Retro Studios played a big role in the creation of Mario Kart 7. It’s not the first time the Texas-based developer has taken on a beloved Nintendo franchise — it developed the Metroid Prime games and Donkey Kong Country Returns — and it’s unlikely to be the last, as Shigeru Miyamoto sees the Legend of Zelda series as a possible target for a similar form of collaboration.
It was originally believed Retro was only developing a Donkey Kong Country-themed course for MK7. An Iwata Asks interview posted on Nintendo of Japan’s website (via NeoGAF) last month revealed it actually did much more than that. In a new interview with Wired, Miyamoto detailed exactly what roles Retro filled and what Nintendo series could next see a collaboration between East and West.