In celebration of Zelda's 35th anniversary, journalist Imran Khan spoke to 18 different game developers across the industry for Inverse, including members of Riot Games, Capy, and Phil Spencer himself, the head of Microsoft's Gaming division and the face of Xbox.
Although Spencer's quote was a little dry, calling The Legend of Zelda an "iconic franchise" but not really offering his own opinion on the game, many of the devs pegged the series as one of their key influences in their careers.
Many of them recall owning one of the first few games as a child, with League of Legends eSports content producer Leah Jackson reminiscing about "taking turns" to play with her brother and dad, Riot Games' Daniel Haas praising Ocarina of Time for the way it "captures the exploration and idealism of childhood," and Chandana Ekanayake, the studio director at Outerloop, remembering the excitement he had upon discovering that the currency in the game was Rupees - the same currency of his homeland, Sri Lanka, which he had just left in order to emigrate to the US.
Some of the developers specifically reference Zelda's stamp on their own games. Sword and Sworcery dev Craig D. Adams says that the sylvan sprites in his game are "a straight-up respectful homage" to Majora's Mask, although he has considerably cooled on the series in recent years - he "gave up" on Skyward Sword, and found Breath of the Wild's shrines "uninspired".
Chris Musto, also from Riot, tells an interesting (and relatable) story about ignoring a friend in favour of beating the Gerudo Fortress archery challenge, and how his appreciation for the series over the decades has evolved "beyond gameplay to technical achievements".
Tom Pedalino of Double Eleven - a studio whose work includes many well-known ports, such as Lego Harry Potter and Rust, as well as being the publisher of Zelda-inspired RPG, Songbringer - goes one further, with the mantra "how would Zelda/Nintendo do this" when making games. The main developer of Songbringer, Nathaniel Weiss, also chimed in, saying that Zelda captured his "insatiable wanderlust" in Link's quest to "explore, discover, and become a hero".
Game designer Stephen Mortimer, whose CV includes 11 years at Nintendo Software Technology and 5 years at Riot Games, has a rich history with Zelda. As a kid, he won a challenge issued by Nintendo Power to beat Ocarina of Time with just three hearts, and later became a game designer because of his fascination with the series. Over the course of his career, he has shipped eight games, including League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics, each one with a little bit of Zelda DNA in them.
It's certainly interesting to see which games were the climbing-on point for many of these people, regardless of their job titles and ages. For some, it was the very first game, The Legend of Zelda, on its iconic gold NES cartridge; for others, it was Ocarina of Time's foray into 3D. Regardless of where they began, everyone has a soft spot in their heart for the series, even if they didn't love every iteration.
What was your first Zelda, and which one was your favourite? Have they shaped you in your life or your career? Tell us about it in the comments!
[source inverse.com]
Comments 38
Can l just say how l like their cosplay as Link and Navi in that picture
I can't stand N64's Zelda Ocarina of Time. I like the 3DS remake, but I feel something off with the original.
Interesting article, though. It's very probable a lot of people in development positions were inspired by Nintendo games.
I love many of Nintendo's franchises, but I can say without an ounce of doubt that Zelda is my favorite. I love the lore, the themes, the pace, the designs, the music, the colors and the gameplay. When it comes to games as art, each game is a masterpiece.
this is so cute! nintendo has inspired so many people and continues to! : )
@Mr_Persona You’ve just made my day with that typo 😂😂😂
My first OPEN WORLD GAME was The Legend of Zelda for the NES.
I had to wait until Breath of the Wild to play a Zelda game that went back to its OPEN WORLD roots.
https://i.pinimg.com/474x/e9/53/9c/e9539cbcc61a8bf0c642207e5cf7187f.jpg
@Mr_Persona
Oof at the spelling
@Mr_Persona Although, she doesn’t look particularly menacing at this point in time. I suspect she’ll grow into her evil
For those wondering, He spelled Navi as Nazi.
@Olmectron
It was amazing at the time of release. I consider 1998 to be my favorite gaming year of all time because three of my all time favorites released that year. Half-Life, Metal Gear Solid, and Ocarina of Time.
