Nintendo has confirmed that at least one voice actor from the Nintendo 64 version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was selected for its remake. The casting was reportedly an unexpected discovery: the team had hidden performers’ names during auditions and did not realize one of their choices had voiced the same character in the original game.
In a Nintendo Ask the Developer interview, director HokWai Ng said the team held blind auditions for the roles, prioritizing voices that could recreate the original game’s sound and feel. Eiji Aonuma added that one selected actor had voiced the same character in the Nintendo 64 version, and that the team had not anticipated the connection.
Fans have speculated that Kaori Mizuhashi, the original Japanese voice of Navi, may be returning. Nintendo has not confirmed her involvement, however, and the interview does not identify the actor or character. The remake’s English version is set to feature a new voice for Navi.
The interview also covered the remake’s audio. Sound director and music lead Masato Ohashi said the game has more than 150 pieces of background music, including new compositions for many of its cutscenes. Some tracks combine a live orchestra with sounds recreated using the original Nintendo 64 audio as a reference, rather than using the console’s output directly.
Ohashi also described added ambient sounds, such as rustling leaves and flowing water, and said the ocarina songs were recorded using a real instrument. The game supports 5.1-channel surround sound, and Nintendo says players can also experience its ambient audio through headphones connected to a Nintendo Switch 2.
Sources: Kotaku.