Avoid Saving Zelda, Now in 2D
One of the cooler game dev stories revealed about the Zelda game that lets you pull a selfie while Ganon charges at you was its prototype. That prototype, which was revealed at a GDC panel earlier this year, looked like the original NES, Link’s Awakening, but featured Breath of the Wild‘s trademark multiplicative game mechanics. Since that panel, many gamers wanted a chance to play that prototype as a working version of it was shown then. Well, thanks to a dev named Winter Drake, we’re able to get a chance to play a fan-made version of it called Breath of The NES.
In an interview with Kotaku, the dev says, “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.” Breath of The NES was made with Game Maker Studio over a few months, and tries to get at the heart of the game which was unbridled exploration. Like Breath of The Wild, you can also employ the use of physics to adventure on and battle here. In the interview, he also adds that he does not want to be restricted to that game’s exact structure and will implement his own twists.
As with previous fan-made games of famous Nintendo IPs, there’s always the risk that this game will be hit with a Cease and Desist quicker than a Yiga Clan member hoarding a banana. Regarding the possible takedown, he tells Kotaku, “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.”
Best to download it quick before it vanishes into the internet ether.