The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Zelda Wii U

This version for the Wii U will enable you to switch between day and night with a special icon.

In the demo, an Armogohma was featured. This probably means that Armogohma will be a boss.

Graphics

The beautiful tech demo has gotten a lot of attention, and this time Aonuma is careful to not set our expectations in stone. What was shown at E3 is merely a demonstration of the system's power, not a teaser for a new Zelda game.

You probably remember that when we introduced the GameCube, we showed a somewhat realistic Zelda demo, and what we actually created was the cel-shaded Wind Waker. So when we show a graphic demo, people think, 'Oh, this is what the next Zelda will look like,' but that’s not necessarily the case. -Wired

Well, one thing I want to emphasize here, when talking about the Wii U Zelda HD experience, is that we really built it specifically to be an experience. The idea is using Zelda as the backdrop for one of these HD experiences, what kind of representation Zelda can make there. But this is really just to show people what kind of things the console can do. And so, it’s not necessarily the case that we would use that graphic style or depiction the same way we would in a new Zelda, when there is a new Zelda for the Wii U. Just like the map functionality that was also implemented in that experience - it’s simply us giving an objective look at the kinds of things that can be done with the HD hardware. And Zelda happened to be the filter through which we view it in that experience. So nothing is defined right now as far as how we’ll proceed. -Industry Gamers

Not only was the demo used to show us the graphical capabilities, but it was developed to help design the system.

I’m on one of the committees that oversaw the general steering and direction [of the Wii U]. We talked to each other a lot about several elements, one of which was, ‘How exactly will the HD graphics work?’ In doing concepts for that ... we used Zelda assets quite often to examine, OK, how real will we make this look? -Wired

Miyamoto sheds some more light on what he'd like this look to be.

This is an HD system, our first HD system, and we want to create a real HD Zelda game for it. You will see a lot of these in-depth and deep experiences in terms of visual style. You will also see some play styles that are fun and interesting because of the play structure. We are not planning on putting any restrictions in terms of requiring developers to leverage HD in a particular ways. Even if you are using a simpler visual style it will still look very beautiful. -Kotaku

While HD isn't required, it is likely. Realistic graphics also aren't guaranteed - any art style can be of high quality, even one like The Wind Waker's or Skyward Sword's. A decision on the art style probably won't be made until further along in development.

Controls

The Wii U controller's screen in the tech demo featured Link's inventory and map, or a copy of the game screen. Aonuma has other plans for it as well.

I really think [having two screens is] one of the most exciting features of the system. Unlike the Nintendo DS, there’s distance between the television and you and your other screen. That really allows for some different interactions, some of which you saw [at E3]. For example, imagine having the contents of Link’s satchel available to you on the screen of your controller, and using elements of the pouch to interact with gameplay on the television.

With The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, we had the Nunchuck and Wii Remote sort of stand in for the sword and shield that Link carries. But in a game for the Wii U, I can definitely see something like the controller itself becoming the different items that Link is using, allowing you to interact with the game world and with the game items in a very different way. -Nintendo Power

I’d like to do things that are more surprising than [what was in the tech demo]. -Wired

However, it's still a possibility that we will see motion controls return. After all, after swinging your own sword to interact with the game, how could one go back to using a controller?

Iwata: Now, can you talk about how this new controller works together with the Wii Remote that we have been using until now?

Miyamoto: Sure. Actually, as I was making it I didn't have a whole lot of doubts in my mind that the Wii Remote would still be used as it was. I feel like the Wii Remote has pretty much become its ideal form with the Wii Remote Plus.

Iwata: I see, you mean you can do just about everything you want to do with it.

Miyamoto: That's right. And when I thought whether we really needed to require the purchase of something completely new, I felt that we could continue with this way to play for another while. I feel that way even when I play The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. -Iwata Asks

Development

Development of Zelda Wii U is in the very early conceptual phase. As far as we know, no story or art style have been decided yet, and they're still experimenting with what kind of gameplay experience the Wii U can offer.

It's not something they're working on daily right now, but we are talking about some of the things we might be able to do with that system. The demo that we showed at E3 was really just more of a rough idea of if all we were to do was to make a Zelda game and put it in HD, this is what it might look like. We're much more interested in looking at the power of the Wii U system and seeing how we can take advantage of that power to do things that we haven't been able to do in a Zelda game before. -GameInformer

embed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-wCfutj9JU

Quotes

Iwata: Now, can you talk about how this new controller works together with the Wii Remote that we have been using until now?

Miyamoto: Sure. Actually, as I was making it I didn't have a whole lot of doubts in my mind that the Wii Remote would still be used as it was. I feel like the Wii Remote has pretty much become its ideal form with the Wii Remote Plus.

Iwata: I see, you mean you can do just about everything you want to do with it.

Miyamoto: That's right. And when I thought whether we really needed to require the purchase of something completely new, I felt that we could continue with this way to play for another while. I feel that way even when I play The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword8.

-Iwata Asks: Wii U

This is an HD system, our first HD system, and we want to create a real HD Zelda game for it. You will see a lot of these in-depth and deep experiences in terms of visual style. You will also see some play styles that are fun and interesting because of the play structure. We are not planning on putting any restrictions in terms of requiring developers to leverage HD in a particular ways. Even if you are using a simplier visual style it will still look very beautiful.

-Kotaku

You probably remember that when we introduced the GameCube, we showed a somewhat realistic Zelda demo, and what we actually created was the cel-shaded Wind Waker. So when we show a graphic demo, people think, 'Oh, this is what the next Zelda will look like,' but that’s not necessarily the case.

I’m on one of the committees that oversaw the general steering and direction [of the Wii U]. We talked to each other a lot about several elements, one of which was, ‘How exactly will the HD graphics work?’ In doing concepts for that ... we used Zelda assets quite often to examine, OK, how real will we make this look?

"In the demo, the player could display his inventory and dungeon map on the lower screen, or flip it to the television screen for easier viewing. Surely this will be a feature in whatever real Wii U Zelda game that Aonuma creates, right? “I’d like to do things that are more surprising than that,” he said with a laugh." -Wired

Will the demo be what ZWU looks like?

Well, one thing I want to emphasize here, when talking about the Wii U Zelda HD experience, is that we really built it specifically to be an experience. The idea is using Zelda as the backdrop for one of these HD experiences, what kind of representation Zelda can make there. But this is really just to show people what kind of things the console can do. And so, it’s not necessarily the case that we would use that graphic style or depiction the same way we would in a new Zelda, when there is a new Zelda for the Wii U. Just like the map functionality that was also implemented in that experience - it’s simply us giving an objective look at the kinds of things that can be done with the HD hardware. And Zelda happened to be the filter through which we view it in that experience. So nothing is defined right now as far as how we’ll proceed.

-Industry Games

I really think [having two screens is] one of the most exciting features of the system. Unlike the Nintendo DS, there’s distance between the television and you and your other screen. That really allows for some different interactions, some of which you saw [at E3]. For example, imagine having the contents of Link’s satchel available to you on the screen of your controller, and using elements of the pouch to interact with gameplay on the television.

With The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, we had the Nunchuck and Wii Remote sort of stand in for the sword and shield that Link carries. But in a game for the Wii U, I can definitely see something like the controller itself becoming the different items that Link is using, allowing you to interact with the game world and with the game items in a very different way.

-Nintendo Power via Nintendo Everything