Nintendo Defends Decision to Cut Mario and Yoshi Easter Eggs From The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake

Nintendo has defended its decision to remove Easter eggs featuring Mario and Yoshi from the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake for the Switch 2. In the original 1998 version, the game included portraits of Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, and Yoshi taken from Super Mario 64. However, these references have been removed in the newly-launched Switch 2 version.

Legend Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma stated that the company's approach to referencing other games has changed, and they now feel that including such Easter eggs might interrupt the player's experience. While some fans may be disappointed by the loss of these carefree Easter eggs, Nintendo believes that the current world and the game's form of expression do not require them.

Despite this, one Mario reference remains in the form of Talon, a character resembling Mario. Ocarina of Time has already sold 5.2 million copies and is the Switch 2's fastest-selling game so far.