Miyamoto elaborates on PlatInum's involvement in StarFox Zero, talks total dev time

A portion of a Stack interview with Shigeru Miyamoto...

S: So with this in mind, what was the initial studio brief you gave the team before development commenced?

SM: The overall game design including the programming was already done on our end, so we asked PlatinumGames to convert it for their systems, as well as producing and designing a number of stages. I set a challenge to focus on how they can make it look cool, considering the difficulties of 60 frames per second with 3D graphics on dual screens. I am happy that everyone, including directors, worked hard together as if they were longtime colleagues.

S: When designing Star Fox Zero for Wii U, when did the implementation of the GamePad come into play? Was this part of the initial planning process or did the features on the GamePad grow organically as development progressed?

SM: We spent more than one year on numerous experiments using the Wii U GamePad, and in the initial experiments, we conducted tests with 3D graphics on screen using Pikmin and Star Fox systems as a trial.

While manipulating the RC aeroplane-like flying experience or creating the mechanism to appreciate the overall and partial views together, it made me think I should continue to create Star Fox utilising these elements. We fixed the basic form in six months, and then commenced the one and a half year development process.

In the end, it took an extra six months though