4. Cheering for Link

What do you mean about the characters praising Link?

A race called the Mogma live at the volcano. We put in something where Link uses an item to play with those guys.

The way you say “those guys”... I sense special affection behind that. (laughs)

Yes. (laughs) Without those guys, I...

You couldn’t adventure alone?

(firmly) That’s right. If you play with the Mogma and succeed, they’ll say, “You’re great!”

If it goes well, they compliment you.

Yes. (laughs)

They cheer him on, too, like, “You can do it!”

I didn’t think I could do it without someone to cheer me on.

You might get irked along the way.

They cheer for Link quite a lot!

Huh? They praise and cheer for him frequently?

Yes. (laughs)

It wasn’t enough for Hosaka-san that they just cheer for Link sometimes.

(laughs)

They do it often enough that you think, “Oh, they cheer for me here, too!”

And if you fight and defeat a strong enemy, they’ll go (raising one hand), “Ooh! Well done!”

(laughs)

We had them say, “That was cool!”

When you’re cool and fight and the results are good, you want to be praised.

I wanted them to do it right then and there.

Ah, a “dungeon of good cheer.”

I can really understand that. I had been through similar experiences in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, so...

You quietly put down the controller. (laughs)

But if a character had been nearby to say, (kindly) “You can do it! Just look closely,” then I might have noticed.

If someone had encouraged you, you would have noticed the hole and found the courage to jump down.

That’s right. So I can really understand why Hosaka-san made a dungeon that cheers for you like that.

Can I say something else?

Yes, go ahead.

I got to plan gameplay for the field toward the end of the game, too. By that time, Link already has all the items.

It’s toward the end, so he can use them all.

That’s right. In a situation like that, you tend to make a dungeon that the player can clear by making use of all the various items, but I’m not very good at 3D action, so, for example, if I were to adjust it to my standards, it might not be challenging enough for good players, but if I didn’t adjust it like that, then I wouldn’t be able to do it myself.

It’s hard to find the right balance.

Yes. So I thought I would seal them all off.

Huh?

In other words, I made it so you play completely unarmed.

Even though Link could use all the items, you placed them off-limits.

Yes. You can use all the items on your way there, but then you can’t. You don’t even have the sword. Then you even have to run from enemies you could defeat with a single blow before. You get really annoyed, but people like me who aren’t any good are always running from enemies they don’t like anyway, so there’s no difference! (laughs)

You can get past some enemies in The Legend of Zelda without fighting them.

I thought restricting use of the items and even the sword and shield would allow me to provide an even playing field for both skilful and unskilful players. I talked to Fujibayashi-san and he said that would be okay.

How did it turn out? It wasn’t too stressful when you played it?

Actually, I really like the stealth gameplay in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. You lose your sword and try to save Link’s younger sister Aryll while unarmed.

You advance deeper and deeper, like playing hide-and-seek, so enemies don’t find you.

Yes. I definitely wanted to put in gameplay like that this time. The sword feels great to control this time, so it’s a bummer when it’s taken away, but when you get it back, you’re like (posing as if raising a sword), “Yeah!” (laughs)

(laughs)

Oh, I see. (laughs) That would feel good.

It really does! (laughs) And I think the better you are with the sword, the more you will realise all over again how skilled your swordplay is, like, “That’s right... I was so awesome!”

And of course the rich Mogma characters that Hirono-san made cheer for you. (laughs)

You may feel a little unnerved without all your gear, but Mogmas come out and say, “You can do it!” (laughs)

It is indeed a “dungeon of good cheer.” I get the feeling that when I actually play it, I will hear Hosaka-san’s voice in my head. (laughs)

I think I actually did! (laughs)

(laughs)