Miyamoto: Next Zelda will use MotionPlus for more realistic swordplay

by Randy Nelson { Nov 3rd 2009 at 5:30PM }

Nintendo's resident legend, Shigeru Miyamoto, has revealed that the next installment in the Legend of Zelda series on Wii will make use of Wii MotionPlus for more realistic sword combat and targeting. "In this (installment of the series), we're using MotionPlus to make you feel much more like you're actually fighting while holding a sword in your hand," Miyamoto disclosed during an October 30 Q&A session, as translated by GameLife.

"In the previous game, you aimed at things by pointing at the screen, but this time we'll use MotionPlus to create a much more convenient targeting system and a more pleasurable playing experience," Miyamoto added.

Despite these revelations, Nintendo has yet to officially state whether Wii MotionPlus will be an option or a requirement for playing the game. When this next Zelda was announced during E3 2009, Miyamoto could only say that MotionPlus-exclusivity was "possible." These gameplay elements -- especially the swordplay -- only make it seem more likely.

[Via GameLife]

Tags: legend-of-zelda, motionplus, shigeru-miyamoto, wii-motionplus, zelda

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

NitroMikeo @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:31PM

'More realistic'

SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:39PM

'Less Masturbatory'

Extinction @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:56PM

"In this (installment of the series), we're using MotionPlus to make you feel much more like you're actually fighting while holding a sword in your hand,"

Except for the combat. Since once you hit an object, all immersion is lost.

Obie @ Nov 3rd 2009 7:24PM

Add voice acting and a sweeping orchestral score and my Wii will be back in action!

Blank-Mage @ Nov 3rd 2009 7:59PM

Subtract voice acting and add a sweeping orchestral score and my Wii will be back in action!

Hakaisou @ Nov 3rd 2009 9:57PM

Zelda doesn't get voice acting. It's a damn rule.

Seanross @ Nov 4th 2009 1:16AM

I'll have to buy another Wii for this :D

CheeziePotato @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:32PM

Zelda with realistic swordplay? Nintendo, you just made a Zelda fanboy happy

CheeziePotato @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:33PM

...unless you have to move your arm a lot

CheeziePotato @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:38PM

Fuck it. I really don't give a shit about motion controls.

uncle jesse @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:42PM

Haha. You just went from loving the motion controls to not giving a shit about them in 6 minutes. That might be a record for indecisiveness...

Taylor @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:55PM

Haha, thanks for the laugh.

Jampirow @ Nov 3rd 2009 6:01PM

Wait another 6 minutes and he will start hating Zelda altoghether!

Harrie @ Nov 3rd 2009 6:02PM

that's what i call cheezy

Viking @ Nov 3rd 2009 6:11PM

I got a major deja-vu from back in the day before Twilight Princess was released, when they promised the exact same thing, and we hoped for the exact same thing.

So.. Only took 4 years before the bloody thing did what it was always supposed to do.
Let's hope they get it right this time.

CheeziePotato @ Nov 3rd 2009 6:24PM

I will never hate Zelda. NEVER
The original Zelda was my first game and still love that game to this day.

BananaBoat @ Nov 3rd 2009 7:22PM

Wow, A.D.D in written form. I never thought I'd see the day.

CheeziePotato @ Nov 3rd 2009 7:30PM

@BananaBoat
I don't have A.D.D, but I have to agree that my first 3 posts made me sound like some kind of retard :P

Rhamsey @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:32PM

I just want to play a new zelda game without this waggle stuff or stylist crap. Its fun for a bit, but I never finished phantom hour glass because it felt more like a hassle.

TheElderFrog @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:40PM

phantom hourglass didn't feel like a hassle....it really was a hassle. The temple of the ocean king made it that way. Still fun. Just tedious. :P

BigFat @ Nov 3rd 2009 6:07PM

i found the already been there done that feeling of it, to be the reason why it felt the way it did. i didnt really care if there was a new way to throw the boomerang, it was still the same old boomerrang that i have been useing for 15+ years.

BigD145 @ Nov 3rd 2009 6:31PM

It's a water temple. It's historically been tedious.

samfish [wants to know: do midgets have night vision?] @ Nov 3rd 2009 10:59PM

Stylist crap? Was there a hairdresser in Phantom Hourglass??

John @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:33PM

Don't do it Miyamoto! Don't turn one of the few hardcore franchises that Nintendo has left into a casual experience.

Mayne @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:38PM

This is pretty much what anyone would want out of a sword-fighting game. How is "more realistic" swordplay (as long as it's done well) "casual"?

If any game is going to pioneer "realistic" sword-fighting (Red Steel failed by the way, in case you're wondering where I'm coming from), it SHOULD be a Zelda game.

Mr Khan @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:38PM

And how, pray tell, would that be the case. Motion != casual. If anything, this would make the game more advanced, rather than just "tap B to slash"

Soiden @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:40PM

Just wow... I really hope you've been sarcastic.
If not, then you consider MadWorld and No more Heroes as casual games?!

