Spirit Tracks team took a year on the train mechanic

Nintendo has just released the translated version of the latest Iwata Asks. This time, the conversation focused on the development of The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. As we know, it took about two years to finish creating the game. But apparently, almost a whole year was spent on thinking about the game’s train mechanic.

Iwata
So at first, the staff members thought laying the tracks would be fun as well.

Iwamoto
Right. But the problem is that, even if people can lay the tracks anywhere they like, they won’t know where to lay them. Then, to make the story work, there are places where you absolutely mustn’t go, and other places where you really can’t be at certain points in time. So we examined all sorts of different ways of playing. That went on for about a year.

Iwata
A whole year? But your development period was two years…

Iwamoto
We spent half of those two years on the railroad. And then, one day, Aonuma-san said, “Why don’t we just drop the idea of laying the tracks?”

Iwata
At first, you started development from the angle of making it possible for players to lay the tracks anywhere they wanted, and then, one year later, Aonuma-san said, “Let’s not”… How did the team handle that?

Iwamoto
Well…

Iwata
Did it feel as though a small tea table had been upended?

Iwamoto
Not… a small one. A pretty giant one (laughs).