Eiji Aonuma, the legendary producer behind Nintendo's iconic action-adventure series "The Legend of Zelda," once revealed that he was absolutely blown away by Capcom's "Resident Evil 4" during the development of "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess." He even lamented that a game of its caliber "should have been made by me."
According to a 2005 interview with Edge magazine, Aonuma had transitioned from game director to series producer, taking over duties previously handled by Shigeru Miyamoto. He recalled that after directing several "The Legend of Zelda" titles, he expressed to Miyamoto his desire to step away from the series and explore other creative avenues. Miyamoto's solution? Have him continue leading the series, but as a producer instead.
Aonuma confessed that while he genuinely wanted to distance himself from "The Legend of Zelda," he could never quite nail down any concrete new directions.
"Honestly, I couldn't come up with any specific ideas outside of 'The Legend of Zelda'," he admitted. As his involvement deepened, he gradually came to believe that perhaps staying with the series was his destiny.
"The very first game I ever conceived shared some fundamental similarities with 'The Legend of Zelda.' So, deep down, I really wanted to keep some distance from it. But the truth is, I've become more and more involved with 'The Legend of Zelda,' and sometimes I feel like this might just be my... destiny. So, I guess I should stop trying to escape it!" Aonuma mused.
When asked about the game that left the biggest impression on him at the time, Aonuma specifically called out "Resident Evil 4," describing it as "amazing" and "very, very well done."
"Sometimes I just had to think, 'Yeah, they did it. This is what I should have made myself'," Aonuma confessed. He also speculated that some of "Resident Evil 4"'s design choices might have considered elements characteristic of "The Legend of Zelda," and he openly stated how much he could learn from the game.
After its 2005 release, "Resident Evil 4" became a monumental title that significantly influenced subsequent action game design. While its direct impact might not be overtly visible in "The Legend of Zelda" series, Aonuma's candid remarks from back then offer players a fresh perspective on the creative backdrop of "Twilight Princess."
via： Gamesradar+