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Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake removed Mario and Skyward Sword references to not “interrupt” players
Nintendo has removed references to Mario and Skyward Sword from its new Ocarina of Time remake, aiming to keep players immersed in the game’s world. Producer Eiji Aonuma said that what once felt like a harmless Easter egg could now prompt players to wonder why unrelated characters or imagery were there.
The original game included portraits resembling Mario characters, while the 3DS remake featured Skyward Sword artwork. Both sets of references reflected the games’ release timing and the creative choices of their developers. Aonuma said the team chose to leave them out of the new remake, and Skyward Sword director Hidemaro Fujibayashi said there were no hard feelings.
In short
- The remake removes Mario and Skyward Sword references.
- Nintendo says unrelated Easter eggs could disrupt immersion.
- The earlier references reflected the games’ release timing.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Removing the references can help preserve the story’s atmosphere, especially for players encountering the game for the first time. What once read as a playful Easter egg may now feel distracting or confusing, so the remake’s team can reasonably prioritise a coherent world over callbacks to other Nintendo games.
The case against
The references were part of the original games’ character and reflected the creative context in which they were made. Keeping them could preserve a small piece of that history and reward long-time fans, while allowing players to enjoy them as optional details rather than interruptions.
Explained simply
Ocarina of Time is a fantasy adventure game in Nintendo’s Zelda series, first released in 1998. Players guide the hero Link through the kingdom of Hyrule, solving puzzles and facing enemies.
Earlier versions included small nods to other Nintendo games: the original had portraits resembling characters from Mario, and a later version showed artwork from Skyward Sword, another Zelda game. These details were examples of Easter eggs, or hidden references, that players could discover.
Game makers sometimes include such references as a playful link between games. Their removal reflects a choice about how much those nods fit the world and mood of this version.