Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom's Interview With Series' First Female Director

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom ushers in a new era for the franchise, marking its debut with a female director at the helm. This article delves into the insights shared by Tomomi Sano and others during Nintendo's "Ask the Developer" interviews, shedding light on the game's innovative development journey.

Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom – A Groundbreaking Entry in the Zelda Series

Tomomi Sano: The First Female Director in Zelda History

Renowned for its intricate narratives and labyrinthine dungeons, the Legend of Zelda series reaches a pivotal moment with Echoes of Wisdom. Nintendo's recent "Ask the Developer" session revealed two groundbreaking aspects: Princess Zelda assumes the lead protagonist role for the first time, and the game is helmed by the series' first female director, Tomomi Sano.

In her interview with Nintendo, Sano shared her journey, noting her previous role as a support director. Her contributions to Grezzo's remakes—including Ocarina of Time 3D, Majora's Mask 3D, Link's Awakening, and Twilight Princess HD—along with her experience on the Mario & Luigi series, prepared her for this significant undertaking. She describes her role as managing production, suggesting refinements, and ensuring the gameplay aligns with the established Zelda standards.

Series producer Eiji Aonuma highlighted Sano's consistent involvement in Grezzo's Zelda remake projects, emphasizing her expertise and contributions.

Image from Nintendo's Ask the Developer Vol. 13 Sano's extensive two-decade career includes early work as a Stage Texture editor for Tekken 3 (1998). Her Nintendo journey began with Kururin Squash! and Mario Party 6 (2004), leading to significant contributions across various Zelda and Mario & Luigi titles, and even several Mario sports games.

Echoes of Wisdom's Unconventional Origins: From Dungeon Maker to Full-Fledged Adventure

Echoes of Wisdom's genesis lies in the aftermath of the successful 2019 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. Aonuma revealed that Grezzo, the co-developers of Link's Awakening, were tasked with leveraging their top-down Zelda expertise to shape the franchise's future. While initially considering another remake, Grezzo proposed a more ambitious concept: a Zelda dungeon maker.

Aonuma's inquiry about Grezzo's ideal next project yielded diverse proposals. The winning concept, while similar to the final game, initially differed significantly. Early prototypes explored "copy-and-paste" mechanics and a dual top-down/side-view perspective reminiscent of Link's Awakening.

Grezzo's Satoshi Terada explained the parallel exploration of different gameplay approaches, including one where Link could copy and paste objects to create custom dungeons. This phase was internally referred to as "edit dungeon."

Grezzo dedicated over a year to developing the dungeon creation mechanic. However, Aonuma's intervention, described by Nintendo as "upending the tea table," dramatically altered the project's trajectory. While appreciating the initial ideas, Aonuma envisioned greater potential if copied items served as tools within pre-designed adventures rather than solely for dungeon creation.

Sano illustrated this shift, using the example of a Thwomp enemy from Link's Awakening. Its copy-paste functionality allowed for creative uses in both top-down and side-view perspectives.

Initially, concerns arose about potential exploitation of the Echo system. However, the team realized that these restrictions were unnecessary, leading to the removal of limitations in the final version. This fostered a playful, "mischievous" approach to gameplay, encouraging creative problem-solving and unconventional solutions.

Aonuma emphasized the importance of this "mischievous" element, citing the Myahm Agana Shrine in Breath of the Wild as a comparable example of unconventional puzzle-solving.

The core principles of freedom and creativity remain central to Echoes of Wisdom. Aonuma likened the game's "mischievous" approach to the Myahm Agana Shrine in Breath of the Wild, where players could cleverly bypass obstacles. This emphasis on unexpected solutions is a key element of the game's design.

Launching on September 26th for Nintendo Switch, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom presents an alternate timeline where Zelda embarks on a rescue mission amidst rifts tearing through Hyrule. For a deeper dive into the game's story and gameplay, further articles are available.