San Francisco Frontiers - Nintendo producer 'all nervous' as Zelda classic remake hits shelves

"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, one of the most respected figures in video games, told AFP during a visit to Paris.

For over 25 years Aonuma has steered the series, which many people consider one of the best video games ever made.

Created in 1986 by Nintendo legend and Mario inventor Shigeru Miyamoto, who was Aonuma's mentor, the series has enjoyed growing success.

Its last two main installments, "Breath of the Wild" (2017) and "Tears of the Kingdom" (2023), sold more than 55 million copies between them.

- Islands in the sky -

Poetic, melancholy and ground-breaking for its era, what set the original "Ocarina" apart was 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 the green-clad warrior Link, who battles the evil demon 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 instill in them the joy of exploration".

Infusing the saga with this intrepid spirit is where the Japanese creator says he feels he has made his mark on the series.

It is "the very essence of Zelda today."

- Karakuri dolls and 3D -

To keep players engaged, the Zelda saga alternates between major releases, smaller titles, side adventures and remakes of older titles.

"Ocarina of Time" is by far the most ambitious of its remakes, and its release is part of the 40th anniversary of the saga.

The new installment has a special meaning for Aonuma, the son of a telecommunications engineer and second of three children.

The original "Ocarina of Time", released in 1998, was the first project he worked on with Miyamoto.

At university Aonuma studied design and in particular 3D composition through Karakuri dolls -- traditional Japanese automatons.

A keen drawer, he joined Nintendo somewhat by chance in the late 1980s and worked as a graphic artist before being spotted by the Mario creator, who brought him onto the team working on the fifth Zelda game.

"It was the first time Nintendo was creating games in 3D," he recalls.

He went on to take the helm of its sequel, "Majora's Mask" (2000), and directed several installments before moving into a producer role to oversee the development of the saga.

- Young blood -

Some of the younger members of his team have never played the original "Ocarina", bringing a freshness to the creative mix for 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.

On Friday in Paris, Aonuma was made Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters at the French culture ministry, an honour also bestowed two decades earlier on Miyamoto.

In his thank-you speech Aonuma said "the road travelled has not always been easy," but he does not yet 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.

R.Moore--SFF