Miyamoto says he never expected Zelda to be "mainstream"

25years after The Legend of Zeldawas first releasedand became a cultural touchstone for people around the world, its primary creator is saying he never expected it to make a dent.

The revelation came in the latest episode of Iwata Asks, a feature on Nintendo.com in which Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has conversations with the movers and shakers at his company.

In this particular feature, Iwata and Miyamoto are discussing Steel Diver, a game slated for the 3DS that is Miyamoto's latest endeavor. Iwata asks why the visionary is working on the game - a submarine platformer that isn't expected to be revolutionary - saying, "Aren't the titles you make the polar opposite of 'plain' things?"

Miyamoto responded, "Oh, but I think that's just a misunderstanding. When I was making The Legend of Zelda, it was very plain," ending with a laugh.

While most of the Nintendo faithful would never refer to the classic RPG as "plain," Miyamoto said it was never supposed to be such a hit. "I didn't think that genre would be seen as something so mainstream. I really didn't expect the response I got when I first made The Legend of Zelda. A world of swords and magic really wasn't considered mainstream at the time," he said.

Amazing how one of the most influential game designers of all time can remain so modest. Aside from Zelda, he's also cracked into the mainstream with Donkey Kong, Mario and Wii Fit, plus spearheaded other beloved series like Star Fox, F-Zero and Pikmin. With so many certifiable successes under his belt, we wonder if he secretly hopes for Steel Diver to ingnite a decades-long franchise that inspires a whole new generation of gamers. Hm... nah, probably not.

[Source:Nintendo.com]

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Mar 4, 2011