Miyamoto Did Not Expect Legends of Zelda to Be a Hit

Shigeru Miyamoto, the main creative force at video game developer and console manufacturer Nintendo, has said that initially he was very much surprised by the success of The Legend of Zelda concept.

Speaking to Nintendo President Satory Iwata, the designer has stated, “I really didn’t expect the response I got when I first made The Legend of Zelda. A world of swords and magic really wasn’t considered mainstream at the time.”

He added, “When I was making The Legend of Zelda, it was very plain. I didn’t think that genre would be seen as something so mainstream.”

Some would argue that the very simplicity of the game world that Zelda drew the player into is one of its main qualities, allowing anyone to recognize himself in the main characters and enjoy a fantasy adventure without being assaulted by complex mechanics and narratives.

The first video game in the Zelda series was released in Japan in 1986 on the Famicon Disk System console, and since then Nintendo has regularly put out new games, all of them featuring the familiar concept of the Triforce, the characters of Link, Zelda and Ganon, with subtle shifts in the game world making each installment feel fresh.

At the moment the team working under Shigeru Miyamoto is working on a new game in the series, called Skyward Sword, which was initially set to appear in 2010 but has been delayed.

The new game will appear on the Wii and will feature a better combat system, with the Wiimote and the Motion Plus accessory used to make strikes and parry movements more realistic.

The Legend of Zelda is also moving to the new Nintendo 3DS gaming handheld, with a remake of The Ocarina of Time with enhanced graphics being the first game to launch.

If it is successful, Nintendo will probably also remake other back catalog Zelda games for the 3DS.