Nintendo was working on Zelda II: The Adventure of Link for SNES with polygons
According to the latest Iwata Asks, “chanbara action” was one of biggest, early themes for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. That was explained by director Toru Osawa, who was put in charge of the project by Takao Shimizu. This is interesting since, in the end, exploration and puzzle-solving turned out to be just as important.
But perhaps more interesting is that Shigeru Miyamoto, along with Yoshiaki Koizumi, were making Zelda II: The Adventure of Link for the SNES… and with polygons. It sounds like it was an experiment of sorts, but those working on the project were having difficulty with sword-fighting.
Osawa: Since I was working at Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda was a title I wanted to work on at least once. Luckily, that opportunity had come along, so I put my hand right up. But before we became involved, (Takao) Shimizu-san made a chanbara (sword fighting) demo video.
Aonuma: Oh, that’s right. If I remember correctly, the demo video we showed at the E3 in 1996.
Osawa: Right. But Shimizu-san became involved with other work, so he said, “The rest is up to you!”
Iwata: Was that other work Star Fox 64?
Osawa: Yeah. So I took it over, and Shimizu-san told me some things he wanted me to do. He wanted me to make a Zelda game with chanbara-style action.
Iwata: When people talk about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, they mention various things like an epic story, solving puzzles, trotting across a broad field on a horse and how cool Link is, but it began with the single theme of making a Zelda game that included chanbara-style swashbuckling!
Osawa: Uh-huh. I started writing the script with chanbara at the front of my mind. Then Koizumi-san joined us, and there were three of us.
Koizumi: It was true of Shimizu-san as well, but I really liked Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.
Osawa: So much that you wanted to make it yourself?
Koizumi: Yeah. You might say that, but before Super Mario 64, I had actually been making Zelda II: The Adventure of Link in polygons with Miyamoto-san.
Iwata: Before Super Mario 64… You mean for the Super Famicom System?
Koizumi: Yes. We were experimenting with a thin, polygon Link seen from the side and fighting with his sword. Chanbara was a pending issue at the time. We couldn’t really bring Zelda II: The Adventure of Link into form at that time, but I kept that desire to achieve a sword-fighting Zelda game until I joined this team.
Iwata: So The Legend of Zelda game with chanbara action had been a theme for quite some time.
Koizumi: Yes.
