You may not be familiar with Tomomi Sano, but she has just made history as the first female director of the iconic Legend of Zelda series. Her groundbreaking achievement comes in conjunction with the imminent release of The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, set to launch in just days.
This significant milestone for Sano was highlighted in Nintendo’s latest installment of Ask the Developer, which centers around Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. Sano is a vital member of the Entertainment Planning and Development Department at Nintendo, having previously collaborated with Grezzo on several Zelda remakes, including Ocarina of Time 3D, Majora’s Mask 3D, and Link’s Awakening.
In an exciting revelation, it has been confirmed that Grezzo played a crucial role in developing the new exclusive for the Nintendo Switch.
Moreover, both Nintendo and Grezzo shared insights regarding the origins of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. Initially, the project was envisioned as a Zelda Maker title, akin to the Super Mario Maker series, focusing specifically on dungeon creation and sharing. Grezzo’s Satoshi Terada, who co-directed the game with Sano, elaborated on their diverse gameplay concepts during development.
“We explored several gameplay approaches simultaneously,” Terada commented. “One concept allowed Link to copy and paste various objects, like doors and candlesticks, to create unique dungeons.” This concept was dubbed “edit dungeon,” highlighting a player-centric design that encouraged user-generated Zelda experiences.
Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma remarked on the pleasure of creating dungeons, but emphasized that the ability to copy and paste items became a standout feature of the game. “The gameplay evolved from simply creating dungeons to utilizing copied-and-pasted items as tools to enhance your adventure,” he noted.
Sano supported Aonuma’s perspective, commenting on the thrilling shift in gameplay mechanics: “Creating dungeons was fun, but the ability to manipulate various objects in innovative ways added an entirely new level of excitement.”
Additionally, caution is advised as the Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom ROM reportedly leaked earlier this month, so gamers should be wary of potential spoilers online. The game is set to release on September 26, 2023. For more information, keep an eye on ECNETNews for the latest updates on this highly anticipated title.
