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Miyamoto: we considered first-person for Zelda: Ocarina of Time

May 10, 2008 in News comments 13

Apparently, the highly acclaimed Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was going to be a first-person perspective game, so they could "spend more time and machine power on creating enemies and the environments." It really makes you wonder if it still would have been such a great game. They decided to go ahead and use bits and pieces from the storyline in Link's Crossbow Training, a third-person/first-person shooter.

Miyamoto says:

"At first when we were developing The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, I even proposed using a first-person perspective."

*The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, part of the Legend of Zelda Series, was the first 3D game for Nintendo 64, and was released in December 1998. *

…

I thought that the FPS system would be the best way of enabling players to take in the vast terrain of the Hyrule Field. Besides, by not having the player’s character on the screen, we can spend more time and machine power on creating enemies and the environments."


The idea was eventually decided against when the team decided to factor in the child Link/adult Link storyline, which would have made each difficult to identify if a first-person perspective was implemented.
Chad via nintendic.com »
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  • 0
    Storm May 10, 08
    First-person? Seriously? Not meant for LoZ games, imo, loses it's style. Crossbow training was terrible.
    • 0
      Chad May 10, 08
      I do agree that a third-person perspective was best for Ocarina of Time, but I didn't think Link's Crossbow Training was that terrible if you look at what's its objective was: to introduce the Wii Zapper for future titles.
      • 0
        Storm May 11, 08
        Good point, the Wii Zapper was a unique controller to use. I just found it difficult to manage for Crossbow Training, maybe it's just me but eh.
  • 0
    black doom May 10, 08
    IF Zelda had been first person I wonder what would have happened to me and Nintendo and gaming in general. I am a Zelda fanatic but I am not that interest in first person games.
  • 0
    bbb7002004 May 10, 08
    At first, the idea seems awful. However, if they were able to implement the game as well as Retro took Metroid into First Person, I think it could have worked very well.
  • 0
    Miss Razz May 10, 08
    I don't think the game would have had the same appeal if it was in first-person, tbh.

    I don't really know how to say this but ... Certain games have a certain "atmosphere" being in third-person perspective. And Zelda (the 3D ones obviously) is one of those games.

    I wasn't a fan of first-person games back in the day (barring Goldeneye), so I don't even think I would have looked at it in the store. XP
  • 0
    Distortion May 10, 08
    Agreed with all of the above. Zelda first person would not be Zelda.
  • -1
    Final Blade May 11, 08
    I don't know you can't say it wouldn't be Zelda if you haven't tried a Zelda game in FPS. For all we know it could have been better. However i guess thats subject to our tastes.
    • 0
      black doom May 11, 08
      You have a point technically but Zelda is what it is today and that would not have Zelda as what it is. Furthermore such a dramatic difference to such a brilliant game is far more likely to make it worse.
      • 0
        Final Blade May 12, 08
        Again we don't know what it will be like, it could have made it better. Thats my point.
        But like i said it depends on taste more.

        Why did i get thumbed down if i make a point.
        • 0
          black doom May 12, 08
          Most likely because it is so extremely unlikely anything could have made it better.

          It is the same as considering what Grand Theft Auto would be like if the first were a platformer due to the sheer level of influence the Ocarina of Time had on all other 3D Zelda games.
        • 0
          Final Blade May 12, 08
          Anything is possible. We just don't know if it would be better or worse.
  • 1
    chaos May 11, 08
    I love first person games, but Zelda would never work as a first person game. I probably wouldn't enjoy a Zelda game as much, either, if it were to be in the first person. I'm glad they didn't do it, especially to Ocarina of Time... my most favorite Zelda game ever.

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