How Will Nintendo Handle Ocarina of Time Remake’s Soundtrack?

I'm currently replaying the N64 version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time through Nintendo Switch Online on my Switch 2, and I have to say: this is still my favorite game of all time.

Ocarina of Time is my favorite game of all-time. I was hyped for it like no other title before (or after) it and it didn’t just meet my expectations — it far surpassed them.

No other game has had the same impact on me.

So naturally, I'm extremely excited for the upcoming Ocarina of Time remake.

And while everyone is debating whether Nintendo will make this a one-to-one remake or completely reimagine it like Final Fantasy VII, there's one aspect I'm particularly interested in:

The soundtrack.

Koji Kondo Sound Font

As I've mentioned before, Koji Kondo was apparently pretty fond of the N64 sound font used in Star Fox 64, Ocarina of Time, and Majora's Mask.

All three games used variations of the same basic sound technology, and you can hear how Nintendo expanded it from game to game.

I wasn't particularly impressed with the font in Star Fox 64. I actually prefer the SNES sound font from the original Star Fox. But Kondo clearly saw something in it.

And by the time Ocarina of Time came around, Nintendo had significantly expanded the available sound library with more instruments and greater variety.

That's important because Ocarina of Time isn't simply an orchestral soundtrack.

Kondo's music incorporates orchestral writing, ethnic influences, synthesized sounds, percussion, choral elements, and a whole range of other musical styles.

So how does Nintendo approach that in a modern remake?

Orchestral and More?

We've already seen what Nintendo can do with Star Fox.

The new Star Fox remake features a fully orchestrated soundtrack, and I absolutely love what they've done with it.

So part of me wants Nintendo to take the same approach with Ocarina of Time.

Give me a full orchestra for the pieces that naturally lend themselves to orchestration. Think about tracks like the Sacred Realm or Hyrule Castle. Those could absolutely benefit from a massive orchestral arrangement - though those two and some other pieces require a choir to really capture their character.

But what about the Forest Temple?

What about Goron City?

What about Zora's Domain?

Those tracks have very different musical identities. Simply throwing an orchestra at everything might actually take away some of what makes them special.

I could see Nintendo using a combination of live orchestration, big band, live instrumentaiton mixed with high-quality synthesizers, and other modern production techniques to preserve the unique character of those songs.

And then there's the biggest challenge of all: Hyrule Field.

That track is heavily interactive. The music changes dynamically as you move through the world, enter combat, encounter enemies, and explore.

I'm curious whether Nintendo could record a live orchestra and still maintain that same level of interactivity. They absolutely could find a way. We've seen games use prerecorded live instrumentation dynamically before.

But doing it in the particular way Kondo originally designed the soundtrack?

That's the interesting part.

Bring Back Koji Kondo

And this brings me back to something I've written about before:

I want Koji Kondo to take the lead again.

Kondo was the sole composer for the original Ocarina of Time. This is HIS music.

I'd love for him to contribute new material, new arrangements, and new ideas.

Give the original soundtrack the production quality it deserves while allowing Kondo to put his fingerprints on the remake.

And Then There's the Lore...

Of course, the soundtrack isn't the only thing I'm thinking about.

I also really want Nintendo to expand the lore and story of Ocarina of Time.

I've written an entire post about how Nintendo could expand some of the events that originally happened off-screen, and I still think that's the best way to enhance the game without completely reinventing it.

I don't need Final Fantasy VII Remake-style changes.

Give me the Ocarina of Time I know and love.

But show me more of the world.

Expand the story. Expand the lore. Give us more context for the events surrounding Link, Zelda, Ganondorf, and Hyrule.

That's where I think Nintendo could really make this remake special.

It's Time for Nintendo to Show Us Something

It's September 4th.

If Nintendo really is planning to release Ocarina of Time in November, it's time to start showing us what they've been working on.

I want to hear the music.

I want to see the world.

I want to see how they're handling the story.

And, perhaps most importantly, I want to know what Koji Kondo's involvement looks like.

I've got extremely high hopes for this game.

Ocarina of Time is already my favorite game of all time.

Now Nintendo has the opportunity to make it even better.

So, Nintendo...

I need answers!