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OG Zelda: Ocarina of Time dev responsible for the infamous water temple used the remake to atone
Eiji Aonuma says he used the Ocarina of Time remake to revisit the Water Temple, a dungeon he designed that became notorious for its difficulty. He wanted to make it less confusing and address a long-standing criticism of the original game.
Aonuma said he had wanted to improve the temple since the 3D remake in 2011. The new version makes changing the Iron Boots easier and replaces some disorienting walls with lattice structures. Aonuma says his original aim was to help players enjoy the feeling of being underwater.
In short
- Aonuma revisited the Water Temple in the remake.
- The changes aim to reduce confusion and tedious item switching.
- He says he wanted players to enjoy being underwater.
Explained simply
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is an adventure game first released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998. Players guide the hero, Link, through a fantasy world, solving puzzles and exploring dungeons to progress.
Eiji Aonuma, a game designer who later led work on several Zelda games, designed the Water Temple. It requires players to change the water level and use special Iron Boots, and became known for being difficult to navigate.
The temple is part of a wider discussion about how games can be revised for new audiences while preserving their original design. Its underwater setting was intended to create a distinctive experience, but the layout and equipment changes made some players lose their way.