If we think of la serie The Legend of Zelda and on the Nintendo 64 console, two games will come to mind for most of us: Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask. All things considered, they were the only two games in the series released on the console. Both games are considered to be some of the best titles ever released by Nintendo. And it is not for less, because they were very successful titles both with critics and with the public. While the former managed to come up with an effective evolution of the series’ mechanics, the latter altered its formula entirely.
But these games weren’t always meant to be released that way. Before the arrival of Ocarina of Time, long and hard work was done on a prototype that, later, would be known as Zelda 64. Although it advanced some ideas that would be seen in the final game, the prototype presented very interesting changes. Therefore, it is not uncommon to ask: What was the prototype like, and why was it not released? To answer this question, and learn more about the origins of one of the best games in history, we have made this article. We may not know everything that was behind this project, but we will certainly be able to shed some light on this lost history. Without further ado… Let’s begin!
After Link’s Awakening, 3D came
Let’s travel, once again, to the past, and more specifically to the year 1993, when Link’s Awakening arrived in stores around the world. This cute title quickly rose as one of the biggest and most complete Game Boy games. However, players were missing new “canonical” titles in the saga, at the height of A Link to the Past… And Nintendo knew this. In 1994, the Ultra 64DD development, which would later be known as Nintendo 64, gave rise to the gestation of a new Zelda. This would drink from some of the concepts of the then-in-development Mario 64, especially in relation to the creation of 3D scenarios.
Of course, this would be a more than extensive development. The bar set by the Super Nintendo installment was high, and the future Ocarina of Time had to live up to the hype. In addition, Zelda was the jewel in the crown of the Nintendo catalog, and this one she would constantly demonstrate. Thus, after several months of work at Spaceworld in 1995, a technical demo of Nintendo 64 and Zelda was shown to the public.
A slightly different link
But, of course, this idea would end up being scrapped sooner rather than later. Although Nintendo didn’t usually take into account chronological issues, they soon understood that they shouldn’t make this a sequel. Ocarina of Time would give much more play as an original title, and would allow many classic concepts of the franchise to be altered. Thus, for 1996 the game was shown again, this time with a much more faithful appearance to that of the final title. Link had the design that we all know, and the interface would be presented formally, although somewhat more simplified. Of course, there were two important changes with respect to the final game: Navi did not appear, and Link would only be playable in adult form.
Also, there was an idea that was quickly scrapped: the game would be completely playable in first person. Although today it seems crazy, at the time it was not unreasonable. After all, many Japanese RPGs relied on a first-person point of view. The combat system would be somewhat similar to that of The Elder Scrolls, although much more simplified and action-focused. Although scenarios such as Death Mountain were featured, it was quickly removed. Few more changes were made in reference to what was shown, and soon the game would end up being the one we all know.
With all these changes in mind, we can make several things clear. On the one hand, the title initially seemed to point to the origins of the franchise. This was reflected in the return of certain designs and scenarios. Certain ideas about how to deal with 3D technology were also considered, which is evident in the implementation of the first person. Who knows, maybe if any of the prototypes had gone ahead we would have had a completely different franchise.. Tell us, would you have liked to see a different evolution in the series? We will be reading you!
