Zelda Director Wants to Top Ocarina, Ignores Accomplishments
December 3rd, 2008 | Written by Anthony Perez | Topic: Industry News, Wii
In a recent interview with Nintendo Power, Eiji Aonuma said that he won’t stop making Zelda games until he tops The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which he considers to be the best in the franchise.
The famed directer of entries in the series such as Majora’s Mask, Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess, had this to say:
“I’m happy that a title I worked on some time ago remains highly praised to this day, but that also shows how none of the subsequent games in the series have surpassed it. As someone who is still working on the series, I have mixed feelings about that. Because I haven’t yet surpassed it, I can’t quit. Surprisingly, that simple motivation may be the reason I continue to work on the Zelda series.”
In all honesty he might be a bit too hard on himself, as are most creative folks. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is one of the highest regarded games to release this generation. Sadly, you don’t see it referenced all that often, but it’s arguably the best game on the Wii depending on your gaming tastes. Obviously, if you struggled with the complexity of the boxing portion of Wii Sports, then it’s likely you won’t agree.
Twilight Princess currently sits on a 95 average at Metacritic, with quotes such as these.
Truly fantastic. It’s not a reinvention of the genre like Ocarina was — but it’s much better, because it takes all its predecessors’ raw ideas, perfects them, and creates an experience that’s at once new and familiar. It’s rare to find a launch game that truly justifies the purchase of a new console, but this is precisely that.
As monumental as each entry has been, nothing, and I repeat, nothing can prepare you for the adventure that unfolds in Twilight Princess. The debate that has waged for decades over which Zelda game should stand as the series’ best will at long last come to a satisfying conclusion, as this is unquestionably the greatest Zelda yet.
And of course, our own Gamer 2.0:
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is the definition of the quintessential launch title. It’s one of the most respected, cherished series in all of gaming, and this is easily the best entry in the franchise in almost a decade. Anyone who buys a Wii and doesn’t buy Zelda is doing a ridiculous disservice by not buying the best game of them all.
So keep on Aonuma, but recognize that you’ve already contributed quite a bit to gaming more than once already.
Use Facebook to Comment on this Post
Related posts:
- Review: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS)
- E3 2010 Preview – The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)
- Review: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (DS)
- Billboard’s “25 Best” Game Songs List is a Joke; Ignores the Brilliance of Gaming Soundtracks
- E3 2009: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Preview (DS)
Share This Post:
Industry News, Wii |
Comment by TonyP on the December 4th, 2008 at 4:58 am
The thing about Majora's Mask was that a lot of people really hated it back in the day. On the other hand, it has gained some admiration in retrospect.
Comment by Jacob Stutsman on the December 4th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
I don't even think that OOT was the best Zelda when it came out – LTTP was a more refined experience, and that is the game that Aonuma admires so much. To me OOT is middle of the pack for Zelda. Its gameplay was remarkable when so many games were struggling with the idea of 3D, but those ideas have been refined, and it has its own problems. The one thing you can say is that is that it did bring Zelda into 3D exceedingly well – some games are still following its formula – but that doesn't necessary make the game fun in 2008.
That's just my opinion, and that's the problem. Everybody has their idea of what Zelda is. My favorite is MM, followed by TP and LTTP. You're likely to find any number of possible lists out there. No matter what Aonuma puts out, millions are going to love it, and millions are going to be disappointed. It's either too much innovation or not enough innovation or not Zelda enough or who knows what. Many people even hate OOT in retrospect. He's going to need something so good but so original and practical to the industry – not like MM, which turned away just as many people – that everybody will be forced to take notice. And if he doesn't do that, assuming it's even possible anymore, it's okay. Mario Galaxy is the only game I can think of this generation that is both popular and unilaterally praised. Maybe Call of Duty 4. Just about anything that's popular anymore is going to be incredibly divisive.
Comment by Danreb on the December 26th, 2008 at 6:10 am
Here's the thing. As great as Twilight Princess may have been, that title was originally developed for the GameCube–not the Wii.
The Wii version might be considered better because the method of gameplay changed just enough for the experience to feel fresh, but as a game at its core–it was just a glorified GameCube title.
Aonuma does have a chance to top Ocarina. I mean, Twilight Princess really is a big improvement over The Wind Waker, and it proves that Nintendo still has some ideas because a lot of the puzzles and items in the game were really some of the best they've had in a long time. Once he develops a true Wii Zelda, we'll revisit this discussion.
Either way, I thought Majora's Mask was the best in the franchise. Then again, that was made using Ocarina of Time's engine.