Famitsu interviewed Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma and assistant director Tomomi Sano about The Legend of Zelda Twlight Princess HD. They were asked why the game recieved the high-definition treatment in the first place. Controls were also brought up. Aonuma offered insightful answers to both:
Famitsu: Please tell us the full details on how you decided to remake Twilight Princess in full HD.
Aonuma: Before starting development of the new Zelda – which we are making right now – actually at the same time a suggestion came out to try out remaking an older Zelda game in HD, and we had attempted that with Twilight Princess. Then at that time, in order of release, Wind Waker HD launched first, and after that had calmed down, we arrived at the remake of Twilight Princess. However, as you may have known, we at the Zelda team had already started development on the newest game for Wii U, so we asked an Australian development company Tantalus (who also made the Wii U version of Mass Effect 3) to handle the remake. Sano then mainly communicated with them while they were progressing with creating the game.
Famitsu: At the time of the remake, did you think about things like controlling with the Wii Remote?
Aonuma: We had a debate as to whether to use Wii Remote controls or not until the middle [of development]. However, the style to display the map on Wii U GamePad is very comfortable, and [it] can also use gyro controls for the Wii Remote bow aiming, so we ended up focusing on the GamePad.
Sano: Twilight Princess has vast fields, and also many dungeons with complicated structures, so the style where there’s a map right on your hand and playing while looking at it came off nicely.
Aonuma: In past Zelda games, when you wanted to look at the map, you’d have to change screens, but when you do change screens, the character’s direction and the map’s orientation sometimes don’t match, and people who are not accustomed to looking at maps end up getting lost easily (laughs). In Twilight Princess, there are many dungeons that are three-dimensional, so just like map screens on Nintendo 3DS games and Wind Waker HD, if we can display the map on the 3DS’ bottom screen and Wii U GamePad, you can play it comfortably, like heading to a destination while looking at the map on your smartphone.
Sano: When I played the original version, I didn’t understand where to go, and was lost for two hours (laughs). However, the mystery that lies beyond the destination is interesting, and it was worth playing, so if you gave up without reaching the destination it would be wasteful. In order to be able to arrive there as soon as possible, in this remake, we implemented discrete changes that users may not notice but improve the experience.
The only games I get lost in are Metroid games, those three dimensional maps are insane.
Lost for two hours in TP? Is that actually possible? How can you not see the obvious red words in dialogue boxes, or jump midna’s hints. And Sano is a game designer, wth? O__o
When I was a kid (“kid”, no idea how old I was when TP released on Wii), I was stuck for ages, because I couldn’t find out what to do with that fish you have to fish in Zora’s Domain. *minor spoiler* When I tried to eat it as a wolf (lol, I was getting desperate), I realized I could actually smell it
It’s because they’re lying. I have grown so cynical and wary of anything Nintendo say anymore. I find it hard to believe anything they say. Don’t be surprised when at the very least Zelda U turns up on the NX. You don’t need a map on the gamepad screen. We managed perfectly fine on Gamecube and Wii without this feature. I know it’s a lot more fast paced but I find looking at the gamepad map in Splatoon very distracting and irritating. Putting in motion controls(especially motionplus) would have taken effort and that’s clearly something that TP HD wasn’t striving for. This is a cash grab plain and simple while also being a plughole, a very small one at that.
sure, sure. I wish the option to use gamecube or wii remote controls were there. not everybody likes using that fucking gamepad. if pro controller is an option then great. if not then smh.
You can use the Pro, the game asks you which one you want to use as you start the game
sweet.
Pro controller is an option.
Was an explanation really necessary? TP is 10 years old now and is still one of the most highly-rated Zeldas ever (the original Majora’s Mask is still my fave though; they kinda botched the 3DS remake), what more motive did anyone need?
Agreed, what didn’t you like about the 3ds remake? I haven’t beat it yet, but it feels great playing and I love MM.
Have you gotten to Twinmold yet? They completely redid the battle… and made it terrible. Remember how you could beat them in two minutes on the N64? Now, you need at least 16 in-game hours to beat them and that’s with the Inverted Song of Time in effect. I’m not kidding, it takes that long because they changed the mechanics of the Giant’s Mask, you can’t hurt one of them at all until the first one is defeated, and you have to hit a very specific spot in order to daze it so you can do real damage to it. It’s atrocious.
