Linktober 15: Zelda
Two quotes about Zelda's facial expressions.
Sources: Iwata Asks, Hyrule interviews
#Zelda, #Linktober
#OcarinaofTimeQuote, #BreathOfTheWildQuote
#AonumaQuote, #MoriQuote, #TakizawaQuote
@hyruleinterviews.bsky.social![PEOPLE:
- Eiji Aonuma, age 48. Dungeon Director for Ocarina of Time.
- Naoki Mori. Cinema Scene Director for Ocarina of Time.
QUOTE:
Aonuma: Some people are still playing it, so I can't be too specific, but in the last scene [of Ocarina of Time], [Mori] just couldn't settle on an expression for [Zelda’s] face.
Mori: Yes, that's right.
Aonuma: Did you eventually find something that satisfied you?
Mori: That was for the Nintendo 64 system, so there were hardware limitations to what we could express. I asked about adding one more expression for eyes, but they said it was impossible. I proceeded with what was available, but it just didn't look right to me. I ended up frustrated to the very end.
Aonuma: Ever since, Mori-san has wanted Zelda to have more vivid facial expressions.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreih5g4bo4pekxfc3wc2u4k4skgymdu4xiktos7muzlndlr5fhn4aki@jpeg)
![PEOPLE:
- Satoru Takizawa, age 46. Breath of the Wild Art Director.
QUOTE:
Q: When [Breath of the Wild’s] Princess Zelda was first revealed to the public, there was a lot of talk about her thick eyebrows.
Takizawa: That was really surprising. I didn't expect it to become such a hot topic. The eyebrows are thicker than usual because it makes it easier to give her facial expressions. Princess Zelda has a lot of emotional expression this time around, so I think the design suits her well.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreihrmcnvywgftsxrxmuyj5kvz2lcm3eyizm4hdgnse6uqnk6hs55sy@jpeg)
@hyruleinterviews.bsky.socialLinktober 15: Zelda
Two quotes about Zelda's facial expressions.
Sources: Iwata Asks, Hyrule interviews
#Zelda, #Linktober
#OcarinaofTimeQuote, #BreathOfTheWildQuote
#AonumaQuote, #MoriQuote, #TakizawaQuote
@hyruleinterviews.bsky.socialLinktober 14: Knight
Miyamoto on why he was insistent on having Young Link in Ocarina, 2011.
Source: Iwata Asks
#Zelda, #Linktober
#OcarinaofTimeQuote
#MiyamotoQuote, #IwataQuote
@hyruleinterviews.bsky.socialLinktober 12: NPC
Miyamoto on how making the characters “enticing” is more important than plot, 1999.
Source: Shmuplations
#Zelda, #Linktober
#OcarinaofTimeQuote
#MiyamotoQuote, #OsawaQuote
![PEOPLE:
- Shigeru Miyamoto, age 46. Ocarina of Time Producer.
- Toru Osawa, age 36. Ocarina of Time Script Director.
QUOTE:
Miyamoto: With script director Osawa-kun, I told him he should spend less effort on the story and plot [for Ocarina of Time], and more on making sure the characters themselves are enticing.
In my opinion, the most interesting thing in Zelda is seeing all the different characters appear in the story, so I told him to focus on them and give them interesting things to do.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreihskdxtg4422k2uvtxv7ayqfvxyuug4qh6dslf6uiz2heazsdxp6i@jpeg)
@hyruleinterviews.bsky.socialLinktober 11: Boss
Aonuma on having his boss sketches shot down by Takizawa, 2011.
Source: Iwata Asks
#Zelda, #Linktober
#OcarinaofTimeQuote
#AonumaQuote, #TakizawaQuote, #MoritaQuote
![PEOPLE:
- Eiji Aonuma, age 48. Ocarina of Time Dungeon Director.
- Satoru Takizawa, age 39. Ocarina of Time Character Designer.
