With just days to go before the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo has published a brand-new instalment of their “Ask the Developer” interview series. This time around the interview was all about Tears of the Kingdom and had the likes of Eiji Aonuma answering the many questions that were out before him and other members of the development team.
During the interview, Aonuma, Fujibayashi, Dohta Takizawa and Wakai, all discussed their involvement with various games, all part of The Legend of Zelda:
Zelda Devs on their Previous Experiences with The Legend of Zelda:
Eiji Aonuma: “I’m Eiji Aonuma, the producer of The Legend of Zelda series. My first role in the series was designing dungeons for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1). I served as the director and producer for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2), and I’ve been the series’ producer ever since.”
(1) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Released in December 1998 for Nintendo 64. It is characterised by a story that goes back and forth between Link’s childhood and adulthood.
(2) The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Released in December 2006 for Wii and Nintendo GameCube. In the Twilight Realm, the world of shadow, Link transforms into a wolf.
Hidemaro Fujibayashi: “Hello, I’m Hidemaro Fujibayashi, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s director. Continuing from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (3) and the previous game, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (4), I proposed the fundamental idea of the game and directed the entire production team.”
(3) The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Released in November 2011 on Wii. This game featured an intuitive control system which utilised the technology of the Wii Remote Plus and Wii MotionPlus accessories. A remaster of the game, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, was released in July 2021 for Nintendo Switch.
(4) The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Released for Nintendo Switch and Wii U in March 2017. Awakening from a 100-year slumber, the protagonist, Link, must explore and survive the vast and dangerous land of Hyrule to regain his memories. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is its direct sequel.
Takuhiro Dohta: “Hi, I’m Takuhiro Dohta, the technical director for this game. I’ve been involved in the Legend of Zelda series in various different roles, but The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was the first time I worked on a Legend of Zelda game from the very start. In this title too, I was responsible for the game’s overall technical direction.”
Satoru Takizawa: “Hi, I’m Satoru Takizawa, the art director for this game. I first joined the series with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and since then, I’ve been handling artwork and design for titles such as The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (5) and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. I’ve coordinated the visuals since The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.”
(5) The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Launched in May 2003 for Nintendo GameCube. The player controls the wind with a mysterious baton to sail across the ocean and explore the different islands.
Hajime Wakai: Hello, I’m Hajime Wakai, the sound director. My first involvement in the series was when I composed music for The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. I’ve been involved as the sound director for the series since The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.”
For the full interview, why not click here to check out Ask the Developer Vol. 9, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Chapter 1.
Ask the Developer | The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Participating Developers)
- Eiji Aonuma | Senior Officer, Entertainment Planning & Development Division (Producer)
- Hidemaro Fujibayashi | Entertainment Planning & Development Department, Production Group No.3 (Director)
- Takuhiro Dohta | Entertainment Planning & Development Department, Programming Management Group (Technical Director)
- Satoru Takizawa | Entertainment Planning & Development Department, Design Management Group (Art Director)
- Hajime Wakai | Entertainment Planning & Development Department, Sound Management Group (Sound Director)
