ZELDA - T H E MAN
BEHINDTHE GAME!
The Making of
’The Legend
of Zelda’.
This interview was
conducted with none
other than Shígeru
Miyamoto, a top
ranking games
designen
Interviewer : The games
Legend of Zelda” and
’Links Adventures' have
been around for some time.
But >t seems to me that as
they were both released on
disk, (Nintendo disk
system) that their
circularon was not that
great. and to be something
comptetely new.
Miyamoto : Yes, it's been 5
years since Zelda ( i ) was
released. Bul both Zelda 1
and Link are domg well
over in the States, so good
in íact that sales wise, they
are in the top ten games.
Int : Would that then mean
that expectalions of Zelda
to be released on the Super
Famicom (NES) are very
high? And when?
Miy : Yes, and around
Spnng time this year.
' Note: When i mentían
Zelda 1 in this interview, i
referto Zelda on the 8-bit
NES.
int : Is Zelda the same on
both the Super NES and
Super Famicom?
Miy : Well, at the
begmning. we ihought of
doing it up a bit”, you see,
Zelda (on the Super
Famicom) uses up all of
the Bmegabits in the
cartodge, and to
accommodate the extra
data for things like lext
having to be modihed,
translated. we estimated
that we needed a n extra
megabit's worth of memory
in the cartndge for the
Super NES versión. This
also meanl that we now
had some space (memory)
left over. so the 'left over’
ideas from Zelda 1 were
the ideal things to squeeze
into the game.
Int : So what happened?
Miy : I n the end, we
managed to fit the engiish
versión on the 8Mtnts so
both versión should be the
same
Int : When was Ihe original
planned release date for
Zelda?
Miy : Actualty. we were
hoping to reléase it
simuttaneously vwth the
Super Famicom itself and
Super Mano World (when
news broke about the SE
in July 89 they did say that
Zelda was to be released
logether with Mario).
Int : A bit of miss
pfanning?
Miy : A March release was
planned for 91 . but the
project dragged on, and it
finally ended up being a
Super Famicom first
anniversary release
int : How many people
were working on the Zelda
project?
Miy : Here at Nintendo, we
don't get a huge number of
people to spend long fíxed
hours to work on a game
Fírsl we start off with a
handful of people who
work on it for about a year
then add more people as it
progresses and then take
about another 8 monlhs
before it nears completion
So we Started to work or>
the project with large
numbers of people m
november '90 on Zelda
ELECTfilC 0 I W N ■ ISSUt: 25 ' KW
Int : So basically the small
team works ¡t out and when ;!
needs a bit ot hetp, or runs
mto trouble, you add more
workers?
M i y : Well. it s rather like we
get the small team to work
out a rough draft plan or
pictureAdea ot what the game
would be like Then we retine
this work mío a game with a
b;g team. From expenence
we found that in the imtial
stages of making a game.
you don't need large numbers
of people because it's >ust
rough work and
experimentmg
Int : Why d»d you decide to
cali the game Legend oí
Zelda'? This is the same
ñame for the game on the 8-
bit famicom. Would n't this
lead to confusión?
Miy : At first we carne up with
all sorts of hiles, like The
New Legend of Zelda' or
Gannon Stnkes Back', but
basically it's Zelda on the
Super Famicom. So we
deoded not to change the
tille.
Int : What kmd ot things did
you have m mínd when you
were planning the game?
Miy : We wanted to improve
on all of the short comings on
Zelda 1 and throw in a couple
of new ideas that we had left
out. Overall, I don't Ihink that
Zelda 1 was our best. we
could have done better.
Int : How's that?
Miy : Because ot limitations
imposed by the Famicom (8-
bit) in terms ot graphics, etc.
we had to prograrn the game
m such a way that most of the
lime, the playei had lo
imagine things So for
example. dunng the game
ibero s sequenre where inoro
Is disappeanng water Wc in
fací used the same spntes a s
Iroes ,uid coloured it in bine
| /
 Any plans about future
INTERVIEW messages "htch »op ><P. produettons 7
around? nnw
S h a vand
e t PIhen
b e f dml eIne
red
so that it looked like water? M i y : Yes. I fhink somcihr
The Super Fanucom because >f you reao atong «he l'nes ol Pdot
versión should have more message 4 before Wings l tlunk that the
sense ot reality to itt message 3. <i w o n ! make time i s not onfy when yoü
sensc AdjuStin9 1<X actually play the game t>x
int i seel messages could mean i Ihal also mclodcs the time «t*.,,
tune ai Nintendo was »
Miy : Also l ihink Zelda 1 110IMS? n would take up or» and a you are actually thmbng
started off the genre ol naií limes the original it. So, I want to make (or
Sword and Sorcery whch tnt ; In RPGslike Y s i .Jl memory space to make) games where
is quite popular now-a-days II. where there s an order
with RPGs like Dragón m whichiodoihingsand lm : Apart (rom ihe hxed toóme I want to play X
Quest l v , Ys i . il. lll etc • once you ve missed order to ihe game. what
and the tact that you could something out it could else is new? int : So you haven't gol any
save and toad was also mean ihal you are siuck debnite pians for any
new. Other original ideas for ages before solvíng Ihe Miy : Well. you can raleases 7
liko (he abitily to buy ítems, mystery . or cocrecting destroy walls by the meaos
etc '.wthm the game and your mistake. How's
of a bomb. M i y r No bul don ! worry. we-
having lo solve complex Zelda?
