Video Compiles the Unused Content of NES Legend of Zelda
Posted on May 19 2015 by Rod Lloyd
Considering how groundbreaking the original Legend of Zelda was, one would expect that a lot of ideas didn’t make it into the final game. There were no doubt many items, enemies, and gameplay features that were left unused by the time development was completed. Well, YouTube’s Nintendo News Network recently released a video listing the number of unused or unreleased pieces of content in the NES classic.
Tyler McVicker of the Nintendo News Network ran through the unused beta content in the NES Legend of Zelda. Much of his information comes from a certain prototype version of The Legend of Zelda from the Japanese Famicom. This prototype is assumed to be from late in the game’s development because much of the content is identical to the final game. However, there are a few key differences between the prototype and the actual release. In addition, McVicker also cites cut content seen in the game’s instruction manual.
In terms of content, earlier versions of the game saw marginally different text and a shorter version of the game over theme. Interestingly, the Old Man at the start of the game also originally offered Link the choice between the sword we see in the final game and the boomerang. Some of the other changes from the game’s prototype version were the absence of the dungeon theme, the heightened difficulty in enemy layout, and the absence of my favorite character the Hungry Goriya. It’s really cool to see how the game changed throughout development and to see what elements were added late in the process. Obviously, the second quest was a pretty late addition.
What did you think of the video? Do you know of any other pieces of cut content? Let us know in the comments!
Rod Lloyd is the Editor-In-Chief at Zelda Dungeon, overseeing the news and feature content for the site. Rod is considered the veteran of the writing team, having started writing for Zelda Informer in 2014 as a Junior Editor. After ZD and ZI officially merged in 2017, he stepped into the Managing Editor role and has helped steer the ship ever since. He stepped up to lead the writing team as Editor-In-Chief in 2023.
You can reach Rod at: rod.lloyd@zeldadungeon.net