- Kazuaki Morita, age 45. Ocarina of Time Boss Enemy Programmer.
QUOTE:
Aonuma: One day, I showed Takizawa-san a sketch I had drawn [for Ocarina of Time] and said, “I want you to make an enemy like this.” He cut me down, saying, “Aonuma-san, could you please stop drawing your own sketches?”
Iwata: Why was that?
Aonuma: I thought, “Huh? Why?” and asked if my drawing was really that bad. He said it solidified the appearance, whereas he would rather be free to draw what he wants.
Iwata: Takizawa-san wanted to start with a blank slate when he drew the bosses.
Aonuma: I had strong feelings about it and felt like I'd come up with some unique enemies, but then Takizawa-san and Morita-san turned out a bunch of stuff far beyond what I had ever imagined.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreigtluvfdhm43dbyfv6ca45u4mlsabg7pti26mxsxdrvh5cdbyv6ke@jpeg)
@hyruleinterviews.bsky.socialLinktober 10: Merchant/Shopkeeper
Morita on the inspiration for the Pond Owner in Ocarina, 2011.
Source: Iwata Asks
#Zelda, #Linktober
#OcarinaofTimeQuote
#MoritaQuote, #HaruhanaQuote, #IwataQuote
![PEOPLE:
- Kazuaki Morita, age 45. Programmer on Ocarina of Time.
- Yoshiki Haruhana, age 41. Ocarina of Time Character Artist.
- Satoru Iwata, age 51. President of Nintendo.
QUOTE:
Morita: I also worked on the fishing minigame [for Ocarina].
Aonuma: You didn't just do the programming, but you also wrote the script for the Pond Owner. ...
Haruhana: … Morita-san made lots of requests regarding that character's face and movements. He requested specific movements … and even drew a rough sketch of how his face should look.
Iwata: Did you make so many requests because that character was modeled after someone real?
Morita: Yes, that's right! [laughs] I like fishing and I'm from an area near Neyagawa in Osaka, and there's a fishing store I used to go to in that neighborhood. My model was the shopkeeper there.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreih5zo3d6sujzgeevsmof7bms6vjgvhqa5x2aw4nsexz2c3xqctizy@jpeg)
@hyruleinterviews.bsky.socialLinktober 4: Dragons
Takizawa, Iwata, and Morita on a Volvagia animation shortcut, 2011.
Source: Iwata Asks
#Zelda, #Linktober
#OcarinaofTimeQuote
#TakizawaQuote, #IwataQuote, #MoritaQuote
![PEOPLE:
- Satoru Takizawa, age 39. Enemy designer for Ocarina of Time.
- Satoru Iwata, age 51. 4th President of Nintendo.
- Kazuaki Morita, age 45. Boss character engineer for Ocarina of Time.
QUOTE:
Takizawa: Volvagia [in Ocarina] is a dragon, so it wriggles and undulates. I only gave Morita-san the dragon model parts, but he set it in motion immediately. It was mysterious how he could do that. I couldn't help but ask how he did it. He said it was the same as the programming for Star Fox 64. There's this scene when another fighter aircraft is tailing Arwing and…
Iwata: … Oh, that? That's right! It's the same! … The way the fighter moves as it flies and Volvagia's movements are exactly the same.
Morita: I could do it easily by switching in the dragon for the fighter.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreigfuqp7u6tp2gp6nffvmbs5c76ihfm7zux23lve3tiiene5shkhva@jpeg)
@hyruleinterviews.bsky.socialLinktober #1: Love
Yokota on being a Zelda fan, 2011.
Source: Iwata Asks
#Zelda, #Linktober
#OcarinaofTimeQuote
#YokotaQuote, #KondoQuote, #IwataQuote
![PEOPLE:
- Mahito Yokota, age 37. Composer for Twilight Princess, Ocarina of Time 3D, and Skyward Sword.
- Koji Kondo, age 49. Original Zelda composer, composer of numerous Zelda titles.
