Aonuma discusses returning to A Link to the Past’s overworld

Why return to the world of A Link To The Past? And why do it now, some 22 years after the original?

“I didn’t make the original, but it was the first game I played that opened up my eyes to all the things a video game can be. It’s the game that inspired me to make games.

When the 3DS came along, I thought it would be cool to make a 2D-style Zelda game that you could play in 3D – it seemed like a challenge. In the meantime, one of our younger staff had this idea of giving Link the ability to turn into a painting and walk around the walls. While I was thinking about how best to implement that idea, I thought it might be interesting to combine that side-on view with the top-down view of A Link To The Past. So we arrived at the idea of making a new game set in the existing world of A Link To The Past.

More than the world or whatever else, the main thing I wanted to get back to was the jaunty tempo of a top-down game. In a 2D Zelda game, you can zip through the stage at a faster pace, which brings the action to the fore. I wanted players to revisit that style.”

The original game is nothing short of a masterpiece. How will you live up to the fans’ expectations? You must be feeling some pressure.

“Yes, that’s a concern. Fans of the original game have a lot of fond memories, and when we announced this sequel I know that some were dubious about the idea of us adding to that game’s lore. The challenge is to pinpoint what it was about the original that people loved and to respect that, and so long as we do that I think we can make something those fans will like.

It’s been a big point of discussion among the staff – how much fan service to give without blowing it. We’ve been thinking about how to make the new one in a way that will excite the fans without alienating people who haven’t played the original. We’re paying close attention to that.”