Nintendo shows a little development trick for A Link Between Worlds
Some may have noticed that the Legend Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is not technically a top-down view, it goes for more of a anglish(?) view. During a recent Iwata Asks, it was explained how this view was managed, and it’s pretty interesting. (I guess we missed this news during New York Comic Con)
Shikata: If you looked straight down from the top, all you could see was Link’s hat. So it looked like some mysterious green object moving around! (laughs)
Everyone: (laughs)
Iwata: A true top-down view actually has lots of problems. If you make it truthfully, it doesn’t look interesting at all.
Shikata: That’s right.
Iwata: So you have to fake it-but in a good way.
Aonuma: Right. We decided to fudge it a bit. Then I was on a speaking session at New York Comic-Con15 in October, and…
Iwata: You revealed the trick.
Aonuma: Yes. I showed Zelda fans pictures from a side view as well as from above, and it reveals that Link and the rupees were set at an angle.
Iwata: I saw those pictures too, that world looked so strange that I wanted to say, “What in the world?!” (laughs)
Aonuma: Yeah. We had purposefully tilted the objects back so you could see Link and the others’ faces and bodies when looking from directing above.
Iwata: That way, instead of an unrecognizable green object, it looked like Link.
Shikata: Right! (laughs)
You can check out the full Iwata Ask’s HERE.