- Satoru Iwata, age 51. President of Nintendo.
QUOTE:
Iwata: Compared to Kondo-san, you may not have worked on development of The Legend of Zelda that long, but you've been playing it forever, right?
Yokota: You can say that again! Talking about it could take forever! [laughs] I love The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time beyond all reason!
I have, of course, played all the Zelda games since the first one, and played them all the way through, but Ocarina of Time was an eye-opening experience to how great video game music can be. I played song after song on the piano.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreifo74ubwtujqnntqiibwssudltiv2zb5zrbplvlzufzyvtbvnpmna@jpeg)
@hyruleinterviews.bsky.socialWornell recalls working on the Ocarina of Time manual mere weeks before release, 2026.
Source: Hyrule Interviews
![PEOPLE:
- Jim Wornell. Associate Producer and Graphic Designer for Ocarina of Time.
QUOTE:
Wornell: It was November of ‘98 when I transitioned from being an AP over to design. … I was doing the layout work, the manual packaging work for Ocarina. …
Q: The game was released in North America on Nov. 23rd. Were you working on the manual just weeks before?
Wornell: [Thinks] It must have been, because I remember working on the Illustrator layouts for the Ocarina of Time manual. Now the package may have been done, but I do remember working on the layout for the manual. …
We had the production facility in North Bend [WA], if I remember. And I want to say a lot of the— unless I'm thinking of GameCube, but, I mean, God. I definitely remember working on manual design for Zelda in November of ‘98.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreihdbu57pzkyebcaau3s53dusedzmzvjmeiui4yocpdw5iopn5yd5e@jpeg)
@hyruleinterviews.bsky.socialWornell on NOA’s debug processes for Ocarina of Time, 2026.
Source: Hyrule Interviews
![PEOPLE:
- Jim Wornell. Associate Producer for Ocarina of Time.
QUOTE:
Wornell: We had a debug department at [Nintendo of America]. … We would get a version of [Ocarina of Time] overnight. And then eight o'clock in the morning, we come in and it's ready for us. And our debug team would play it until three, four, five o'clock.
I would need to have bug reports submitted to me by a certain time so I could go through them and figure out, “Okay, this is a bug. This is not a bug. This is a bug.” And then … get it to Japan, so they could check it out, fix any bugs that needed to be fixed and send us another version. …
At the beginning, it wasn't that often. But towards the end, as we got closer and closer to lot check approval, it was every day. Sometimes twice a day.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreicubyg77z56o5zzsxqn54zfrcjvl2wsossxoky2ibzygajvubmenm@jpeg)
@hyruleinterviews.bsky.socialWornell on how NOA got the art files for graphic design work in the late 90s, 2026.
Source: Hyrule Interviews
![PEOPLE:
- Jim Wornell. Associate Producer and Graphic Designer for Ocarina of Time.
QUOTE:
Q: How was all the art [for manual and packaging] sourced? Were they sending you big high definition PSDs, how'd that work back then?
Wornell: Yeah we might get… [thinks] Back then we might get discs full of art. I'm trying to remember if we were FTPing back and forth between us and Japan back then. I don't think we were. So yeah, it might've been just a package full of physical discs that you need to put into a computer and do it that way.
Q: So there was a box full of Nintendo classified files being physically shipped.
Wornell: Yeah.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreidcciugkjrtbh4uzewqemv6lbvsi2nxfijxgkmkqbqxhb6hfkxqoi@jpeg)
@hyruleinterviews.bsky.socialAonuma on how Breath of the Wild development reminded him of Ocarina of Time, 2017.
Source: Creating a Champion
#Zelda
#BreathoftheWildQuote, #OcarinaofTimeQuote
#AonumaQuote
![PEOPLE:
- Eiji Aonuma, age 54. Ocarina of Time Dungeon Director. Producer of Breath of the Wild.
