In 1998 the Japanese speaking world was treated to a This Ocarina Of Time interview with Shigeru Miyamoto. It was released in the February edition of the multi-format Japanese magazine GAMEJIN but was never translated into English.
I was 13 years old at the time and would have lapped up the interview but unfortunately learning Japanese was never offered at my school. I can’t believe I’ve had to wait 27 years but thanks to some incredible translation and formatting work done by Roryj and Javed Sterritt I now feel like I’ve been taken behind the scenes of one of the most classic Nintendo 64 games of all time (one of the best retro games consoles will help you to play it today).
When we created Mario 64 about 64% of the hardwares limits were tested, but with this new Zelda, I think we pushed the limits even more. Perhaps i’d say we used about 90% of the capabilities.
Shigeru Miyamoto
One of the stand out revelations was how "suprised" Miyamoto was by the similarities of the game with Studio Ghibli’s Mr. Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke.
Quoting the Japanese video game designer: "Scenes of Link firing the bow and arrow while riding Epona or the Giant Goron walking behind the mountain stirred thoughts like, 'oh that’s Ashitaka!' or 'That looks like the Nightwalker'. After struggling with the similarities, the team decided to “really build up Hyrule this time to differentiate it."
After struggling with the similarities, the team decided to "really build up Hyrule this time to differentiate it".
Another incredible insight was that Link’s Epona could have easily been a unicorn or a moose rather than a horse. Apparently some staff argued for the alternative animal options but in the end the horse won out. I wonder how different the experience would have been. I’m now asking questions as to whether I would have emotionally connected with a moose in the way I did with Epona.
The interview also focuses in on Miyamoto’s personal life, including his childhood experiences. You’ll also find out whether a Zelda game exists for the Disk Drive or whether it’s just a phantom? You can read the full transcript for more insights as well as translations of other interviews with Zelda developers who worked on Majora's Mask and The Wind Waker.
What do you think it would have been like for Epona to be a unicorn and do you see the similarities with Princess Mononoke? Let us know your thoughts on these new revelations in the comments below.
Love Zelda? See this Unreal Engine 5 remake of Ocarina of Time that brings the game into the modern era – the lighting is incredible.
