Aonuma on revisiting A Link to the Past, meeting fans’ expectations, more
EDGE has published its full interview with Eiji Aonuma, the producer of the Zelda series. A lot of interview snippets already found their way online over the past few weeks, but there are still some interesting things to read up on. Head past the break for Aonuma’s comments on Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.
Aonuma on why Nintendo is returning to A Link to the Past so long after the original…
I didn’t make the original, but it was the first game I played that opened up my eyes to all the things a videogame can be. It’s the game that inspired me to make games.
When the 3DS came along, I thought it would be cool to make a 2D-style Zelda game that you could play in 3D – it seemed like a challenge. In the meantime, one of our younger staff had this idea of giving Link the ability to turn into a painting and walk around the walls. While I was thinking about how best to implement that idea, I thought it might be interesting to combine that side-on view with the top-down view of A Link To The Past. So we arrived at the idea of making a new game set in the existing world of A Link To The Past. More than the world or whatever else, the main thing I wanted to get back to was the jaunty tempo of a top-down game. In a 2D Zelda game, you can zip through the stage at a faster pace, which brings the action to the fore. I wanted players to revisit that style.
Aonuma on living up to fans’ expectations…
Yes, that’s a concern. Fans of the original game have a lot of fond memories, and when we announced this sequel I know that some were dubious about the idea of us adding to that game’s lore. The challenge is to pinpoint what it was about the original that people loved and to respect that, and so long as we do that I think we can make something those fans will like. It’s been a big point of discussion among the staff – how much fan service to give without blowing it. We’ve been thinking about how to make the new one in a way that will excite the fans without alienating people who haven’t played the original. We’re paying close attention to that.
Aonuma on whether or not he’s been looking at the comments from fans on Twitter, the Internet, Miiverse, etc. and taking those into account…
If we respond too directly to the things the fans are asking for, they’ll end up playing a predictable game. But with the Internet, social networks and Miiverse, the fans have more ways than ever to voice their opinions. We hear that input, and then we think about how to deliver something even better than what they’re asking for. I really don’t want fans of the original to hate it! So I’m working hard to make sure it doesn’t [make them do that]. If I really get it that wrong, then I’ll consider myself talentless [laughs].
Aonuma on what lessons he has learned from previous Zelda games that have influenced this one…
Each time we make a new Zelda game, we’re aware that if we change it too much, the fans will feel it is too much of a departure from the series. But if we don’t change the game systems, then there’s nothing new to enjoy. So it’s all about expanding the ways to play while still making a Zelda game.
This new title will feature lots of things that are new to the series; right at the start of the game, there’s a big surprise that will shock players. We started out with the new play mechanics, such as Link being able to become a painting and walk along the walls, and then figured out from there how to build a story around them. Rather than forcing elements of the original story into this one, we’ve instead focused on bringing back the characters, so you can see what happened to them after the events of the first game.
Aonuma on what challenges he’s faced in rebuilding a 2D world using 3D components…
The truth is that the SNES version used lots of sneaky tricks to portray that 2D world [laughs]. For example, when you had a lot of trees, you could see the roots as well as the treetops, but in reality you can’t see the roots of a tree from above. However, if you can’t see the roots then it’s difficult to navigate the field, so we had to show them this time, too. So again there are lots of sneaky tricks in this version.
The staff were split between those who thought we might have to stick rigidly to the world of the original and those who thought we should make something completely new. But those discussions led us to conclude that some things were worth keeping and others were worth changing. For example, some enemies and their attacks worked differently in a 2D space than they do in 3D, and with the new game’s extra level of depth. So we took each element on its own merits.
Aonuma on why it was chosen to make A Link Between Worlds for the 3DS…
By which you mean that Wii U doesn’t have such a strong lineup, right [laughs]? But the great thing about the 3DS is that it offers new ways to play, or ways to reimagine past franchises, which makes it very easy to think of new types of games to make.
Aonuma on whether he remembers how he feels when he first joined the team that was making Ocarina of Time…
The thing I was most excited about was the 3D worlds Nintendo was creating for N64, and thinking about how best to explore the new boundaries and turn that into a Zelda game. I found it fascinating and so much fun. And after I finished making the game’s final battle with Ganondorf and the ending, I cried.
I remember getting a letter from a schoolgirl who had paralysis on one side of her body. Her mum had given her a copy of Ocarina Of Time to keep her occupied in the hospital, and she was inspired by Link to not give up. She started to put more effort into her rehab, and she regained the ability to walk again. I realised from that letter the power of games to move people, and the importance of never making a game halfheartedly.
Aonuma on how he feels making a sequel to A Link to the Past after all these years…
I’m slightly worried to be making a sequel to someone else’s game, that’s for sure. When I was younger, I would never have dreamed of making a sequel to a game by Shigeru Miyamoto. But now that I’m older, I’m like, “Whatever!”
