Nintendo Patents Watch

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Knowledge-based discourse

Debunking “Switch 2 Ray Tracing” and “Ocarina of Time” Patent Claims

X post by Mike Odyssey: NEW PATENT DISCOVERY: ZELDA REBORN A newly discovered Nintendo patent (US-12697548-B2) details a seamless camera and UI system, heavily pointing toward mechanics for the upcoming Ocarina of Time remake. Here is the technical breakdown of the new system: Seamless Transitions: The camera fluidly shifts between standard third-person gameplay, an over-the-shoulder menu UI, and a first-person photography mode without breaking immersion. Immersive In-World Menus: Menu icons (like the Camera or Album) project directly into the 3D space. The UI is translucent, keeping the active environment fully visible in the background while navigating options. Dynamic First-Person Photography: Entering Shooting Mode hides the character model and pushes the perspective forward based on the current line of sight. Moving the camera in this mode also moves the character's physical coordinates, preserving spatial awareness and location after exiting the viewfinder.

What the heck is Mike Odyssey talking about? This is a rendering technique patent for Paper Mario The Thousand-Year Door!

The application was filed in 2024-01, and published in 2025-06 (i.e., not “new”). It is one of three sibling patents about rendering reflections in The Thousand-Year Door. They cover the following:

  • Per-object reflection control
  • SSR near screen edges
  • Reflection for partially obscured object

Whey they were published, I didn’t find them that interesting and posted only a short overview and the source links. You can read them here.

[Update on 2026-08-05; another Mike Odyssey patent fiction]

X post by Mike Odyssey: NEW PATENT DISCOVERY: ZELDA REBORN A newly discovered Nintendo patent (US-12697548-B2) details a seamless camera and UI system, heavily pointing toward mechanics for the upcoming Ocarina of Time remake. Here is the technical breakdown of the new system: Seamless Transitions: The camera fluidly shifts between standard third-person gameplay, an over-the-shoulder menu UI, and a first-person photography mode without breaking immersion. Immersive In-World Menus: Menu icons (like the Camera or Album) project directly into the 3D space. The UI is translucent, keeping the active environment fully visible in the background while navigating options. Dynamic First-Person Photography: Entering Shooting Mode hides the character model and pushes the perspective forward based on the current line of sight. Moving the camera in this mode also moves the character's physical coordinates, preserving spatial awareness and location after exiting the viewfinder.

This is an Another Code Recollection UI patent that was already published in 2024-02. It was just some weeks ago that Mike Odyssey similarly paraded an old (Pikmin 4) patent as a feature for the Ocarina of Time remake. He really thinks we’re that gullible.

[Originally posted on 2026-08-01 Pacific Time]