One of the first bits of information we got about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake was that it would include something known as the “Threads of Time.” An in-game tapestry that fills out as you complete the story, it functions as a visual representation of the progress you’ve made not only as a player, but as Link. Inspired by fantasy storybooks, Nintendo has stated it created the feature to function as a “conversation starter” for players old and new.
In part three of Nintendo’s “Ask the Developer” column on Ocarina of Time, remake director HokWai Ng said, “I imagine that some of the people who played the original game as kids now have children of their own. When they play this new version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time together, we thought it would be nice if it gave them a shared topic of conversation.” He mentions how the tapestry combines a picture book aesthetic with a feature that supports players’ adventures, providing something more engaging than just a basic menu. Art director Aya Shida added, “Once the direction was set and we decided to create the illustrations for the tapestry, we were confident that it was going to turn into something special.”
Producer Hidemaro Fujibayashi noted how the story was complete even back in the ’90s, so Nintendo felt the need to introduce a new approach to telling it versus trying to embellish ideas. Ng then added, “More than anything, I personally would be happy if it became a conversation starter that encourages players of different generations to share memories with each other.” He then jokingly adds a fictional scenario, saying, “You know, your Dad got stuck in the Water Temple plenty of times back in the day.”
Personally, I think the Threads of Time sounds like a fantastic way to give players a recap of where they’ve been in the adventure. While I don’t think Ocarina of Time is particularly long, it would be nice for epic scale adventure titles to offer some form of recap so that long breaks in between sessions don’t leave players hopelessly lost. Maybe this idea can be expanded for different styles and genres.
Leave a Comment
Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
