I had no idea that Yoshiaki Koizumi Designed the Z-Targeting system and worked on Majora's Mask/Link's Awakening plot..... Talk about sleeping on a underrated game designer! I would love to see him work on future games!
+Pixel Fyxe _Just_ a producer? You do realize a producer is higher up in the hierarchy than a director, right? You're making the same mistake as the video, which insinuates that Nintendo doesn't _let_ him be creative while the reality is that Nintendo rewarded him for his previous work by giving him a promotion.
Yeah, that part was ridiculous. And who's to say that he's wasting his talent while working on a Mario game instead of Zelda? I'd say Mario let's you be much more crazy.
@@garlandstrife this isn't movies. To see how important the role of a producer is, look no further than sakaguchi. He was the producer of all the best FF, ever since he left FF completely lost its identity
Lugmillord well he miyamotos protege he’s definitely spent his time honing his craft and I think odyssey and the switch show this perfectly miyamoto has to step down eventually and honestly given that he’s directed the most recent Mario with nearly no involvement from the big shigi I think the torch has finally been passed Down and I personally don’t think it could’ve gone to someone better who knows maybe with him at the helm of his own projects we’ll get characters and series just as amazing and innovative as Mario and Zelda
Don't really see anything wrong with it tbh. Aonuma has always been the lead designer of Zelda so it is well within his rights to run wild with his creation. Seeing the new trailer he's done quite amazing indeed. Not to mention Odyssey looks highly promising too. If Koizumi can reach the heights with Mario 3D series (which he did to an extent with Galaxy) then why not.
Koizumi worked on Zelda before him but only for making artbooks for Link to the Past and backstory to Links Awakening. Aonuma became lead designer for the world and dungeons in OoT, despite joining later to the team. Ingenuity of the world's design which factors into the sheer success of the game made Miyamoto gave the Zelda series to him. Koizumi worked on it too particularly on camera work and 3D environment but he was also busy with SM64 during that time. Koizumi later became town designer for MM and also came up with the crucial 3-day system, and the success of MM made Miyamoto gave the Mario 3D series (following SM64, which they made together) to him.
Oh look you read wikipedia. You can't suddenly go from saying "Zelda is Aonuma's creation" to being an expert. You are severely discrediting Koizumi. In the Link to the Past Manual, he established the core lore of the series, ie the Triforce, the Godesses, the Sages, and Ganon's story. These things are majorly important to what Zelda is. He wasn't just "making artbooks." And he didn't just do "backstory" on Link's Awakening. He was solely responsible for the creation of the Island and Dream setting, and he wrote the whole script. Before he joined, all they had was the core gameplay. SM64 was finished over 2 and a half years before OoT, so saying he was "busy" with SM64 is again completely wrong, and you are severely under-crediting his role in OoT. Saying Aonuma was "lead designer for the world" is also a gross miscredit. Aonuma's work was confined to the dungeons and enemies, not the overworld or towns. That was done by the other designers and directors, including Koizumi who created Epona.
Damn I would really like a Koizumi Zelda next. Aonuma lost his edge after Wind Waker. Both Links Awakening and Majoras Mask had that great melancholic feel. Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword just felt like going through the motions again. Breath of the Wild turns the gameplay around but I doubt that the story will be anything that stick with you like LA or MM.
Fantastic video! Thanks a lot for highlighting one of the most influential people in the games industry. This guy had a major hand in two of my favorite games (Galaxy and the 3D Zelda games) and I had no idea who he was a few minutes ago. I'd love it if "Unsung Genius" were to become a new series.
I love Koizumi. After the Switch launch he is one of the main character of Nintendo. The director of the masterpiece Mario Odyssey and of all Switch hardware. The man of destiny. Also i love: Mr.Takahashi, Master Yabuki, Uematsu San, Miyamoto Sensei, Nogami kun, Reggie the "boss" and our imperial majesty, his highness Tatsumi Kimishima.
Well then, pretty great video. I sorta knew about Koizumi in relation to him directing Mario Galaxy, but thanks to this vid, I have a really deeper understanding and new found appreciation for him. And I find the fact that he worked under the teachings of Miyamoto, master of "who needs a story", but he still is a very different director at his core, very interesting. I always like the idea of a student taking what he learned from his master but suiting it to his own personal style a cool concept, both in fiction and real life. Imagine a protégé of Kojima, but said protégé had a thing for actually being subtle, one could imagine how a game made under that dude would turn out. Once again, great video. I look forward to see what videos you will make in the future.
I really hope that Splatoon's and Animal Crossing's success gives rise for Nintendo's younger members to be more bold, creative and be able to create more risks. Reminds me of Ghibli were great animators were otherwise corrected by Miyazaki for not sticking to his mold.
+TneondoL Anno sucks now though. He seems to have just given up and is pandering to the lowest common denominator like everyone else in the anime industry who isn't Yuassa.
***** That's also true but I was talking more about him going to redraw other people's drawings so they didn't stand out or show too much deviation from Miyazaki's drawings. I do think it doesn't come from a place of malice or egotism, but more from stubborness. If I remember correctly, Miyamoto wasn't the happiest about the Rosalina Storybook, even though it was completely optional. I always find it weird when people think the objectionable actions of these people are from egotism, when I think stubborness is the more likely cause as too why Miyamoto has made some contentious decisions. Still I'd like to see more from the new guys, because I've liked a lot of their Wii U games.
Thanatos388 Anime has always been pretty pandering. I'd say Shinichiro Watanabe, Mamoru Oshii, Satoshi Kon, and Kunihiko Ikuhara are pretty much the ones also someone who don't do many pandering works besides Yuasa. Guys like Shinbo and Anno are more like guys who try making interests art of their really pop culture focused interests.
ew275x Yeah but Oshii hasn't made a full feature anime film in eight years and Kon is dead. But yeah of course there are more artistically inclined and reach more towards long term appeal rather than short term appeal to trends. I guess I just haven't cared so much for Watanabe and Ikuharas recent shows and movies. But I guess I should credit where its due. It wouldn't bother me so much if Anno didn't talk so much about how the new Evangelion films are going against the new creative and pandering anime trends when the movies do just that and offer nothing else. People say its all ironic but its really no different from any other movie or show that uses the same tropes, massive cast of characters, and "sexy" ladies to sell merchandise. And even if the fourth film is nothing but a huge response and critique of what movies 2 and 3 were it would just look like a whole big waste of time. People who liked those films wont care or feel offended and people who agree will simply continue to agree that they were bad which just makes the whole thing a masturbatory waste.
Thanatos388 Yeah, that's why I called him someone who while he does care a lot for the industry and his hobbies (him making a museum to rescue and preserve Toku stuff and the Animation Festival) he stills indulges in his hobbies. While I do love EVA, I do think some of the themes and situations it presents are flawed or have become flawed. Even the concept of: "Hey mecha teen pilots would be screwed if it actually happened because you're making child soldiers" is rarely presented and the audiences forgets it when the EVAs do cool stuff and ram a knife down an Eldritch monster's mouth. The new Gundam handled the same theme better. The Rei apartment scene is a better executed concept, where harem antics look really weird if they were done in real life. Still, they end up making Rei a love interest and the industry just took that scene as a sign they can do a cliche and point out the cliche. Still, I do think it has interesting things to say about human relationships and the series is well directed and does feel personal. I only saw the first rebuild movie though, but I don't see how they go against current anime trends since a lot of modern trends were informed by part by the original Evangelion anime. From Digibro's video on him, what may be more important to Anno is making original anime and that he uses his giant franchise to get new talent working on big projects and him being able to fund stuff like his Toku museum and his animation festivals.
I agree that Koizumi is why the Zelda franchise is held to such a high standard these days. He's definitely more of a story dude than a gameplay one, that's for sure. What a genius.
