Eiji Aonuma recently discussed the development legacy of The Legend of Zelda series. He stated that the team retains core members across different projects to help new employees understand specific practices and the design reasoning behind them, while also leaving room for newcomers to contribute their own creative ideas.
Eiji Aonuma has been involved with the series since the development of the original Nintendo 64 title, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Now, nearly 30 years after its release, the game is reaching a new generation of players through a remaster, prompting him to reflect on the value of long-standing members working alongside new employees.
Aonuma believes that a group of members with years of shared project experience can help the team discuss how to proceed to the next stage and whether new approaches are needed. When new members join, veteran staff must explain the team's workflows, the reasons behind these methods, and internal terminology, a process that requires additional time investment.
He emphasized that the team must not allow newcomers to merely follow instructions mechanically without understanding the underlying reasons; at the same time, new employees should have the opportunity to incorporate their own creative ideas. While The Legend of Zelda team changes over time, core members form a foundation for newcomers to learn and grow. This continuity dates back to the era when Shigeru Miyamoto was involved in related projects, which is partly why players can feel a sense of consistency throughout the series.
Some developers working on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remaster had not even played the original version before. As a result, ensuring effective knowledge transfer during production became a crucial aspect of this team's collaboration.