Previous Nintendo president Satoru Iwata still had a major impact on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild even after his passing. Similarly, it seems like one NPC in the game is a homage to the video game programmer.
Late Nintendo President Satoru Iwata's Influence Towards Latest Zelda Game
Breath of the Wild has received a large amount of praise from critics and fans alike despite being available only over a week ago. While fans had been waiting for the latest installment for over four years, the development team viewed the project as a send-off to the late Nintendo president whom they considered as a mentor and a close friend.
According to Nintendo Wire, Iwata's sudden loss was a major blow to the team as he was one of their biggest supporters. It is worth noting that he had a large influence over various Nintendo titles and game director Hidemaro Fujibayashi even thanked the late president for the amount of creative freedom he allowed. Moreover, it was because of Iwata that the team was able to root out the stress points of the franchise and bring in some new ideas.
During development, Fujibayashi mentioned that sometimes the team would come up with some great ideas they wanted to tell the late president. However, the realization would always hit them that he was gone. Despite this, they always felt like Iwata was always watching over them, which acted as motivation to improve the game.
The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Easter Egg?
In line with this, My Nintendo News (blog) shares that players can encounter a non-playable character (NPC) called Botrick by the outskirts of the early stables in-game. This character sells items at a cheaper price from that of the merchant Beedle. Upon meeting him, fans can easily see the close resemblance he shares with Nintendo's late president.
Iwata was not only a major contributor to Nintendo but the gaming industry as a whole with his iconic projects. While the development team was left in shock after his passing, they used his memory to create one of the most critically acclaimed titles in the Zelda franchise. Those who want to play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild can buy the game for the Wii U or Nintendo Switch.