Definitely a name to remember then. Although I have to say I've never really agreed with the criticisms about cameras in Platinum's games. I've usually found them pretty reliable. Sometimes a bit wonky in some places, but I've never had a problem with them in combat. They always just worked as well as the camera in any other game for me. 6:37 - Aonuma is ice cold!!
+Scrustle I agree with your statement about Platinum's camera right up until Transformers. The camera in Transformers is not great, but in all of Platinum's other games the camera works very well.
I like this idea to delve into creators like this. I've always had a dichotomy of enjoying the vision of certain directors, but always wanting to remind people that they weren't the sole force in the project. I think it's very rare that you get someone as immutable as Kojima, as influential (in a group setting) as Miyamoto, or as single-mindedly dedicated as Kamiya. There are a lot of folks who need recognition beyond that chunk and I think like with Koizumi many of them have identifiable styles. Some I think are more overall important or easy to pin down than others, but still they need to have more time in the sun. I would hardly discount Mario Galaxy simply because of it's lack of narrative focus though. If you look at MatthewMatosis' videos he talks a lot about the camera in SMG and SM3DW and I think that's a large part of Koizumi's influence as well. That style of playability is what I want Nintendo to never ever falter on. Though I love Majora's Mask too, it's a fine line to create something that in depth without sacrificing the moment to moment satisfaction in interaction. Some say that it did diminish, though I disagree.
Shit. If Nintendo insists on wasting this guy on mario games, why don't they just appoint him to the paper mario franchise. It seems like he would be the kind of person who'd get why people used to like these games so much, as opposed to the current division's mindset of trying to find new innovative ways to ruin everything.
I started to see avoiding fights in Sticker Star as a gameplay mechanic, that made going through it easier. Also, they definitely fixed some problems in Color Splash, like having someone who tells you which thing card you need. That is definitely helpful. From the two I think CS is the better game, but SS had some fun parts, like the haunted mansion.
Thank you, this explains so so much for me, everything he values about storytelling is what i LOVE about ocarina of time and HATE about breath of the wild, especially the touch about learning story through interacting with characters. When an NPC comments on events in the story (after deku tree’s death: “somehow it seems that the air in the forest has changed”, after ganondorf takes power: “I have a feeling something terrible is going to happen...Maybe I should leave town soon”) it makes the world feel dynamic and the player’s actions feel tangible, like my actions and the story progression have real impact in the daily lives of the citizens.
Just found out about Koizumi and all the influence he apparently had over all these games, added with this video, things make so much sense now in the way Zelda has changed. It's just geez.
I always love when people say "Nintendo should let the younger people in the forefront" WHEN THAT'S SOMETHING THEY'VE BEEN DOING FOR YEARS. Someone translated an Oot interview where Aonuma said that first the younger devs start development, then the veterans join them. So that's really nothing new.
+civilwarfare101 To be fair, I dont think he ever had a problem with the Z targeting itself, rather the combat system of Ocarina. Seeing as he apparently is a huge Dark Souls fan that basicly uses the same targeting system.
+Dataspelspoffe I remember him saying how z targeting creates a dissonance between the player and the game world. That really makes no sense and this coming from someone who is not even a big Zelda fan in general.
+TneondoL That whole video was full of odd or just downright stupid complaints and points. Very nit-pickey all around saying stuff like enemies with shields require you to wait and not attack during combat which is a mistake or something to that effect.
+Thanatos388 Just to add to this, going back to OOT/MM for this video highlighted for me how the combat actually was a pretty good starting point, and despite the truckload of moves in TP, it's never as effective. In OOT/MM there's a separate button entirely for the shield, and enemies behave differently whether you're holding it up or not. There's a little risk/reward between luring enemies in and getting the shield up in time. There's also some overhead attacks that will hit you and not your shield unless you position yourself at a sensible distance. How effective it is can be debated as combat in those is still pretty easy, strafing or moving back/forward can sort most encounters, but the blueprints were definitely there, which makes it all the more confusing why it was thrown out the window with Skyward Sword.
Turbo Button Well Skyward Sword was more about using the Wiimote technology to have one to one hand movement to sword movement. Its what everyone first thought of when the Wii was announced and had a Zelda on it no? The traditional combat system would kind of make that pointless so they went with combat that was more about making enemy attacks and defenses a puzzle where you have to figure out how exactly to strike. Its basically a whole different system. The only problem is that the technology wasn't exact enough that every mistake feels legitimate. There are many times where you swear you swung the wiimote one way only for Link to swing at a slightly different angle which results in getting hurt. At least with a button you know you hit the button, you know you're holding the shield. I think Nintendo just got blinded by wanting to take advantage of the Wiis gimmick and kinda let those concerns drift away.
Interesting that you should point out that younger people need more of a say in Nintendo's R&D. Anouma was talking about Breath of the Wild and how a lot of the really good ideas and changes that people have been praising came from younger developers at the company. There's definitely room for young ideas, it seems.
Nintendo really needs to use him in game making again, the man has a lot of creative muscle to flex. I hope the remake of Link's Awakening will make more people realize this.
I loved the super mario galaxy story book so much, I just had to find out who wrote it. When Miyamoto retires, I really hope Yoshiaki Koizumi takes over. Mario Galaxy might be the only nintendo game where Koizumi flexed some creativity. And he had to do it secretly!
A year later, not only does most everyone know his name and face (being the new international voice of Nintendo), but he's back on Breath of the Wild _and_ Super Mario Odyssey. Justice reigns.
What are you talking about? Aonuma was behind all of the dungeons & world layouts of Ocarina & Majora, so he DEFINITELY shouldn’t be taking a seat. Koizumi should come back though.
@Ben Groff Aonuma cant write. Koizumi is so passionate about story and emotion he snuck a story in mario galaxy and links awakening. Aonuma is more gameplay centric, but i think zelda does well with a better story.
It's crazy seeing just how much this guy has done for Nintendo after only really knowing about him after the Switch reveal. I'm glad to see that Mario Odyssey is giving him some much-needed fame because holy shit he deserves a lot of credit for that game.
For the Zelda series, Hidemaro Fujibayashi takes the spotlight. He first directed the Oracles for the Game Boy Color while being a part of Capcom's Flagship team.
"No way!" lol. I actually wasn't the biggest fan of Mario Galaxy's take on platforming, but this made me appreciate how much more accessible the little planet approach can make gameplay. In a way, it's the 3D extension of how arcade games let you go off the right side and come out the left. Being on a surface that wraps feels closer to being a 2D game -- or rather, having to control your camera means you're actually operating in 4 or 5 dimensions? Crash Bandicoot's brand of platforming is similar to Mario Galaxy in that way -- the camera always being fixed behind him so adjustment's never needed. At any rate, nice video! It's fun to think about
Super Mario 64 and Sunshine could have convenient, un-intrusive cameras if they were programmed more around the levels. The game-play probably wouldn't ever get as accessible as Super Mario Galaxy with its spherical terrain, but still. In that regard, it was a brilliant decision to focus on spherical-based platforming, because most areas of the game would require basically no work on the camera for it to be good enough, hence saving a lot of busy work. And even then, in areas that aren't spherical, the camera is usually coded to be positioned in a convenient location and angle. It sucks that the camera control is pretty limited in SMG, but the developers actually spent a decent amount of time making sure it's automatically in good positions, so it usually doesn't matter in casual play.
I'm here after the first direct of 2019. It had to be so cool for Koizumi to get to introduce the remake of Link's Awakening to the world after how much influence he had on the original game's development.
