HD Rumble is a very unique and interesting feature of the Nintendo Switch, allowing players to feel a rumbling sensation in the Joy-Con controllers which is far more advanced than that found in previous gaming hardware. A prime example was featured in the Nintendo Switch Presentation, wherein Yoshiaki Koizumi demonstrated how the Joy-Con could convey the feeling of ice cubes in a cup when you rattle it, or the sensation of water filling it.
Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma, in an interview with Gameblog (translated by Perfectly Nintendo), has revealed that this feature will not be included in Breath of the Wild. “Naturally, had the game been created exclusively for the [Nintendo] Switch, we would have used its unique features, such as HD Rumble.”
He does, however, express his interest in the feature, and admits that he would have loved to have made use of it in Zelda. “[HD Rumble] is quite marvelous: you can try and guess how many balls there are in the controller, for example… Yes, it’s something I really would have liked to take advantage of.”
“It’s something I really would have liked to take advantage of.”
So then why would the team decide to omit this feature? Aonuma explains that “with this [Nintendo] Switch version, our goal was to offer the exact same experience as on Wii U, and vice-versa. If we had gone and started adding [Nintendo] Switch features, then we would have ended up with a different game. That’s why we didn’t really do anything with the features of this new console, besides the graphical aspects.”
At least we have 1-2-Switch to take advantage of HD Rumble, which I thought was great fun and will also be available at the Switch’s launch along with Breath of the Wild.
With Aonuma clearly impressed with this technology, perhaps we’ll see HD Rumble in a future Zelda game?
