Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom's Interview With Series' First Female Director

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 insights shared during Nintendo's "Ask the Developer" interviews, focusing on director Tomomi Sano and the game's unique development journey.

Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom: A Groundbreaking Entry in the Zelda Saga

Tomomi Sano: Pioneering Female Director for the Zelda Series

Renowned for its intricate narratives and labyrinthine dungeons, the Legend of Zelda series reaches a pivotal moment with Echoes of Wisdom. Nintendo's recent interview highlights its dual significance: Princess Zelda takes center stage as the playable protagonist for the first time, and the game is directed by a woman for the first time in the series' history.

Director Tomomi Sano, in her interview with Nintendo, shared her journey. Before assuming the directorial role, she played a crucial support role, contributing to Grezzo's acclaimed remakes, including Ocarina of Time 3D, Majora's Mask 3D, Link's Awakening, and Twilight Princess HD, as well as projects within the Mario & Luigi series.

"My role was to manage and coordinate production, suggest refinements, and verify that Grezzo's gameplay aligned with the Legend of Zelda series' standards," Sano explained.

Series producer Eiji Aonuma emphasized Sano's consistent involvement, stating, "I almost always request her participation in Legend of Zelda remakes undertaken by Grezzo."

Image from Nintendo's Ask the Developer Vol. 13Sano's extensive industry experience spans over two decades, beginning in 1998 as a Stage Texture editor for Tekken 3. Her Nintendo career encompasses various titles, including Kururin Squash! (Japan only) and Mario Party 6, and extends to numerous Zelda and Mario & Luigi games, along with several Mario sports titles.

Echoes of Wisdom's Genesis: From Dungeon Maker to Epic Adventure

Echoes of Wisdom's origins trace back to the 2019 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. Aonuma revealed that Grezzo, the co-developers of Link's Awakening, were tasked with building a blueprint for the franchise's future, leveraging their top-down Zelda expertise. While initially envisioned as another remake, Grezzo presented a more ambitious concept: a Zelda dungeon maker.

Aonuma's prompt—"If you were to create the next game, what would it be?"—yielded diverse proposals. The winning concept, while similar to the final game, differed significantly in its initial form. Two early prototypes explored a "copy-paste" mechanic and a combined top-down/side-view perspective reminiscent of Link's Awakening.

Grezzo's Satoshi Terada described the experimentation: "We explored parallel gameplay approaches. One involved Link copying and pasting objects (doors, candlesticks) to design dungeons. We called it 'edit dungeon'—player-created Zelda gameplay."

Grezzo dedicated over a year to the dungeon creation mechanic. However, Aonuma's intervention, a "tea table upending" (Nintendo's term for a radical course correction), significantly altered the project's direction.

While appreciating the initial ideas, Aonuma saw greater potential in using copied items as tools within pre-designed adventures, rather than for complete dungeon creation.

Sano illustrated this shift: "In Link's Awakening, there's a Thwomp. Copying and pasting it into the top-down view allows for creative uses—crushing things from above or using it as a climbing platform."

Initially, concerns arose about potential exploits. However, the team realized these restrictions were unnecessary and removed them, fostering "mischief"—a core development principle emphasizing creative and unconventional gameplay. Aonuma explained, "We aimed for truly unconventional elements." This led to features like spike rollers, whose unpredictable interactions, though initially concerning, were deemed integral to the experience.

A document outlining "mischief" guided development, with three key rules: "Paste freely," "Solve puzzles using absent elements," and "ingenious, almost-cheating solutions should be fun."

Freedom and creativity remain central to Zelda's design. Aonuma compared the "mischief" element to Breath of the Wild's Myahm Agana Shrine, where players could bypass obstacles using motion controls.

"It's like discovering secret tricks, reminiscent of classic Zelda," Aonuma noted. "Restricting such solutions diminishes the fun."

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom launches September 26th on Nintendo Switch. This alternate timeline features Zelda rescuing Hyrule amidst dimensional rifts. For further details, explore our accompanying article.