Series producer Eiji Aonuma on The Legend of Zelda hints that development is wrapping up and that this new game is going to provide something new and surprising to players.
Since skipping E3 in 2015, Nintendo hasn't given fans much more information on the upcoming The Legend of Zelda title for the Wii U. Multiple delays to the title, limited gameplay footage that tends to be light on meaningful content, and the fact that an official logo has yet to be revealed has led many fans to believe the game won't actually arrive until next year, despite claims from Nintendo that it is still planned for release this year. After revealing upcoming Wii U and 3DS software coming in the first half of 2016, Nintendo may be starting to open up about its Legend of Zelda plans if a recent interview is to be believed.
In the latest issue of Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu, series producer Eiji Aonuma admitted that the team has been quite busy and hinted that development was coming to a close. As he did towards the end stages of development for Skyward Sword, Aonuma mentioned that he was again in charge of all of the in-game text and character dialogue for this new The Legend of Zelda game. As he put it, things have gotten easier for the developers which tells him that things have really taken shape and are progressing well.
The biggest takeaway from the interview however came when Aonuma revealed that he hopes the Legend of Zelda will provide something new and surprising to players, on a scale not seen since The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launched all the way back in 1998. To further entice fans, he revealed that Ocarina of Time is "the base of our secret sauce" and that the new game's change "in flavor will be like going from Japanese food to Western-style food. Perhaps, players will be surprised."
"Please look forward to it, because I think we’ll be able to make ‘something new’ like Ocarina of Time was."
Nintendo has been surprisingly mum on anything related to The Legend of Zelda on Wii U which has led many to believe that the game was being prepped for a dual release later this year on the Wii U and as a launch title for the upcoming NX console. As of now, Nintendo has not officially confirmed that the NX will be available in 2016, even if rumors are pointing to a July release for the new hardware.
What do you make of Aonuma's comments? Do you have any theories for how this Legend of Zelda game will potentially reinvigorate the franchise? Give us your opinion below in the comments.
The Legend of Zelda is expected to launch sometime later in 2016 exclusively for the Wii U.