Aonuma
That’s right. It made us very, very happy (laughs). Even after its release, I felt that we’d really done something special; I felt very fulfilled. At the time, I think (Shigeru) Miyamoto-san had that same feeling, but apparently he also felt as though there was still quite a lot left to do.
Iwata
Yes, Miyamoto-san really is greedy about things like that, isn’t he. (laughs)

Aonuma
And so he said: we’d already made 3D models for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. By changing the situation, couldn’t we make new ways to play, a new story?
Iwata
So you made The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask.
Aonuma
No, we didn’t just start making The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, not right away. There was actually a flip-side, and in the beginning, the idea was to make a “Ura (Flip-Side) Zelda”.

Iwata
That “Ura Zelda” (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Master Quest) was developed for the 64DD5. Ultimately, we recorded it on a limited edition disc that went to people who reserved The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker6.

Iwata
Aonuma-san, you’re involved with both the Wii and Nintendo DS editions of The Legend of Zelda. Are there any differences in how you work on the two?
Aonuma
When I work on the Wii edition, I’m right on-site, and I often do my job from a director’s perspective. On the Nintendo DS version, I do proper producer’s work. …That said, when I worked on the previous game, The Legend of Zelda:Phantom Hourglass, I was simultaneously making Twilight Princess2, so I couldn’t keep a very close eye on things right from the beginning. Then, when The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was finished and I went to the Nintendo DS version’s office, the development was already pretty far along. From my point of view, it was at a stage where I could really make myself useful.

Iwata
So you’re saying that you left the site for a while, and that let you see the Nintendo DS version with a new set of eyes. As a result, you were able to spot the places where you could put in a little more work and really improve things.
Aonuma
That’s exactly it. So then — and I did feel bad to do so — I asked that development be extended three more months, and I worked on it during that extra period. Then, the more I worked, the better it got.

Read the rest of the interview here!