Zelda: Interview with First Female Director Rocks Series

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom ushers in a new era for the franchise, marking the debut of its first female director, Tomomi Sano. This article delves into Sano's journey and the innovative development process behind Echoes of Wisdom.

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

Tomomi Sano: A Pioneer in Zelda's Directing Role

Known for its intricate narratives and labyrinthine dungeons, the Legend of Zelda series reaches a pivotal moment with Echoes of Wisdom. Nintendo's "Ask the Developer" interview highlighted two groundbreaking aspects: Princess Zelda's starring role as the playable protagonist and the first female director at the helm.

Director Tomomi Sano shared her journey, explaining her previous role as a support director contributing to Grezzo's remakes of classic Zelda titles (Ocarina of Time 3D, Majora's Mask 3D, Link's Awakening, and Twilight Princess HD) and Mario & Luigi games. Her responsibilities included production management, suggesting improvements, and ensuring gameplay alignment with the Zelda series' established standards. Series producer Eiji Aonuma noted Sano's consistent involvement in Grezzo's Zelda remake projects.

Sano's extensive career, spanning over two decades, began in 1998 as a Stage Texture editor for Tekken 3. Her Nintendo career progressed from early contributions to Kururin Squash! and Mario Party 6 to various Zelda and Mario & Luigi titles, along with several Mario sports games.

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

Following the success of the 2019 Link's Awakening remake, Grezzo was tasked with envisioning the future of top-down Zelda gameplay. While initially considering another remake, they proposed a bold alternative: a Zelda dungeon maker.

Aonuma's inquiry about Grezzo's ideal next project yielded diverse proposals. The winning concept, while similar to the final game, underwent a significant transformation. Early prototypes explored "copy-and-paste" mechanics and a combined top-down/side-view perspective akin to Link's Awakening.

Satoshi Terada of Grezzo explained the parallel exploration of different gameplay approaches. One involved copying and pasting objects to create custom dungeons, initially termed "edit dungeon."

Grezzo dedicated over a year to the dungeon creation mechanic before Aonuma intervened, significantly altering the game's direction. While appreciating the initial ideas, he saw greater potential in using copied items as tools within pre-designed dungeons rather than for complete creation.

Sano illustrated this shift, citing the example of the Thwomp enemy from Link's Awakening. Its copy-and-paste functionality allowed for creative problem-solving, using it for both crushing and climbing.

Initial concerns about potential exploits were overcome as the team realized that limitations weren't necessary. This led to a focus on "mischievous" gameplay, encouraging creative and unconventional solutions. Features like spike rollers, despite their unpredictable interactions, became integral to the experience. The team even created a document defining "mischief" to guide development. Three key rules emerged: freedom of placement, puzzle solutions using absent elements, and ingenious echo uses bordering on "cheating" as a source of fun.

This emphasis on freedom and creativity reflects the core spirit of Zelda games. Aonuma compared it to the Myahm Agana Shrine in Breath of the Wild, where players could cleverly bypass obstacles using motion controls.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom launches September 26th on Nintendo Switch, presenting an alternate timeline where Zelda rescues Hyrule amidst dimensional rifts. Further details on gameplay and story are available in the linked article.