Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom's Interview With Series' First Female Director

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom marks a pivotal moment in the franchise's history: its first game directed by a woman, Tomomi Sano. This article delves into the development journey, revealing fascinating insights from Nintendo's "Ask the Developer" interviews.

Meet Tomomi Sano, the Zelda Series’ First Female Director

Known for its intricate narratives and labyrinthine dungeons, the Legend of Zelda series welcomes a groundbreaking addition with Echoes of Wisdom. This game is unique, not only for featuring Princess Zelda as the playable protagonist but also for being helmed by the series' first female director.

In a Nintendo interview, Director Tomomi Sano shared her journey. Before taking the reins, she played a crucial support role, contributing to Grezzo's remakes of Ocarina of Time 3D, Majora’s Mask 3D, Link’s Awakening, and Twilight Princess HD, as well as working on the Mario & Luigi series. "My role was to manage and coordinate production, suggest adjustments, and check the outcome, ensuring Grezzo's gameplay aligned with the Legend of Zelda series," she explained. Producer Eiji Aonuma noted Sano's consistent involvement in Grezzo's Zelda remake projects, highlighting her expertise.

Image from Nintendo's Ask the Developer Vol. 13

Sano's impressive career spans over two decades, beginning in 1998 as a Stage Texture editor for Tekken 3. Her Nintendo credits include Kururin Squash! and Mario Party 6, along with various Legend of Zelda and Mario & Luigi titles, and several Mario sports games.

Echoes of Wisdom's Unexpected Origins: From Dungeon Maker to Hyrule's Savior

Following the success of the 2019 Link’s Awakening remake, Grezzo, its co-developer, was tasked with shaping the future of top-down Zelda gameplay. Initially, another remake was considered, but Grezzo proposed a bold alternative: a Zelda dungeon maker.

Aonuma's simple question, "What kind of game would you like to make next?", sparked numerous proposals. While the final concept shared similarities with the initial idea, Echoes of Wisdom evolved significantly. Early prototypes explored "copy-and-paste" mechanics and a combined top-down/side-view perspective similar to Link’s Awakening.

Grezzo's Satoshi Terada explained the parallel development of different gameplay approaches. One involved Link copying and pasting objects to create dungeons—an "edit dungeon" concept.

Over a year was dedicated to the dungeon creation mechanic before Aonuma intervened, significantly altering the game's direction. He envisioned greater potential if copied items were used as tools within existing adventures rather than solely for dungeon creation.

Sano illustrated this shift, using the example of a Thwomp enemy: "In Link’s Awakening, the Thwomp falls from above. Copying it to the top-down view allows you to crush things or even ride it."

Initially, concerns arose about potential exploitation of the copying mechanic, but these limitations were ultimately removed. This fostered a spirit of "mischief," encouraging creative and unconventional gameplay. Aonuma emphasized the importance of allowing for unexpected interactions, such as spike rollers colliding with objects, even if unpredictable. A document outlining this "mischief" principle guided development. Three key rules emerged: "Paste things however, wherever, whenever," "Solve puzzles using absent items," and "ingenious echo uses that feel almost like cheating."

Aonuma compared this approach to the Myahm Agana Shrine in Breath of the Wild, where players could bypass obstacles using motion controls. He stressed the importance of allowing such unexpected solutions: "If this kind of solution isn’t allowed, then it’s not fun."

Launching September 26th on Nintendo Switch, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom presents an alternate timeline where Zelda rescues Hyrule amidst rifts tearing through the land.