After MM and the turn of the century Zelda lost something. I don't think I can put my finger on but Zelda had more of a "quirky-spooky-uncanny" vibe. More darker atmosphere. And I'm not talking "epic hollywood edgy" like TP. I love TP, but sometimes it takes itself too seriously. Without a doubt, the subtext Koizumi he was forced to include in OoT and MM was the main contributing factor that made them super special even by today standards. Because you had to talk to characters on your own volition, you had to read letters, look at portraits, maps, etc. to get a grip of the world you were inside in. There wasn't much room for dialogue exposition, so the lore had to be in the details, inside the cracks. The franchise got darker with MM, which is comparatively ten thousand times more darker than TP. Zeldas from the 64 had an uncanny valley quality that by the time of WW it was completly erased for good. Dead and gone! TP was like trying to copying from the golden predecessors because the reactions from WW were unfavorable at that time. But without Koizumi, the subtext was kinda lost and the atmosphere felt sterile. TP had fucking good cinematics, but well, I can watch a movie too! And after TP Nintendo embraced more the cartoonish style making SS kinda of a mesh between realistic and stylized visual design as oppossed with the full cartoon style of WW. BOTW its a polished version of that philosophy. It seems that even the garments of Link since WW reflects that change of philosophy of wandering further from that "classic" Zelda vibe that died with MM. At the beginning you start with those blue robes, but eventually you get the memorable green tunic when the adventure really kicks in and the tutorial is over. Similar with Link in Ordon Village in TP, he wears a farm boy robes and later he wears the legendary's tunic; in SS Links wears clothes very similar to that of WW Link; and in BOTW it appears you aren't even encouraged to wear green tunics (which are non existent?) because Nintendo felt the need to drift even further from the established design tenets of the franchise in that game. I enjoyed WW, TP, SS (yeah, even this although I know its problems) and I haven't gotten the opportunity to taste BOTW but I think I'll enjoy it but at the end will be kinda skeptic of the direction it is taking Zelda on. I hope in the near future Nintendo decides to make a Zelda a la MM style: where you are put in a different world instead of Hyrule, where the enemy is not Ganon/Ganondorf/Malice, where the plot of the chosen ones/Triforce, rescuing Zelda is throwed out of the window and we get to enjoy some quirky completly original adventure. New villain, new mechanics (the system of 3 days was genius and more importantly: BOLD. Make some bold mechanics!), sidequesting a lot, characters that we get to know like long gone friends, distant relatives and neighbors. The overworld doesn't have to be bigger, like in BoTW. I don't care about Xenoblade Zelda. I want DEPTH of exploration, not BIGGER. Profundity of questing, spelunking, solving mysteries, getting to know secondary characters and extras, add some DISTURBING elements too, don't shy away from controversy! Throw me fucking dungeons too! Hard ones with haunted bosses! I want theme, guerrilla storytelling, no long cinematics with shitty voice actors! I have to emphasize because although I haven't playet BOTW I quite know that the dungeons were non-existent and were replaced by a myriead of shrines that rehashed the same thematic/visual design all over the place. I don't want that. I want dungeons with PERSONALTIES for god sake! But yeah, I don't think Zelda is ever going to go to that direction ever again. So other game will have to suffice...
Many video game series has that special game, Zelda had ( 2 ) Ocarina and Majora, Fallout had New Vegas, Saints Row had Saints Row 2 It's that special game that puts every amazing aspect of a series into one very good game, then for no reason at all changes things drastically in the immediate sequel and it is forgotten about forever since. Zelda is dead my friend, the only hope now is ROM Hacks and PC Ports.
@The Grynch Really? I liked Romani Ranch, Stone Tower and Pirates' Fortress. As good as MM is, it wouldn't be anywhere near as good if it only had Clock Town
@The Grynch Oh, so you want all areas to be sunshine and rainbows. In a game whose areas are NOT meant to be sunshine and rainbows because they were cursed by the eponymous mask. Right, my bad. [/sarcasm] Every area in Termina is meant to be difficult to traverse through because the whole point of the game is to undo the curse cast in them by the mask. As for searching "fairys" (ahem... FAIRIES)... that actually made the dungeons even more fun to explore. It's certainly better than placing in them Heart Pieces that would normally be placed in extra sidequests (I'm looking at you, Twilight Princess...)
@The Grynch Dude, BOTW and Monster Hunter are nothing alike. Sure, both have large areas to explore, but the goals, purpose and content are different. I don't recall looking for Shrines or plant seeds in MH4 Ultimate, for one. "I loved windwaker and the city" And I loved the city, the rural village, the volcanic island, the forest, the many islands, the characters, the dungeons, the fresh take on Ganondorf's character, etc. Seriously, if what you prefer the most from Zelda games is the populated towns, then perhaps you should look for a different gaming series. Zelda isn't just about going to town and talking to characters. It is also about going through perilous terrain and dungeons, facing enemies and bosses, reliving epic moments, and so on. It's a well-rounded series. And you know what? It's painfully evident we're not going to agree, so let's just disagree mutually. I'm getting tired of this conversation anyway
Great video. Even though Majora's Mask is pretty much my favorite game ever, I've never gotten around to learning about the individuals behind the Zelda series like I have for other games. I learned a lot from this!
Koizumi seems like more of a risk-taker than Miyamoto is. I mean, could you imagine Miyamoto directing something like Donkey Kong Jungle Beat or Mario Galaxy? I doubt they'd end up the same way under his direction. Even the Nintendo Switch, which Koizumi is spearheading, seems ballsier and more cutting edge than any of Nintendo's previous hardware. It's great to see him have a more prominent role at Nintendo now, especially since Miyamoto is no longer involved in Nintendo's software or hardware.
>Published on Apr 26, 2016 Man...just nine months later and the dude practically became a household name among Nintendo gamers. Sure, he was seemingly always around, but that January presentation made us finally notice this son of a gun and realize just how big he really was.
This guy pretty much saved Nintendo from the Wii U doom. Without his vision for the Switch concept and the focus on games that service the fans, the company might've died
Oh, I started watching this video without realizing it came out before the Switch and Odyssey were revealed. Well, he got the recognition he deserved, or at least some of it
Koizumi: - states he likes games that control easily and have compreensive camera systems. - worked on Mario 64, a game with rigid controls and an abysmal camera. Glad they sorted that shit out in Ocarina Of Time.
No game is free of criticism, but perhaps what happens with Mario 64 is that it is such a milestone in gaming History that people prefer to see what it gets right, rather than what it gets wrong. In my opinion, looking at it from that perspective, I can forgive the controlls and the camera in favor of what it offers in terms of gameplay. It doesn't detract from the fun it can give.
Great vid. I think that Miyamoto's time has run out. Just look how he handled Star Fox Zero, same game AGAIN. No new innovations there and he likes to play it safe. Whereas Koizumi has shown in games that mixing the formula isn't always a bad thing and generally leads to games being new and refreshing, not like they're slightly prettier or this button does something new.
This was a great video, very enlightening. By the way, I saw that you put Hideki Kamiya in the beginning of your video. Have you ever considered making a video about his work? I'd argue that he's closer to Koizumi than Miyamoto since Kamiya's mostly know among the more hardcore gamers who actually follow him from game to game.
Congratulations, great video. I'm fan of Koizumi work and I hope some day to show us a new ip with same values as a Super Mario game. Koizumi after last Nintendo reconstruction become responsible for the whole Tokyo Studio department. So maybe now he has more opportunities to develop something totally new. Also Koizumi >>>>>> Aonuma, by far.
I would love to see Yoshiaki work on another Zelda game. Breath of the Wild was great fun and all but the writing was pretty bland. I would trade a kidney for another darker story focused Zelda game. Thanks for sharing this video. I now know more about the great people who influenced my childhood.
