Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64 to this day remains one of the highest rated and most praised games of all time. For many fans, it also represents the pinnacle of the Zelda franchise. For designer Eiji Aonuma, however, that's both a good thing and a bad thing. The man has since worked on Majora's Mask, Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, but he (and probably most gamers) would argue that none of these topped Ocarina of Time.

Speaking recently to Nintendo Power, Aonuma said it's that fact that drives him forward with the Zelda series. He insists on surpassing the Ocarina experience. That's a tall order indeed.

"I'm happy that a title I worked on some time ago remains highly praised to this day, but that also shows how none of the subsequent games in the series have surpassed it," Aonuma lamented. "As someone who is still working on the series, I have mixed feelings about that. Because I haven't yet surpassed it, I can't quit. Surprisingly, that simple motivation may be the reason I continue to work on the Zelda series."

So, as you might expect Aonuma will continue to direct Zelda games with Shigeru Miyamoto's oversight. Nintendo has yet to announce its next major Zelda title. We have a feeling the company will do so at next year's E3, if not before then.

Thanks to Nintendo Everything for the tip