Celebratory Tears of the Developers.
Having released last year on May 12, 2024, already one year has passed since The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom graced the Nintendo Switch with its presence. While celebrations are underway in Japan to commemorate the occasion, which includes an official art book and soundtrack, the publication Nintendo Dream recently caught up with Eiji Aonuma and Hidemaro Fujibayashi, who each provided special messages, commenting on the milestone:
Eiji Aonuma: The other day, I heard about an incident when a kid excitedly said “I played Tears of the Kingdom for over 1,000 hours”, and the mother smiled in response, saying, “I didn’t know about that!”
Of course, I was shocked that one could play a single game that much, but I was also surprised that the mother accepted that.
There are a lot of people around me who happily tell me about how they played this game for many hours, and I am really glad to have made a game that people enjoyed like that.
Zelda is a longstanding series, and I would like to utilize the experience from this title to create more games that everyone can enjoy in the future, so please look forward to it. To all those who have played The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, thank you very much.
Hidemaro Fujibayashi: It has nearly been a year since the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. During this time, I have observed how everyone around the world has been playing it and enjoying it in many different ways, which has brought joy to the staff as a whole.
In particular, the Ultrahand, one of the new features added that allows you to attach and detach objects together at will, has continued to lead to unique vehicles and creations that we had never imagined; this has made me feel that we succeeded in implementing one of the core concepts we had been aiming for, which was to make a game that embodies “Can you do it? Yes you can”, and so I am also pleased with that.
To have our game be played so much is an irreplaceable source of motivation to us development staff. Thank you very much.
Lastly, what I want to say now that a year has passed is that just like the predecessor, Breath of the Wild, this game’s story is structured so that the truth is gradually unraveled as you play, leading to surprising moments that make you go, “So that’s how it was”. It has been designed so that even after clearing it once, replaying the game while already knowing the truth allows you to realize things you did not notice on your first playthrough, and the same scenes or dialogue could seem completely different, so please enjoy finding new discoveries and experiences on a second playthrough.
Please continue to support The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
About The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom:
Explore the vast land—and skies—of Hyrule – An epic adventure awaits in the Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom game, only on the Nintendo Switch system.
In this sequel to the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild game, you’ll decide your own path through the sprawling landscapes of Hyrule and the mysterious islands floating in the vast skies above. Can you harness the power of Link’s new abilities to fight back against the malevolent forces that threaten the kingdom?
Unleash your imagination – Here are just some of the ways Link can tap into his new abilities in creative—and sometimes surprising—ways:
- Explore – Link must travel across the far-reaching land and skies of Hyrule to discover the origins of the mysterious gloom that is plaguing the kingdom.
- Create – Use Link’s powerful new abilities like Ultrahand and Fuse to make audacious weapons and craft creative ways to travel across the landscape.
- Discover – Find new ways to build, battle, and play as you try to uncover the secret menace that threatens Hyrule.
New abilities – Transform the way you play with Link’s new abilities:
- Ultrahand – Using the new Ultrahand ability, Link can pick up, move, and rotate objects. He can even attach things together to create bridges, vehicles, and more!
- Fuse – Magically fuse objects to Link’s current weapon, shield, or arrow to increase durability, damage, or even add a new effect. Experiment with lots of different combinations to come up with surprising—and sometimes hilarious—results!
- Ascend – Add a new dimension to your exploration with Ascend, which gives Link the ability to pass through solid objects above him. Rise up through ceilings, hillsides, and even certain enemies to create seemingly impossible shortcuts.
- Recall – Use Recall to reverse an object’s movement, letting Link ride fallen boulders skyward, recover thrown weapons, or send projectiles back where they came from.
Source: Nintendo Dream via Nintendo Everything