Majora's Mask is honestly the only game in the Zelda series that I respect on its own. Wind Waker has the "stop being so nostalgic" narrative, and Ocarina of Time has this incredible historical context rightly so... Majora's Mask is simply so strong as a game. There are a lot of different narrative tensions expressed through the interaction and lack of interaction. The implied characterisation of the main character is something you don't see in Nintendo other than Samus, or ANY of Team ICO's titles for Sony. I feel like Yoko Taro could learn a lot from this guy. Yoko Taro's story structuring is fantastic, but I feel like one of the strongest moments of of NieR was the side mission with the Dog and the Old Man. The side missions really needed to be fleshed out more but as-is they're simply chores. Comparatively, the strong moment of a side mission in NieR is exemplified greatly in Majora's Mask. Beautifully even.
This guy is now in a more influential position than Miyamoto is currently, putting him in the role as the producer of the Switch is really changing Nintendo position on the market, and him being the producer of Mario Odyssey shows his talent isn't wasted on Mario once he got used to the formula.
lol this comment section is full of Eiji Aonuma haters. idk how someone can look at Breath of the Wild and think to themselves "yeah, Aonuma's doing a really shit job, he should definitely be replaced" >_> about Koizumi, the fact that he's in charge of Mario probably is holding his story telling talents back, but outside of story telling, I think it's completely wrong to look at it like it's somehow detrimental. anyone who thinks Mario's just a "silly little series" that's holding this guy back both doesn't understand video games and isn't a real fan of Nintendo. all that being said, I'm very content with the job Aonuma is doing with The Legend of Zelda and since you don't need to fix something that isn't broken, I don't think anyone should be replacing him, Koizumi or otherwise. But I do think it would be really interesting if Koizumi was given more creative freedom with a series that has the kind of narrative that could provide the groundwork for him to express his story telling and dramatic talents. And we all know there's one such great series that Nintendo seems to have forgotten and most hard core Nintendo fans never will stop hoping to make it's return. So, I don't think it would be cool if Koizumi tried to re-invent the wheel and replace a man that's doing about as good as it gets with an amazing series that is The Legend of Zelda, but it would be awesome if he helped bring Metroid back to life and to it's old glory instead. 'cause imo that series needs something drastic if it's going to make it's return . If they're just going to keep pumping shit like Other M and Federation Force out, then they might aswell just kill the poor thing off while the reputation of Super Metroid and Metroid Prime still holds the series somewhat untarnished.
to be fair Anouma was really dropping the ball between 2007-2013, before ALBW and BotW came along, Phantom Hourglass was just bad, Spirit Tracks was poorly conceived and Skyward Sword was really underwhelming
Tonatiub Skyward sword had pretty awesome dungeons and the characterization was pretty great. Link was actually a character in that game and had deeper emotions. I'd say the problem with skyward sword was a lack of scale. I think BOTW got the scale and a lot of stuff right but the dungeons, characters, and story isn't that much on par with previous games.
I just have one question: was Majora's Mask 3d localized by Treehouse or altered by Nintendo of America? Because after seeing this video, I want Majora's mask even more now. Also, I hope this guy gets to start his own company.
Interesting seeing this perspective now. As of recent the senior developers have been stepping aside to let the younger developers lead. Splatoon, Breath of the Wild and the Switch are just a few examples but I'm sure this is happening company wide. Unfortunately miyamoto isn't perfect and the controls in skyward sword and star fox zero are an example of such. He's a brilliant guy but him and the others can't work forever. A younger generation with the philosophy of Nintendo sounds like a perfect formula.
In the games industry (and probably any other industry) there are plenty of myths that people perceive as an actual fact. The most well-known is probably that Miyamoto created Zelda and since then everybody think MIyamoto had a major role in each Zelda game which is just not true. In fact, Miyamoto was rarely involved in all the other Zelda games unless in a shallow supervisor role. People like Aonuma or Tezuka have had a much larger impact on the series, yet everybody keeps calling Miyamoto the _father_ of the Zelda series (which is technicall correct, but when people write or say this, they think Miyamoto is involved in every Zelda game).
Hey Turbo, great video, but would it be possible to boost the audio on the translator segment at the 2:00 mark? The audio is somewhat muffled and difficult to make out without rewinding, or turning on closed captions. You may even want to add subtitles there as an in-video graphic, as the video doesn't otherwise require cc for those without impaired hearing. I don't know how easy it is to edit and resubmit youtube videos, but I thought I'd throw it out as a suggestion.
Nintendo as a whole is in desperate need of more people like Koizumi taking the reigns of projects. Some more fresh blood with less archaic approaches to game design like Miyamoto.
I had no idea that Yoshiaki Koizumi Designed the Z-Targeting system and worked on Majora's Mask/Link's Awakening plot..... Talk about sleeping on a underrated game designer! I would love to see him work on future games!
And now he has Odyssey.
And now this guy is the director of both mario odyssey and the switch itself
+Pixel Fyxe _Just_ a producer? You do realize a producer is higher up in the hierarchy than a director, right? You're making the same mistake as the video, which insinuates that Nintendo doesn't _let_ him be creative while the reality is that Nintendo rewarded him for his previous work by giving him a promotion.
Yeah, that part was ridiculous. And who's to say that he's wasting his talent while working on a Mario game instead of Zelda? I'd say Mario let's you be much more crazy.
Producers are in no way as important as directors.
garlandstrife
Incorrect. Producers have control over the project entirely.
@@garlandstrife this isn't movies. To see how important the role of a producer is, look no further than sakaguchi. He was the producer of all the best FF, ever since he left FF completely lost its identity
Looks like he's the new Miyamoto. And his name is Yoshi, so cool.
Lugmillord well he miyamotos protege he’s definitely spent his time honing his craft and I think odyssey and the switch show this perfectly miyamoto has to step down eventually and honestly given that he’s directed the most recent Mario with nearly no involvement from the big shigi I think the torch has finally been passed Down and I personally don’t think it could’ve gone to someone better who knows maybe with him at the helm of his own projects we’ll get characters and series just as amazing and innovative as Mario and Zelda
Miyamoto hasn't been directly involved in Mario games since Super Mario 64.
xD
doug BOWSER
who the hell even has a name like that?!?!
@@garlandstrife that’s not true...
Your wish came true at the Switch event!
Aonuma is still running wild with Zelda, and Koizumi is still relegated to making silly Mario games. Nothing has changed.
Don't really see anything wrong with it tbh.
Aonuma has always been the lead designer of Zelda so it is well within his rights to run wild with his creation. Seeing the new trailer he's done quite amazing indeed.
Not to mention Odyssey looks highly promising too. If Koizumi can reach the heights with Mario 3D series (which he did to an extent with Galaxy) then why not.
Koizumi worked on Zelda before him but only for making artbooks for Link to the Past and backstory to Links Awakening.
Aonuma became lead designer for the world and dungeons in OoT, despite joining later to the team. Ingenuity of the world's design which factors into the sheer success of the game made Miyamoto gave the Zelda series to him. Koizumi worked on it too particularly on camera work and 3D environment but he was also busy with SM64 during that time.
Koizumi later became town designer for MM and also came up with the crucial 3-day system, and the success of MM made Miyamoto gave the Mario 3D series (following SM64, which they made together) to him.
Oh look you read wikipedia. You can't suddenly go from saying "Zelda is Aonuma's creation" to being an expert.
You are severely discrediting Koizumi. In the Link to the Past Manual, he established the core lore of the series, ie the Triforce, the Godesses, the Sages, and Ganon's story. These things are majorly important to what Zelda is. He wasn't just "making artbooks."
And he didn't just do "backstory" on Link's Awakening. He was solely responsible for the creation of the Island and Dream setting, and he wrote the whole script. Before he joined, all they had was the core gameplay.
