Nintendo has heard players' complaints about the infamous Water Temple, promising smoother navigation, easier item switching, and a more enjoyable experience.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is widely regarded as one of the greatest video games ever made. However, even longtime fans will likely agree that one part of the adventure could use some improvement: the Water Temple.

Fortunately, Nintendo knows exactly how players feel. The development team behind the upcoming remake has confirmed that the notoriously frustrating dungeon is getting several adjustments to make the experience more enjoyable.

During an interview for Nintendo's Ask the Developer series, longtime Zelda producer and developer Eiji Aonuma discussed the changes coming to the game's dungeons. Having designed the original Water Temple, Aonuma admitted that improving the area was something he had wanted to do for quite some time.

“I had some overdue homework: I wanted to do something about the Water Temple I created 28 years ago,” Aonuma explained, adding that the team made adjustments because of the dungeon's reputation for being particularly difficult.

For players unfamiliar with the original game, the Water Temple has earned its infamous reputation for several reasons. Its complicated layout, slow underwater movement, and frequent equipment changes can make exploring the area more confusing than enjoyable.

One of the biggest frustrations involved the Iron Boots, which allow Link to sink underwater. Players had to repeatedly pause the game and navigate menus to equip or remove them, interrupting exploration and making it easy to lose track of their location.

Interestingly, Aonuma's original intention was quite different. When designing the dungeon, he wanted players to experience the unique atmosphere of exploring underwater environments.

He explained that underwater exploration felt particularly exciting at the time because relatively few 3D games offered similar experiences. Inspired by his own interest in freediving, he wanted players to experience how different everything feels beneath the water, from the sounds to the surrounding environment.

However, he acknowledged that the dungeon's complicated structure and constant menu navigation made it difficult for players to maintain their sense of direction.

The remake aims to address those problems.

Game director HokWai Ng confirmed that item switching has been significantly improved. Rather than repeatedly opening menus, players can now quickly switch between items using the directional pad.

The development team has also redesigned certain walls throughout the dungeon. Previously, some solid walls made it difficult to understand the surrounding layout and figure out where to go next.

In the remake, these walls have been replaced with lattice-style structures, allowing players to see through them and get a clearer understanding of the rooms beyond.

These adjustments should make the Water Temple considerably easier to navigate without removing the original dungeon's identity.

Nintendo also hopes the remake will encourage conversations between younger players and longtime fans who experienced the original adventure years ago.

Ng jokingly suggested that parents might tell their children how many times they got stuck in the Water Temple back in the day. Aonuma added that younger players might eventually respond with, "Come on, it's not that hard," leaving their parents feeling a little embarrassed.

With its updated controls and improved navigation, the remake could offer a very different experience for both returning fans and newcomers.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launches on November 5, exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2. Players won't have to wait much longer to discover whether Nintendo has finally turned one of the franchise's most notorious dungeons into a more enjoyable adventure.