In the latest instalment of “Iwata Asks”, a feature on Nintendo’s official website in which the Nintendo boss chats to his staff about the ins and outs about some of the firm’s latest ventures, Link’s Crossbow Training is the project of choice. In discussing the game’s third-person perspective, Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto explained that he had always been interested in the concept, and that it was even considered for the Nintendo 64 classic, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Miyamoto says:

At first when we were developing The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, I even proposed using a first-person perspective. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, part of the Legend of Zelda Series, was the first 3D game for Nintendo 64, and was released in December 1998.

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I thought that the FPS system would be the best way of enabling players to take in the vast terrain of the Hyrule Field. Besides, by not having the player’s character on the screen, we can spend more time and machine power on creating enemies and the environments.

The idea was eventually decided against when the team decided to factor in the child Link/adult Link storyline, which would have made each difficult to identify if a first-person perspective was implemented.

For loads more banter, including how the Wii Zapper came about, check out Iwata Asks here.