You’ll see when you get there.
I like a bit of a challenge. I just beat SnowHead a few days ago. I guess I’ll have to see when I get to it though.
Alrighty. Just warning you though… Don’t go into the battle with less than a day left or there’s no guarantee you can beat it before you have to reset the cycle.
Good call. Will do.
I liked that change. Twinmold wasn’t a pushover anymore. I hated the fact the original fight in the original game was easy & over before I knew it. It was pathetic that the 4th dungeon’s boss wasn’t the hardest to beat but the easiest. I had more trouble with Gyorg, the 3rd boss. Hell! Even the very first boss in the game was harder than Twinmold for me back then. :/ I remember not even using the giant mask, relying on my trusty bow & arrows instead so I could have a longer, more fun & difficult fight with Twinmold. A shame you found the change terrible.
I just figured that Nintendo knew there wasn’t going to be game’s so its only natural to do HD remakes of the game’s. Saving a few people the slight stress of no new releases.
LOL.
You know its true haha. ;]
I really wish they’d done a better job with this one. I can’t get over how flat all of the surfaces and textures look. I feel like this is how it should have looked 10 years ago when it was released. Not only that, but I’ve had a few problems with the camera. There have been a few instances where I’ll walk near a wall and the camera will spazz out. This wasn’t a problem in the original.
Blame Tantalus.
“However, as you may have known, we at the Zelda team had already started development on the newest game for Wii U.” There yah go you bitches officially ONCE AGAIN SAID ZELDA U IS FOR WII U lol.
This is nice and all but you still havent told me why there are 5 zelda remakes and not a single Mario one that everyone has been asking for Hint: its Sunshine
4*
Cause Sunshine was shit? Also with the whole GameCube VC thing I assume that’s a reason.
Sunshine sold almost three times more copies than Wind Waker yet that game gets one of the first remakes even though both are very classical titles.
Please tell me how Sunshine is considered ‘shit’, I know it was considered the black sheep of the mario titles but it wasnt a bad game by any means
Almost 2 times more copies actually
I would buy a GameCube again and Super Mario Sunshine just to play it again. Hell, I have a Wii, I might buy a copy right effing NOW!!!!
Sales don’t mean anything about how good a game is. COD for example sells a shitload but isn’t as good as a game like Wonderful 101 which hasn’t even sold 1M copies
You are right. Sales don’t mean anything about how good a game is. Sunshine could have sold less than Wind Waker & it still would have been considered a good game.
Don’t bother with Dragonsilths. He thinks Majora’s Mask is the Star Fox Command of the Legend of Zelda franchise. lmfao
I don’t want a remake. I want a new single-player game in the main-line 3D mario series. But seeing as 3D world is already out, I’ve given up hope that a 64/sunshine iteration will happen until NX.
For one thing, it’s the controller- the Gamepad. Unless they’re going to allow the Sunshine remake to use the original Gamecube controller, it will be impossible.
The Gamecube controller’s R and L buttons were digital analogue and could either be pressed in a little or pressed in a lot, with varying gameplay input as a result. Remember how in Sunshine you could hold the R button a little bit, water would spray and Mario could still run around, or if you pressed it all the way in, Mario would stand in place but then you could aim FLUDD in any direction from a standstill? That’s because of the digital analogue R and L buttons. The Gamepad doesn’t have those, and I doubt most people would want to pay $60 for Sunshine HD plus another $20 for a GC adapter for one single-player game.
That’s probably why Gamecube VC hasn’t happened yet.
They _have_ made a Mario remake though, how could you forget SM64DS? One of the best DS games imo.
Having the map on the touch screen on 3DS or gamepad on Wii U keeps the game flowing really well. You can take a quick glance and go right back to the game. I haven’t actually played much of Twilight Princess so it’s nice to have it in HD to play through most of it for the first time. It would’ve been nice if they had included GameCube controller support though, especially since the adapter is still only usable in Smash Bros.
