Miyamoto: Zelda not necessarily darker

Shigeru Miyamoto has shed some more light on the next GameCube Legend of Zelda title, almost literally in fact, remarking that the game isn't necessarily any darker or scarier and pointing to a greater emphasis on sword fighting and action elements - an approach the veteran game designer likens to Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.

Asked by Canadian website WHAM! Gaming whether the new, more mature Link was a reaction to public opinion or simply a personal choice, Miyamoto reportedly laughed and said "Maybe it's a little bit of both." Effectively, we're told, it's all down to the sort of story Nintendo wants to tell. For The Wind Waker, a story about a young boy, the cel-shaded style was the best fit. But this is a story about a more mature character.

And of course not necessarily the same Link - Nintendo has previously stated that although they share much in common, each Zelda game is its own adventure about a unique hero, rather than simply a different tale about the same one. With all this in mind, the change was ultimately made on stylistic grounds rather than in response to criticism of The Wind Waker. "After a lot of discussion, what we decided was the best graphical presentation for an adult Link was this style," he says matter-of-factly.

With an older Link at the helm though, the approach has obviously changed. Indeed, many commentators who saw the game's E3 unveiling jumped to the conclusion that Link's latest would be feature more action and - thanks to the brooding shots of war posses creeping over a sun-baked horizon - a slightly darker feel. Miyamoto agrees that the older Link will be more prone to action, simply because he's "taller with longer limbs", giving rise to more sword fighting, but asked if the game will be darker or scarier he says "I don't necessarily think so."

This time he says the focus was on creating a believable Hyrule and the feeling of visiting unique places, but judging by his comments there was no concerted effort to create a darker world for Link, and the tone of the trailer probably wasn't representative of any shift in that respect. "I don't think we'll make it overtly dark," he concludes.

For more on the next Zelda adventure, we have details of the E3 presentation trailer here.