Edge Online interviewed Eiji Aonuma and he had this to say about Twilight Princess and Zelda Wii.
“For Twilight Princess we used the adult Link and one of the interesting things about that was how we considered the precise proportions of Link and the world. The scale is because we aimed for a more realistic quality in the size of the environments of Hyrule and what that Link faced.
This is a little late, but two new interviews with Shigeru Miyamoto and Eiji Aonuma have emerged. Aonuma spoke with ONM (Official Nintendo Magazine) yet again revealing a bit more on the next Legend of Zelda console title (Zelda Wii). Although it isn’t published yet, our affiliate Zelda Informer obtained some bits of it.
Eiji Aonuma spoke with IGN and mentioned a bit about the vast overworld in Twilight Princess and how it will be a starting point for future Zelda titles.
Speaking to IGN about the anticipated title, director Eiji Aonuma said, “With Twilight Princess, we challenged ourself to create the most vast and realistic world the series had ever seen, but we don’t feel that we were able to fully complete this objective. With that as a starting point for our improvements to the series in the future, we are of course working on a new game for Wii.”
Might the forthcoming Zelda title, which is purportedly set to be unveiled at next year’s E3, be the Wii equivalent of Majora’s Mask?
Says Aonuma: “For any game to be remembered for a long time, just like Ocarina of Time was, the game must give the strong impression that it has set a new starting point for future sequels to build upon. We are working to further improve upon the experiences found in Twilight Princess so that our future games can realize these innovations.”
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.
Another new interview with Zelda director, Eiji Aonuma, reveals a possibility of more modern aspects in future Zelda titles.
“Technology actually was not a major concern for us when we decided to use the train. In The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, the boat was the key mode of transportation. Now that Spirit Tracks takes place on land, we needed a new way for players to get around, and felt that the train offered the best sense of exploration and discovery. We don’t think it feels out of place in the game world. Trains are also a popular mode of transportation in Japan. My children and I still feel a great sense of adventure when we ride trains in Japan.”
“Regarding use of other forms in technology in the future, as long it adds to the overall game experience and is something we feel the player would enjoy, we wouldn’t be afraid to implement it. As a matter of fact, we have used the Hook Shot in several previous games, which would be considered a very modern type of technology, even by today’s standards. “
Aonuma spoke with Eurogamer (while promoting Spirit Tracks in Europe) and mentions Ocarina of Time, Spirit Tracks and Zelda Wii.
Eurogamer: Let’s go right back to the beginning. What’s your earliest gaming memory, and when did you decide you wanted to become a game designer?
Eiji Aonuma: My first encounter with any videogames in my childhood was Game & Watch, the series of portable games products launched by Nintendo. I was amazed by knowing that within such a small LCD screen such an awful lot of different things were able to be done. That was my first memory of any videogames.
Since then, however, I do not have any recollection of what kind of games I was deeply into. I hardly played with any before I was grown up, even though a lot of my friends and people around me were already playing with Nintendo Entertainment System.
As a university student, I was more excited learning about the arts and wondering whether I should be an artist or not.
In my university and grad school days I was thinking what I should do in my life, whether I would be an artist, or whether I would like to do something else. I wanted to surprise people in a meaningful way, and I decided that as the theme of my life – and I happened to know there was a company called Nintendo whose job was also to surprise people in a meaningful way.
That’s why I became interested in joining the company, and the company hired me. At that time I was not thinking about becoming the game creator myself. I thought I was probably hired because the company was interested in me as a product designer, because that’s what I studied at university.
It was only afterwards I learned something about The Legend of Zelda, and when I started playing it I was deeply into it and surprised by the potential of videogames. I didn’t know that so many things could be done! And later on Mr Miyamoto gave me the opportunity to work on Zelda, which happened to be Ocarina of Time – and before I knew it exactly 12 years have already passed!
Eiji Aonuma apologizes for the Water Temple in OoT, speaks a bit of Spirit Tracks, mentions his career at Nintendo and yet again reveals some new info on Zelda Wii (that will create much more speculation).
Eiji Aonuma, director of the Legend of Zelda franchise, has an apology to make. “The Water Temple in the Ocarina of Time was notorious for being very tough to conquer,” he says. “I am most sorry that it was not easy for you to put on and take off the heavy boots; that all the time you had to visit the inventory.
“I am,” he continues, genuine regret evident in his tone, “very sorry about that. I should have made it much easier to switch to the heavy boots.”
His favourite among his dungeon designs so far, the Ocarina of Time’s ingenious Water Temple is marred in his eyes by this slight ergonomic flaw. “Aside from the problem with the boots,” he continues, “I like the Water Temple so much.”
Aonuma’s first job for Nintendo was the design of the intricate temples and dungeons for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and he has been director of the Zelda franchise on every title since Ocarina’s 1998 release, including the latest instalment, Spirit Tracks (released on DS on 7 December in the US and 11 December in the UK). He is also working on a new Wii addition to the series.
Edge Online interviewed Eiji Aonuma and he had this to say about Twilight Princess and Zelda Wii.
Speaking to IGN about the anticipated title, director Eiji Aonuma said, “With Twilight Princess, we challenged ourself to create the most vast and realistic world the series had ever seen, but we don’t feel that we were able to fully complete this objective. With that as a starting point for our improvements to the series in the future, we are of course working on a new game for Wii.”
Aonuma
Eurogamer: Let’s go right back to the beginning. What’s your earliest gaming memory, and when did you decide you wanted to become a game designer?
Eiji Aonuma, director of the Legend of Zelda franchise, has an apology to make. “The Water Temple in the Ocarina of Time was notorious for being very tough to conquer,” he says. “I am most sorry that it was not easy for you to put on and take off the heavy boots; that all the time you had to visit the inventory.
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