Aonuma Talks Zelda's Past, Nintendo DS Zelda Plans

Thanks to GameSpy for its interview with Nintendo's Eiji Aonuma on the Zelda franchise, as the EAD deputy manager reveals he wasn't a fan of early Zelda efforts ("I could not stand the original Zelda. When I first played it, I did not know what I was doing. I was overwhelmed by enemies and I got killed right away"), questions the infamous CD-I Zelda titles ("I must admit, they were a strange characterization of the Zelda games"), and mentions future franchise plans, including a previously unconfirmed Nintendo DS Zelda title: "We have a Game Boy Advance Zelda [Minish Cap], a DS Zelda, and this [realistic] GameCube one."

Comments

Not a flame... Just a little rattled.

[Iscariot_]

I'm not flaming or trolling here, I love each and every game in the Zelda series. But is anyone else a little spooked by this interview?

This guy is taking a big, big role on all future Zelda projects, and he's spooked by games that require jumping?!? Thought Zelda 1 was too hard?! Somehow I think Miyamoto's final touches to the last few Zelda games have been much more significant than Aonuma cares to admit...

It's also weird to see how much budget has played a role in the Zelda storylines and gameplay. Then again, I suppose that innovating within restraints is a part of any job.

Here's to hoping that Zelda continues to entertain for years to come!

Zelda

[kannibal_klown]

I think Zelda is by far the greatest commodity Nintendo has (ok, maybe Mario is greater, but it's just my opinion). They need to make sure they treat it with respect. I don't think they did that with Wind Waker.

My favorite Zelda game still has to be "A Link to the Past" on the SNES. The graphics were alright (for the SNES), but it was the gameplay that drew me in. The puzzles were good, the monsters were a little more bad-a$$ (except in dark world, where pumpkins and cucumbers roamed the earth). It was just an overall fun experience that a 7-year-old or a 20-year-old can enjoy.

Personally, I LOVE cel shading, so it wasn't the art that made me dislike "Wind Waker." I think cel shading is a better approach to some games; stop going for pure realism (because it's hard to do, and would sort of suck), and go for a cartoon look (like anime). Though "Robotech: Battle Cry" was a poor game, it was AWESOME to jump into action and have it act like the cartoon.

What I didn't like about Wind Waker was it just didn't feel like Zelda. You travelled via boat, and all of the enemies acted like they were in a kiddie cartoon. The game was alright, it just didn't appeal to me as much. Guys running-in-place in mid-air, kiddy enemies, talking boats, playing hide-and-seek, etc just didn't appeal to me.

In short, I hope they maintain the dignity that the Zelda franchise deserves. If they have kick-ass graphics, then good. But they better have a good story and great gameplay. Otherwise we may have to wait years (and console-generations) for another title. Until then, I remain skeptical.

Re:This logic worked for Deus Ex II !!

[KDR_11k]

The difference is that Warren Spector admitted in interviews that he was against the changes but the team overruled him. Miyamoto apparently has some form of veto right (in his GDC presentation Aonuma called this "upending the tea table") if the game deviates too heavily from his ideas. That means there's no chance you're going to steal horses and pick up hookers in the new Zelda.