Tears of the Kingdom Prototype Footage Reveals How Ultrahand System Was Developed
Among the many new features in The Legend of Zelda: Kingdom of Tears, one of the most interesting is the Ultra Hand Mechanic building system that allows players to build vehicles and other structures out of parts. It’s a fascinating new mechanic, and we’ve seen some early development footage of it, which seems to show the prototype system in action in Breath of the Wild instead of Tears of the Kingdom. .
This footage is courtesy of Nintendo, who posted a series of developer Q&As leading up to the release of Breath of the Wild, along with some images and videos. One video in particular It looks like it was posted a day early and got caught Thanks to a smart Reddit user, It also showcases early development gameplay of Tears of the Kingdom buildings using Seeker tech and items instead of the Zonai tech you’ve seen in previews and trailers.
The video includes a raft powered by a large paddle, a cart with giant seeker gears on its wheels, and again the same cart with a large cannon on the front. All parts of these vehicles can be found as environmental items in Seeker shrines, with the exception of rafts, which are found around the world. But it’s an interesting look at how the developers were when they first envisioned how the buildings and vehicles would work.
Additionally, based on the UI and the presence of certain landmarks such as the Seeker Tower, this appears to be Breath of the Wild footage rather than Tears of the Kingdom.In the cannon section on the bridge, in the distance Breath of the Wild Signage Systemwas used by developers to share in-game notes about what development work was being done in a particular area, or to share their opinions internally on a particular project.
We learned from these interviews that “hands” are a major theme in the game, that dungeons have a diverse aesthetic, and that Nintendo always planned to use Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule for sequels. I learned many other details, including what I was doing. Perhaps tomorrow, when the final part of the interview is published, we’ll get more details about this architectural prototype video. And more Tears of the Kingdom are coming, so be sure to check out the Wiki to find your way on launch day.
Rebekah Valentine is IGN’s Senior Reporter. you can find her on her twitter @duck valentine.
