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Zelda: A Link Between Worlds to have unlockable difficulty mode, puzzles 'clearer' in 3D
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds will etch an additional difficulty option onto its walls for players taking a second pass through its non-linear quest. Siliconera's translation of series producer Eiji Aonuma's interview with Gameswelt revealed that an additional difficulty mode will be unlocked after players complete the main game. Aonuma did not clarify what similarities it will share with Wind Waker's Hero Mode, which doubled the damage dealt to players and removed heart pieces from the game's pots and blades of grass. In a separate interview with Gamespot, Aonuma noted that the team "made some changes" to the game after Nintendo announced the 2DS to ensure it was fully playable in 2D. "We found out about the 2DS during development ... It's not that you can't play it with 2D, it's just that it becomes clearer when you have the 3D effect on." A Link Between Worlds is set to venture across the walls of North American and European homes on November 22. Europeans in need of a 3DS XL may want to consider the special edition bundle that's planned for release at the game's launch. North Americans might have the same option, but Nintendo has yet to confirm the bundle's release across the pond.
Eiji Aonuma discusses hand-holding in Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Zelda series Producer Eiji Aonuma approached development of the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds with unassisted exploration in mind. During an interview with Polygon, he explained that the game won't "completely guide players through the experience" and addressed game developers' general concern for leaving players in the dark. "We kind of have a bad habit of hand-holding, trying to make things easier for everyone," Aonuma said. "More and more, I start to think that that kind of isn't actually that fun." Aonuma shared an example of a three-day feud between himself and his director over the inclusion of a hint in an area of the game, ultimately resulting in its removal. The interview follows news earlier this month that the game will allow players to tackle dungeons in whichever order they prefer. A recent trailer also named the game's alternate universe Lorule and gave us a glimpse of an artistically-inclined antagonist.
Zelda producer on Nintendo's current woes: 'If we don't change, we might die'
It's cool to be different. That's the message we typically feed our children when they come up against peer opposition. It's also an attitude Nintendo's adopted time and time again when its penchant for innovation, aversion to hardcore gameplay and reliance on classic franchises have put the company in a perceived last place position. But, as it's continually proven -- and most successfully with the Wii -- you can't ever definitively count the Mario hitmaker out. There always seems to be an ace in the company's IP sleeve that keeps bringing gamers and its diehard fanbase back to the fold. But we have to wonder: how long will that last? It's a question we posed directly to Eiji Aonuma, Nintendo's Most Valuable Player #2 and Zelda mastermind, this week at E3. And his answer might surprise you: "If we don't change we might die. We need to evolve. Things need to change. Things need to grow." It's a sobering admission, especially considering the source. "If we don't change we might die. We need to evolve. Things need to change. Things need to grow." The IP ace this time around falls upon the Zelda franchises' shoulders, except not in the way we've come to expect. The two newest titles in the series, headed to the 3DS and Wii U, also happen to be recycled efforts: a reimagining of A Link to the Past and an HD reboot of the Wind Waker, both headed up by Aonuma. Perhaps it's just a consequence of franchise fatigue and player familiarity, but there's something more alarming, more distressing about this back catalog mining; something Aonuma's all too aware of. It's also something he's actively steering his production teams away from, while at the same time attempting to take it all in as a greater lesson for a company so tethered to video gaming past. So to catch some deeper perspective on Nintendo's next-gen leanings, its level of self-awareness and the future of Zelda, we sat down with Aonuma for what turned out to be an honest and refreshing chat.
3D Link to the Past 'interests' Aonuma
OK, show of hands, please: who fancies a 3D remake of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past? If your arm just shot up, know this: you're far from alone. Series director Eiji Aonuma wants it, as well. Or at least, he's "very interested" in adding an extra dimension to what is arguably probably unquestionably the greatest Zelda game ever conceived.Aonuma, who most recently acted as director on the DS's splendiferous Phantom Hourglass, revealed his wish in the latest issue of the Official Nintendo Magazine (the UK edition), stating that "The first Zelda game that I played and felt potential in was Link to the Past. I'm actually very interested in what it would be like if we remade that title as a 3D game."Now, we confess that's a loooong way from us actually getting a 3D Link to the Past, but the mere fact that Aonuma has even considered this makes our legs go all wobbly. If you've never played the game, and therefore can't comprehend that reaction, then we suggest you stop reading, head over to the Virtual Console now, and commence downloading. For $8, it's a quite obscene bargain.
Confirmed: all high-level Nintendo employees are required to have big circles in signatures
Not only has Eiji Aonuma followed Shigeru Miyamoto as producer of the Zelda games, but he's followed Miyamoto in autograph style as well. Compare Miyamoto's autograph (left) with the thing Aonuma scribbled on this crimson-and-black DS, given to a Link costume contest winner at the Phantom Hourglass launch. Both Nintendo luminaries feature two big circle things in their autographs, even though Miyamoto signs his name using the Roman alphabet and Aonuma signs in kanji.Congratulations go out, of course, to the winner, a GoNintendo reader named JulianK, one of the few people for whom Link cosplay had positive consequences.
