Zelda Z-targeting inspired by ninja show

By Tom Phillips Published 17 June, 2011

Developers dreamt up idea at theme park.

The concept of pressing a button to lock onto an enemy or object is now regarded as something of a standard in video games.

But in 1998, Zelda: Ocarina of Time was the first game to offer the system.

How did this invention come about? At a theme park, according to the game's general director, Toru Osawa.

"We thought if we went there, we might get some ideas. We got our boss's approval, and Koizumi-san, Ikeda-san and I went. It sure was a hot summer!" Osawa recalled in the latest Iwata Asks.

"We ducked into a playhouse to cool off. They were doing a ninja show. A number of ninja were surrounding the main samurai and one lashed out with a kusarigama (sickle-and-chain). The lead samurai caught it with his left arm, the chain stretched tight, and the ninja moved in a circle around him."

Pressing the N64 controller's Z Button keeps the game's camera and Link's movement focused, allowing for accurate targeting even from a distance. On the 3DS, the L button is used to similar effect.

The group of developers observed how in the scripted stage show a single samurai was able to defeat a group of attacking ninjas, as each attacked one at a time.

This one-on-one fighting style was then implemented in Ocarina of Time, along with the lock-on mechanics of the Z-targeting.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Phillips

Tom joined Eurogamer in 2010 and has quickly made his mark writing news and columns and coming up with puntastic straplines. Questionable beard. @TomPhillips151 on Twitter.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Phillips archive page.

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Comments (13) Latest comment 11 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Floppy #1 11 months ago

    "... as each attacked one at a time." Ahh yes, the film/stage-show scenario of ninja assailants attacking you one at a time. Something which Bruce Lee made great use of.

  • Gearskin #2 11 months ago

    Ninjas LOVE Zelda!

  • JeroenZM #3 11 months ago

    And here I thought after Metroid: Other M that ninjas and Nintendo were a disastrous match.

  • Sonic_D #4 11 months ago

    Wish I could go to a theme park to get ideas for work, especially ones that have ninja shows.

  • Chompee #5 11 months ago

    Those screaming redead things with all the hands in the first screenshot used to scare the crap out of me when I was younger. Ah those were the days.

  • Grayvern #6 11 months ago

    does conservation of ninjutsu apply unilaterally across all ninjas in a time zone or is it delineated by group

  • koopa #7 11 months ago

    That's a great round-table of quirky masters, you should've posted some more excerpts...

  • CamberGreber #8 11 months ago

    What a load of HogWash.

    There where a bunch of early PS1 games circa 1995 1996 that used Holding a button down to lock the camera and player on target.

    Zelda was not the first.

  • Rack #9 11 months ago

    ^Really? Name one. I distinctly remember Z-targetting being relevatory, and I played pretty much everything back in those days.

  • eviroboy #10 11 months ago

    Come on then 'CamberGreber' what was the first game? Don't go all shy after such an idle boast, with nothing, as yet, to back it up.

  • CamberGreber #11 11 months ago

    Alright after further research Maybe I was wrong.

    I guess previous games locked the charater on to enemies not the camera too.

    I was thinking soul reaver too but oviously that was in 99.

    I will continue to look into it but as of right now I can't find an any example.

  • Bluetooth #12 11 months ago

    So your "load of HogWash" post was basically a load of hogwash, CamberGreber?

  • CamberGreber #13 11 months ago

    @bluetooth
    I did write that comment above going by my memory without researching it first I have admitted that.

    Yet Im suprised that a comment about whether or not z targeting had been done before zelda would be reguarded with such backlash.

    After Ive already admitted that I was probably wrong I still get a negative comment aimed toward me.

    I can only assume then that this is a passionate subject for you but I must admit I dont understand why.
    Edited by CamberGreber at 20/06/11 @ 05:27