QUOTE:
Aonuma: Watching everyone [during Breath of the Wild development], I remembered what it was like making Ocarina of Time all those years ago. When Zelda first went 3D there were no rules on how to make 3D games in the way there are now, and it was my first time making a Zelda game, so, in a real sense, I had no idea how to properly create a 3D Zelda game. We had a blank slate. We would think of something, try it, and if it didn't work, do it over.
Breath of the Wild was similar. It was a type of game that didn't have defined guidelines for development and which none of us had experienced before. It felt like Ocarina all over again. … I’m very happy we were able to reach such heights once again.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreifqi7mtdvh2xxyaub4ugv5nhealrp6w44rfqqjwcfjvmhlxosnr7q@jpeg)
@hyruleinterviews.bsky.socialMiyamoto on “acting like a producer” and relinquishing creative control on Ocarina of Time, 1999.
Source: Shmuplations
![PEOPLE:
- Shigeru Miyamoto, age 46. Producer of Ocarina of Time.
QUOTE:
Miyamoto: From the start [of Ocarina of Time development] I tried to act like a producer: “Do whatever you want, as long as it's interesting.” However, midway through the second year, it started to feel like if I wasn't physically there on the floor, they might never wrap things up.
At that point, the different sub-teams … had been working independently and in parallel, so my work was less about adding my own ideas as it was bringing together and consolidating what everyone else had done. Because a game this large is the combined work of a huge number of people, it's not my place to come in and try to exert my own control over everything.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreifjf5b5v35vwxaqlkn2v27lvgcx62wpclvbklbxm6zn3suq2wvjiy@jpeg)
@hyruleinterviews.bsky.socialKoizumi on his wife's fateful commentary, 2011.
Source: Iwata Asks
![PEOPLE:
- Yoshiaki Koizumi, age 43. Ocarina of Time 3D Gameplay Director.
- Eiji Aonuma, age 48. Ocarina of Time Dungeon Director.
QUOTE:
Koizumi: I changed the character design for Link a lot for Ocarina of Time. At first he had a button-nose.
My wife said, "All of Nintendo's characters have funny noses. Don't you have any handsome ones?" I was shocked. Then when we were making Ocarina of Time, I was in charge of Link's character design, so I made him a little better-looking.
Aonuma: Huh? So Link is your wife's type?
Koizumi: Yes. [firmly]
Everyone: [laughs]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreidj54w7yeh4mvtqppzvxpwrakdrhd6uojzm64pzwaxhl55oqlvuga@jpeg)
@hyruleinterviews.bsky.socialKoizumi & Aonuma on the reason for the Kokiri's fairies, 2011.
Source: Iwata Asks
#Zelda
#OcarinaofTimeQuote
#KoizumiQuote, #AonumaQuote, #IwataQuote
![PEOPLE:
- Yoshiaki Koizumi, age 43. Ocarina of Time 3D Gameplay Director.
- Eiji Aonuma, age 48. Ocarina of Time Dungeon Director.
- Satoru Iwata, age 51. 4th President of Nintendo.
QUOTE:
Koizumi: The [Kokiri] village [in Ocarina of Time] has lots of trees and lots of people live there, but it was difficult to display them all at once. I came up with the idea of having each person living there followed around by a fairy. That way, even if we just showed the fairies…
Iwata: I see. If you see the fairy, you know its owner is there, too.
Aonuma: It also led to the scenario surrounding Link not having a fairy at first.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreidmwsm2g4xunoarmuwzruzgngatowhz26lycjn5v22k4r6gc47ygu@jpeg)
@jdogtoocool.bsky.socialAonuma, in 2023, asked about a potential modern remake of Ocarina of Time, and his surprising response!
Source: Game Informer Interview
@hyruleinterviews.bsky.socialAonuma on being invited to work on Zelda “for a spell” and the dungeons he designed for Ocarina, 2011.
Source: Iwata Asks
@hyruleinterviews.bsky.socialOsawa on how and why he was the “general director” for Ocarina of Time, 2011.
