Zelda creator urges young developers to forget old ideas and come up with something new

The Legend of Zelda producer Hidemaro Fujibayashi has urged young developers not to limit themselves to ideas from previous entries in the series and to experiment more boldly when creating new adventures.

Following the release of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake, interest in the traditional structure of the series surged again, especially against the backdrop of experiments in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. However, as producer Hidemaro Fujibayashi points out, Zelda has always evolved thanks to new solutions.

In an interview, he recalled how the series transitioned from 2D graphics to 3D on the Nintendo 64, adopted an analog stick to control the hero in a 3D world, and utilized motion controls for sword swings in Skyward Sword. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, in turn, offered immense freedom of action and moved away from familiar routes.

According to Fujibayashi, the series has become a platform where developers can test bold concepts and bring them to life. When discussing work with younger colleagues, he often asks, “Will this be fun?” Sometimes he points out that similar ideas have already appeared in previous games, but he does so not to forbid repetition, but rather to ensure the team does not feel obligated to draw inspiration solely from Zelda’s established legacy.