Legend Of Zelda Creator Reveals The One Entry He Considers A Failure

Everyone has their favorite The Legend of Zelda game. While front-runners often include Breath of the Wild, Ocarina of Time, or A Link To The Past, your favorite might just be whichever Zelda entry you played first. Of course, there are a few Zelda titles that just aren't as beloved as others, and even series creator Shigeru Miyamoto has deemed one Zelda game to be a failure.

In an interview from 2003 dug up by GamesRadar, Miyamoto weighs in on various aspects of The Legend of Zelda series. The interview gives insights into one of Nintendo's greatest minds while also celebrating the Zelda games that had been released up until that point. Miyamoto didn't shy away from the franchise's problems either, explaining why one game in particular is a failure and why he believes things just didn't work out for it.

Miyamoto revealed that he considers Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link to be "sort of a failure." The follow-up to the first Legend of Zelda game has long been a contentious entry for many fans. Zelda 2 had different gameplay and a different look, both of which were jarring. Instead of a top-down journey like players were used to, Zelda 2 was a side-scrolling adventure with platforming elements that often looked more like Super Mario Bros. instead of The Legend of Zelda.

The more limiting gameplay in dungeons was a major factor for why most people didn't like it as much, and when A Link To The Past debuted in 1991, it imitated the style of the first game once more. It also cemented itself as one of the must-play Zelda games and one of the best of all time. Poor Zelda 2 just never stood a chance.

In the same interview, Miyamoto went on to state that although Zelda 2 was his original idea, "the actual game was developed by another team." He seems to credit this with why Zelda 2 never really worked out. "The games I make usually get better in the development process since we keep coming up with good ideas," Miyamoto shared. "But Zelda 2 stayed the same. It was sort of a failure."

It should be no surprise, then, that Miyamoto sees A Link To The Past as the "real sequel to The Legend of Zelda." Many fans probably agree, since Zelda 2 has become a black sheep in the family while A Link To The Past remains one of the most beloved entries of all time in The Legend of Zelda series.