Zelda directors and Nintendo president sat down to discuss the Legend of Zelda series as a whole. They mention more about Ura Zelda, Ocarina of Time development, Majora’s Mask, Zelda Wii and Spirit Tracks. They also continue to go into far more detail on Spirit Tracks. This interview is separated into six segments.
Aonuma
That’s right. It made us very, very happy (laughs). Even after its release, I felt that we’d really done something special; I felt very fulfilled. At the time, I think (Shigeru) Miyamoto-san had that same feeling, but apparently he also felt as though there was still quite a lot left to do.
Iwata
Yes, Miyamoto-san really is greedy about things like that, isn’t he. (laughs)Aonuma
And so he said: we’d already made 3D models for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. By changing the situation, couldn’t we make new ways to play, a new story?
Iwata
So you made The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask.
Aonuma
No, we didn’t just start making The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, not right away. There was actually a flip-side, and in the beginning, the idea was to make a “Ura (Flip-Side) Zelda”.Iwata
That “Ura Zelda” (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Master Quest) was developed for the 64DD5. Ultimately, we recorded it on a limited edition disc that went to people who reserved The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker6.
Iwata
Aonuma-san, you’re involved with both the Wii and Nintendo DS editions of The Legend of Zelda. Are there any differences in how you work on the two?
Aonuma
When I work on the Wii edition, I’m right on-site, and I often do my job from a director’s perspective. On the Nintendo DS version, I do proper producer’s work. …That said, when I worked on the previous game, The Legend of Zelda:Phantom Hourglass, I was simultaneously making Twilight Princess2, so I couldn’t keep a very close eye on things right from the beginning. Then, when The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was finished and I went to the Nintendo DS version’s office, the development was already pretty far along. From my point of view, it was at a stage where I could really make myself useful.Iwata
So you’re saying that you left the site for a while, and that let you see the Nintendo DS version with a new set of eyes. As a result, you were able to spot the places where you could put in a little more work and really improve things.
Aonuma
That’s exactly it. So then — and I did feel bad to do so — I asked that development be extended three more months, and I worked on it during that extra period. Then, the more I worked, the better it got.
Tags: Eiji Aonuma, Iwata, Ocarina of Time, Spirit Tracks, Zelda 64, Zelda Wii