Of the three, I do feel that OOT has aged the worse, followed by MGS. Half-Life though feels as good to play now as it did in 1998.
The first game was mind-blowing. I still remember, at some point late in the game, shouting, "This game never stops being awesome!" And I still have the full Hyrule map I created while playing the game. That counted toward my enjoyment.
Link to the Past was my first and have enjoyed the series since then. Like a lot of gamers during that time, some of my fondest memories was taking turns with siblings playing through the game. It was like going on an adventure with friends.
Ironically, BotW was my least hyped Zelda due to it being an open world game and I was very surprised at how much I loved it. That game has brought so many of those childhood feelings of playing a video game for the first time, which I thought I could never experience again because of age.
Along with other games from my childhood, I can certainly say Zelda was one of those series that developed me as a person and got me through some very hard times in life. Thanks bro.
Although LoZ isn't my cup of tea, I can appreciate what it did for the industry as a whole.
@GC-161
I genuinely just tried to swat the fly off my monitor that turned out to be your avatar
I've been at least 12 Zelda games on console and handheld.
My first Zelda game was Zelda 2 of all games. It's the side scroller that rarely gets discussed. It was super hard at the time. Partially because the very low character count in messaging made it difficult to know where to go next. it's a fun game if you can appreciate what it was trying to do at the time and can use a guide to get through the awkward parts.
Nintendo are the game developer's game developer.
@Realness Sorry its the automatic thing. It doesn't recognize navi
oh btw l'm a she
@ToadBrigade noticed as someone else pointed it out because the automatic was on and it changed to the other word right as l posted xD
"We didn't realize Zelda was so popular." You do realize what series you're talking about, right? (not to be rude; the wording of the article subtext and the recent anniversary of the series provide a good learning opportunity). The gaming industry as a whole can basically be looked at through a B.OoT/A.OoT system: before and after Ocarina Of Time. There is not a developer making games today who has not consciously or unconciously borrowed from the Legend Of Zelda series in one way or another.
@Mr_Persona I mean, he was probably confused by the mr
@Aerona ik but just to let them know for next time
@Burning_Spear Drawing maps was definitely part of the enjoyment! I didn't realize how much I enjoyed mapping out games until I played Etrian Odyssey. So much so, that I started mapping out old NES games like Metroid, Zelda, and Castlevania. Recently I've mapped out a few dungeons of Shining in the Darkness. It's more of a relaxing activity for me to do and I really do admire looking at others maps at well.
A strange hobby of mine is to collect all the physical strategy guides to each zelda game, if love reading the lore and making sure I get everything possible, until Botw came along with its seeds 😂
Here's hoping Botw 2 has a physical strategy guide
Hmmmm I guess my first Zelda truly was Link's Awakening. No wonder it's one of my favourites.
@shining_nexus I also mapped the first Metroid, though I'm embarrassed to admit I never finished the game. I got distracted and never went back. One day I will start from the beginning again.
@Burning_Spear it's a tough game to finish. If I were to spontaneously play through Metroid again, I would definitely pick Zero Mission on GBA.
I was never into Zelda games, until OoT turned it 3D. That game changed everything for me, it was the first game I played that felt epic to me, and I've played and loved every 3D Zelda game afterwards, BoW is probably my favorite game ever, WW a close second. 2D games not so much, they feel non-canon for me.
Ocarina of Time on N64 is the greatest game ever made!
This makes me want to try a 3 heart challenge of OoT.
especially Zelda OOT. EVERY GAME from reasident evil to God of war to the witcher to the last of us owes their very existance to this game. and so many Sony PONIES and others have put down Nintendo as trash. if it wasn't for Mario and Zelda the video game industry as we know it Would not even exist. Sony PONIES can cry all they want . Nintendo made the PlayStation NOT SONY.
SORRY HATERS. Nintendo is the main reason you are playing your games today.
Zelda 3d allstars!
What three would you want?
