Miyamoto says Zelda was plain when he was making it, surprised that it became a mainstream genre
The latest edition of Iwata Asks is now available, which focuses on Steel Diver. So, you’re probably wondering why we’re posting Zelda news! Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto briefly touched on the series in their discussion…
Miyamoto: When I was making The Legend of Zelda, it was very plain. (laughs)
Iwata: (laughs)
Miyamoto: I didn’t think that genre would be seen as something so mainstream. 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.
Iwata: Was it? Miyamoto: The Neverending Story almost got really popular around that time. It was a world started off with such a message as: “Here kid, Take this sword.” (laughs) In a word, it was plain.
Iwata: In that sense, The Legend of Zelda and Steel Diver are the same to you.
Miyamoto: I think so. But when I said they’re both plain, I only meant it in the sense that they’re not attention-grabbers. I believe they’re the same in the way that they’re both something fun. It’s just a matter of presentation to get more people interested in it. I think the original themes are relatively plain for most of the games.
Iwata: That’s very interesting. People around the world probably think you’re surrounded by famous characters, which you use however you wish. It’s as if, when you create a game, you’ll get some kind of famous character and just plaster it all over to get attention.
Miyamoto: (laughs)
