In order to create The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Nintendo used a 2D prototype version of it in order to experiment and determine what would be featured in it. This prototype version was showcased at GDC 2017 and Winter Drake is currently working on a remake based on that version.
Zelda: Breath of the NES recreates the style and look of the GDC 2017 demo, and is available for download on itchio.
In this early version of Zelda: Breath of the NES, players can cut down trees, harvest food, shoot arrows, and use physics to kill enemies.
As Winter Drake told Kotaku, he’ll be adding more features in later versions.
“This project is still in its early stages… I’ll be adding more areas with distinct elements and atmospheres, puzzle elements for dungeons, and lots of ways to creatively kill enemies.”
Now I’m pretty sure that most of you will say that Nintendo will shut down this project. Well, the good news is that Winter Drake aims to finish this project, no matter what. And if he does receive a C&D letter from Nintendo, he will remove all characters related to Zelda.
“When a lot of people hear about this project, they jump to worrying about a cease and desist from Nintendo. While I’m going to stay hardworking on Breath of the NES for as long as I can, if Nintendo asks me to stop using their IP, I do plan to continue development with my own original characters. I’m having way too much fun creating this world to just give up.”
John is the founder and Editor in Chief at DSOGaming. He is a PC gaming fan and highly supports the modding and indie communities. Before creating DSOGaming, John worked on numerous gaming websites. While he is a die-hard PC gamer, his gaming roots can be found on consoles. John loved – and still does – the 16-bit consoles, and considers SNES to be one of the best consoles. Still, the PC platform won him over consoles. That was mainly due to 3DFX and its iconic dedicated 3D accelerator graphics card, Voodoo 2. John has also written a higher degree thesis on the “The Evolution of PC graphics cards.”
Contact: Email
“Well, the good news is that Winter Drake aims to finish this project, no matter what”
I’ve got a BRILLIANT idea…
How about, you finish your project first, and THEN announce it and make it available to download?!
That way, even if you’re getting a C&D, it doesn’t really matter!
I’m likely very crazy with this whole idea though, i know.
I agree, but at the same time people working for free may want external validation in order to not give up development.
I understand that of course.
But to me it sometimes feels like people WANT stuff like this to fail on purpose and never learn but just want their 5 minutes of internet fame instead of a complete project.
Damn we should’ve had this 10yrs ago.
Don’t announce your fan projects based on Nintendo’s IPs unless you want it shut down by Nintendo’s lawyers. Why don’t these people learn? Wait until it’s finished.
He knows about the peril of C&D, but (like probably every single Nintendo fan game developer) he seeks attention from big media sites.
“if Nintendo asks me to stop using their IP, I do plan to continue development with my own original characters”
…and also anonymously release the Zelda graphics patch as a separate download. Do that!
Shadows make everything look like it’s made from paper. They emphasize the two-dimensionality of the game.