SM64 was finished over 2 and a half years before OoT, so saying he was "busy" with SM64 is again completely wrong, and you are severely under-crediting his role in OoT. Saying Aonuma was "lead designer for the world" is also a gross miscredit. Aonuma's work was confined to the dungeons and enemies, not the overworld or towns. That was done by the other designers and directors, including Koizumi who created Epona.
Damn I would really like a Koizumi Zelda next. Aonuma lost his edge after Wind Waker. Both Links Awakening and Majoras Mask had that great melancholic feel. Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword just felt like going through the motions again. Breath of the Wild turns the gameplay around but I doubt that the story will be anything that stick with you like LA or MM.
Fantastic video!
Thanks a lot for highlighting one of the most influential people in the games industry. This guy had a major hand in two of my favorite games (Galaxy and the 3D Zelda games) and I had no idea who he was a few minutes ago. I'd love it if "Unsung Genius" were to become a new series.
And now everybody knows that guy.
I love Koizumi. After the Switch launch he is one of the main character of Nintendo. The director of the masterpiece Mario Odyssey and of all Switch hardware. The man of destiny.
Also i love: Mr.Takahashi, Master Yabuki, Uematsu San, Miyamoto Sensei, Nogami kun, Reggie the "boss" and our imperial majesty, his highness Tatsumi Kimishima.
He wasn't the director of Odyssey, though.
Dont forget Takashi Tezuka, Miyamoto right rand man.
6:37 Aonuma is a straight up savage
Well he finally got the fame and role he deserved as one of the lead directors for the switch ;)
And Mario odyssey!
Kenta Motogura was the director of Odyssey, not Koizumi.
Well then, pretty great video. I sorta knew about Koizumi in relation to him directing Mario Galaxy, but thanks to this vid, I have a really deeper understanding and new found appreciation for him. And I find the fact that he worked under the teachings of Miyamoto, master of "who needs a story", but he still is a very different director at his core, very interesting.
I always like the idea of a student taking what he learned from his master but suiting it to his own personal style a cool concept, both in fiction and real life. Imagine a protégé of Kojima, but said protégé had a thing for actually being subtle, one could imagine how a game made under that dude would turn out.
Once again, great video. I look forward to see what videos you will make in the future.
After E3 2017 this video is even more relevant
Man that Galaxy thing blew my mind. That's probably one of the main reasons I like Galaxy way more then 64, I hate the camera in that bitch.
I really hope that Splatoon's and Animal Crossing's success gives rise for Nintendo's younger members to be more bold, creative and be able to create more risks. Reminds me of Ghibli were great animators were otherwise corrected by Miyazaki for not sticking to his mold.
+TneondoL Anno sucks now though. He seems to have just given up and is pandering to the lowest common denominator like everyone else in the anime industry who isn't Yuassa.
***** That's also true but I was talking more about him going to redraw other people's drawings so they didn't stand out or show too much deviation from Miyazaki's drawings. I do think it doesn't come from a place of malice or egotism, but more from stubborness.
If I remember correctly, Miyamoto wasn't the happiest about the Rosalina Storybook, even though it was completely optional. I always find it weird when people think the objectionable actions of these people are from egotism, when I think stubborness is the more likely cause as too why Miyamoto has made some contentious decisions. Still I'd like to see more from the new guys, because I've liked a lot of their Wii U games.
Thanatos388 Anime has always been pretty pandering. I'd say Shinichiro Watanabe, Mamoru Oshii, Satoshi Kon, and Kunihiko Ikuhara are pretty much the ones also someone who don't do many pandering works besides Yuasa.
Guys like Shinbo and Anno are more like guys who try making interests art of their really pop culture focused interests.
ew275x Yeah but Oshii hasn't made a full feature anime film in eight years and Kon is dead. But yeah of course there are more artistically inclined and reach more towards long term appeal rather than short term appeal to trends. I guess I just haven't cared so much for Watanabe and Ikuharas recent shows and movies. But I guess I should credit where its due.
It wouldn't bother me so much if Anno didn't talk so much about how the new Evangelion films are going against the new creative and pandering anime trends when the movies do just that and offer nothing else. People say its all ironic but its really no different from any other movie or show that uses the same tropes, massive cast of characters, and "sexy" ladies to sell merchandise. And even if the fourth film is nothing but a huge response and critique of what movies 2 and 3 were it would just look like a whole big waste of time. People who liked those films wont care or feel offended and people who agree will simply continue to agree that they were bad which just makes the whole thing a masturbatory waste.
Thanatos388 Yeah, that's why I called him someone who while he does care a lot for the industry and his hobbies (him making a museum to rescue and preserve Toku stuff and the Animation Festival) he stills indulges in his hobbies.
While I do love EVA, I do think some of the themes and situations it presents are flawed or have become flawed. Even the concept of: "Hey mecha teen pilots would be screwed if it actually happened because you're making child soldiers" is rarely presented and the audiences forgets it when the EVAs do cool stuff and ram a knife down an Eldritch monster's mouth. The new Gundam handled the same theme better.
The Rei apartment scene is a better executed concept, where harem antics look really weird if they were done in real life. Still, they end up making Rei a love interest and the industry just took that scene as a sign they can do a cliche and point out the cliche.
Still, I do think it has interesting things to say about human relationships and the series is well directed and does feel personal. I only saw the first rebuild movie though, but I don't see how they go against current anime trends since a lot of modern trends were informed by part by the original Evangelion anime.
From Digibro's video on him, what may be more important to Anno is making original anime and that he uses his giant franchise to get new talent working on big projects and him being able to fund stuff like his Toku museum and his animation festivals.
I agree that Koizumi is why the Zelda franchise is held to such a high standard these days. He's definitely more of a story dude than a gameplay one, that's for sure. What a genius.
keins. Well he can sure design a good game too I mean look at odyssey and even the idea of Z targeting
Definitely a name to remember then.
Although I have to say I've never really agreed with the criticisms about cameras in Platinum's games. I've usually found them pretty reliable. Sometimes a bit wonky in some places, but I've never had a problem with them in combat. They always just worked as well as the camera in any other game for me.
6:37 - Aonuma is ice cold!!
+Scrustle I agree with your statement about Platinum's camera right up until Transformers. The camera in Transformers is not great, but in all of Platinum's other games the camera works very well.
I like this idea to delve into creators like this. I've always had a dichotomy of enjoying the vision of certain directors, but always wanting to remind people that they weren't the sole force in the project. I think it's very rare that you get someone as immutable as Kojima, as influential (in a group setting) as Miyamoto, or as single-mindedly dedicated as Kamiya. There are a lot of folks who need recognition beyond that chunk and I think like with Koizumi many of them have identifiable styles. Some I think are more overall important or easy to pin down than others, but still they need to have more time in the sun.
I would hardly discount Mario Galaxy simply because of it's lack of narrative focus though. If you look at MatthewMatosis' videos he talks a lot about the camera in SMG and SM3DW and I think that's a large part of Koizumi's influence as well. That style of playability is what I want Nintendo to never ever falter on. Though I love Majora's Mask too, it's a fine line to create something that in depth without sacrificing the moment to moment satisfaction in interaction. Some say that it did diminish, though I disagree.
Shit. If Nintendo insists on wasting this guy on mario games, why don't they just appoint him to the paper mario franchise.
It seems like he would be the kind of person who'd get why people used to like these games so much, as opposed to the current division's mindset of trying to find new innovative ways to ruin everything.
Well, thanks to him, Nintendo has just released one of the best games ever made (?) [Super Mario Odyssey]
+Maykenzie
Now, why didn't that thought cross my mind? It makes more sense than what is rationally possible!
Or you could find that the current games are fun, too?
+Senseless mind
I understand the appeal of Color Splash, but what do you see in Sticker Star?
