The good folks over at Japan's premier videogame magazine, Famitsu, recently had the opportunity to discuss the upcoming Legend of Zelda for the GameCube with director Eiji Aonuma. The most interesting nuggets to come from the chat deal with Link, and how he's going to be solving puzzles this time around.

Readers who have pored over the panoply of screens and movies that have been released since last year's Tokyo Game Show will have noticed that Link has got a pretty large set of eyes on him. It seems that this is no mere design quirk, but will rather add some of the little nuances that draws players into a game. When entering new areas, Link's view will be drawn to important items and hint at hidden objects, and after battles, dropped items will be highlighted. Those wanting to do the exploring on their own will be glad to hear that this scanning will not reveal all the secrets required for solving puzzles.

Another topic of conversation was the pervasive theme that will be present in the game. While Ocarina of Time had a lot to do with the manipulation of time, the new title will be using wind to a large extent. Several puzzles will absolutely require the player to make use of the wind, while others will require avoidance of its effect. But this does not mean that the wind will be a feature of every puzzle. Seeing as how Link's raft seems to be his major form of transportation, the variation in wind direction over time will affect how easily gamers travel around the game world.

The existense of a consistent timeline in the Legend of Zelda series is something that is subject to a lot of debate. Several people have various opinions on where in the timeline each game takes place. The GameCube Legend of Zelda has been crafted to have a definite place in the timeline. The game is set after a certain event in Ocarina of Time, though exactly which event this is is currently unknown. Those who played through Link's first Nintendo 64 outing will feel quite at home on the island that serves as the game's location. The game will not, however, just be part of a pre-existing story, but will be a totally self-contained adventure.

In related news, the full Japanese title for the series' GamCube debut has been made public. When the game hits the island in mid-December, it will carry the moniker Legend of Zelda: Kaze no Takuto, with the subtitle roughly translating to Wand of the Wind. No official North America title has been released as of yet, but with the game slated to hit the continent in February we can be sure that fresh details are en route.