Why did Nintendo remove Mario portraits from the Ocarina of Time remake? Series producer answers

Nintendo dropped Super Mario character portraits from the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, as they could break the atmosphere and distract players from exploring Hyrule.

The original Ocarina of Time featured several fun references to another famous Nintendo franchise. The most obvious are Talon’s appearance and the Bowser pendant worn by him and his daughter. Another secret was the Mario character portraits visible through the windows in Zelda’s castle courtyard.

In the remake, these images disappeared. Series producer Eiji Aonuma explained the decision in an interview. According to him, some staff members suggested adding references to Nintendo’s shared game timeline, but he rejected the idea so the team could focus on creating “the best possible version of Ocarina of Time.”

Aonuma noted that while the portraits were not a big deal in the original, in a more detailed remake they could disrupt immersion and the integrity of the game world. If a player spots Yoshi in the courtyard and wonders, “Why is Yoshi here?”, it might distract them from the experience.

A reference to Skyward Sword that had been added in the 3DS version was also removed from the game.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is available on Nintendo Switch 2.