Echoes of Wisdom Developers Define What Makes a “Zelda-Like”
Posted on November 15 2024 by Kristen G. Rosario
The term “Zelda-like” originates from fans playing games that mix genres similar to what we can experience in a standard title in the series. Everybody has their own definition, including the team behind Echoes of Wisdom, who recently gave their thoughts on what exactly is a Zelda-like.
Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma, along with Echoes of Wisdom Game Directors Tomomi Sano and Satoshi Terada, recently sat down with The Washington Post to discuss the classic Zelda formula. Right off the bat, the interviewer asks Aonuma what defines a Zelda-like.
While he proclaims that it is the “hardest question” to answer, Aonuma does give his thoughts on what he believes makes a Zelda game:
“Yes there are puzzles, yes there are battles, but when you do those, we want you to come away with that really satisfying feel of ‘I did it.’ It’s the ‘I’ part that’s important. Even though other players are doing the same thing, it’s about the fact that everybody comes to their own conclusion of ‘I solved it my way, I did it my way, I got through it.’”
Terada follows it up by saying how a player’s accomplishment in a game should be rewarded for trying something inventive:
“I really would just emphasize that when players have something they want to do and they want to try it out, we want there to be a response to that in the game, so that when they try it out, it goes as they imagined, or perhaps better than they imagined”
Speaking of game formulas, when asked why Nintendo sticks to classic ones, Aonuma says it comes down to “opportunity and inspiration.” He uses Famicom Detective Club creator Yoshio Sakamoto as an example of this, as Sakamoto had always longed to make another game in the series which finally happened with Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club.
“To make any of these types of games, there really needs to be some sort of opportunity.”
However you define what a Zelda-like is, it’s nice to see how much of an impact it has been to the gaming landscape. We wouldn’t have amazing titles like Okami, Hyper Light Drifter, or even more recent titles like The Plucky Squire and Tunic if it wasn’t for this adventurous series.
What do you think on what the Echoes of Wisdom team defines as a “Zelda-like?” How would you define this category? What’s been your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: The Washington Post
Kristen G. Rosario is an Editor who joined Zelda Dungeon back in September of 2015. His current goal is to become a full-time video game journalist, hoping to eventually gain a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism. While he pursues that dream, he not only takes care of his adorable dachshund Angel, but also helps run a YouTube channel with his brother. The Zelda series is a quest he hasn’t fully completed yet, but hopes to get there one day.
