What the New Switch 2 Remake of Ocarina of Time Leaves Out (and What Might Still Come)

When Nintendo announced a full‑blown remake of the legendary The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Switch 2, most of us were already picturing a lovingly polished version of the 1998 N64 masterpiece. And, for the most part, that’s exactly what they delivered – the core story, the timeless dungeons, and that unforgettable soundtrack are all there, just with modern graphics and smoother controls.

But the excitement quickly ran into a snag. Veteran fans remembered that the game isn’t just the N64 original. Four years after its debut, the title landed on the GameCube as Ocarina of Time with the addition of Master Quest – a darker, more challenging rewrite of the whole adventure. Then, in 2011, the 3DS version called Ocarina of Time 3D added a flipped‑world mode on top of that. Those extra layers have become beloved parts of the game’s legacy.

Enter the Switch 2 remake. While the base game is immaculate, there’s currently no sign of Master Quest at all. No hidden toggle, no unlock after beating the main story – just plain missing. This omission has sparked a flurry of theories: could it be a future DLC, perhaps bundled with Nintendo Switch Online to boost subscriptions? Or is Nintendo simply keeping the card close to its chest, waiting for the right moment to reveal a surprise?

So far, Nintendo has stayed tight‑lipped. The company rarely talks about post‑launch content, especially when it comes to a title as high‑profile as Ocarina of Time. That silence could mean they’re cooking something special, or it might just be a matter of “we haven’t decided yet.” Either way, the lack of Master Quest feels like a noticeable gap for long‑time fans.

Another change that’s raising eyebrows is the fixing of several infamous glitches. The original N64 version was riddled with exploits – from the “Hover” trick that let Link glide over water, to the “Bomb Hover” that could bypass whole sections. In the Switch 2 version those quirks have been patched, which some purists view as a loss of the game’s quirky charm. While the fixes make for a cleaner experience, they also erase a slice of Zelda history that many players grew up with.

All that said, the remake still shines. The visuals are gorgeous, the frame‑rate is buttery smooth, and the classic adventure feels fresh without losing its soul. It’s arguably one of the most successful modern revamps of a retro game, and it proves why Ocarina of Time continues to be held up as the gold standard.

In short, if you’re buying the Switch 2 remake you’ll get the beloved core adventure in stunning form, but you’ll have to wait (or hope) for Master Quest and those nostalgic glitches to make a comeback. Whether that arrives as free DLC, a paid expansion, or perhaps never at all, remains the biggest mystery hanging over this otherwise perfect re‑release.