Aonuma – Zelda Wii U going well, Wind Waker HD will be an influence, not tired of making Zelda, need to do new things
4Gamer recently published an extensive interview with Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma. Among the topics discussed include Zelda Wii U and how Wind Waker HD will be an influence, clarification that Aonuma isn’t tired of making Zelda games, and the need to do new things with the series.
You can find comments from Aonuma’s interview below. All translations come courtesy of Siliconera.
On development of Zelda for Wii U…
“It’s going well! We’re incorporating HD features we tried in the Wind Waker, and vice-versa, by applying HD features from it to the Wind Waker. Since it’s a remake, we’ve been limited regarding what we can do with the Wii U Gamepad; however, for the new title we’ll have various ways of using [the device].”
On whether we’ll see any connection between Zelda Wii U and Wind Waker HD…
“I believe so. For example, traveling while having the map displayed on the Wii U GamePad made it really comfortable [to play], and I believe this can also be done for other areas besides the ocean. Parts that I felt were fun while playing [The Wind Waker HD] will assuredly have an influence on the next title, without a doubt.”
On which accomplishment in the series is his favorite…
“This is a question that I’m often asked, but to me, ‘the one I’m working on’ will always be my favorite. When I start working on something, from the moment I wake up in the morning until I sleep at night, it’s all I think of. So this time, it would be The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.”
On the topic of him being “tired of making Zelda games”…
“I see. When I say I’m tired, I’m not talking about making Zelda, but rather, the same constituent that has been used to make Zelda up until now. While on the subject, in regard to how we’ve always done things the traditional way until now: ‘Why does it have to be traditional?’ That’s the question I’ve been asking myself.”
“If we don’t change that, we can’t make something new. We’re slightly approaching The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds with that mindset, and also the next Zelda title, which we intend to continue changing. However, this brings us to the topic, ‘Exactly what is The Legend of Zelda about?”
“Something that is ‘traditional’ is in a sense often something that copies previous works, so if you continue doing that, it gradually takes away from its uniqueness. So we’re currently working on making those parts more and more unique.”
“So, by no means, am I tired of it. Rather, the more we change it, the more I get fired up. Having someone think ‘Huh? Is this Zelda?!’ at first, then ‘Oh, it is Zelda,’ is what we’re going for. Something that wouldn’t make it matter whether Link or Princess Zelda appear in it or not. Something where it wouldn’t even matter if Zelda is actually a princess, or not.”
