Speaking with Game Informer at E3, Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma shared some brief thoughts on the trailer that Nintendo showed off for The Legend of Zelda on Wii U. Aonuma says that he’s been hearing people say that they think Link is a lady now.
“That might be something that consciously we kind of did, but not to say anything specific—I am not saying anything specific—but, I am hoping people continue to comment, and I will continue to follow the fan comments and reactions to the trailer,” Aonuma said.
“I am certainly curious, and I am sure there are things we as developers can glean.”
Meanwhile, speaking with MMGN, Aonuma clarified that his earlier comment about the character in the trailer not being Link was more of a joke.
“Actually that comment I made jokingly,” he said. “It’s not that I said that it wasn’t Link. It’s that I never said that it was Link. It’s not really the same thing, but I can understand how it could be taken that way.”
Aonuma also stated that he doesn’t want people to focus too much on Link’s appearance in the game.
“I don’t want people to get hung up on the way Link looks because ultimately Link represents the player in the game,” he said. “I don’t want to define him so much that it becomes limiting to the players. I want players to focus on other parts of the trailer and not specifically on the character because the character Link represents, again, the player.”
Of late, Nintendo have been making a very conscious effort to include more playable female characters in their games. Since Nintendo have always maintained that Link is supposed to be an avatar for the player, including a female variant would make sense, and judging by Aonuma’s comments, he’s open to the idea.
The Legend of Zelda for Wii U is planned for release in 2015.
Published: Jun 12, 2014 04:00 am