6. A First for Everyone

Moving on... Mori-san?

We talked a lot about Zelda today, and I do hope players will try hard to help her, but may I talk a little about Ghirahim, too?

Iwata Asks: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - the one that can stop your sword in mid-swing with his bare hands.

Yes. Ghirahim is a Demon Lord. The first description that Fujibayashi-san provided was that he is a narcissist with a personality like a snake, so we tried to make him like that as much as possible.

When I saw the images they had made, I was astonished. His tongue would slither out! (laughs)

Because he has a personality like a snake? (laughs)

Basically, yes. Right down to the details, we made him creepy, so please work hard to defeat him.

Earlier, you said that you think about the lives of the characters. When you think for a long time about an extreme character like Ghirahim, do you begin to feel a little unbalanced in the head? (laughs)

Well...that does happen, but it can also be fun. (laughs) For example, when there’s a creepy opponent, it’s fun to think about all sorts of things like what I will have him do or what he will say.

I see. (laughs) Yoshida-san?

Earlier, we talked about how there were too many cinematic scenes in the beginning, but as the result of corrections upon corrections, we were able to bring them in line with the story and arrange them in a balanced way, and I’m feeling that we were able to do that throughout the whole thing. And aside from those scenes, when you’re talking with characters, we sometimes put in three options to choose from for the messages in dialogue, so I hope players will enjoy the various responses.

Instead of just the two choices of “yes” and “no,” you can enjoy various conversations.

That’s right.

Chronologically, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is the very first story. At the beginning, we talked about how it traces the origin of the Master Sword, but all sorts of other elements develop, so the story is denser than ever before.

And it’s genuinely the legend of Zelda.

Yes. So we prepared a lot of story devices. I hope players will be sure to enter into this world and enjoy it to the fullest.

Earlier, I said that I could even cry a little, and that really is true. Parts of various scenes in the beginning are later described by Zelda through Mori-san’s Mori-isms. Then my desire to save Zelda no matter what swelled within me. I hope the players will also feel that way.

This is the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, so we have a sort of mission to deliver the ultimate game to the fans who have walked beside the series throughout that long history. On the other hand, not everyone has played the series, so I think they may feel a slight vague unease that it looks difficult or may not be enjoyable if they don’t know the background. Aonuma-san, could you briefly explain The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword to players playing the Legend of Zelda for the first time?

Well...this is the first story in the Legend of Zelda series, so there is no need to know anything that came before. The main protagonist, Link, just suddenly gets drawn into the story.

He’s just walking around without an idea in the world about his destiny in the green tunic!

That’s right. He doesn’t know. Wearing that green tunic, he goes to search for his childhood friend Zelda, but along the way people say things to him about how that’s his fate, and he thinks “Oh...is that so?” And that is exactly the same for the players.

In other words, while Link is on his adventure, he learns all sorts of things, and the player learns them along with him.

That’s right. I think that kind of prequel will be easy for people who have played the series so far to accept as well. I think we blended it all together well.

You’ve prepared a good “entrance” into the series, both for people who know The Legend of Zelda up to this point and for people who don’t.

Yes.

Speaking as the director, we paid constant attention this time to making the game playable even for five-year-olds or nine-year-olds. We tried to make something that would not have a setting enjoyable only by fans or something only the creators would be happy with. And more than anything, this time you can have sword fights with Wii MotionPlus.

In a sense, everyone is a beginner when it comes to that. The story is the first one and it is the first Legend of Zelda game to use Wii MotionPlus.

That’s right. Everyone is starting from zero. It’s the first Legend of Zelda game for everyone. For one thing, it begins with how to use Wii MotionPlus as a tool. And once you become accustomed to this tool, you can experience the mysterious sense of it matching the movement of your body.

In that regard, we’d like to boldly ask, “Why not give it a try?” especially to those who say, “I’ve never played The Legend of Zelda,” and “I tried it once, but I didn’t really take to it.”

Yes. Once you actually try it, hopefully you’ll understand, and it will move you.

I understand. Thank you for today, everyone.

It was our pleasure!