Quick answer: Yes, the Water Temple is easier to follow in the Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Eiji Aonuma had the team make item switching much easier and turn some confusing walls into see-through lattices. The remake also adds a jump button, lets you hum or play a real ocarina into the Switch 2 microphone, and fully voices the cutscenes. Confirmed in Nintendo’s Ask the Developer Vol. 24, Parts 3 and 4, published November 3, 2026.
The second half of Nintendo’s Ask the Developer interview for the Ocarina of Time remake is out, and it covers the changes longtime fans will care about most. Here is what the team revealed, two days before launch.
Aonuma finally fixed his Water Temple
Aonuma called it “overdue homework.” He designed the Water Temple 28 years ago because he loves freediving and wanted being underwater to feel fun on its own. The problem was the constant item swapping. You kept opening the menu, and it was easy to lose track of where you were and which way you were facing.
Director HokWai Ng says item toggling is now much easier, and some walls that threw off your sense of direction are now lattices you can see through.
Link can jump anywhere now
Auto-jump is gone. In the Nintendo 64 game, Link only hopped when you ran off specific ledges. The remake borrows controls from recent Zelda games, so one button jumps anywhere. Art director Aya Shida says Young Link and Adult Link even jump slightly different distances, so the team had to retune gaps all over Hyrule.
Jump Attack now works like Breath of the Wild, jump first and then attack. Aonuma could not get used to it, so the team also added a single button version.
Hum a song and Link plays it
About a year ago, Aonuma walked over to Ng’s desk with an idea: Switch 2 has a built-in microphone, so what if you could hum a song you learned and Link played it on the ocarina? It also listens for a real ocarina. Aonuma admits it does not make the game any easier. It is just fun.
Voices, 150 tracks and surround sound
- Cutscenes are fully voiced, and Navi’s famous “Listen!” stays true to the original.
- The Japanese cast came from blind auditions, and one actor picked turned out to have voiced the same character on Nintendo 64.
- There are more than 150 music tracks, recorded with a full orchestra, and some mix in sounds from the original game.
- The game supports 5.1 surround sound, and the ocarina echoes differently depending on where you play it.
- A new Threads of Time feature unlocks illustrations that build a picture book style tapestry of the story.
Our take
Parts 1 and 2 showed a careful remake that even cut the fast travel Aonuma asked for. Parts 3 and 4 show where the team did push for change: the friction points people actually complained about. The Water Temple fix alone will win over a lot of returning players.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launches November 5 on Nintendo Switch 2 for $59.99. Check our release time and preload guide before launch night.
Sources: Nintendo Ask the Developer Vol. 24, Part 3 and Part 4.