I remember when my best friend at the time got the 1st one. This was such a magical time in gaming during the NES era, as everything was new! Zelda, Mega Man, Castlevania, Super Mario Bros.... every one of those 1st games was something special, but playing the Legend of Zelda was something else entirely. It was this entire world, and finding a dungeon or a secret was such a HUGE deal. We would get so excited playing that game. I miss that feeling in gaming.
The level of profound love and admiration I have for Ocarina of Time and the impact it had on my childhood cannot be overstated. The game was not just a masterpiece but had completely separated itself as the singular gaming experience of its time. I cannot recount the number of times I reloaded my final save file and fought the final boss over and over again. The masterful use of music, visuals, and investment in the world and story culminating in that final battle made you feel like such a hero and the ending felt so perfect. Simply put its the most pure form of gaming bliss I ever experienced and probably will ever experience. Thank you Nintendo for providing that experience to me, and I hope you continue to touch other people's lives with a similar sense of joy and wonderment for many years to come.
@Olmectron
I feel the exact same way. N64 OoT is definitely iconic, but the remake is where it's at. I didn't grow up with an N64, we only had SNES till GNC, so that might have shaped my opinion.
@Sought couldnt have worded it better. For me, its the the most perfect game ever made and no game previously, or since has come close to capturing that feeling i had from playing OOT. I get what they were going for in BOTW and i loved the open world but for me it just didnt click. Forgettable characters and uninspired dungeon/bosses broke it for me. The shrines were ok as a bolt on but didnt compare to walking in to a themed dungeon for the first time. The water temple still gives me nightmares 😂
@Kidfunkadelic83 Totally agree. The dungeons in OOT are each truly unique and capture the mood and atmosphere perfectly. Even all these years later there are so many iconic scenes just seered into my memory. On the other hand BOTW is the most perplexing flawed masterpiece I can remember. The beauty and detail of its open world is unmatched and easily my favorite. The physics engine and traversal mechanics are revolutionary and the best I've ever seen. Its bones are incredible and yet its lack of atmospheric traditional dungeons, lack of variety in enemies and in particular the overlord bosses, a lackluster final boss, and a story you largely have to piece together yourself I think starts to really hold the game back from what could easily have been the best game ever. Despite all this its still one of my favorite games because the good parts are so amazing. In the end OOT was much more balanced and when you played it for the first time you didn't have these glaring critiques. If you are seeing OOT for the first time today you may not understand why its a big deal because of how much gaming has evolved since the late 90s. I admit I kind of feel that way a bit about the 2D titles like a Link to the Past. Just know the people in the know will always regard this title as the legendary gaming icon it is and deserves to be.
@Burning_Spear Don't be embarrassed about not finishing NES Metroid! That game is amazing and the game that crystalized the Metroidvania genre, but it was so, so nasty even to those who took the time to map it by hand.
I do recommend playing Metroid Zero Mission if you have not. It's a complete reimagining of the same event with more respect for the player's time — much less cruel.
Having kids and trying to give them an informed view of entertainment, I see that, over and over, some of the most influential and groundbreaking titles are also hard to appreciate.
It's because they have been aped and built-on many times over, so that when you go back to the original you have seen it all before through a more timely and relevant lens.
You don't have to have been there to appreciate how important or amazing these breakthrough influential titles are, but it helps to experience them before all the derivatives.
In the case of Zelda and Ocarina of Time (and Mario 64), they were pivotal in convincing people first about how home gaming could be made deeper for longer play while still remaining visceral and full of action and fun (previously most long games were CRPGs or slow-paced story-oriented games). As a result, most modern third-person games owe their fundamentals to what was established in those games.
In other words, we have seen the refinement and expression of Zelda. The M64/OoT combo entrenched the embrace of moving the character by pushing an analog stick in the direction the PLAYER perceives, instead of the direction of what the character would be perceiving. For 3D third-person games that was a big one, but there are so many other aspects of these games that are just "normal" now, that it is easy to miss how big a deal these games were when they arrived.
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