Aonuma talks dungeons, and drops hints that Link may take to the skies. http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=20453 In an interview with The Guardian, Zelda Producer Eiji Aonuma discussed his early dungeon designs. He also dropped what may be a passing thought, or possibly a portent of things to come.
Aonuma discussed how his original passion was making marionettes, stating that he enjoyed how an audience would be surprised by their actions and wonder how they were made. Obvious parallels can be drawn between the craft involved in the creation of marionettes and Aonuma's creation of dungeons - which the article aptly describes as "mechanical puzzles" - for the Zelda series, starting with his Water Temple in 1998's The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time. His one regret with the Water Temple was that it relied on constantly switching the boots that Link was wearing, meaning that players had to repeatedly access their inventory. "I am most sorry that it was not easy for you to put on and take off the heavy boots; that all the time you had to visit the inventory. I am very sorry about that. I should have made it much easier to switch to the heavy boots."
Perhaps his most interesting comments came when discussing his young son. "I have an eight-year-old son myself at home, and quite recently he started playing The Phantom Hourglass for DS, because when the software first hit the market he was too young. When he started playing with the boat, I told him: 'In the next Zelda, you are going to be able to ride on the train.' He answered: 'OK, Dad, first boat, and then train? Surely next time, Link is going to fly in the sky ... '" He would offer no further details.
Aonuma went on to re-confirm that the next Zelda will use Wii MotionPlus, explaining how the game will benefit from its inclusion. "It's not just an improvement over the movement of Link himself: the realization of your more minute movements on the screen will expand the entire gameplay. I believe that we will be able to offer some great innovations in the new Legend of Zelda."
No release date for the next Wii Zelda has been announced, but speculation is that it will be unveiled at E3 2010.