The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time is a classic that many fans have been wanting to see remade for a long time. In fact, we've seen several remakes of parts of the game from fans who couldn't wait for Nintendo to do the job.
We've seen Unreal Engine 5 Ocarina of Time remakes that take full advantage of the the software's tools for achieving realism and lighting effects, and also more stylised Unreal Engine 5 remakes.
In both cases, videos have received comments of "Nintendo, hire this man", which has turned the phrase into a popular meme. Now that the wait is over and an official Ocarina of Time remake is coming for Nintendo Switch 2, some fans are worrying what they might have unleashed.
Nintendo's giving very little away in the teaser above launched during Nintendo Direct yesterday. All we're shown is a tapestry depicting Hyrule and the Great Deku Tree, and then Link sleeping in his Kokiri Forest treehouse as the Triforce glows on his hand.
Nintendo's promising a 2026 release date, which would make for a great closure for Zelda's 40th anniversary year, although the lack of any gameplay footage has some wondering how realistic that date can be.
Based on the short glimpse of Link, some fans also have concerns about the game's art style. While some are impressed by the painterly composition and detailed textures in the scene, and looking forward to seeing thee in 4K, others are worried that Nintendo has taken the calls for an Unreal Engine 5 remake a bit too seriously.
"If you look at this and the new Star Fox, Nintendo are seriously starting to hire That Man," one fan comments on X, referring to the meme. "Is this Zelda Ocarina of Time: Nintendo Hire This Man Edition?" someone else asks.
Obviously, Nintendo hasn't hired that guy and will be using its own development software, but some fear the remake may lean towards the photorealistic graphics and lighting associated with Unreal Engine games, which could lack the charm of Zelda’s traditionally more cartoonish animation style and whimsical atmosphere.
2016: Nintendo Hire This Man 2026: Nintendo Hired This Man https://t.co/Uf7DyLp4rx pic.twitter.com/hoKNakKMhyJune 9, 2026
why is ocarina of time in hire this man graphicsJune 9, 2026
I’m sorry but I really can’t get over that it looks like Nintendo finally hired this man pic.twitter.com/Wr8qnRhcogJune 9, 2026
dd
not the biggest fan of the hyper realistic art style though pic.twitter.com/WqhtLbkxgJJune 9, 2026
look how they massacred my boy. pic.twitter.com/X6ot9vu5cGJune 9, 2026
The reactions raise the question of what else a modern remake of this early 3D classic from 1998 would look like. Our digital art and 3D editor Ian already posted a deep dive into why a Zelda Ocarina of Time remake might not be a great thing long before Nintendo confirmed the game. He discussed the difficult decisions that would be involved in remaking the game and argued that a high-resolution update with ray-tracing and the works could diminish the original game's art.
We shouldn't have long to wait to find out how Nintendo decides to approach it. In the meantime, check out our guides to the best game development software and best laptops for game development if you want to become the next "this guy" for your remakes of classic games, also check out the free fan remake of the original Zelda.
