In a 2006 interview, the late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata outlined the company's stance on sequels to classic series and new experiences. He stated that Nintendo would continue to meet the expectations of Mario and Zelda fans, but each sequel must strive to innovate within its existing series.
At the time, Satoru Iwata bluntly stated that if Nintendo merely churned out sequels without attempting any new content or different directions, people would view it as a conservative company unwilling to explore proactively. He emphasized that this was neither his way of doing things nor the kind of company he wanted Nintendo to become.
This interview took place after the announcement of the new console codenamed "Revolution," which was later released as the Wii. At the time, Nintendo was also expanding its gaming audience with the DS and titles aimed at a broader user base, such as Nintendogs and Brain Age, leading to questions about whether the company would alienate its core players.
In response, Satoru Iwata stated that Nintendo would continue to serve players who expect traditional Zelda and Mario experiences, while also providing new experiences for those who have never played games before or can only play for short periods each day. Players would see both the classic game formats the company has excelled at in the past and encounter completely different gameplay styles.
At the time, Nintendo still relied heavily on a few familiar franchises. Satoru Iwata acknowledged that many players wanted to see sequels to these titles, so the company had a responsibility to meet their expectations; however, in fulfilling this responsibility, every sequel needed to find room for innovation within the series.
Subsequent releases like Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild redesigned gameplay while continuing their respective series. Looking back at this interview, the direction described by Satoru Iwata was not about abandoning the traditions represented by classics such as Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Super Mario Sunshine, and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, but rather about continuously offering different experiences while preserving the foundation of each series.