A veteran Capcom developer has revealed he secured the chance to work on a Legend of Zelda game by effectively threatening Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto, warning that Capcom would simply create its own near-identical clone with different characters if Nintendo refused to collaborate. The anecdote sheds light on the unusual origins of Capcom's involvement in the Zelda series, showing how corporate rivalry and blunt negotiating tactics from a determined fan-developer helped bring about an official partnership rather than an unlicensed imitation.

The developer's ultimatum reportedly persuaded Miyamoto and Nintendo to grant Capcom's Flagship studio the opportunity to co-develop entries in the Zelda franchise, rather than risk a rival product flooding the market. This arrangement paved the way for titles such as the Game Boy Color Oracle games and The Minish Cap, illustrating how personal passion projects and hardball tactics within the games industry can occasionally reshape which studios get to work on beloved franchises.