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Aonuma on why Skyward Sword is a Zelda evolution, Kondo on his approach to music
"There have been very few 'internal' changes to the Zelda formula in recent games. This time, we started development with the view that we needed to rectify this situation on Skyward Sword. We introduced some puzzles to new environments and removed the dungeon and field format as a means of breaking away from stereotyped formulae.
We have also made theme changes possible and have allowed different games to unfold sequentially in the same location based on the same system. In so doing, we have managed to create a much more profound game than in the past, with a more compact world in which the player’s memory becomes the key to unlocking the game’s secrets.
In addition, I believe that the feeling that one’s own movements are transposed directly into the game world itself thanks to Wii Motion Plus creates an even stronger sense of being immersed in Zelda’s world." - Eiji Aonuma
"Film music is aimed at expressing the emotions of the characters. The most important element of game music is to make the player feel they are immersed and interacting with the changes that are occurring in real time.
On the first Super Mario, we focussed primarily on rhythms which would express the pleasure the player feels when making Mario jump. For The Legend of Zelda, we focussed instead on the feelings the player experiences while he or she swings the sword and fells enemies, as well as the feelings of bravery and courage when moving on to new places and new adventures.
We are still using the same concepts now when creating the music, so for Mario the focus is on the feelings the user experiences while manipulating Mario onscreen and for Zelda on allowing the user to feel that he or she has entered into the screen and is experiencing the action.
I think one can say that with fewer and fewer limitations on tone and improvements in sound quality, it has become possible recently to infuse one single piece of game music with greater depth and variety than was previously possible.
However, I believe that if the changes are not pertinent to the person playing the game but are merely changes based on the piece itself, then the result is something which is inappropriate for use as a piece of game music. What I am trying to say is that the changes themselves impose a musical development (feelings of rhythm, excitement, etc.) onto the overall composition which is inappropriate.
When seen from this perspective, we could very probably say that simple pieces with limitations on the number of sounds and the length of the music are most suitable for use as game music." - Koji Kondo
Check out the full interview here (thanks Shadzter!)
We have also made theme changes possible and have allowed different games to unfold sequentially in the same location based on the same system. In so doing, we have managed to create a much more profound game than in the past, with a more compact world in which the player’s memory becomes the key to unlocking the game’s secrets.
In addition, I believe that the feeling that one’s own movements are transposed directly into the game world itself thanks to Wii Motion Plus creates an even stronger sense of being immersed in Zelda’s world." - Eiji Aonuma
"Film music is aimed at expressing the emotions of the characters. The most important element of game music is to make the player feel they are immersed and interacting with the changes that are occurring in real time.
On the first Super Mario, we focussed primarily on rhythms which would express the pleasure the player feels when making Mario jump. For The Legend of Zelda, we focussed instead on the feelings the player experiences while he or she swings the sword and fells enemies, as well as the feelings of bravery and courage when moving on to new places and new adventures.
We are still using the same concepts now when creating the music, so for Mario the focus is on the feelings the user experiences while manipulating Mario onscreen and for Zelda on allowing the user to feel that he or she has entered into the screen and is experiencing the action.
I think one can say that with fewer and fewer limitations on tone and improvements in sound quality, it has become possible recently to infuse one single piece of game music with greater depth and variety than was previously possible.
However, I believe that if the changes are not pertinent to the person playing the game but are merely changes based on the piece itself, then the result is something which is inappropriate for use as a piece of game music. What I am trying to say is that the changes themselves impose a musical development (feelings of rhythm, excitement, etc.) onto the overall composition which is inappropriate.
When seen from this perspective, we could very probably say that simple pieces with limitations on the number of sounds and the length of the music are most suitable for use as game music." - Koji Kondo