"Zelda died because we can't animate a skirt" - Aonuma

[Cheebee]

forest-spirit said:
What the heck, I've not played Spirit Tracks yet, but I've SEEN video clips where Zelda appears, alive and wearing a skirt! Just go to youtube and search for Spirit Tracks trailers.
Plus, doesn't she wear a skirt as a phantom as well???

Some people really must be looking for a chance to call Nintendo lazy XD.

That's right, I think everyone here is misunderstanding him, I don't think it's a joke, it's just that they didn't want a dolled-up princess in a dress to accompany Link all throughout his adventure, battling enemies, running around through dungeons and whatnot. That wouldn't fit and would become cumbersome. It's got nothing to do with the difficulty of programming dress-related stuff, 'cos she does appear in-game both alive and dead, WEARING A DRESS! But whenever Link goes into action, she becomes a small ball of light and invades a huge hulk of armor. That's something that fits in the context of the game and the protagonist. Big hulking armed metal warrior>>dolled-up princess wearing a long dress.