Crossovers must be tricky to develop – which fanbase do you cater specific mechanics to, and how much of each series' flavor do you implement while still making a coherent experience that can stand without its fanfare? Early talks concerning Hyrule Warriors certainly covered these questions, but more interestingly, Nintendo Life's interview with Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma and Metroid: Other M producer Yosuke Hayashi revealed that Hyrule Warriors was initially meant to be more Zelda than Dynasty Warriors.
When Hayashi approached Aonuma with hopes of collaborating on a Zelda project, he suggested the pair rethink what's possible for a Zelda game. He still intended to create something that resembled the mainline Zelda series more than the Dynasty Warrior games, however. When Zelda series creator Shigeru Miyamoto heard, he stepped in: Rather than adding Dynasty Warrior mechanics to a traditional Zelda game, Miyamoto insisted that Hyrule Warriors should focus on "grafting Zelda onto the Dynasty Warriors experience," the opposite of what Hayashi originally envisioned.
