Miyamoto’s big request two weeks before making the final Ocarina of Time 3D ROM
Leave it to Shigeru Miyamoto to make a rather significant request right before the completion of a game. The Zelda creator asked the Ocarina of Time 3D development team to enhance the game’s gyro support just a couple of weeks before making the title’s final ROM.
Originally, players would be able to look around with Link in first-person mode by moving the 3DS. But now, thanks to Miyamoto’s request, the viewpoint can also be changed while Link moves around normally.
Aonuma: But then in the end, Miyamoto-san…
Ikuta: Right. He gave us a little push. (laughs)
Aonuma: At first, you could only use the gyro sensor to control line of sight in first-person mode when using items and moving the camera from Link’s point of view. But at the end of development, two weeks before making the final ROM, right at the last minute, Miyamoto-san said, “Can’t you use the gyro sensor to change the line of sight at normal times when you’re just moving Link around?”
Iwata: Huh? But that affects every single scene! That’s not something you say before you create the master ROM.
Moriya: Yeah. Everyone reacted the same way at first. (laughs)
Aonuma: But we tried doing what we could, and it turned out so that when Link is moving around without using L-targeting to lock on, the camera follows him around, and you can use the gyro sensor to look around.
Moriya: First, we made it with the gyro sensor wide open so you could look around, and from there on we trimmed away what didn’t work. We had to reach a conclusion in a mere three days.
Aonuma: Right, we might have fallen behind with the ROM. I felt like Miyamoto-san was testing us.
Tonooka: But when we first got that e-mail from Aonuma-san, it was clear that he wanted to do it, so we thought, “I bet Aonuma-san wants to do this.” (laughs)
Aonuma: Huh? Oh, sorry. That is somewhat true. (laughs) I myself had been thinking about allowing players to move the camera using a gyro sensor while Link was moving, but I thought it was impossible since we were so close to putting it on the ROM.
Iwata: But Miyamoto-san suggested what you couldn’t say yourself, so you asked as if it were a fortunate thing?
Aonuma: Uh…yeah. We were accomplices. (laughs)
Iwata: Being able to look around adds a surprising amount of reality to the gameworld.
Aonuma: It’s like the world of Hyrule is spread out in 360 degrees and you’re peering into the screen at it. I’m really glad we could put that in!
