Nintendo Life Ranks Every Nintendo Remake and Remaster Ever Made
The site updated its comprehensive ranking of Nintendo's remakes and remasters, adding Star Fox on Switch 2 ahead of the highly anticipated Ocarina of Time remake later in 2026.
A Ranking Worth Revisiting
Nintendo Life has updated its long-running guide ranking every Nintendo remake and remaster ever released, and the timing feels deliberate. With The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time heading to Switch 2 sometime later in 2026, still listed as “TBA 2026” at the time of writing, the site figured now was a good moment to take stock of everything Nintendo has done in this space before the big one arrives.
The update, written by Gavin Lane and the Nintendo Life staff, adds Star Fox on Switch 2 to the list along with a couple of other recent entries. The ranking itself is also shaped in part by readers, as Nintendo Life notes that users can add their own ratings to any game on the list and potentially shift the standings.
More Gaps Than You Might Expect
One of the more interesting observations buried in the piece is just how sparse Nintendo’s remake output actually is relative to what the company could theoretically do. As Nintendo Life puts it, “looking back at Nintendo’s library of revisited games, there aren’t quite as many as you might assume considering the candidates the Kyoto firm could revive.”
That is a fair point. Nintendo sits on some of the most beloved franchises in gaming history, yet the number of full remakes or meaningful remasters is genuinely modest. There are plenty of titles fans would love to see get the treatment, and the guide acknowledges that gap directly.
The list does cover a wide range of hardware generations, from Game Boy entries like Game and Watch Gallery through GBA classics like Metroid: Zero Mission and Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, up through DS and 3DS releases such as Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, and Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, and on into the Switch era with titles like Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe, Super Mario RPG, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, and Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp.
Where the Lines Get Drawn
Nintendo Life also took care to clarify the scope of the ranking. The guide originally focused on remakes only, but has since expanded to include remasters as well. However, there is one firm boundary: “Deluxe” Switch ports of Wii U games that transfer the base game largely untouched to another system are excluded. That keeps things like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe off the list, focusing attention on releases where something more substantial was done to the source material.
It is a reasonable distinction, and one that probably keeps the list from ballooning into a catalog of every port Nintendo has ever shipped.
The Ocarina of Time Shadow
Everything here exists a little in the shadow of what is coming. Ocarina of Time on Switch 2 carries enormous expectations, and Nintendo Life is clearly building toward that moment with this refresh. The original Nintendo 64 game was already remade once for 3DS back in 2011, landing high on this very list, so the Switch 2 version will have something to prove.
How that release ultimately lands will likely reshape this ranking in a meaningful way. For now, the guide stands as a useful record of how Nintendo has handled its own history, which turns out to be with more restraint than most publishers and, at its best, with genuine craft.
What is the most anticipated Nintendo remake coming in 2026?
According to Nintendo Life, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on Switch 2 is described as one of Nintendo's most anticipated remakes ever, and was listed as 'TBA 2026' at the time the article was updated.
Do Deluxe Switch ports of Wii U games count in Nintendo Life's ranking?
No. As Nintendo Life explains in the guide, 'Deluxe' Switch ports of Wii U games that transfer the base game largely untouched to another system do not make the cut for their ranking.
Which newer titles were added to the Nintendo Life remake ranking?
The ranking was updated to include Star Fox on Switch 2, along with a couple of other additions, according to the article by Gavin Lane and Nintendo Life Staff.
How many remakes and remasters has Nintendo actually released?
According to Nintendo Life, there are not quite as many Nintendo remakes and remasters as you might expect given the company's extensive back catalogue, though the guide covers a substantial list spanning Game Boy through Switch 2.