Cheezeman3000 @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:41PM

Ummm... have you even used the motionplus? This actually sounds to me like it would make the game -more- hardcore... in that you'd have to decide where to swing in order to damage an enemy instead of just blindly flailing your arms. So in my mind this could end up being very cool, but I'm really scared about the motionplus needing calibration every 30 seconds. :/

SoshiKitai @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:42PM

The motion controls in Madworld weren't exactly perfect.... it was iffy.
Good, but still iffy.

Uncontrol @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:47PM

Zelda is as much of a sword-fighting game as Metroid is a shoot-em-up.

John @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:51PM

Wrong choice of words of my part.I would rather they just spend all their time perfecting the actual game(story, graphics,characters) not have to worry about making the perfect controls.Then again I'm part of the ones who thinks that the Wii would have been fine and more fun with just regular controllers.

Jimbotron @ Nov 4th 2009 9:29AM

The fact that you use "hardcore" to describe games automatically invalidates your opinion.

Mr Khan @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:37PM

It all needs to be carefully implemented, though. An item as integral as the sword, requiring realistic movements on a constant basis, might get cumbersome. I for one wasn't bothered by it in Twilight Princess because it was just waggle, you didn't have to think about it

There is a trade-off somewhere, that while this could be endlessly awesome for miniboss/boss fights and certain other enemies that go armed and armored, to have to really think about your movements all the time could detract from the game

Or add to it, i suppose. It all comes down to design of gameplay mechanics, a realm where i have total faith in Nintendo's ability to deliver

Mayne @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:45PM

This. All this.

sam @ Nov 3rd 2009 6:57PM

The swordfighting in Sports Resort was absolutely awesome, but after hacking my way through dozens of enemies in a minute or two, several times, my arm got pretty tired!

I think it'll work well as long as they make sure the battles are not too frequent. Usually in Zelda games there's a lot of walking around and figuring things out and whatever, and not so much of the 'hacking your way through dozens of enemies' so really it could be fine even if implemented pretty much the same as the Sports Resort version. (Assuming that the 'normal' enemies just take a few swings to deal with, in other words.)

Given how good I'm not in the frisbee game in Sports Resort, I'm much more concerned with how they implement the boomerang...

fohf @ Nov 4th 2009 12:55PM

I hated the waggle in Twilight Princess. 20 hours in I was wishing I could just push the damn 'A' button.

This new Zelda better have an option for both.

uncle jesse @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:37PM

ZELDA NEWS!

I'm excited and I don't really know why! He's confirming something I would have expected! YES!!!

WREturns [Planeteer I Power of The Final Countdown] @ Nov 3rd 2009 6:40PM

This just in! New Zelda to feature Link!!!

CheeziePotato @ Nov 3rd 2009 6:49PM

I want Miyamoto to confirm a remake of A Link To The Past and Links Awakening.

Special Agent Steve @ Nov 3rd 2009 6:51PM

WHAT? THAT'S BS. No Zelda game has EVER had Link in it. Oh wait.

Slust @ Nov 3rd 2009 7:38PM

Graphical update, please.

No "Oh we should make it a Wii game with motion controls!"

Otherwise I will mail anthrax to Japan. (We're past that whole "OMFG did he say 'mail anthrax'?! Call the police!" irrationality, right?)

Mr. Fister @ Nov 3rd 2009 8:50PM

"Graphical update, please."

If it helps comfort you, the Zelda team was scared by Monster Hunter Tri's graphics and decided to work on improving Wii Zelda's graphics a while back. Considering how great the art style is in MHT, I'd say you should expect some real eye-candy with Wii Zelda.

fadeoutagain2784 @ Nov 4th 2009 8:19AM

@Mr. Fister:

I hadn't heard that before, where did you read that?

As far as the whole motion control experience goes - I think it'd be best if they dedicated a button for preparing the sword for "realistic motion". Maybe something like holding down the B button? Otherwise you'll be running around and the sword will be picking up all your subtle movements and it'll just be weird.

jarhead906 @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:38PM

I hope they bundle the MotionPlus with the game if it's going to be that much of an integrated feature.

Mr. Fister @ Nov 3rd 2009 8:56PM

Most likely, that's what they'll do: Make the game available both with and without a MotionPlus bundled in. It'd be silly of them not to, especially with a high-profile title like Zelda.

SoshiKitai @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:41PM

Thank goodness! I hated how generic the waggling was for twilight princess.
People said it added to it, and I thought "Add what? Swinging the sword in the wrong direction?"

If it's at least as good as Swordplay in WSR, I'll be happy.
Basic sword fighting at its best. Those who complained about "you win by just shaking the wiimote frantically" either has never gone to the later levels of Showdown or never faced a good opponent.

Gun Barrier @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:43PM

GOTY

Mr Khan @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:46PM

I'd imagine that as a great possibility. Given proper implementation, this game could be the holy grail of motion controlled gaming, the definitive proof that motion can take games far beyond what they once were, and even the largely anti-Nintendo gaming media will have to acknowledge it as such

Given proper implementation, of course. We'll need to see some sort of media to confirm that.

Gun Barrier @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:52PM

If they can port the sword and bow mechanics from Resort and expand upon them, then there should be no problem. My only concern is that some people, such as lefties, may not be comfortable holding a virtual sword in their right hand, and Resort required righties to hold the bow in your left hand. They need to address those problems.