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The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was released on 14 August 2025. Even 26 years after its release, the game is considered a masterpiece, and rightfully so. This title was an instant classic that revolutionized the gaming industry and is perhaps the best N64 game ever to come out. However, despite being an absolute masterpiece, Ocarina of Time does have a few flaws of its own. The most prominent one is Link’s navigator in the game, Navi.
The fictional fairy has aged so poorly that even Zelda’s creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, believes that including it in the game was a nuisance. Let’s take a look at what else Miyamoto has said about Navi.
Shigeru Miyamoto thought about removing Navi fromThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Shmuplationshas translated an interview that Shigeru Miyamoto gave for a 1999 Japanese Strategy Guide. Here’s what he had to say:
I think the whole system with Navi giving you advice is the biggest weak point of Ocarina of Time. It’s incredibly difficult to design a system that gives proper advice, advice that’s tailored to the player’s situation.
Miyamoto felt that pursuing perfection with Navi would take as much time as the rest of the game. So, we were left with a purposely “stupid” version of the fairy that interrupted players at every turn of their journey throughout Hyrule. Here’s what Shigeru ultimately said to justify Navi’s existence:
you may think of Navi as being there for players who stop playing for a month or so, who then pick the game back up and want to remember what they were supposed to do. It’s a brazen excuse, I know.
7 Reasons Why Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is One of the Best Games of All Time
It is refreshing to see that even Miyamoto struggles to properly justify the existence of Navi. He even considered removing her in the first place but believes that doing so would have made the game a little too unfriendly.
So Navi ended up staying and eventually became a key part of the player experience. Miyamoto also believes that the game would’ve been a little too unforgiving without Navi. However, it has to be asked whetherZeldafans would’ve preferred to solve puzzles on their own instead of relying on Navi’s help.
Not everyone hates Navi fromThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Navi is annoying to many, but there are still a few who don’t rage at the sight of the helpful fairy. A good chunk ofThe Legend of Zelda‘s community also appreciates Navi for her indispensability. you may’t imagineOcarina of Timewithout her. Navi’s role in the campaign and significance in the Z-Targeting system makes her a necessity and bearable to many.
We also have to consider how Navi has paved the path for better video game companions. Some prime examples would be Trico fromThe Last Guardianand BD1 from EA’sStar Wars Jedigames.
By showing developers what not to do, Navi has indirectly inspired some of the best video game companions we have ever seen. In that way, the annoying fairy has been able to justify her experience.
So, even though Shigeru Miyamoto considered Navi to be a nuisance, he can find comfort in the fact that his invention has inspired some of the most helpful creatures and tutorial bots in gaming.
Sameer Khan
Articles Published :9
Sameer is a Gaming Content Writer for FandomWire who channels his passion for gaming into engaging stories. When he’s not clicking heads on Counter-Strike, you may find him diving headfirst into music, food flavours, and a bit of everything life has to offer.
