Miyamoto Interviews> November 11th 1998, Videogames.com

VideoGames.com: After having spent so much time living and breathing Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, now that it's about to arrive in gamers' hands all around the world, what would you hope a person feels when playing this game?

Shigeru Miyamoto: I hope, very much, that they can say, "I have never played a game like this." I want them to feel as if they are visiting a place called Hyrule.

VG: Knowing that you're a bit of a perfectionist, it's also known that you have spent months and months refining Zelda to suit your tastes. Is Zelda everything you wanted it to be?

SM: Since the original Zelda on NES, the idea of Zelda has remained the same. With the new hardware we wanted to make a new kind of Zelda game that retained the original concept. I think we have done that.

VG: With each and every successive game you release, you raise the bar on what can be done in the world of video games. Is this the best game you've ever made?

SM: I think that Mario 64 is a great action game in much the same way that Zelda is a great adventure game. I think they're both great games.

VG: What was the hardest part about bringing Link and Zelda from the world of 2D into the world of 3D?

SM: The most difficult part was to realize a virtual 3D world. It's difficult to give the best 3D angle so that the players don't experience frustration. The game must remain fun to play. Once these issues have been ironed out, the rest of the process is easy. At that point, all you have to do is develop the characters and models and create the scenarios.

VG: Leading up to the creation of Zelda, you've had plenty of time to discover the ins and outs of working with the N64 hardware. During this time you've also admitted to keeping an eye out for Rare and the increasing quality of its projects, like Banjo-Kazooie. As a result, have you developed new ideas for the future that haven't been done before?

SM: Yes. Many new ideas have come up. There have been many new discoveries. With Zelda, timing was delicate. Developing this game, we would discover new things all the time, but you have to learn when to start and when to stop. If we continued to implement all of our new ideas, we would never get the game finished. For comparison's sake, Mario used about 60 percent of the N64's power, whereas Zelda probably uses around 90 percent of the technology. There is definitely room for more.

VG: On a side note, has any progress been made on your hush-hush project, Jungle Emperor Leo?

SM: Unfortunately, we are in a situation where Makoto Tezuka (son of anime legend Osamu Tezuka) must approve the various steps to begin creating the game. He is very enthusiastic about the game but has had to concentrate on the upcoming movie of Leo. After he has sorted out the movie, then he will be able to work with us on the game. Whenever that occurs, at that point we will renew the process.

VG: Having spent so much time on Zelda, are you going to take some time off to recharge your batteries?

SM: (Laughs) I'm taking a break right now. I went to see the Museum of Modern Art today.

VG: After having your hands in so many of Nintendo's 64-bit projects, like Wave Race, Mario Kart, F-Zero X, StarFox, etc., has Zelda been the title you spent the majority of your energies on?

SM: Actually, Mario 64 took most of my concentration. In Zelda, I was giving the ideas to the directors who would then develop them into actual gameplay. My job was to watch over the whole project and make sure all the parts worked and fit together.

VG: In closing, considering that this game is currently poised to be the most successful game ever, critically and commercially, what would you like to say to all the people about to embark on this labor of love?

SM: I think Zelda is going to be the game where you can say, "Doing something by yourself can be really fun." Sometimes this game may be difficult, but please be patient. Although many of you might want to look at
cheat books, you'll enjoy the game the most if you don't ruin the surprises in store. Exchanging information with your friends may be the best idea.

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