“You Don’t Want To Interrupt The Player’s Experience” – Here’s Why Zelda’s Switch 2 Remake Cut Some Mario References

Nintendo removed portraits of Mario and other familiar characters from the castle courtyard in its Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to preserve the game’s immersion. Producer Eiji Aonuma said the team wanted to avoid interrupting players with details unrelated to what they were doing.

The remake also omits Skyward Sword artwork that appeared as hidden details in the 3DS version. Some Mario references remain in character designs, which the article describes as part of those designs rather than separate easter eggs. The article gives no further details about which references remain.