Sure, Link’s Crossbow Training (a fine game, all things considered) is pretty much old-hat here… in America! But over in Japan, they’re only now getting to experience all the action, the excitement, the dramathrills of mowing down skeletons with an automatic crossbow.
And it is for that reason that only now, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata chose to sit down with that affable madman (in a sort of lovable Doc Brown sort of way), Shigeru Miyamoto, to see how the game came to be, as well as the creation of the Wii Zapper.
Below are some selected excerpts from the conversation between the two, where you can find out more about Miyamoto’s affinity for first-person games, a first-person Zelda, Terminators, and perhaps even Link giving up the sword:
Iwata: (laughs) For now, rather than hearing too much about the details of the game, I’d like to ask you what sort of image you had in mind when creating Link’s Crossbow Training.
Miyamoto: I see. Well, where should I start? I’ve always been into first person shooter (FPS) style games, 3D games in which you can walk around freely and see things from your own point of view.
Iwata: And why do you like those games?
Miyamoto: I think it is more comfortable, more natural. We are creatures of habit. We don’t look at our feet when we’re walking around, and we’re always trying desperately to take in the scenery while we’re living our lives. So, even in these games I want people to be able to get really into the 3D geography, so it feels like you’re really there, since I think it’s a really natural thing to be able to look around while you’re walking. At first when we were developing The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, I even proposed using a first-person perspective.
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Miyamoto: Although I had originally planned to make a game with a first-person perspective, the idea of having a child Link in the game was born, and then it became necessary for the hero to be seen on the screen.
Iwata: I see. So, if the hero isn’t visible on screen, it’s really hard to tell the difference between adult Link and the child Link, right?
Miyamoto: That, and also the fact that it’s a total waste not to have Link visible on screen when he is so cool looking! (laughs) So, we decided to have the hero visible in Ocarina of Time, but I had always thought that FPS games which you could operate from your own perspective were really interesting, so I was proactively supporting such projects like the 007 GoldenEye game.
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Iwata: By the way, where did the name for the Wii Zapper come from?
Miyamoto: Well, when the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) first came out in the US, the gun controller was called the ‘Zapper’. We thought that the word ‘Zapper’ had a broader meaning than the word ‘gun’, and even for me, the word ‘Zapper’ was something I felt more familiar with. Furthermore, in the same way that we were using it to refer to the crossbow in this new game, we also wanted to be able to use it with other variations of shooting games in the future, so we went with ‘Zapper’. Also, we wanted it to be a name that could be used and understood worldwide, so we adopted a really traditional Sci-Fi design.
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Iwata: But, even though the original idea for the Wii Zapper came from a Zelda staff member, was there any hesitation on your part about the idea to develop the Wii Zapper in conjunction with Link? Link does not use guns in the first place, does he?
Miyamoto: Yes, that was a bit of a problem initially (smiles). But it didn’t really seem right to make the Wii Zapper for use with Animal Crossing…
On the other hand, the whole reason that this project began was due to the ideas of the Zelda staff, so it really was thanks to them that it went smoothly most of the way.
Iwata: Yeah, an FPS Mario game doesn’t seem to fit either! (laughs)
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Miyamoto: So we figured that Link was the logical choice. Then we argued that it would’ve been kind of strange for us to give Link a gun, so I proposed a sort of Terminator style story about a time warp from the future, but…
Iwata: Terminator!?
Miyamoto: Yeah, they vetoed that idea immediately (laughs).
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Iwata: This is my final question. What sort of people do you hope to reach with the Wii Zapper?
Miyamoto: We hope those who have purchased Wii in order to play Wii Sports try out the Wii Zapper and think, ‘wow, this is a really refreshing new way to experience games’.
Iwata: And maybe also the fact that you want people to get the sensation that they’re at a carnival?
Miyamoto: Yeah, but you don’t win any goldfish. (laughs) These are the kind of games that have people looking-on saying, “let me try.” If they really have fun with this, I hope they will also try out more authentic types of FPS games introduced by third party publishers. Well, shall we develop the next Zelda game with Link holding a Wii Zapper, and not a sword (laughs)? It would be easier for us developers as we do not have to let Link change weapons all the time.
Iwata: Mr. Miyamoto, you’re getting rid of Link’s sword?!
Miyamoto: Well, that could be a problem, couldn’t it? (laughs)
Of course, once upon a time, Link shot beams from his sword… that’s an old staple I wouldn’t mind seeing return.
For many more amusing and interesting anecdotes, check out the full interview in the link below.
