Nintendo acknowledges the Zelda cycle

The “Zelda cycle” is something that has constantly been discussed by players. It boils down to a contingent of fans maintaining a negative opinion about a newly released Zelda title, only to think more positively about the game a couple of years later. The cycle generally repeats with each new release in the franchise.

There may be no better example of the Zelda cycle than Wind Waker. When it was initially revealed, most would likely say that the response to the game was very much negative. The reaction was a bit more favorable when Wind Waker actually launched, but it wasn’t until the game had been out for a number of years that fans looked back positively.

Nintendo acknowledged – and discussed – the Zelda cycle in its new Zelda: Wind Waker HD Iwata Asks. You can find a few comments from Nintendo president Satoru Iwata and Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma after the break.

Iwata: Actually, if you look closely at the world of The Wind Waker, it has its own sense of reality that’s takes advantage of its anime-themed world. It’s so inventive with a lot of bright ideas packed in that you think “Wow! So much detail!” But I suppose I notice those things as president of Nintendo because I try to see its charms! (laughs)

Aonuma: Well, there’s a clear split with those who are reluctant even to try it.

Iwata: But I think that has changed recently.

Aonuma: There’s a “Zelda cycle.”

Iwata: Yes. Bill Trinen-san at Nintendo of America—who always plays a big role in preparing the overseas versions of The Legend of Zelda games—always talks about the Zelda cycle.

Aonuma: Basically, as time progresses, negative opinions about The Legend of Zelda turn into positive ones. At first, I wasn’t sure about that, but seeing the response to The Wind Waker HD, I think it may be right.

Iwata: And it isn’t restricted to The Wind Waker. Every time a new Zelda title comes out, there’s no shortage of negative opinions, but a year or two later, people are revising their opinions, and its reputation goes up.

Aonuma: The response of fans in North America was like that for The Wind Waker. When we first announced the original version in 2001, the majority of voices we heard were against it. However, the responses for the Nintendo Direct we aired in January were incredibly favorable. Also at the Nintendo Experience event at Best Buy which was held at the same time as this year’s E3, a lot of people lined up in front of the single demo station for The Wind Waker HD in each store, saying they really wanted to play it. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD and Mario Kart 8.

Iwata: This might jinx things, but we weren’t able to expand the reach of the Nintendo GameCube hardware to the fullest, so even if people thought it looked good, a lot of them didn’t buy the hardware and decided to wait it out.

Aonuma: The other thing I could say is that we upended a lot of things with The Wind Waker, and we continued to do so beyond that as well. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess had serious and photorealistic looks, and then The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword had a painting like look with its half cel-shaded animation. It keeps changing with each new release.

Iwata: To that point, I think a part of the reason that the sentiment for The Wind Waker is increasing is that people have now seen both Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword, and have realized that The Wind Waker did have its own appeal.

Aonuma: I suppose so.