In a long-awaited interview from 1998, Shigeru Miyamoto shared behind-the-scenes insights about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The interview highlighted how the game's development pushed Nintendo 64 hardware closer to its limits, using about 90% of its capabilities. Miyamoto also expressed surprise at the visual similarities between Ocarina of Time and Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke, prompting the design team to enhance Hyrule's uniqueness. Additionally, he revealed that Link's iconic horse, Epona, could have been a unicorn or a moose, sparking thought on how this choice influenced player connection.
When we created Mario 64 about 64% of the hardwares limits were tested, but with this new Zelda, I think we pushed the limits even more. Perhaps I'd say we used about 90% of the capabilities.
Scenes of Link firing the bow and arrow while riding Epona or the Giant Goron walking behind the mountain stirred thoughts like, 'oh that's Ashitaka!' or 'That looks like the Nightwalker'. After struggling with the similarities, the team decided to 'really build up Hyrule this time to differentiate it.'
Another incredible insight was that Link's Epona could have easily been a unicorn or a moose rather than a horse... I wonder how different the experience would have been.
I’m now asking questions as to whether I would have emotionally connected with a moose in the way I did with Epona.
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