It looks like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake on Nintendo Switch 2 is bringing back cut content as DLC. Those who have played the new Switch 2 release will know that it is a very faithful remake of the N64 original. It’s not a one-for-one remake, and there are a couple of contentious changes, but by and large it’s the N64 game reborn as a modern Switch 2 game, minus the Mario Easter egg, which has been disappointingly removed.
What’s also not in the new Nintendo Switch 2 remake of the N64 classic is the Master Quest content added by the GameCube version. This content returned in the first remake on the 3DS in 2011, but it has not returned in this new Nintendo Switch 2 remake. That said, it looks like it will be added in the future, but not as a free update, but as paid DLC.
Digging through the files on the Nintendo Switch 2 game, dataminers unearthed that there are numerous references to “MQ” in the files. Obviously, “MQ” seems to be shorthand for Master Quest, as it is unclear what else it could mean.
Adding to this, well-known Nintendo dataminer, Oatmeal Dome, relayed word that the files indicate that Master Quest unlocks by owning DLC rather than by downloading an update.
“The data is incomplete, but I can confirm that the world is mirrored and dungeons are modified (e.g., cows in Jabu-Jabu’s Belly),” writes the dataminer.
It’s possible this content will simply be standard paid DLC. It’s also possible the information is inaccurate. If it’s the former, Nintendo could also change its mind and render the information inaccurate. Assuming it is accurate, though, and assuming plans don’t change, it can’t be ruled out that this DLC will be locked behind a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, including the Expansion Pack tier, as we have seen Nintendo do this in the past. There’s no reason to particularly anticipate this, but it is a possibility worth considering.
All of that said, take everything here with a grain of salt. Not only is nothing here official information, but it’s laced with speculation, and as noted earlier, it’s also subject to change.
At the moment of publishing, Nintendo has not commented on anything above, nor on any of the speculation it has created. For various reasons, we do not expect this to change, but if it does, we will update the story accordingly. Typically, it does not comment on datamining leaks, though.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake is available on Nintendo Switch 2 and the Nintendo Switch 2 only. It costs a hefty $70, but it’s worth every penny. As our official review notes, it’s one of the best remakes of all time, which is fitting because the original is one of the best games of all time.
