The Ocarina of Time remake has the same dungeons in the same order as the original, with no new ones, but some rooms, puzzles and boss attacks were reworked. Here's the full list and what changed.
Key takeaways
- There are no new dungeons. The list and the order carry over from the 1998 game.
- Nintendo says the dungeon mechanics were basically kept, but objects were moved so the way forward is clearer.
- The Water Temple got the biggest rework, with quicker boot swaps and see-through walls.
- Several bosses got smaller changes, and some have new attacks.
- The tower escape at the end no longer has a timer, according to TheGamer.
How many dungeons are in the Ocarina of Time remake?
Twelve, if you count everything with a boss or a major item at the end, including the optional ones. Game8's dungeon list counts it two ways in different places, nine main dungeons plus three smaller ones, or ten required plus two optional. Either way, it's the same set as the original. KeenGamer says no new dungeons were announced.
I played all the original Zeldas, and I'd guess I replayed this one a lot rather than 100%ing it. If you did the same, the order below will be familiar.
Ocarina of Time remake dungeon order
This is Game8's list for the remake, with the boss and the main item from each.
| Order | Dungeon | Boss | Main item |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Great Deku Tree | Gohma | Fairy Slingshot |
| 2 | Dodongo's Cavern | King Dodongo | Bomb Bag |
| 3 | Lord Jabu-Jabu's Belly | Barinade | Boomerang |
| 4 | Forest Temple | Phantom Ganon | Fairy Bow |
| 5 | Fire Temple | Volvagia | Megaton Hammer |
| 6 | Ice Cavern | None | Iron Boots |
| 7 | Water Temple | Morpha | Longshot |
| 8 | Bottom of the Well | None | Lenses of Truth |
| 9 | Shadow Temple | Bongo Bongo | Hover Boots |
| 10 | Spirit Temple | Twinrova | Silver Gauntlets and Mirror Shield |
| 11 | Gerudo Proving Grounds | None | Ice Arrows |
| 12 | Ganondorf's Castle | Ganon | Golden Gauntlets |
The first three are young Link's dungeons. After you pull the Master Sword, adult Link takes on the rest.
A few names are different from the original. Inside the Deku Tree is now The Great Deku Tree, and the remake guides call Ganon's Castle Ganondorf's Castle. The Lens of Truth is now the Lenses of Truth, a pair of glasses you can put on the D-pad. Gerudo Proving Grounds is Game8's name for what the original called the Gerudo Training Ground. Only Game8 uses it so far, so go by what your game shows.
The Lenses of Truth work a bit differently too. Zelda Wiki quotes the in-game text: "These lenses use magic power when worn." Because they're Equipment now, you can put them on the D-pad and switch them on without opening the menu, which helps in the Bottom of the Well and the Shadow Temple, where a lot is hidden.
Game8 marks the Bottom of the Well and the Gerudo Proving Grounds as optional.
What changed in the dungeons?
In Nintendo's Ask the Developer interview, the team says the dungeon mechanics were basically kept, but they moved objects around so the way forward is more obvious. That means some layouts differ slightly. A Nintendo Life walkthrough reportedly puts it at about 10% of puzzles and locations changed, though that figure comes from a search snippet we couldn't open.
Here's what the remake guides and reviews have found so far, dungeon by dungeon.
The Great Deku Tree
The floating platform from the original is now a wooden bridge that collapses when you step on it, and Game8 says the opening you shoot with the Fairy Slingshot was changed too. Nintendo says Gohma's arms now guard its weak spot while it's immune.
Lord Jabu-Jabu's Belly
The tunnels are colour-coded to make the route easier to follow. RPG Site's review says the Big Octo arena was redesigned and the spinning spikes are gone.
Forest Temple
Game8 and Nintendo Everything say there's a new lift in the north-west room. The block slider puzzle no longer has a time limit, but you need to use the correct pieces. A doorway from the original is now blocked by rocks, so you'll need a different route. RPG Site says Phantom Ganon's projectiles now move at a consistently slow speed.
Fire Temple
Game8 says lava now kills you on contact, and the hot areas don't have a timer any more. They drain your health straight away instead. That's from one guide.
Water Temple
The big one. Nintendo adjusted the difficulty, made swapping items much easier and replaced some walls with lattices so you can see into the next room. The Iron Boots can go on the D-pad. The layout and the water-level puzzle are the same.
Spirit Temple
RPG Site's review says Twinrova's attacks were toned down.
Ganondorf's Castle
TheGamer says there are six Sage Trials, for Forest, Water, Shadow, Fire, Light and Spirit, and the Golden Gauntlets are in the Shadow trial, as in the original. The biggest change is at the end: the tower escape no longer has a timer, which the N64 version did.
RPG Site also says some bosses have new attacks that they use rarely, so don't assume a fight will go exactly the way you remember it.
How many Gold Skulltulas are in each dungeon?
If you're going for all 100, the dungeons hold a lot of them. These are TheGamer's remake counts.
| Dungeon | Gold Skulltulas |
|---|---|
| The Great Deku Tree | 4 |
| Dodongo's Cavern | 5 |
| Lord Jabu-Jabu's Belly | 4 |
| Forest Temple | 5 |
| Fire Temple | 5 |
| Ice Cavern | 3 |
| Water Temple | 5 |
| Bottom of the Well | 3 |
| Shadow Temple | 5 |
| Spirit Temple | 5 |
| Ganondorf's Castle | 1 |
That's 45 of the 100. Clearing each dungeon properly on your first trip saves a lot of backtracking later. The Echo Gem, which you get for collecting 20, lights up and makes a sound when one is nearby, so it's worth picking up early.
Can you replay bosses in the remake?
Yes. The new Hall of Fallen Foes lets you rematch bosses against a timer, and run boss gauntlets where your health carries over. You reach it by sleeping in a glowing bed.
Do you need a guide for the dungeons?
Probably less than before. The Threads of Time quest log tracks your next objective, and Nintendo's changes are mostly about making the way forward clearer. The Water Temple was always the one people looked up, and it's had the most work.
Getting between dungeons still takes as long as it used to, because Nintendo cut the extra warp points it tried adding. The six warp songs are your fast travel. For the whole run, the original took about 27 hours for the story.
FAQ
Are there new dungeons in the Ocarina of Time remake?
No. KeenGamer says no new dungeons were announced, and the remake guides list the same set as the original.
What order do you do the dungeons in?
The Great Deku Tree, Dodongo's Cavern, Lord Jabu-Jabu's Belly, then as adult Link: Forest, Fire, Ice Cavern, Water, Bottom of the Well, Shadow, Spirit, Gerudo Proving Grounds and Ganondorf's Castle.
Did the Water Temple change in the remake?
Yes. Nintendo made swapping items easier and added see-through walls. The layout and puzzle are the same.
Is the Ganondorf's Castle escape timed?
Not any more, according to TheGamer. The N64 version had a timer.