I started to see avoiding fights in Sticker Star as a gameplay mechanic, that made going through it easier. Also, they definitely fixed some problems in Color Splash, like having someone who tells you which thing card you need. That is definitely helpful. From the two I think CS is the better game, but SS had some fun parts, like the haunted mansion.
He is now a Senior Executive Officer at Nintendo, so he has definitely proven his worth. Would be great to have him direct or produce more titles.
Thank you, this explains so so much for me, everything he values about storytelling is what i LOVE about ocarina of time and HATE about breath of the wild, especially the touch about learning story through interacting with characters. When an NPC comments on events in the story (after deku tree’s death: “somehow it seems that the air in the forest has changed”, after ganondorf takes power: “I have a feeling something terrible is going to happen...Maybe I should leave town soon”) it makes the world feel dynamic and the player’s actions feel tangible, like my actions and the story progression have real impact in the daily lives of the citizens.
Just found out about Koizumi and all the influence he apparently had over all these games, added with this video, things make so much sense now in the way Zelda has changed. It's just geez.
You should turn this into an Unsung Genius series, detailing the lesser known game developers who've had great effect on the industry and gaming.
I always love when people say "Nintendo should let the younger people in the forefront" WHEN THAT'S SOMETHING THEY'VE BEEN DOING FOR YEARS.
Someone translated an Oot interview where Aonuma said that first the younger devs start development, then the veterans join them. So that's really nothing new.
excellent video. the fact that koizumi hasn't been given more creative freedom is a true tragedy in my opinion.
It's funny how Egoraptor bitched about Z targeting lol. It's often essential for games to have some kind of lock on system.
+civilwarfare101 To be fair, I dont think he ever had a problem with the Z targeting itself, rather the combat system of Ocarina. Seeing as he apparently is a huge Dark Souls fan that basicly uses the same targeting system.
+Dataspelspoffe
I remember him saying how z targeting creates a dissonance between the player and the game world. That really makes no sense and this coming from someone who is not even a big Zelda fan in general.
+TneondoL That whole video was full of odd or just downright stupid complaints and points. Very nit-pickey all around saying stuff like enemies with shields require you to wait and not attack during combat which is a mistake or something to that effect.
+Thanatos388 Just to add to this, going back to OOT/MM for this video highlighted for me how the combat actually was a pretty good starting point, and despite the truckload of moves in TP, it's never as effective.
In OOT/MM there's a separate button entirely for the shield, and enemies behave differently whether you're holding it up or not. There's a little risk/reward between luring enemies in and getting the shield up in time. There's also some overhead attacks that will hit you and not your shield unless you position yourself at a sensible distance.
How effective it is can be debated as combat in those is still pretty easy, strafing or moving back/forward can sort most encounters, but the blueprints were definitely there, which makes it all the more confusing why it was thrown out the window with Skyward Sword.
Turbo Button Well Skyward Sword was more about using the Wiimote technology to have one to one hand movement to sword movement. Its what everyone first thought of when the Wii was announced and had a Zelda on it no? The traditional combat system would kind of make that pointless so they went with combat that was more about making enemy attacks and defenses a puzzle where you have to figure out how exactly to strike. Its basically a whole different system. The only problem is that the technology wasn't exact enough that every mistake feels legitimate. There are many times where you swear you swung the wiimote one way only for Link to swing at a slightly different angle which results in getting hurt. At least with a button you know you hit the button, you know you're holding the shield. I think Nintendo just got blinded by wanting to take advantage of the Wiis gimmick and kinda let those concerns drift away.
Interesting that you should point out that younger people need more of a say in Nintendo's R&D. Anouma was talking about Breath of the Wild and how a lot of the really good ideas and changes that people have been praising came from younger developers at the company. There's definitely room for young ideas, it seems.
Younger people were always part of the dev cycle, though.
January 13, 2017: *Koizumi is the main man at the Switch presentation
2017: *Biggest underdog in Nintendo history*
And now the man has his own console with the Switch.
As much as I respect Miyamoto, Yoshiaki Koizumi is my hero! Thanks to him, the Mushroom Kingdom and Hyrule are two places I enjoy crafting stories.
6:37 Perfect delivery, had me laugh but also cry in sadness, well done. (Great video in general!)
Awesome vid! Mark from GMTK linked one of you vids and now I'm just going to binge watch as much as I can!
which GMTK video?
great topic!
Nintendo really needs to use him in game making again, the man has a lot of creative muscle to flex. I hope the remake of Link's Awakening will make more people realize this.
#FreeKoizumi
Just Tri the guy is practically the face of the Nintendo Switch
Haruhi Suzumiya he designed it
I knew nothing about Yoshiaki untill now. He is really a cool guy.
It's actually really surprising how many games don't have a good camera system.
just wanted to say ur content is truly amazing
I really liked your mention of "technical" problems in games like movement and combat in 3D areas and the link to the solution implemented in Zelda.
I loved the super mario galaxy story book so much, I just had to find out who wrote it. When Miyamoto retires, I really hope Yoshiaki Koizumi takes over. Mario Galaxy might be the only nintendo game where Koizumi flexed some creativity. And he had to do it secretly!
A year later, not only does most everyone know his name and face (being the new international voice of Nintendo), but he's back on Breath of the Wild _and_ Super Mario Odyssey. Justice reigns.
WishMaker He didn’t work on Breath of the Wild.
Koizumi created the Zelda I love. I want Aonuma to take a seat and let a genius make something great again.
What are you talking about? Aonuma was behind all of the dungeons & world layouts of Ocarina & Majora, so he DEFINITELY shouldn’t be taking a seat. Koizumi should come back though.
@Ben Groff Aonuma cant write. Koizumi is so passionate about story and emotion he snuck a story in mario galaxy and links awakening. Aonuma is more gameplay centric, but i think zelda does well with a better story.
@@axelmartinez1235 I think Koizumi should get back behind the story, but Aonuma should stay behind gameplay and design. That’s where they both exel.
It's crazy seeing just how much this guy has done for Nintendo after only really knowing about him after the Switch reveal. I'm glad to see that Mario Odyssey is giving him some much-needed fame because holy shit he deserves a lot of credit for that game.
For the Zelda series, Hidemaro Fujibayashi takes the spotlight. He first directed the Oracles for the Game Boy Color while being a part of Capcom's Flagship team.
"No way!" lol.
I actually wasn't the biggest fan of Mario Galaxy's take on platforming, but this made me appreciate how much more accessible the little planet approach can make gameplay. In a way, it's the 3D extension of how arcade games let you go off the right side and come out the left. Being on a surface that wraps feels closer to being a 2D game -- or rather, having to control your camera means you're actually operating in 4 or 5 dimensions? Crash Bandicoot's brand of platforming is similar to Mario Galaxy in that way -- the camera always being fixed behind him so adjustment's never needed.
At any rate, nice video! It's fun to think about
Super Mario 64 and Sunshine could have convenient, un-intrusive cameras if they were programmed more around the levels. The game-play probably wouldn't ever get as accessible as Super Mario Galaxy with its spherical terrain, but still.
In that regard, it was a brilliant decision to focus on spherical-based platforming, because most areas of the game would require basically no work on the camera for it to be good enough, hence saving a lot of busy work. And even then, in areas that aren't spherical, the camera is usually coded to be positioned in a convenient location and angle. It sucks that the camera control is pretty limited in SMG, but the developers actually spent a decent amount of time making sure it's automatically in good positions, so it usually doesn't matter in casual play.
I'm here after the first direct of 2019. It had to be so cool for Koizumi to get to introduce the remake of Link's Awakening to the world after how much influence he had on the original game's development.
After Tears of the Kingdom, we need this guy back more than EVER.
Love to get more of these.
I would love to see Koizumi take over the Zelda series and replace Aonuma.
Aonuma makes good dungeons, he should stay only as dungeon director.
