Reggie Talks Mario Online and Zelda Spirit Tracks

Recently, Kotaku was able to sit down with NOA President, Reggie Fils-Aime, to discuss this year’s two big holiday titles from Nintendo — New Super Mario Bros. Wii and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks.  He had quite a bit to say on each game, specifically about why Mario is not online and why Spirit Tracks’ details were kept a secret until lately.

When asked about New Super Mario Bros. Wii’s lack of online multiplayer, Reggie answers:

“This was a decision made purely by the developers,” he said. “They believe this experience, in the same room, to be elbowing your friends and family members as you’re playing the game [is ideal]. It was really their decision. I personally would have loved for it to be online capable as well, but having played the game, I really can’t fault it for not being online multiplayer.”

Discussing Spirit Tracks, he continues:

“We believe that to tease fans over an extended period of time really doesn’t do the gamer just service,” he said. “So, we have always been mindful of: When’s the launch date? When’s the right time to share information? How do we break information? In particular, with this game, given the Zelda dynamic — which you find out about right at the start of the game — we really wanted to keep that secret and have it be a big reveal. That is something very new and very different in a Zelda game, [having] Princess Zelda essentially playing along with you. That’s essentially what drove the strategy for how we reveal the information, when do we reveal the information and the fact that it had to be fairly late.”

For the entire article from Kotaku, click here.

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