Legend of Zelda Wii U Will Have Unique Twist on Open-Worlds, Says Producer

The Legend of Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma has discussed Nintendo's approach to creating the open-world for the Wii U entry in the series, saying it was inspired by fan response to The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

Speaking to IGN, Aonuma said Nintendo was aware that fans were looking for a bigger open world, and indicated this feedback was being taken on board for the next game. He went on to suggest the game's world will have another unique hook on top of the larger scale.

"We actually had some feedback from Skyward Sword, where people were saying 'This is not exactly the Zelda game I was looking for, I was looking for a bigger open world,'" he said. "Unfortunately, I can't go into details but I'm hoping to put a surprise, or kind of a twist, on my view of an open world game. I hope that you'll look forward to it."

Discussing the impact fan feedback has on new game projects further, the producer said it was taken on board, but not necessarily followed to the letter.

"[If] they're asking for a certain element, I would think 'Oh, why not interpret this in a different way that you wouldn't expect?' That's how we create a new element in a Zelda game. I always want to implement something new and surprising in every game."

In March 2015, Nintendo delayed The Legend of Zelda for Wii U indefinitely, sparking speculation it would be moved over to the company's next console, codenamed NX. However, in June, committed to a Wii U release for the game again.

"We're here to talk about Star Fox [Zero] but Zelda is still coming to Wii U," Miyamoto said at E3 2015. "So don't worry about that."

Nevertheless, discussions that it could be released for Wii U and NX, similar to how Twilight Princess was released for both Gamecube and Wii, have persisted. This has not been confirmed by Nintendo, however.