@@chadliterutherford9198 Agreed.
After MM and the turn of the century Zelda lost something.
I don't think I can put my finger on but Zelda had more of a "quirky-spooky-uncanny" vibe. More darker atmosphere. And I'm not talking "epic hollywood edgy" like TP. I love TP, but sometimes it takes itself too seriously.
Without a doubt, the subtext Koizumi he was forced to include in OoT and MM was the main contributing factor that made them super special even by today standards. Because you had to talk to characters on your own volition, you had to read letters, look at portraits, maps, etc. to get a grip of the world you were inside in. There wasn't much room for dialogue exposition, so the lore had to be in the details, inside the cracks.
The franchise got darker with MM, which is comparatively ten thousand times more darker than TP. Zeldas from the 64 had an uncanny valley quality that by the time of WW it was completly erased for good. Dead and gone!
TP was like trying to copying from the golden predecessors because the reactions from WW were unfavorable at that time. But without Koizumi, the subtext was kinda lost and the atmosphere felt sterile. TP had fucking good cinematics, but well, I can watch a movie too!
And after TP Nintendo embraced more the cartoonish style making SS kinda of a mesh between realistic and stylized visual design as oppossed with the full cartoon style of WW. BOTW its a polished version of that philosophy.
It seems that even the garments of Link since WW reflects that change of philosophy of wandering further from that "classic" Zelda vibe that died with MM. At the beginning you start with those blue robes, but eventually you get the memorable green tunic when the adventure really kicks in and the tutorial is over. Similar with Link in Ordon Village in TP, he wears a farm boy robes and later he wears the legendary's tunic; in SS Links wears clothes very similar to that of WW Link; and in BOTW it appears you aren't even encouraged to wear green tunics (which are non existent?) because Nintendo felt the need to drift even further from the established design tenets of the franchise in that game.
I enjoyed WW, TP, SS (yeah, even this although I know its problems) and I haven't gotten the opportunity to taste BOTW but I think I'll enjoy it but at the end will be kinda skeptic of the direction it is taking Zelda on.
I hope in the near future Nintendo decides to make a Zelda a la MM style: where you are put in a different world instead of Hyrule, where the enemy is not Ganon/Ganondorf/Malice, where the plot of the chosen ones/Triforce, rescuing Zelda is throwed out of the window and we get to enjoy some quirky completly original adventure. New villain, new mechanics (the system of 3 days was genius and more importantly: BOLD. Make some bold mechanics!), sidequesting a lot, characters that we get to know like long gone friends, distant relatives and neighbors.
The overworld doesn't have to be bigger, like in BoTW. I don't care about Xenoblade Zelda. I want DEPTH of exploration, not BIGGER. Profundity of questing, spelunking, solving mysteries, getting to know secondary characters and extras, add some DISTURBING elements too, don't shy away from controversy! Throw me fucking dungeons too! Hard ones with haunted bosses! I want theme, guerrilla storytelling, no long cinematics with shitty voice actors! I have to emphasize because although I haven't playet BOTW I quite know that the dungeons were non-existent and were replaced by a myriead of shrines that rehashed the same thematic/visual design all over the place. I don't want that. I want dungeons with PERSONALTIES for god sake!
But yeah, I don't think Zelda is ever going to go to that direction ever again. So other game will have to suffice...
Many video game series has that special game, Zelda had ( 2 ) Ocarina and Majora, Fallout had New Vegas, Saints Row had Saints Row 2
It's that special game that puts every amazing aspect of a series into one very good game, then for no reason at all changes things drastically in the immediate sequel and it is forgotten about forever since. Zelda is dead my friend, the only hope now is ROM Hacks and PC Ports.
Just a clarification: Koizumi wrote the characters and interactions in Clock Town. The outside areas where all Aonuma.
@The Grynch Really? I liked Romani Ranch, Stone Tower and Pirates' Fortress.
As good as MM is, it wouldn't be anywhere near as good if it only had Clock Town
@The Grynch Oh, so you want all areas to be sunshine and rainbows. In a game whose areas are NOT meant to be sunshine and rainbows because they were cursed by the eponymous mask. Right, my bad. [/sarcasm]
Every area in Termina is meant to be difficult to traverse through because the whole point of the game is to undo the curse cast in them by the mask. As for searching "fairys" (ahem... FAIRIES)... that actually made the dungeons even more fun to explore. It's certainly better than placing in them Heart Pieces that would normally be placed in extra sidequests (I'm looking at you, Twilight Princess...)
@The Grynch Dude, BOTW and Monster Hunter are nothing alike. Sure, both have large areas to explore, but the goals, purpose and content are different. I don't recall looking for Shrines or plant seeds in MH4 Ultimate, for one.
"I loved windwaker and the city"
And I loved the city, the rural village, the volcanic island, the forest, the many islands, the characters, the dungeons, the fresh take on Ganondorf's character, etc. Seriously, if what you prefer the most from Zelda games is the populated towns, then perhaps you should look for a different gaming series. Zelda isn't just about going to town and talking to characters. It is also about going through perilous terrain and dungeons, facing enemies and bosses, reliving epic moments, and so on. It's a well-rounded series.
And you know what? It's painfully evident we're not going to agree, so let's just disagree mutually. I'm getting tired of this conversation anyway
This is important stuff to know, given that Koizumi is basically in charge of Nintendo Switch development.
Great video. Even though Majora's Mask is pretty much my favorite game ever, I've never gotten around to learning about the individuals behind the Zelda series like I have for other games. I learned a lot from this!
They should fire the hack that made motion controls mandatory and forces you to play through the gamepad and not through the TV screen.
Koizumi seems like more of a risk-taker than Miyamoto is. I mean, could you imagine Miyamoto directing something like Donkey Kong Jungle Beat or Mario Galaxy? I doubt they'd end up the same way under his direction. Even the Nintendo Switch, which Koizumi is spearheading, seems ballsier and more cutting edge than any of Nintendo's previous hardware. It's great to see him have a more prominent role at Nintendo now, especially since Miyamoto is no longer involved in Nintendo's software or hardware.
TheMisterManGuy the idea of Mario Galaxy came from Myamoto in the first place... just saying.
>Published on Apr 26, 2016
Man...just nine months later and the dude practically became a household name among Nintendo gamers. Sure, he was seemingly always around, but that January presentation made us finally notice this son of a gun and realize just how big he really was.
Yoooooo, so this guy is the producer on Mario Odessey! And that's probably the most original main-franchise kind of games for a while :)
i can't get over how good that intro is. oh yeah and the rest of the vids p great too
This guy pretty much saved Nintendo from the Wii U doom. Without his vision for the Switch concept and the focus on games that service the fans, the company might've died
Oh, I started watching this video without realizing it came out before the Switch and Odyssey were revealed. Well, he got the recognition he deserved, or at least some of it
Koizumi:
- states he likes games that control easily and have compreensive camera systems.
- worked on Mario 64, a game with rigid controls and an abysmal camera.
Glad they sorted that shit out in Ocarina Of Time.
Keeping in mind that Mario 64 was the first project of that type on a Nintendo platform, of course some problems were going to exist.
I agree but most people seem to think that game is perfect and above critique.
No game is free of criticism, but perhaps what happens with Mario 64 is that it is such a milestone in gaming History that people prefer to see what it gets right, rather than what it gets wrong. In my opinion, looking at it from that perspective, I can forgive the controlls and the camera in favor of what it offers in terms of gameplay. It doesn't detract from the fun it can give.
juananz007 But many people like myself, can't forgive the wonky controls. This is why games like Galaxy and Oddessy are preferable.
Great vid. I think that Miyamoto's time has run out. Just look how he handled Star Fox Zero, same game AGAIN. No new innovations there and he likes to play it safe. Whereas Koizumi has shown in games that mixing the formula isn't always a bad thing and generally leads to games being new and refreshing, not like they're slightly prettier or this button does something new.
