemporary audiences is an effective way to meet demand and introduce new players to Nintendo's rich history. He also suggested that familiarising players with original games can contribute to future developments within the company.
The Star Fox 64 remake, released for the Nintendo Switch 2, featured updated graphics and various quality-of-life improvements, though it maintained the original plot and gameplay largely intact. Details surrounding the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake are sparse, beyond its 2026 launch window and the promotional tagline, "a legend, reborn" – similar phrasing used for the Star Fox 64 update.
This strategy of re-releasing older games is not new for Nintendo. Earlier this year, the company made the 2002 remakes of the original Pokémon games available for the Switch 2 without further upgrades. Similarly, in 2025, Super Mario Galaxy and its 2010 sequel were re-released without significant modernisations. The company's focus on its back catalogue comes as other Nintendo-related projects are also in the pipeline, including a live-action Legend of Zelda movie scheduled for release next year, and the appearance of Star Fox's Fox McCloud in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie this year.