The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has been regarded as one of the greatest games ever made for nearly 30 years, and its new Nintendo-switch-2/">Switch 2 remake has also received strong acclaim. Producer Eiji Aonuma has pointed to Nintendo’s long-serving developers as one source of continuity across the series’ projects.
In an interview with GameSpot, Aonuma said that staff who have worked together over many years share experiences that make it easier to discuss how to approach the next project or try something new. He added that bringing new developers up to speed takes more time, since teams need to explain not only how they work, but why they make particular choices and use certain terminology.
Aonuma said the Zelda team changes over time, but a core group of developers has continued from one project to the next. That experienced base, he explained, helps the team bring in new staff while maintaining a throughline. He said Nintendo has followed this approach for a long time, dating back to projects worked on by Shigeru Miyamoto, and that it contributes to the sense of continuity in Zelda games.
In its review of the Ocarina of Time remake, GameSpot’s Steve Watts praised Nintendo for treating the source material with respect, saying that a masterpiece can stand the test of time.
Sources: GameSpot.