It's interesting that Miyamoto has changed from directing games that set a standard to directing/influencing games that only follow a standard.
This was a great video, very enlightening. By the way, I saw that you put Hideki Kamiya in the beginning of your video. Have you ever considered making a video about his work? I'd argue that he's closer to Koizumi than Miyamoto since Kamiya's mostly know among the more hardcore gamers who actually follow him from game to game.
Dude the best part is he is now the face of what will be the biggest Nintendo game of 2017, Super Mario Odyssey
5:31 Isn't the solution to that the ability to skip cutscenes?
I guess he finally got the time to shine in the odyssey
Congratulations, great video. I'm fan of Koizumi work and I hope some day to show us a new ip with same values as a Super Mario game. Koizumi after last Nintendo reconstruction become responsible for the whole Tokyo Studio department. So maybe now he has more opportunities to develop something totally new. Also Koizumi >>>>>> Aonuma, by far.
Well he has become the new "face" of Nintendo at those directions :D
fast forward to 2018 and he got the credit he deserved!
now he's one the main persons behind the Switch. dude doesn't stop!
One of the best computer graphic designers ever.
I miss our buddy Koi in Zelda games too, man.
I would love to see Yoshiaki work on another Zelda game. Breath of the Wild was great fun and all but the writing was pretty bland. I would trade a kidney for another darker story focused Zelda game. Thanks for sharing this video. I now know more about the great people who influenced my childhood.
You get it… i would sell my left eye or like rip off all my fingernails in exchange for another story based zelda, botw made me sad
@@aba4055 Some day my man. Some day.
Majora's Mask is honestly the only game in the Zelda series that I respect on its own. Wind Waker has the "stop being so nostalgic" narrative, and Ocarina of Time has this incredible historical context rightly so...
Majora's Mask is simply so strong as a game. There are a lot of different narrative tensions expressed through the interaction and lack of interaction. The implied characterisation of the main character is something you don't see in Nintendo other than Samus, or ANY of Team ICO's titles for Sony.
I feel like Yoko Taro could learn a lot from this guy. Yoko Taro's story structuring is fantastic, but I feel like one of the strongest moments of of NieR was the side mission with the Dog and the Old Man. The side missions really needed to be fleshed out more but as-is they're simply chores.
Comparatively, the strong moment of a side mission in NieR is exemplified greatly in Majora's Mask. Beautifully even.
I just realised the entire Turbo Button fanbase is nice and pretty inteligent
Disagree with your thoughts on Mario Sunshine, otherwise, solid vid.
RogerSmith2004 love sunshine more than galaxy
RogerSmith2004 Sunshine is my favorite game of all time.
"Platinum pls"
lol
Oooh that's the Nintendo Switch and Mario Odyssey guy ! :o
He's the main guy behind Mario Odyssey and that game already looks like it's ready to battle it out for GOTY with Zelda, so yea...
i jut wanna know what yoshiaki use to make 3d models in super mario 64 and newer ones now that now like odyssey
I'd like to see a koizumi made Zelda game or maybe a collaboration with him and aounuma. He's definitely one to make a great story.
This guy is now in a more influential position than Miyamoto is currently, putting him in the role as the producer of the Switch is really changing Nintendo position on the market, and him being the producer of Mario Odyssey shows his talent isn't wasted on Mario once he got used to the formula.
He should work in a zelda title
Oh boy did he get his chance.
lol this comment section is full of Eiji Aonuma haters. idk how someone can look at Breath of the Wild and think to themselves "yeah, Aonuma's doing a really shit job, he should definitely be replaced" >_>
about Koizumi, the fact that he's in charge of Mario probably is holding his story telling talents back, but outside of story telling, I think it's completely wrong to look at it like it's somehow detrimental. anyone who thinks Mario's just a "silly little series" that's holding this guy back both doesn't understand video games and isn't a real fan of Nintendo.
all that being said, I'm very content with the job Aonuma is doing with The Legend of Zelda and since you don't need to fix something that isn't broken, I don't think anyone should be replacing him, Koizumi or otherwise. But I do think it would be really interesting if Koizumi was given more creative freedom with a series that has the kind of narrative that could provide the groundwork for him to express his story telling and dramatic talents. And we all know there's one such great series that Nintendo seems to have forgotten and most hard core Nintendo fans never will stop hoping to make it's return. So, I don't think it would be cool if Koizumi tried to re-invent the wheel and replace a man that's doing about as good as it gets with an amazing series that is The Legend of Zelda, but it would be awesome if he helped bring Metroid back to life and to it's old glory instead. 'cause imo that series needs something drastic if it's going to make it's return . If they're just going to keep pumping shit like Other M and Federation Force out, then they might aswell just kill the poor thing off while the reputation of Super Metroid and Metroid Prime still holds the series somewhat untarnished.
to be fair Anouma was really dropping the ball between 2007-2013, before ALBW and BotW came along, Phantom Hourglass was just bad, Spirit Tracks was poorly conceived and Skyward Sword was really underwhelming
Tonatiub Skyward sword had pretty awesome dungeons and the characterization was pretty great. Link was actually a character in that game and had deeper emotions. I'd say the problem with skyward sword was a lack of scale.
I think BOTW got the scale and a lot of stuff right but the dungeons, characters, and story isn't that much on par with previous games.
I just have one question: was Majora's Mask 3d localized by Treehouse or altered by Nintendo of America? Because after seeing this video, I want Majora's mask even more now.
Also, I hope this guy gets to start his own company.
Interesting seeing this perspective now. As of recent the senior developers have been stepping aside to let the younger developers lead. Splatoon, Breath of the Wild and the Switch are just a few examples but I'm sure this is happening company wide. Unfortunately miyamoto isn't perfect and the controls in skyward sword and star fox zero are an example of such. He's a brilliant guy but him and the others can't work forever. A younger generation with the philosophy of Nintendo sounds like a perfect formula.
Who was responsible for drawing the characters on ocarina of time and majoras mask? I have to know!
In the games industry (and probably any other industry) there are plenty of myths that people perceive as an actual fact. The most well-known is probably that Miyamoto created Zelda and since then everybody think MIyamoto had a major role in each Zelda game which is just not true. In fact, Miyamoto was rarely involved in all the other Zelda games unless in a shallow supervisor role. People like Aonuma or Tezuka have had a much larger impact on the series, yet everybody keeps calling Miyamoto the _father_ of the Zelda series (which is technicall correct, but when people write or say this, they think Miyamoto is involved in every Zelda game).
Hey Turbo, great video, but would it be possible to boost the audio on the translator segment at the 2:00 mark? The audio is somewhat muffled and difficult to make out without rewinding, or turning on closed captions. You may even want to add subtitles there as an in-video graphic, as the video doesn't otherwise require cc for those without impaired hearing. I don't know how easy it is to edit and resubmit youtube videos, but I thought I'd throw it out as a suggestion.
I can't believe you predicted 2017
looks like Koizumi got the ticket with being the Producer of SM Odyssey.
He will; IN SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY 1 YEAR LATER!!
Great video!
Hidemaro Fujibayashi is pretty underrated
If Super Mario Odyssey is a hit then Nintendo should let Koizumi do the next Legend of Zelda game
Koizumi got his credit
Nintendo as a whole is in desperate need of more people like Koizumi taking the reigns of projects. Some more fresh blood with less archaic approaches to game design like Miyamoto.
some of your links awakening footage is actually oracles of seasons/ages footage.
"Platinum, take note. Please." Preach
I was shocked to find out that people didn’t know who he was....
And then not locking on to your opponent is considered to be an advanced technique in Dark Souls