Ocarina of Time Remake Adds New Sidequests and Harder Minigames

Are you ready to dive back into Hyrule, but worried it'll feel like the same old quest? Well, good news: the upcoming Ocarina of Time remake isn't just a pretty face. Recent hands-on previews have revealed some exciting additions that should make even seasoned players sit up and take notice.

First up, there's a brand-new sidequest in Hyrule Castle Town. According to longtime Zelda YouTuber Zeltik, the potion shop owner will now be freaking out about a lurking bug when you first meet him. He'll hand you an empty bottle to catch the critter. Complete his request, and you'll get to keep the bottle – and he'll even fill it with a healing red potion. It's not a sprawling multi-stage mission, and there doesn't seem to be a quest journal, but it's a neat little surprise that adds a bit of life to the town.

But that's not all. Zeltik's video also highlights a new, harder version of the target shooting minigame. You'll have much less time to hit the targets, which suggests we can expect additional challenge levels for other minigames too. So if you thought you'd mastered every arrow shot, think again.

And for those who know the dungeons like the back of their hand, there's more. The Forest Temple has received some minor but meaningful layout tweaks. It's not a full redesign, but it means you won't be sleepwalking through the old puzzles. Nintendo seems to be adding just enough changes to keep things fresh without messing with the classic feel.

For many of us, Ocarina of Time was a formative experience. I was ten when I first played it on N64, and it set me on a path to loving games so much they became my job. So I should be the perfect audience for a remake. But honestly, I was a little disappointed with how safe Nintendo seemed to be playing it. You can't mess too much with a stone-cold classic, sure, but I already know the game forward and backward. A remake with just prettier graphics would feel a bit empty.

These little surprises around the edges, though? They make revisiting Hyrule a lot more exciting. It's like Nintendo is saying, "Hey, you think you know this game? Think again." And that's exactly what a good remake should do.

What do you think? Are you excited for these new additions, or do you prefer your classics untouched? Let us know in the comments!