Often considered to be one of the greatest games of all time,The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Timeis clearly one of Nintendo’s crown jewels. The triumph of good over evil inOcarina of Timeis a tale as old as time, with a little time travel thrown in the mix. When many players think of a typicalZeldaadventure,Ocarina of Timemight come to mind. Many of the norms of aZeldagame were established, or cemented, by this installment in the series. Open worlds, expansive dungeons, the Golden Goddesses with the Triforce, the sages, Ganondorf, and more were all part of the game’s impact.
Even more,Ocarina of Timewent on to revitalize the interest in the franchise. Several fans will point to the game to say it’s the best in the series, and it constantly shows up in fan culture from fan art to eveninspiringZelda-themed rings for anniversaries. That being said, there has been a lot of discussion among fans about what olderZeldagames should be brought to the Switch. But Nintendo really doesn’t need to port the Hero of Time’s story to the Switch right now.
RELATED:Zelda: Breath of the Wild Finds Way to Wreck Flower Lady’s Garden During Ganon Fight
Ocarina of Time is Not the End-All Be-All of Zelda
Originally released in 1998 for the N64,The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Timewas the first entry in the franchise to be 3D. It is an incredibly important game to the series, solidifying several of theZeldanorms mentioned before, and eventually becoming integral to the official timeline forThe Legend of Zeldaseries. Depending on the “outcome” ofOcarina of Time,the once streamlined timeline for the series splits into three different paths. There isthe dark timeline where the Hero is defeated, the Adult timeline that leaves the world without the Hero, and the Child timeline where Ganondorf is banished to the Twilight Realm.
However,Ocarina of Timedoesn’t need to be Nintendo’sSkyrim. It doesn’t need to be a game that Nintendo ports to every single console available by virtue of it being a successful game. The breadth of games available in theZeldaseries is also far greater than what is currently out inThe Elder Scrollsseries. A couple years afterOcarina of Time’s initial release, the game ended up receiving a port to the GameCube and the iQue Player, a Chinese game console. Eventually, an enhanced port for the Nintendo 3DS was released in 2011, and the game has appeared on the Wii and Wii U Virtual Consoles. While this isn’t to sayOcarina of Timeshould never be ported again, it isn’t an utmost need to have it on the Switch.
There are plenty of installments in the overallZeldaseries that are important to its history and popular among fans. WithThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HDheading to the Switch this summer, more fans will be able to experience the first story in the series' fictional chronology.The Wind Wakeris another game in the series that will often show up as a fan’s favorite. In regards to 2D games,A Link to the Pastand its spiritual successorA Link Between Worldsare great games in the series. WhileOcarina of Timeis definitely a major game for the series, and for Nintendo, playing it isn’t necessary for fans to loveZelda.
Ocarina of Timemay be one of the best-selling entries in the series, but a port to the Switch doesn’t mean it will sell just as well. If Nintendo is looking at the best ways to increase sales for futureZeldagames and the Nintendo Switch, making new content is the way to go. Millions of fans loveThe Legend of Zeldaseries, and it will continue for many years to come. There will be some fans that get tired of constant remakes and remasters, and some that will love them. Either way, the series will be able to continue growing with each completely new entry. Plus, not everyZeldagames needs a huge 3D open-world from now on. Nintendo could also make completelynew 2DZeldagames for fans.
RELATED:Zelda’s Tone Inspired by Study in London Says Breath of the Wild VA Patricia Summersett
Other Zelda Games Deserve Ports, Too
While everyLegend of Zeldafan has their favorite game in the series, most will agree thatotherZeldagames should get portsas well. Games likeThe Minish Cap, theOracleduology,Wind Waker, andTwilight Princesscould all be brought back to life, so to speak, on the Nintendo Switch. Fans would be interested, especially if certain games likeThe Minish Capwere fully remade, and not just ported to a Virtual Console. A recent example is Grezzo’s work on theLink’s Awakeningremake, which presented the older 1993 title in a whole new way.
With 2021 being the 35th anniversary of the series, fans are clamoring for some kind ofZeldaanthology collection to be released for the Switch. Games likePhantom HourglassandSpirit Tracksare rumored to get Switch ports, and would bring Link’s post-Wind Wakeradventures to a new audience. It is also possible thatWind Waker HDandTwilight Princess HDcould be bundle as a Switch port, since those are the most recent remasters before the upcomingSkyward Sword HD. If Nintendo continues its trend of bringing remakes, HD remasters, and Virtual Console ports to the Switch, there are certainly plenty of options to consider.
Overall, there is always the possibility thatOcarina of Timecould release for the Switchas part ofZelda’s 35th anniversary. It could even be coupled withMajora’s Mask,since the two are related to begin with, and both received Nintendo 3DS versions. In all honesty, if Nintendo wants to position the Switch as the best console from the company ever, then it may try to bring as many successful games from its flagship series as possible. It wouldn’t hurt to bringOcarina of Timeto the Switch in some way, but it isn’t the most important thing for Nintendo to do right now. With millions of fans waiting for more news and the eventual release of the sequel toBreath of the Wild,Nintendo should focus more on that game at the moment.
MORE:The Wait for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 Underlines Major Franchise Problem
