The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom ushers in a new era for the franchise, marking its first game helmed by a female director. This article delves into the development journey, highlighting the contributions of director Tomomi Sano.
Tomomi Sano: A Zelda Pioneer
Echoes of Wisdom is doubly groundbreaking: it features Princess Zelda as the playable protagonist and boasts the series' first female director. Sano, in an interview with Nintendo, shared her journey. Before assuming the directorial role, she played a crucial supporting role in various Grezzo remake projects, including Ocarina of Time 3D, Majora's Mask 3D, Link's Awakening, and Twilight Princess HD, as well as contributing to the Mario & Luigi series. Her responsibilities encompassed production management, suggesting refinements, and ensuring gameplay alignment with Zelda series standards. Series producer Eiji Aonuma noted her consistent involvement in Grezzo's Zelda remakes.
Sano's extensive career, spanning over two decades, began in 1998 as a Stage Texture editor for Tekken 3. Her Nintendo contributions extend beyond Zelda, encompassing titles like Kururin Squash! and Mario Party 6, along with several Mario sports games.
From Dungeon Maker to Epic Adventure
Aonuma revealed that Echoes of Wisdom's origins lie in the success of the 2019 Link's Awakening remake. Grezzo, leveraging their top-down Zelda expertise, initially proposed a new remake. However, they presented a more innovative concept: a Zelda dungeon maker. Several proposals followed Aonuma's prompt to Grezzo to envision their ideal next game. While the final product shares similarities with the winning concept, its evolution was significant. Early prototypes explored "copy-and-paste" mechanics and a dual top-down/side-view perspective reminiscent of Link's Awakening.
Grezzo dedicated over a year to the dungeon creation mechanic. However, Aonuma's intervention, a "tea table upending," dramatically altered the course of development. While appreciating the initial ideas, he saw greater potential in using copied items as tools within a pre-designed adventure, rather than for complete dungeon construction.
Sano illustrated this with the example of a Thwomp, adaptable between top-down and side-view perspectives. Initial concerns about potential exploitation of the "copy-and-paste" system were ultimately dismissed, leading to a more playful and creative approach. The team embraced "mischief," encouraging unconventional gameplay solutions. This principle, formalized in a development document, emphasized freedom and unexpected interactions, exemplified by the unpredictable yet integral spike rollers.
This emphasis on creative freedom echoes the spirit of previous Zelda titles, drawing parallels to the Myahm Agana Shrine in Breath of the Wild. Aonuma emphasized the importance of allowing for these "secret tricks," preserving the playful spirit of classic Zelda gameplay.
Launching September 26th on Nintendo Switch, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom presents an alternate Hyrule where Zelda embarks on a rescue mission amidst dimensional rifts.
