Nintendo News | Miyamoto Speaks Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS) [news]

Great stuff jb. This mechanic seems to have taken off well on the DS now, Itagaki is implimenting something very similar in Dragon Swords also. LS

Continued-

"Then there's the function of writing notes. We wanted to use all of its potential. Usually you need a notepad to take notes when playing a Zelda game, but this time you can write whatever you want directly on the DS."

"This Zelda game has a flavor of "no's" (laughs)."

"There are some yes-no decisions you have to take."

"The "no's" in this game sometimes pull you back from the image of being immerse in the world of Hyrule and make you remember you're playing a game on the DS. It's a kind of balance. You have freedom but it also gives you a sense of distance, it's not too funny but not too serious either. You can afford these things when you've got many ideas. The staff's doing a good job there."

"This Zelda title is full of elements controled via the stylus or the microphone. This is now common for the DS games, but these elements are really merged with the Zelda world. For example, there are many things you can do with a candle. Some DS games make you start a fire or put one out, but the impression it gives you changes in this Zelda game."

Messages:
"First, a message to the Zelda fans. I think the Zelda series has evolved throughout the years. This game is no exception. We've changed the gameplay mechanics and it makes the game fresh and fun. We've also introduced the phantom hourglass system, and I'd like you to give it a try. Furthermore, the staff has done some research on Zelda to decide whether something fits in the game, so this game has many elements with the Zelda essence."

"Now, a message to those people who say they liked the older Zelda games. This game's filled with lots of fun, so it's OK if don't go easy on it."

"For those who haven't played a Zelda game, like little kids, this game's very interactive. I think once you finish it you'll remember it as a comic book. If you touch a kanji, the furigana will appear, and I think you can enjoy it thinking it's a comic book instead of an RPG or an adventure game."

"Finally, some words to my sister (laughs). Link is cute, really; particularly this Link with cat eyes. I'd like you to watch the characters animated in a 3-D world on the DS screen. This game doesn't use the complicated cross pad, so anyone can have a fun adventure intuitively. Please, give it a try."

I love the idea of sketching notes on your maps and scrawling anyhing you want on them. The inclusion of putting out fires with the Mic seems like a natural progression for the DS version to have. I also love the fact link has never looked cuter imo, even cuter than the character model from WW. [LS]

( Edited on 17.06.2007 15:06 by Linkyshinks )

"This game doesn't use the complicated cross pad,"

Complicated cross pad? What, all four directions of it?

Good interview, im really looking forward tot hsi game, it looks fucking awsome!!