Tomomi Sano might not be a household name, but the Nintendo employee has just shattered a significant barrier for The Legend of Zelda series. She has become the first female director for the franchise, having played a pivotal role in the development of The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, which is set to release in just a few days.
Nintendo announced this groundbreaking achievement for Sano in a recent Ask the Developer feature dedicated to Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. She is part of Nintendo's Entertainment Planning and Development Department, specifically within Production Group 3, and has previously worked with Grezzo on several Zelda remakes: Ocarina of Time 3D, Majora's Mask 3D, and Link's Awakening. (Yes, Nintendo is now officially acknowledging Grezzo's role as the developer behind the new Switch exclusive.)
Furthermore, Nintendo and Grezzo shared insights into the genesis of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. The project initially seemed to be inspired by a concept akin to a Zelda Maker title—similar to the Super Mario Maker series—but this time centered around dungeons for creation and sharing. Grezzo's Satoshi Terada, who co-directed the game with Sano, discussed the team's opportunity to innovate within the Zelda series and their various ideas.
"We were experimenting with several different gameplay mechanics simultaneously. One idea involved Link being able to copy and paste various objects, such as doors and candlesticks, to design unique dungeons," Terada explained. "During this exploratory phase, this concept was referred to as an 'edit dungeon' because players could craft their own Legend of Zelda experiences."
Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma added that "while it's enjoyable to create your own dungeon and share it with others," what particularly intrigued him was the idea of copying and pasting items. This concept eventually evolved into one of the game's core mechanics: "The focus shifted from dungeon creation to utilizing copied-and-pasted items as tools to enhance your adventure."
Sano mentioned that Aonuma essentially turned the project on its head, a phrase often associated with Shigeru Miyamoto. She supported Aonuma's vision, stating: "Creating dungeons was indeed fun, but the ability to copy various objects and use them in different contexts was even more engaging."
Earlier this month, a ROM of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom reportedly leaked, so be cautious of spoilers online as the game is set to launch on September 26. For more details, check out GameSpot's Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom preview, which highlights that the game plays like a condensed version of Tears of the Kingdom.
