Hyrule Interviews
@hyruleinterviews.bsky.social
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A database of interviews with the Zelda team. Our goal is to preserve that legacy, share it here, and build a safe community for our followers!
By @maxnichols.bsky.social
www.hyruleinterviews.com
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![PEOPLE:
- Yoshikazu Hara. Structural Artist for Breath of the Wild.
QUOTE:
Hara: [Breath of the Wild] was designed so that you can see your ultimate destination from almost anywhere on the map, so the castle's silhouette had to draw the eye to its location and also convey that it is possessed by Malice. I designed both the exterior of the castle as well as the Malice with this in mind. …
The Great Plateau is paired with the castle as if one were male and the other were female. For example, when looking at the bird statues, the plateau's statues have a feminine, supple silhouette, while the castle's statues are more masculine.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreihtjuyoa7zfno335gufyya4i2galowiqmgtyjgstddfepfat5mrpe@jpeg)
![PEOPLE:
- Hiromasa Shikata. Field Designer responsible for Clock Town & Romani Ranch in Majora’s Mask.
QUOTE:
Shikata: Organizing all the various parts of [Clocktown in Majora’s Mask] while managing the size was difficult. We created a complicated area so players would feel uneasy and uncomfortable, like they are in a strange town in a foreign country, carrying the sense of uncertainty that comes with that sort of situation.
However, “I don't understand it at all” and “I played for a whole day, but I still don't know what to do” among others were many of the opinions that we kept hearing, so we continued to adjust.
Now I think getting lost is a positive part of the game.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreidhloucyjgrnsdhxzpkgm5ktnxvdbmvtrp2pazdt2zorffdy5ju2m@jpeg)
![PEOPLE:
- Yoshiaki Koizumi, age 32. Majora’s Mask Co-Director.
- Eiji Aonuma, age 37. Majora’s Mask Co-Director.
- Shigeru Miyamoto, age 47. Majora’s Mask Producer.
QUOTE:
Koizumi: Introducing [Ocarina’s Sages] into a different Zelda world might feel out of place. Instead we decided [in Majora’s Mask] to present characters who weren't deeply explored in the previous games. We gave them different backgrounds and settings to capture the feelings of the people who voted for less popular characters [in Nintendo Dream’s popularity poll].
Q: Anju only got 6 points in our magazine’s rating contents, but she has one of the most involved sidequests doesn’t she?
Aonuma: That's the part where Mr. Koizumi put in the most effort [laughs].
Miyamoto: It was a full-power throw [laughs].
Koizumi: Well, um... I personally liked her a lot [laughs].](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreibo7erqfco5hq2jzmnzpl7mncp7dluxtravan4shldji4qss2n7ye@jpeg)
Reposted by Hyrule Interviews
![PEOPLE:
- Yoshiaki Koizumi, age 39. Writer for A Link to the Past and Link’s Awakening.
- Shigeru Miyamoto, age 55. Producer of A Link to the Past and Link’s Awakening.
QUOTE:
Koizumi: Back then, the people who wrote the manuals often became the people who came up with most of the backstory for the entire game. The first real game work that I did was on Link's Awakening. … I came in to write the manual, as I did on [A Link to the Past]. But they had nothing in place. So I ended up making an entire story to go along with the game. The dream, the island, that was all mine.
And so that was my first experience doing the kind of work that we would now call "event design." But there were not too many people at the time with expertise in that area, so I really had free reign to do what I wanted, so long as I didn't make Miyamoto angry.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreiem756yyt7h4v2qxlq24h4bnk3nfjvkdubdpr2aqfhrhxlu6npiky@jpeg)
![PEOPLE:
- Eiji Aonuma, age 35. Ocarina of Time Dungeon Director.
QUOTE:
Aonuma: The 3D world [in Ocarina of Time] has a camera, so it’s important that the player be able to see what routes to follow and not overlook something important. By changing the camera viewpoint just a little you might not be able to see something you ought.
For this reason we put in Navi, your little follower. She’ll help you notice something that you’d previously be able to see using a fixed-point camera.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreiarjr7azmxievm4jmt3wa6d4jckmt5md4pabck63omvtz2gyspaca@jpeg)
![PEOPLE:
- S. Nagano. One half of “Akira Himekawa”, the Zelda manga writer/artist duo..
- Eiji Aonuma, age 41. Dungeon Director of Ocarina of Time, director of Majora’s Mask, The Wind Waker, & Twilight Princess.
QUOTE:
Aonuma: I’ll be looking for anything [in the A Link to the Past manga] that might serve as a hint for me in the Zelda game I’m developing right now [Twilight Princess]!
Nagano: I’m happy to hear that our manga can be helpful in providing ideas to the people at Nintendo. We have a strong desire to participate in the creation of The Legend of Zelda material.
Aonuma: You truly are helping us. When our staff members get tired of working, they read your manga! [laugh] The manga serve as a great reference when pulling the story together.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreibnlicetuvsesygt3xmeuswclru4oiwwizw66x4lgmmx64mytambm@jpeg)
![PEOPLE:
- Satoru Takizawa, age 33. The Wind Waker Art Manager, Twilight Princess Art Director.
- Eiji Aonuma, age 42. Director of The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess.