nover run out oi ideas New
mazes made Ihe gante very tnt ; Is this where walls
Miy : We've made it as genre's could very easity be
unique But i f s been 5
easy as possible and in crealed
years s»nce ifs rotease, and
those ideas that were the game, you can'l take
atternatnve routes to Miy ; Aclually you can int : Any games similar lo
original and uruque then. break walls thai haven i
are now the bog standard completion. so for Zelda to be released m the
any cracks, if you hit the
for any RPM type game. future?
wall wilh your sword, you
But we haven t tried should hoar a metallic
anylhmg new tlns lime, and M i y : How about 'Link's
sound- But somelimes
that's that. Adventure' orí the Super
you'll come across walls
wtiich give a holfow sound. Famicom?
Int ; Why have you
changed the way that Zelda int : Rather hke treasure int : Thank You?
swings his sword? hunting because the piayer
Miy : Because we had
would go around looking * A Note o n
for destruciabie walls and
improved our graphics, we seemg what behind them. Shigeru Miyamoto.
thought that we had to in the consolé tnduslry. wher
1$ rt trae that lots of
improve the way that Zelda a piece of software sells more
bniiiant ideas we<e
swings his sword. than 10,000 copies it is
dropped because there
simpty was not enough considered a hit! But most
Int : i also think that the
space to til them all? the games that Mr.
high speed you can get by
press button A' was real Miyamoto's been involved m
Miy : Yes! But then again, have sold over 100.000
neat ...
example. you won't come we were nol going to sil copies worldwide. There
Miy : Yes. we had a similar across a btocked passage around domg nolhing inelude hits such as Super
System on the RPG wtiere you can'! progresa because all the ideas Mario Bros., Legend of Zelda
Molher on the NES. We further aven if you have wouldn t fit onto the given F- Zero. and Super Mano
thoughi of usmg each of the forgotten a certain ítem memory space. so we WOrld
buttons on the joypad 1o eartier on. There would not dropped ihe average ideas He says ’Well, it not m e
perlorm a difieren! action be alternativa routes or and picked the best that's doing the actual
or combmations to get Solutions for problems hke programming. but as director
difieren! moves 8u1 we this. if we know that Int : For example. whal? I have to pressure my staff if
dectded to abandon this gamers would not like an we are to get any work done I
Decause tisera might tmd order or pattern in wtiich Miy : When you use tire i n foel sympathetic towards
this awkward and make the things happen, and 1hey the held. we could have over-síressed staft having to
game a hassle' or bother to wouldnt mmd even if n made the fire spread on ifs be pressured oven more but
play. took them cióse lo a year own, etc. because of Ninterido's
m comptehng it. then we otoligation lo próvida the best
Int ; How would yon nnght have made the int : Sovnds original, any for ifs customers, I teel I can
descube Zelda 7 game much harder others? use th>s pressure i n a positivi
way, and to matniain our
Miy : A kmd of advenlure Int : wetl. the sense ol M i y ; Or where you use a teputation*.
game ihat's gol an RPG accomphshment atter stiovet to dig a canal and tnslead ol stating trfunt
’ee> to it or RPG w>th some spending one year to then destroying the lake deadlines to which staff woi •
action touches lo rt complete a game could be boundary so the water their heads off to achteve Mr
very satisfymg seepsinto Ihe canal. M . oonstantly harasses and
Int : Isn't Zelda ono of
ihose games -where you Miy : Yesexcept, when dítves on tú keep the staff
int : ideas segm to be gotng. I s this the secrei U1til!'
complete it once and i f s you take oui the order i n overllowing. Seems lo me
dead easy iho second time wtuch things come, success?!
Ihat programmers have an
infinite suppiy of ideas,
g É L t e r m e BW*1N ’ ISSUE 24 ‘