http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2011/09/07/zelda-boss-eiji-aonuma-has-never-completed-the-original-legend-of-zelda.aspx
I almost feel like there’s still no game more difficult than it. Every time I try to play it I end up getting 'Game Over' a few too many times and giving up partway through. Certainly after playing the original Zelda for the first time, I didn’t ever think that I wanted to make a game like that.
certainly explains why the more recent games are so easy that a mentally handicapped ape shouldn't get a game over in them, and how linear and more story centric it's become(while not actually improving the story...). pretty interesting how the only great game he's directed(MM) was done in just a little over a year, too quick to get the "refinements" he probably wanted. really shows how important it is to have love for your work, especially when you're taking over a project you didn't start. you can see the difference it makes when you compare recent zelda games to the metroid prime series, the respect retro had for super metroid shows(and retro is nintendo's best dev team to begin with but that's another issue)