Miyamoto comments on Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

A few weeks ago Nintendo reported on how Twilight Princess did not meet sale expectations in Japan. Shigeru Miyamoto hopes that Phantom Hourglass with its traditional gameplay and yet more intuitive features including full stylus control and writing will bring a breath of fresh air back into the series.

To view the interview, click here

When we decided to develop a Zelda title for the DS, we wanted it to be a fun game with the essence of the DS. Of course, we were worried whether we could make a good Zelda game that used the stylus control scheme of the DS, but once we did it, the game didn’t lose its Zelda essence. I think we’ve created a new Zelda title that can be played with a single stylus. If you want to try something, you just need to touch the screen with the stylus; it’s very intuitive. That’s how this new Zelda game is…

There were also several ideas revolving around the concept of “”writing”” with the stylus. For example, when you throw the boomerang, you write the path you want it to follow…

Then there’s the function of writing notes. We wanted to use all of its potential. Usually you need a notepad to take notes when playing a Zelda game, but this time you can write whatever you want directly on the DS…

First, a message to the Zelda fans. I think the Zelda series has evolved throughout the years. This game is no exception. We’ve changed the gameplay mechanics and it makes the game fresh and fun. We’ve also introduced the phantom hourglass system, and I’d like you to give it a try. Furthermore, the staff has done some research on Zelda to decide whether something fits in the game, so this game has many elements with the Zelda essence…

Read the entire interview here.