Zelda: Ocarina of Time originally left out Young Link

Those who play The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time start off as Young Link. Later, switching between the boy and Adult Link becomes a crucial gameplay element. But things weren’t always planned that way.

According to the latest Iwata Asks, the developers originally planned on just including Adult Link. Their thinking was that it was a natural decision since the one focus of the title was sword-fighting. Eventually, however, Shigeru Miyamoto requested that Young Link be added.

Iwata: For example, was the division into Young Link and Adult Link something you were thinking about from the start?

Osawa: No, at first there was always Adult Link.

Iwata: Only Adult Link showed up?

Osawa: Yes. At first, we were just going to have him in an adult form. If you think about the chanbara element, that only made sense. With a child form, the sword would be small and his reach too short, so he would be at a terrible disadvantage, especially against large enemies.

Iwata: And it wasn’t like you could just make the enemies small.

Osawa: Right. But partway through development, Miyamoto-san and others on the staff started saying they wanted to see a cute little Link.

Iwata: That would change the script a lot.

Osawa: Yes. we thought about how we could have both the child and adult forms appear in the same game and came up with the device of going seven years into the future by drawing the Master Sword and then returning back to his child form when he returns it to the pedestal.

Iwata: He travels back and forth in an instant.

Osawa: Yes. That was a scenario we added later.

Iwata: It’s amazing that such a big change didn’t cause the whole project to collapse.

Everyone: (laughs)

Iwata: Huh? You’re all laughing. Does that mean it did sort of collapse? (laughs)

Aonuma: It didn’t exactly collapse, but we did have some heated exchanges!

Osawa: We got into it every day. I would write the script and everyone would point out problems, saying, “This is weird,” and “That’s impossible.” Then I’d come up with a revised script and say, “I changed this. What do you think?” I remember going around showing it to each and everyone to get their okay.

Koizumi: Huh? I don’t think you went quite that far, but…did you?

Aonuma: You didn’t go quite that far.

Osawa: Huh? I thought I did, but…

Aonuma: You just feel like you did! (laughs)

Iwata: Perhaps your memory has been overwritten! (laughs)

Everyone: (laughs)

Osawa: Hmm…

Koizumi: Everyone back then was busy with what was right in front of them. When it came about that the Young Link was going to appear, what caused the most trouble for me was the modeling and animation for Link.

Iwata: The amount you had to make doubled.

Koizumi: Right. My work doubled. I was the one making him, so I was like, “What’m I gonna do?”

Iwata: When did talk of making Young Link come up?

Koizumi: I think it was about the second year after development started. Do you remember, Iwawaki-san?

Iwawaki: Yeah, I think it was about one and a half years before release.

Iwata: Oh, so that’s when it was.