He has been behind some of Nintendo's biggest hits, but producer Eiji Aonuma still feels "nervous" as he awaits players' reactions to the remake of "Ocarina of Time", out November 5.
"I'm all nervous about releasing the remake of 'Ocarina' because I don't know how it's going to turn out, I can't stop thinking about it", the 63-year-old Japanese creator said during a visit to Paris.
For over 25 years, Aonuma has steered the Zelda series, created in 1986 by Nintendo legend and Mario inventor Shigeru Miyamoto, his mentor.
Its last two main instalments, "Breath of the Wild" (2017) and "Tears of the Kingdom" (2023), sold more than 55 million copies between them.
Poetic, melancholy and ground-breaking for its era, the original "Ocarina" stood apart for its sweeping story, shifting between the childhood and adulthood of its hero, Link.
Floating islands in the sky, a wind-swept ocean: "The Legend of Zelda" under Aonuma's direction has evolved to offer ever vaster and more open worlds.
The series centres on the adventures of Link, who battles the evil Ganondorf across the ages trying to save Princess Zelda.
"I've worked a lot on using space to surprise players and spark their imagination", said the designer, in order to "create games that instil in them the joy of exploration".
Infusing the saga with this intrepid spirit is where Aonuma feels he has made his mark. It is "the very essence of Zelda today".
To keep players engaged, the saga alternates between major releases, smaller titles, side adventures and remakes.
"Ocarina of Time" is its most ambitious remake, released as part of the saga's 40th anniversary.
The original, released in 1998, was Aonuma's first project with Miyamoto.
He is a telecommunications engineer's son, with two siblings. At university, Aonuma studied design, particularly 3D composition through Karakuri dolls, traditional Japanese automatons.
A keen drawer, he joined Nintendo somewhat by chance in the late 1980s, working as a graphic artist before Miyamoto brought him onto the team developing the fifth Zelda game.
"It was the first time Nintendo was creating games in 3D", he recalls.
He later took the helm of "Majora's Mask" (2000) and directed several instalments before becoming a producer overseeing the saga.
Some younger team members have never played the original "Ocarina", bringing freshness to the remake.
"It's thanks to these young people, by thinking about how to adapt the game in the best possible way, how to make it fun once you have the controls in your hands, that this remake came into being", he says.
In Paris, Aonuma was made Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters, an honour bestowed two decades earlier on Miyamoto.
He said "the road travelled has not always been easy", but does not seem ready to pass the baton.
"I'm very interested to see what the younger staff will imagine" for future titles, he said, adding that he was "extremely happy" to offer his guidance so they can "think together" about the next Zelda. — AFP
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
