How video game remakes tap the power of nostalgia

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is often rated as one of the greatest video games

The moment she saw footage from the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Kacey Doran picked up her phone.

She had to tell her sister.

"Have you seen this?" messaged Doran, excitedly.

Nearly 30 years ago, a 10-year-old Doran had sat in front of her family's TV, reading out the dialogue on screen to her sister, a year younger, as they inched their way through the original Nintendo 64 game's sprawling, puzzle-filled dungeons.

Ocarina's fantasy-like story, and beautiful music, enthralled them both.

It was also the first game Doran ever completed.

Now, countless memories rushed back to her as she devoured clips of the fully redesigned version, due to arrive on the Switch 2 later this year.

Doran's sister messaged back: "I'm not tearing up… YOU'RE tearing up."

News of a video game remake bought back happy memories for Kacey Doran

This is the power of nostalgia – and a perfect example of how video games can trigger it.

Doran now teaches an esports course at Rowan University in New Jersey.

She says the original Ocarina of Time, released in 1998, had a "magical" quality that she hopes to rediscover, and also share with her sister's children.

The video games industry has long leaned on remakes.

From Mario Kart to the Final Fantasy series, or even Pac-Man, some games just keep coming back in updated forms, as new generations of gamers emerge and as computer hardware improves, enabling more detailed graphics and increasingly expansive game worlds.

While the emotional hook may be the most significant draw, putting out a remake can be a double-edged sword.

Some gamers are very protective of their favourite titles and new versions don't always meet certain fans' astronomically high expectations.

Nostalgia is an important but mixed emotion, says Tim Wulf, at the Centre of Advanced Internet Studies in Bochum, Germany.

It has positive aspects but also a kind of sadness, too.

Happiness in remembering things that were important to us, and also an awareness that that time is now gone.

"It's a social emotion because memories that induce nostalgia for us are connected to other people," he explains, adding that nostalgia can boost our self-esteem while highlighting key social bonds.

Video games, says Wulf, are notoriously good at triggering nostalgia because gamers can "jump into the same environment".

In other words, games are like time machines for our emotions, and returning to fondly remembered places can feel stabilising or reassuring in an ever-changing world.

Doran, for one, notes that when you return to a favourite old game, there's something satisfying about deploying previously learned skills.

You know what to do here, you're winning again.

Just like the old days.

Video games are good at triggering nostalgic feelings says Tim Wulf

Putting out remasters and remakes has been a "really successful" strategy for the games industry, says Piers Harding-Rolls, head of games research at Ampere Analysis.

"Tying in with established audiences and building on existing content is quite a safe route for a lot of companies," he adds.

In many cases, it is cheaper to update an existing game rather than create a new title from scratch.

Among other remakes that have found big audiences recently are those of Resident Evil 4 and Assassin's Creed Black Flag.

But Ocarina of Time perhaps stands out because, ever since its original release, it has been considered by many as one of the greatest games ever made.

"The interest from all the Gen Zs that I work with is really high," says Harding-Rolls.

The legend of The Legend of Zelda, as it were.

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Clearly, nostalgia is not the only driver of interest in the remake, and today's audiences will expect a game that plays to today's standards.

Games companies must keep innovating when linking contemporary audiences to the past, says Wulf, in order satisfy their desire for fresh experiences.

And although Wulf himself was a big fan of the original, he has no personal interest in the Ocarina of Time remake.

"I want a new game – I don't want to play an old game," he says.

Nostalgia isn't always enough for some.