With The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake launching to universal critical acclaim, there’s a newfound appreciation for the series’ “traditional format,” especially after Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. However, anyone who’s spent enough time with previous titles knows that there’s constant experimentation.
As producer Hidemaro Fujibayashi explained to Polygon, the franchise allows for a certain malleability. “Take, for example, on the Nintendo 64, the game went from 2D to 3D or the addition of a control stick, to really be able to navigate a 3D world. When it came to the Wii with Skyward Sword, you were able to use gesture controls to swing the sword. And when it came to titles like Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom, you have this vast freedom that really breaks away from traditional, course-charted paths.
“All of that to say that these are all ideas or nuggets of ideas that developers at that time feel like, okay, this is going to be fun. This has potential.