You can play SNES games on a DS using an Acekard or other such flash card, so to say that it would’t work on the original 3DS seems like bullshit. They’re probably phasing out the original 3DS in favor of New so they can release more exclusive titles to it and extend the life of it a bit. Besides these the only game exclusive to it is Xenoblade Chronicles.
You are gonna have to upgrade eventually, besides it doesn’t cost that much to upgrade anyways, bringing an XL in gives you $100 off and a regular one $70 off, its a great deal in my eyes
Technically that’s not true- Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is only on New 3DS. Sure, it’s a third-party/indie game and it certainly isn’t a perfect reason to upgrade when the game was already more practically available on PC, but that means there’s more than just XC3D (not knocking Xeno though- it might be one of the best games I’ve ever played).
Jesus. Keep your stupidity in that one thread.
I hope they decide to make an Ocarina Of Time HD next. I REALLY want to see that in HD.
Eh, maybe for OoT’s 25th anniversary when it’ll be a VERY big deal. Plus by then, Nintendo would have a console that could truly give it the HD treatment it deserves.
Ooh good point. ; )
But the 25th Anniversary is still WAY too far off.
It’ll only be great if they put the effort in. They didn’t with TP HD.
I’m surprised this comment hasn’t been hit with the “But this port was being made by Tantalus, not Nintendo!” damage control for Nintendo yet. Only an idiot would use that, to be honest, because they clearly don’t know Nintendo at all. Why? Because it’s the God damn Legend of Zelda! There is no way in Hell Nintendo is not involved in the port’s development in some manner or fashion! Zelda is highly protected by Nintendo, even more than Mario!
The fact that they’re calling this a “remake” is pretty insulting to the term remake.
How? Better controls, better visuals, pretty much better everything.
-||That’s just some improvements, not a remake||-
re·make
verb
rēˈmāk/
1.
make (something) again or differently.
Pretty sure it’s a remake.
-||Isn’t a [Remaster] a better definition for it?||-
It’s not a remake because it’s not completely built from the ground up on the Wii U. For example, taking my hot dog and adding ketchup is not a remake. No matter how much ketchup you pour on it, it’s not new. Making a new hot dog and putting ketchup= remake.
It is a WiiU remake of the gc and wii versions. It is a remake of the older versions.
Remaking a video game and remaking an object are different things.
Remaster —-> Visual Upgrade. Textures are remade and graphics are upgraded. In other words, you take the old game and polish it
Remake —–> The game’s engine is remade from the bottom up. In other words, you make a whole new game that plays and follows the story of the old one
I’m SO sick of people making a big deal out of the words “remake” and “remaster”. Who freakin’ cares? I always call a game a remake if it’s an older game being re-released (because it’s been “re-made”). Even if it’s a remaster. Some people get too technical and nerdy over words.
-||Because they are competely different things, period||-
Just seen all this now, truly saddens me that people really don’t know the difference between the two.
I’m not trying to make a big deal or anything, I’m just giving a dictionary definition. I just wanted to explain what is the difference between remaster and remake.
It’s like fruit and vegetable, people won’t mind if you say that a tomato is a vegetable, but it’s normal that people call tomato a fruit, because it is.
“Because we had to feed the fans somehow before Zelda f̶o̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶N̶X̶ EHM, I meaaaan… Zelda Wii, Z-zelda Wii U.
Don’t worry guys it’s coming soon ;)”
At one point, Aounuma claimed, they wouldn’t bring another HD Zelda game as long as Zelda U hasn’t been released, because they wanted to avoid that the WiiU owuld be known as that Zelda-Remake-console. Eiji, you did a fair(l)y shitty job there …
I think they meant to say remaster. Typical Nintendo, though. Getting remake & remaster mixed up. They probably call the remasters of the original Star Wars trilogy remakes. lol
It’s okay, though, Nintendo. We all make mistakes. You’ve just made more mistakes than you obviously care to admit, though, this gen. Like Federation Force for instance. It was a mistake but you refuse to accept it as such since you want to “show us why we should like it.” lol Condescending/patronizing your Metroid fanbase with that line. One mistake after another in the Metroid franchise as of late. And it all started with Other M. :/