More Interviews with Eiji Aonuma

The Legend of Zelda director Eiji Aonuma continues to do interviews. Since the last interview posted here, he's talked Zelda with Eurogamer and guardian.co.uk. Here are a few highlights:

 "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."

On handheld devices like DS, for the grand universe of Zelda to be correctly depicted, cel-shading or toon-shading style is the most appropriate. For example, for the touch operation we're using on DS, top-view angle is necessary. If we're going to apply photorealistic proportions between human characters and objects, the player character would have to be really small. But with more anime/Manga-style art, deformation is allowed and taken as a natural. By that I mean that building and some other objects around you can be very small compared with real life, but yet it's not strange in the anime style. That kind of deformation is readily available with cel-shading technology and thanks to that kind of graphical style we are now able to put Zelda in an adventure where people can identify the most important items without difficulty in understanding proper distance or proportion between character and object.

 "I have an eight-year-old son myself at home, and quite recently he started playing The Phantom Hourglass for DS, because when the software first hit the market he was too young. When he started playing with the boat, I told him: 'In the next Zelda, you are going to be able to ride on the train.' He answered: 'OK, Dad, first boat, and then train? Surely next time, Link is going to fly in the sky ... '"

 You can read the full interviews at Eurogamer and guardian.co.uk.

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Eiji Aonuma Talks Zelda in New Interview

In a new interview, Eiji Aonuma talks about Zelda Wii as well as the past Zelda games he's worked on. He discussed how Spirit Tracks has had an influence on Zelda Wii already.

"The Difference between the two platforms (Wii and DS) is big. The experience with Spirit Tracks, trying to enhance an already ‘near-perfect control’, is what pushed us on learning how to rack our brains. With Wii it is the same, we want to make the most of its controls. We want the player to control the game in the best possible way. On Wii, the camera is more realistic. Graphics are more realistic, too, and controls have to be, therefore, much more realistic".

Aonuma also discussed how the classic game Ocarina of Time has shaped Zelda games since.

"There were a lot of things we couldn’t do [back with OoT] due to technical limitations. But I think we’ve been solving those issues with every Zelda since then. With each entry, I’ve tried to add things I couldn’t do before. Actually, it’s like I’ve been remaking it during these years. So if you ask me if there’s going to be a Zelda remake… I thought I was making it all this time! So it maybe I haven't done well enough, I haven’t been up to the expected level.”

"It’s complicated. Past things belong to our memories, and they grow bigger in there. If you play Ocarina of Time nowadays, you notice that it’s not that good. Sometimes it doesn’t move as fast as it should, graphics aren’t as beautiful as they should be; there are some confusing parts… Any present Zelda is technically superior. Everything goes faster, more fluid… but to best Ocarina of Time, a great change –comparable to what happened back then- must be introduced. And that’ll be rather complicated".

He finished off the interview by answering a question about the infamous arguments between him and Shigeru Miyamoto.

“I didn’t know our discussions were so well known! I believe we have different visions because Mr. Miyamoto is just a genius; he’s got an innate talent, and everything I do, I had to learn step by step. And it took a lot for me, I have no natural talent. I’ve spent many years with Mr. Miyamoto and, since the beginning, the moment I have to bring my work and show it to him for his opinion is a very special moment, and I enjoy with it. (…) He notices things I’d never see. After this time, our visions are starting to match up more and more. However, I have a lot more left to try to reach his level”.

Source. 

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New Instrument For Link in Spirit Tracks

More exciting new information about Spirit Tracks has been trickling out. Official Nintendo Magazine revealed here that Link will have a new instrument to play in the game, with songs you can learn to unlock different things in the game. The instrument will be played using the stylus and the DS microphone. The official art of Link playing the instrument, called the Spirit Pipes, is pictured above. A few in-game screenshots of the instrument are pictured below:

 

 

For those of you who don't already know, Spirit Tracks comes out on December 7, 2009.

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Shigeru Miyamoto Interview Mentions New Wii Zelda

Shigeru Miyamoto was recently interviewed by MTV Multiplayer. The interview mostly is about the upcoming DS game Spirit Tracks, but he gave a little tidbit for those looking forward to the next Zelda on the Wii. Miyamoto siad that it will be "really fun to move your body around." when asked about a sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

You can see the full interview here.

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Miyamoto on How the Wii's Super Guide Feature Could Effect Zelda

At a recent roundtable in New York City, Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto spoke out on how he thought the Wii's new Super Guide feature could effect future Zelda games. The super guide feature allows players who are continually struggling through a game's level to let a computer play through the level for them so they can continue on in the game. This will allow developers to create more difficult games.

At the roundtable, Miyamoto mentioned that he was unsure of whether or not the Super Guide feature would be implemented for future Zelda games, and that doing so could "open Pandora's Box" because of Zelda's puzzle heavy gameplay.

Miyamoto also said that he would like to add more sword based gameplay in future Zelda games on the Wii.

Source.

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Play The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks at the World of Nintendo Tour

The World of Nintendo tour began this weekend in Long Beach, California. Gamers who attended were give the chance to try out upcoming Nintendo DS games like The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks.

If you'd like to attend the World of Nintendo Tour, here are the upcoming stops:

• America's VideoGame Expo in Philadelphia (Oct. 9-11)
  
• Big Apple Comic Con in New York City (Oct. 16-18)
  

Check back here in the future for more dates!

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Tsumuji a Zelda Ripoff?

Today at the Tokyo Game Show EA announced the upcoming title Tsumuji. Tsumuji is an action/adventure title designed to increase EA's popularity in Japan. Early reports say that the gameplay is exactly like that of The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass. The game also allows you to do things like pick up pots and toss them around, much like you can in the Zelda games.

Because the game is in the early stages, it's too soon to say if it's going to differentiate itself enough from the Zelda games. All we can do for now is wait and see.

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