Puzzles shouldn’t be too hard: ‘It would be better to use a ‘gimmick’ or ‘trick”
Legend of Zelda director and producer Eiji Aonuma talked a bit about the series on Nintendo Japan’s new (nicely designed) Nintendo News page (as translated by Nintendo Everything). Remember when you had to close the DS in Phantom Hourglass? That stumped me, proving my long dulled capacity for lateral thinking.
“It is said that one of the interesting things about Zelda is the ‘nazotoki’ (nazotoki literally means ‘solving a puzzle or riddle’),” Aonuma said. “Whenever I think ‘solving a puzzle,’ I just want it to not be too difficult or overly complicated. It would be better to use a ‘gimmick’ or ‘trick.’ That might be better. Various gimmicks are hiding in the world of Link’s adventures, so getting to discover it yourself and thinking about things such as ‘Can I use this?’ or ‘I wonder if this can be used,’ and you also think when you see a certain reaction in the world. We love this kind of continuous discovery, and we find it very fun.”
That’s not all Aonuma finds fun, however, as he still seems to delight in the most basic, franchise staple exploration and discovery. “My son is in elementary school, and he asked, ‘What is so fun about Zelda anyway?'” Aonuma said. “I tell him, ‘Finding treasure is the most fun!’ Even if it is only one rupee inside the treasure chest, I think (laughs). Whenever you find a treasure chest, there is always a ‘Yes! I found it!’-sense of accomplishment, and when you open it, it is just so fun to hear. To discover a new item, I think I find pleasure in both the surprise and the opening.”
My favorite part about Zelda is Wind Waker.
Eiji Aonuma on the more interesting aspects of Zelda [Nintendo Everything]
