The Legend of Zelda | Bill Trinen Calls Ocarina of Time the Perfect First Zelda Game

Nintendo of America’s VP of Player & Product Experience explains why the Switch 2 remake is the ideal starting point for the series.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launched exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on November 5, 2026, and reception has been strong. At the associated launch event, Bill Trinen (Nintendo of America Vice President of Player & Product Experience) spoke about why this remake works particularly well as someone’s first Zelda experience.

Trinen noted that the game teaches players “everything that there is about the world and the characters that will serve sort of as the foundation for all the others, all the games that came after.” He described it as “a really foundational story for the lore of The Legend of Zelda,” covering Link’s journey to become a hero, his connection to Zelda, the relationship with Ganondorf, and the core idea that “wisdom and courage combined can overcome power.”

This is the perfect place for your first Zelda game, because you are gonna learn everything that there is about the world and the characters that will serve sort of as the foundation for all the others, all the games that came after.

This game is sort of a really foundational story for the lore of the Legend of Zelda. It really tells the story of Link and his journey becoming a hero. It tells the story of Link and his connection to Zelda and their relationship with Ganondorf. And overall, it communicates kind of what is at the moral core of is all the series, which is the idea that wisdom and courage combined can overcome power.

These comments align with the broader 40th anniversary celebrations running through 2026–2027, which also include the live-action film scheduled for April 30, 2027. The Switch 2 remake itself updates visuals, soundtrack, and certain accessibility/gameplay elements while preserving the original structure. Trinen’s long history with the series (he began at Nintendo translating bug reports on the N64 original) adds weight to the endorsement.

For readers new to Hyrule, the timing is useful: the remake is currently the highest-profile entry point available on modern hardware. Veterans continue to dig into updated presentation and any quality-of-life improvements. The discussion is expected to continue as more players finish the main quest and compare it to prior releases (N64 & 3DS.).

The Legend of Zelda | 40th Anniversary Initiatives Continue Through 2027

Source: IGN