Aonuma intended to design hardware
1up's interview/profile of Eiji Aonuma, the man currently in charge of the Zelda series, describes a person who came into Nintendo without any particular interest in video games. In fact, he was hoping to use his background in art to do some product design. In fact, as he tells the story, that's what he thought he would be doing when he joined Nintendo, until Miyamoto came along to upend his personal tea table.Of course, he came around eventually and decided that games could also be fun: "Yeah, I do like to create things with my hands, so I was hoping that I could create something like hardware eventually. It wasn't necessarily that I didn't want to create games -- because once I actually started working on them I really started to enjoy my job -- but I think that maybe Miyamoto didn't understand that I could take another route at the company. I am very happy where I am now, though."We have to wonder if Miyamoto saw something in a young Aonuma, or if he just grabbed someone out of a hallway?
The spirit of NES Zelda lives on in Phantom Hourglass
With The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass making its home on the DS, Nintendo had the opportunity to bring Zelda back to the casual public that remembers loving Zelda on the NES. And in making a game with that goal, producer Eiji Aonuma found the feeling of the new game beginning to evoke the classic cartridge. As he told MTV's Multiplayer, "With the DS Zelda, I kind of feel as though it is the updated version of the original Zelda. It wasn't a conscious decision, but in an effort to get kind of back to basics, I was able to reconnect with that essence of Zelda that made it fun for people when it first came out." Any time something is likened to the NES Legend of Zelda, we see it as shorthand for "this is a life-changingly incredible game." Because, argue all you want (and you certainly will), The Legend of Zelda is not only a high point for the series, but for games. It's the only one we can consistently go back to.And, for those of us who love arguing about Wind Waker, here's a note from Aonuma about Phantom Hourglass became a sequel to that game: "When we were starting work on the DS Zelda, it's not as though we knew we were going to create the sequel to Wind Waker, but as we developed the game and gameplay was kind of finalized, we discovered that Wind Waker 2 was what we were making."We couldn't be more pleased, since we love pretty much everything about Wind Waker (except the Triforce hunting there at the end-- we're not crazy). However, we know that just referring to the game usually leads to a heated argument about whether it's awesome or terrible.
Zelda: Phantom Hourglass developer interview
Nintendo Dream magazine interviewed members of the Phantom Hourglass development team, including Legend of Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma, Phantom Hourglass director Daiki Iwamoto, and assistant director (and former Flagship Zelda team member) Hidemaro Fujibayashi. Judging from the responses of the developers, the brilliance of Zelda may be attributed to tough competition from a game that would have seemed like a non-competitor a few years ago: Brain Age.Originally, Phantom Hourglass was set to be a smaller, quicker game, but Aonuma describes the pressure from the upstart training game:"At first, we had the idea of creating a good game in a short time. We thought Brain Age was our rival. Brain Age's like that smart transfer student. The Zelda Team's not in the top places, but it studies hard. And then comes this transfer student and easily gets the first place without studying. That's very frustrating. After three long years, we finally finished Twilight Princess and the transfer student's the one that's smart and cool and gets the first place? Damn it (laughs)!"This is only the first part of the interview, but it's a nice, long read about the game that's going to bring Zelda back to the masses.[Via NeoGAF]
Eiji Aonuma is a winner
Level Up's N'Gai Croal interviewed some of the winners of the Game Critics Awards, because, you know, he can. As the producer of the Best Handheld Game, Contra 4 The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Eiji Aonuma was one of the developers tapped by Croal to give his reactions to the win.Aonuma said that he was "very grateful" to win the award, explaining: "As we were challenged to create something very different this time, I am particularly happy because the award appears to have meant that our challenge was worthwhile." He then went on to speak about the positive Japanese reaction to the game, which he ascribes almost entirely to the fact that everyone in Japan loves the DS.
Two "new" characters for Smash Bros.
In an interview with Game Informer about The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma casually let slip that Ganondorf and Sheik would be appearing in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. And we have to say it-- we prefer the casual, matter-of-fact "revelation" of obvious information to seeing old characters treated like a big deal in the Dojo. When asked about his involvement with Zelda characters' representations in Brawl, Aonuma indicated that his team worked closely with Masahiro Sakurai's team. He said that his team sent the initial character designs over, and then Sora tweaked them to fit Smash Bros.' style. Note to Sora: there is still plenty of time to implement Tingle. Or, if not Tingle, Old Man.
Zelda: Phantom Hourglass boxart
The Japanese boxart for The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is up on Amazon for all to see. We're hugely excited about the new Zelda, and advise you check here for the screens we showed you last week. It's coming out on Saturday July 23rd, exactly 11 years after the Nintendo 64 hit the shelves. It's highly unusual for a game to come out on a Saturday in Japan, where Thursday is the traditional release day for new titles. Whatever -- we want to get our hands on Phantom Hourglass as soon as possible![Via Nintendo iNSIDE]
