23 Daily — According to gamedeveloper.com, the latest The Legend of Zelda title remakes the series' beloved classic game, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. This initiative was chosen by series producer Eiji Aonuma to help the younger development team gain insight into the classic game's design philosophy and core elements.
Using Ocarina of Time Remake to Teach Classic Design to Junior Developers
Released in 1998, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is often regarded as one of the greatest video games ever. Eiji Aonuma, who served as the dungeon designer and game planner for the original, noted that many current Zelda team members have only worked on recent titles and might not fully grasp Ocarina of Time's integral impact on the series.
To address this, Aonuma proposed remaking the game so that newer team members could learn directly from the original's structure and development style. Rebuilding the classic allows these developers to gain new perspectives and insights, which can be carried over into future game development projects.
Contrast Between Modern Zelda Titles and Ocarina of Time's Design
Recent Zelda entries like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom have adopted an "open-air" exploration style that contrasts with Ocarina of Time's linear dungeon progression and key-item collection format. Several developers on the remake admitted to only playing the original in recent years, validating Aonuma's goal of familiarizing junior staff with the classic.
Aonuma also explained that part of Ocarina of Time's appeal lies in its carefully paced adventure and narrative growth, something they wanted to reintroduce to players accustomed to the freedom of modern Zelda games.
Editor's take: Remaking Classics as a Vehicle for Design Apprenticeship
The Ocarina of Time remake serves not merely as a technical update but as a learning platform for Nintendo’s younger developers to absorb timeless game design principles. This approach exemplifies how startups in game development can leverage their own legacy or industry classics as teaching tools for their teams, fostering deeper design understanding and inspiring innovation.
Entrepreneurs might consider adopting similar strategies by dissecting key past successes within their products or markets to develop team capabilities and seed future innovation. Assessing the effectiveness of this approach could involve monitoring team engagement and feedback during remake or retro projects alongside the quality and creativity of subsequent releases.