Suda51 says Zelda games are his "number one," heaps major praise on the franchise

Suda51 is known as one of the most unique and interesting game developers out there. He continuously releases games that are a style all his own, usually with completely off-the-wall ideas, characters and mechanics. How did he get to be such a distinctive developer? It turns out he was influenced by one of Nintendo’s big names!

In an interview with Automaton-Media, Suda51 reveals that he is an absolutely massive fan of The Legend of Zelda franchise. In particular, Suda51 states that Legend of Zelda games are his “number one” in terms of influence, and he followed that up by saying that he’s already finished Echoes of Wisdom, and he also collected all the Korok Seeds in both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom!

You might be surprised to hear how much Suda51 loves Zelda and cites it as an influence, as on the surface it doesn’t seem like his games have anything to do with Zelda. That’s where Suda51 would beg to differ.

**No More Heroes is Zelda itself. If you take Zelda,El Topo, and Jackass and mash them together, you get No More Heroes.You have a main field and dungeons, right? No More Heroes has dungeons for each assassin, and the structure itself is basically that of Zelda’s. When I was making No More Heroes, I really wanted to make “Zelda, but in a world of assassins.”That’s how it came to be. **

If you’re wondering whether Suda51 has a favorite Zelda, he indeed does…and it’s one you might have never guessed. As a matter of fact, it seems Suda51 even has some interest in working with this particular installment in some way, should Nintendo let him.

**Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is my favorite. I have vivid memories of going to line up at a 24-hour game store the day before it launched and then playing it till completion without stopping to even sleep. I couldn’t get enough of that eureka moment you get when you solve a puzzle, and I’ve always loved that about the series. It continues to be entertaining even at the age I am now. Zelda is amazing. If I were ever in a position to do something with a Nintendo title, I’d take Zelda II and–… No, they’re gonna get mad at me, aren’t they? **