QUOTE:
"Takizawa: I remember the summer when we were deep into Wind Waker development: our [Takizawa & Aonuma] wives went off on their vacations to visit their parents, and we had to stay at work and focus on finishing the game. Suddenly, Aonuma- san’s wife sent a photo of his cute kid to his cellular phone, and he howled about wanting to be with his family.
Sigh—no doubt we’ll have another summer like that ahead of us as we head into final development on Twilight Princess!"](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreiasmrwzshqb36mwnulwwrvewb6yquo5opna6cwxm5mi7kky7cdfda@jpeg)
![PEOPLE:
- Eiji Aonuma, age 46. Producer of Spirit Tracks.
- Daiki Iwamoto, age 40. Director of Spirit Tracks.
QUOTE:
Aonuma: “Let's make it so that you can lay the tracks yourself.” I brought it up, and we started [Spirit Tracks] from that experiment. ...
Iwamoto: We thought it would be a lot of fun to lay the tracks any way you liked, to be able to travel anywhere at will. ... But the problem is that, even if people can lay the tracks anywhere they like, they won't know where to lay them. Then, to make the story work, there are places where you absolutely mustn't go, and other places where you really can't be at certain points in time. …
We spent half of those two years [of development] on the railroad. And then, one day, Aonuma-san said, “Why don't we just drop the idea of laying the tracks?”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreichoajku7ntg45ihw3opdrnyaefnrs5enotigj6pgqskmgus636nq@jpeg)
Reposted by Hyrule Interviews
![PEOPLE:
- Shigeru Miyamoto, age 50. Producer of The Legend of Zelda (1986) and Ocarina of Time.
QUOTE:
Miyamoto: [When making Ocarina of Time] we thought of how we should translate the fun of the first Zelda game into a 3D environment, so that it made you feel free in this world you’re exploring.
Sometimes you remember a place nostalgically after some years. [laughs] When you grow up and go back to a place you thought was huge as a kid, like a street, you realize there is barely any space for a car to fit in. So, after remembering the time when you were growing up, you realize there was a time when you saw things like that. Thinking it was a good idea to have that inside the game, we had some very narrow places and we included the game mechanic of going back to those spots [as adult Link].](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreieujyg7zhoql7rwltqiovid6e4wb3jzfl36padc5v7yipn2sgskeq@jpeg)
![PEOPLE:
- Shigeru Miyamoto, age 39. Producer of A Link to the Past.
QUOTE:
Miyamoto: One idea [cut from A Link to the Past] was with the lantern: if you used it on a grassy area, it would cause a huge brushfire. If you cut a little circle of grass around you, you could safely stand there in the middle of it!
… In swamp areas, you could use a shovel to dig a ditch, and then if you bombed the swamp breakwater it would cause the water to rush into the hole you’d dug. That idea was actually half-complete… if we’d had another six months, we might have been able to make it a reality.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreieapm2qwfqt4qqfr22tsf4dwvwgq5cgktwce2kaa4bglcsqpi4evu@jpeg)
Reposted by Hyrule Interviews
![PEOPLE:
- Koji Kondo, age 49. Ocarina of Time Composer.
- Mahito Yokota, age 37. Ocarina of Time 3D Orchestration Director.
QUOTE:
Kondo: As I was playing the Nintendo 3DS version [of Ocarina of Time], there were several [tracks] that struck me as well-done. Although, it's a little embarrassing to say so myself! [laughs] One plays when you go to Zelda's castle and hide in the garden so the guards can't find you. I forgot the title, though.
Yokota: That's ’The Courtyard Game at Hyrule Castle.’
Kondo: It sounds like a game of hide-and-seek. It represents that feeling of final relief you get when you're able to hide from the guards by carefully making stealthy steps. I thought, ‘I did a pretty good job!’ [laughs]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreihz6tg4litec2uzxpnygb4yoliuzcbotzl67lap7jwnbjrgwd4wue@jpeg)
![PEOPLE:
- Eiji Aonuma, age 51. Co-Director of Majora’s Mask.
QUOTE:
Aonuma: When we talked about Ocarina of Time … we talked about hospitality. But Majora's Mask isn't like that. It's all a challenge to our players. It's like we're saying to them ‘can you clear this?’
It was something like until then you were welcomed with open arms being invited to come in, and now you're being told at the door to go home if you don't have what it takes! [laughs]
… We didn't put in any kind of elements where we show people how to play this game. The game was made for those who have played Ocarina of Time, so I felt like there wasn't a need for step-by-step instructions.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreibfhcygpqiky4pwxslxx24fdjcjyohgdrfqnsc7j6ak2kolemofje@jpeg)
![PEOPLE:
- Makoto Yonezu. Senior Lead Landscape Artist for Breath of the Wild.
QUOTE:
Yonezu: I wanted to design a building that would stand out so that the stables [in Breath of the Wild] would be visible from far away, even while running across the plains.
I personally felt that they served a similar purpose to the Postman character who has appeared throughout the series, so I decided to make them completely over the top, placing a giant replica of a horse's head on top of the building. When the staff involved said that they liked it and told me that it was easy to understand, I went ahead with the design.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreihxjpxrnxq4czbjbqwklrwz4wz72nibvddzhlmq7jh2x5pabpu3m4@jpeg)
Reposted by Hyrule Interviews
