Exploring Hyrule Without Fast Travel
The Legend of Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma asked the Ocarina of Time remake team to add fast travel warp points throughout Hyrule, but it didn't take long for him to realize that was probably a bad idea.
Aonuma touched on the trashed concept as part of an Ask the Developer interview shared by Nintendo. The Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game seems to have made a few changes to its gameplay formula, but this particular change was left on the cutting room floor.
When looking back at how the series has evolved with entries like Breath of the Wild, Aonuma said he found room for improvement, pointing to Hyrule Field as one location that might benefit from a fast-travel option.
It didn't take too long to realize that the original design worked better for the game's pacing.
Why Warp Points Were Removed
So I asked the team to add warp points that didn’t exist in the original game, giving players access to shortcuts, Aonuma explained. But when we actually tried playing the game with those warp points, we realized that we were missing out on the moments of discovery that came from stopping along the way and wondering, 'Wait, what’s this?'
Through this development process, the team was reminded how important those moments are to the structure of Ocarina of Time. Aonuma noted that after proposing the warp points, they ultimately did not work out, leading him to have them removed.
New Gameplay Additions
Nintendo did find room to experiment with other aspects of the adventure. While loading screens were preserved to maintain the feeling of entering new areas, Link will be able to move faster thanks to a sprint feature and a dedicated jump button.
Looking at what they ultimately created, Aonuma expressed admiration for how rich an experience the development team crafted from a game released decades prior, praising their deep care for the original material.
IGN gathered a list of 40 changes we noticed after getting a better look at the remake in September. We then took a closer look with a preview of our own. If you're wondering why Nintendo opted to make an Ocarina of Time remake in the first place, you can click here.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake launches for Switch 2 on November 5.
