Recently, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time marked its 26th birthday, which feels pretty incredible. What’s even more fascinating is that, all these years later, we’re still uncovering new insights about the game. Some interviews with Nintendo from back then are just now bubbling up to the surface, shedding light on previously unknown tidbits.
Take Shigeru Miyamoto’s conversation in 1999 for instance. During a chat for a Japanese strategy guide, which Shmuplations has translated recently, Miyamoto opened up about Navi, the little guide who offers hints to players throughout the game. Miyamoto candidly admitted, “I think the way we give hints is still a little too unfriendly. To be completely honest with you, the system with Navi was Ocarina of Time’s weakest link. Designing a hint system that perfectly tailors advice to the player’s situation is incredibly complex. Doing it right would take as much time as creating a full game, and I was concerned we’d be digging ourselves into a huge challenge if we aimed for perfection there.”
Miyamoto further explained, “If you’ve ever read Navi’s text, you might notice it’s a bit repetitive. It might sound bad, but this was a deliberate decision to keep her at what you might call a ‘basic’ level. Ironically, trying to make Navi’s hints more sophisticated would have probably highlighted this even more. Truthfully, I wanted to scrap the system entirely, but that would have made things even tougher for players. Navi is a bit like a reminder for players who’ve taken a break and return to the game unsure of their next move. I know, it’s a pretty bold excuse. (laughs)”
It’s quite interesting to keep discovering more layers to this classic, even after all this time.
