Zelda Creator Urges Young Developers to Forget Old Ideas and Create Something New

The Legend of Zelda producer Hidemaro Fujibayashi has urged young developers to look beyond ideas from earlier games in the series and experiment when creating new adventures.

Interest in the series’ traditional structure has grown again following the release of the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, particularly in light of the experiments in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Fujibayashi says the series has always evolved through new ideas.

In an interview, he recalled the series’ transition from 2D to 3D graphics on Nintendo 64 and the use of an analog stick to control the hero in a 3D world. Skyward Sword later used motion controls for sword swings. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom offered extensive freedom and moved away from familiar routes.

Fujibayashi said the series has become a place where developers can test and bring bold ideas to life. When working with younger staff, he often asks, “Will this be fun?” He sometimes points out that similar ideas have appeared in earlier games, not to forbid repetition, but so the team does not feel obliged to draw inspiration exclusively from Zelda’s existing legacy.

Source: iXBT.games