Miyamoto: "Plain" Zelda's success unexpected

Nintendo's design giant Shigeru Miyamoto has said he never expected The Legend of Zelda to become a mainstream hit, and described it as "plain".

"I really didn't expect the response I got when I first made The Legend of Zelda," Miyamoto said in the latest Iwata Asks.

"A world of swords and magic really wasn't considered mainstream at the time."

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata had asked Miyamoto whether his upcoming 3DS title, Steel Diver, wasn't a departure from the designer's usual works, because it has a "plain" (or simplistic) theme.

Miyamoto replied that Zelda, at the time of its creation, was also "plain".

"When I was making The Legend of Zelda, it was very plain. I didn't think that genre would be seen as something so mainstream."

Miyamoto said the film The Neverending Story was very popular at the time, increasing interest in fantasy, and that Zelda's story grew out of a very simple riff on the genre.

"It was a world started off with such a message as: 'Here kid, Take this sword.' In a word, it was plain."

Miyamoto then commented that he thinks all games start from very simple, uninspiring nuggets.

Thanks, GoNintendo.