Source: Iwata Asks
![PEOPLE:
- Toru Osawa, age 48. Script Director for Ocarina of Time.
QUOTE:
Osawa: When development of Ocarina of Time began, they called me in to the Entertainment Analysis & Development Division [EAD, the Zelda & Mario studio] and put me to work. This project had a lot of directors, but I was the oldest, so I was a sort of general director.
Q: About how many directors were there?
Osawa: Five altogether. I listened to each director's opinion and coordinated them, saying, “All right, all right, I get it. This is what we'll do.” I also worked on the story and script.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreierun2sld7fyxcukxcarvadzowy5uykkiupwx6dvqtiulynv5nnjm@jpeg)
@hyruleinterviews.bsky.socialMiyamoto on how Ocarina was built to evoke nostalgia, 2003.
Source: Nintendo Prime
![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_fullsize/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreiavjhxxexwvt3aw6ft57wxxeheo6su6yd4s3ykzg3dnz4ijiplrii@jpeg)
@hyruleinterviews.bsky.social![PEOPLE:
- Shigeru Miyamoto, age 58. Producer of Ocarina of Time, creator of Mario & Zelda.
- Satoru Iwata, age 51. President of Nintendo.
QUOTE:
Miyamoto: I thought of autojump [for Ocarina of Time] on one of my days off. I couldn't wait to get to work on Monday!
Iwata: You couldn't wait to tell everyone. [laughs]
Miyamoto: Right! [laughs] I gathered everyone on Monday morning and said, ‘We're gonna do something called autojump!’ Everyone's response was, “Say what?!” The team that had made Mario games was going to give up the jump button.
… An added benefit was that we could program the pose Link would assume after jumping. We could look at the landform ahead and determine how Link would jump.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreifr4ndnrjdn4dwez3xq464mwhucvv6xywxb7mtphxqbjsz5i63moe@jpeg)
![PEOPLE:
- Yoshiaki Koizumi, age 43. - Ocarina of Time 3D Gameplay Director
- Assistant Director of Super Mario 64
- Director of Majora’s Mask, Super Mario Sunshine, & Super Mario Galaxy.
- Satoru Iwata, age 51. 4th President of Nintendo.
QUOTE:
Koizumi: I do think they [Mario and Zelda] are often made in pairs. They both [Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time] fell into the category of “3D open-world action games.” I didn't really see the difference between them.
Iwata: If you were to state the difference, it would be how [Ocarina of Time] is the one you don't press a button to jump in.
Koizumi: Even when it comes to that, you had to press a button to jump when we first started making Ocarina of Time.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreidvohoizrktj2zzgonwrafxqpbvdqsmhrgveqseauvb6mylgeipfu@jpeg)
@hyruleinterviews.bsky.socialIwata & Haruhana on Ocarina's “hospitality” and “roughness”, 2011.
Source: Iwata Asks
![PEOPLE:
- Satoru Iwata, age 51. President of Nintendo.
- Yoshiki Haruhana, age 41. Ocarina of Time Character Designer.
QUOTE:
Haruhana: I played the original version [of Ocarina] again for the first time in a long while and sensed an immense amount of hospitality. In the dungeons, for example, I felt as if someone were saying, “Welcome!” each time I entered a room. … there's a roughness in the way it attacks with its full strength. After 13 years, it still has that impact.
Iwata: … What kind of hospitality is hospitality that attacks? [laughs]
Haruhana: Well, when I say hospitality … I mean that when you go somewhere, all kinds of play await for your enjoyment. … And it isn't a highly organized kind of hospitality like today's games exhibit. [Ocarina] has a certain bumpiness, irregularity or roughness.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:2e7f2uvcguv4d5qxqnyjmk32/bafkreidnr5r2usedg5ncp6hld7zeu2v5wybazfh273hxpc5t4ajf4m7u5i@jpeg)