Nintendo has leaned into remakes in recent years, a strategy the company’s long‑time creative figure Shigeru Miyamoto addressed in the latest issue of Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu.
The push to revisit and refresh older titles has seen Nintendo and partner studios rework legacy games for modern platforms such as the Nintendo Switch and distribute them via retail and Nintendo’s digital storefront, the eShop.
Miyamoto told Famitsu that remakes serve a practical purpose for both players and the company.
He framed the approach as a way to give younger audiences access to classic games they otherwise would not have experienced, and said that updating older titles for current hardware makes them more playable for today’s players.
In his words translated for clarity: many young gamers haven’t had the opportunity to play games from a decade ago, so remaking those titles in a modern, visually updated form meets current demand and helps introduce the originals to new audiences — a process that can also inform future developments.
The strategy is visible in Nintendo’s recent output.
One of the most prominent first‑party examples is The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, a full remake developed by Grezzo and released for Nintendo Switch on September 20, 2019.
Grezzo previously handled 3DS remasters of classic Zelda titles, giving the studio a track record in reimagining Nintendo properties.
Nintendo also supported remakes and reboots from closely associated developers in franchises with broad recognition: Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, developed by ILCA and released on November 19, 2021 for Nintendo Switch, refreshed Pokémon’s Nintendo DS era entries for a modern audience.
Remakes and remasters are frequently showcased during Nintendo Direct presentations or through Nintendo’s official channels, and they appear both as physical releases and as eShop offerings.
The approach has commercial and preservation benefits: it broadens the audience for legacy IP while ensuring classic experiences remain accessible on contemporary hardware.
As Nintendo continues to balance new entries with reworked classics, Miyamoto’s comments in Famitsu underscore a deliberate, serviceable rationale: remakes are a bridge between Nintendo’s past and future, giving a new generation the chance to play foundational titles on current platforms.
The push to revisit and refresh older titles has seen Nintendo and partner studios rework legacy games for modern platforms such as the Nintendo Switch and distribute them via retail and Nintendo’s digital storefront, the eShop.
Miyamoto told Famitsu that remakes serve a practical purpose for both players and the company.
He framed the approach as a way to give younger audiences access to classic games they otherwise would not have experienced, and said that updating older titles for current hardware makes them more playable for today’s players.
In his words translated for clarity: many young gamers haven’t had the opportunity to play games from a decade ago, so remaking those titles in a modern, visually updated form meets current demand and helps introduce the originals to new audiences — a process that can also inform future developments.
The strategy is visible in Nintendo’s recent output.
One of the most prominent first‑party examples is The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, a full remake developed by Grezzo and released for Nintendo Switch on September 20, 2019.
Grezzo previously handled 3DS remasters of classic Zelda titles, giving the studio a track record in reimagining Nintendo properties.
Nintendo also supported remakes and reboots from closely associated developers in franchises with broad recognition: Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, developed by ILCA and released on November 19, 2021 for Nintendo Switch, refreshed Pokémon’s Nintendo DS era entries for a modern audience.
Remakes and remasters are frequently showcased during Nintendo Direct presentations or through Nintendo’s official channels, and they appear both as physical releases and as eShop offerings.
The approach has commercial and preservation benefits: it broadens the audience for legacy IP while ensuring classic experiences remain accessible on contemporary hardware.
As Nintendo continues to balance new entries with reworked classics, Miyamoto’s comments in Famitsu underscore a deliberate, serviceable rationale: remakes are a bridge between Nintendo’s past and future, giving a new generation the chance to play foundational titles on current platforms.
