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The Legend of Zelda prototype
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Skrybe
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Joined: 28 Aug 2003
Posts: 1610

PostPosted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 3:21 pm    Post subject: The Legend of Zelda prototype Reply with quote

Merry Christmas, everyone! We've got something special for you today: a prototype of Zelda no Densetsu, better known to most of us as The Legend of Zelda.



This is an early build of the original FDS version of Zelda, complete with different room layouts, sprite changes, new music, and odd glitches. As a lot of you guys know, it's very unusual for first party prototypes like this to make their way out to the public, so this is quite a find.

This build shows how the initial design of Zelda was notably less difficult than what we ended up playing on our NESes (and Famicoms). Practically all of the gameplay changes from this build to the final were made to make the game more challenging:



The prototype, pictured on the left, tends to use an easier selection of enemies than the final, seen on the right. Frequently the enemies are fewer in number in the prototype as well. Money is considerably easier to come by, too, as you can see from Link's maxed out rupies.

Some early designs for the monsters can be seen in this prototype also. For example, notice how the Pols Voice didn't initially have whiskers:



All of the known changes in this prototype, including altered gameplay mechanics and new game over music, have been documented in extreme detail and will be posted over at The Cutting Room Floor.

You can pick up the .fds file right here:

.fds image
NSF
Disk scans: Side A Side B

Thanks to Chris Covell for his help in obtaining the disk, and for ripping the NSF, Rob Budrick for copying the game, and GoldS for documenting all of the differences.

Enjoy!


Last edited by Skrybe on Sun Dec 02, 2012 10:40 pm; edited 3 times in total
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MathUser2929



Joined: 20 Nov 2007
Posts: 203

PostPosted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 3:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I look forward to seeing the differences in this ROM.
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Vlcice



Joined: 22 Sep 2005
Posts: 89

PostPosted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 4:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow! Very, very nice. This makes a fantastic Christmas present.

Thanks to everyone who was involved in releasing this.
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Xkeeper



Joined: 04 Nov 2005
Posts: 327
Location: Henderson, NV

PostPosted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 5:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Page is up now. Took a bit longer than expected, but it's there.
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Mia D



Joined: 06 Jun 2004
Posts: 162
Location: AUSTIN TEXAS

PostPosted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 9:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is awesome. This is SO. AWESOME.
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celebi23



Joined: 18 Jul 2007
Posts: 26

PostPosted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 3:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Shocked Smile AWESOME!! Thank you for sharing this Very Happy
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sebmal



Joined: 30 Oct 2005
Posts: 152
Location: Somewhere!!

PostPosted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 6:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

hoooooooolyyyyyyyyyyyy shit
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Erilily



Joined: 26 Dec 2010
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 7:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ooh ooh best christmas ever.

I wonder which build has the "Sword or Boomerang" choice that's in the American manual.
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Xkeeper



Joined: 04 Nov 2005
Posts: 327
Location: Henderson, NV

PostPosted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 9:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Erilily wrote:
I wonder which build has the "Sword or Boomerang" choice that's in the American manual.


Not this one.

Interestingly, the US manual has a few of the early sprites. I was looking through it this morning and found the Ghini and skeleton.

Kind of neat, really.
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skyrunner14



Joined: 09 Aug 2010
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 7:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Man, this is impressive. My eyes bugged outta my head when I saw this, like Shocked

I downloaded this, but I can't find a Disk System BIOS anywhere... anyone know where I could find it at?
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Skrybe
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Joined: 28 Aug 2003
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 9:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Right here.
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nensondubois



Joined: 26 Dec 2010
Posts: 47
Location: Currently moving

PostPosted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 9:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Best damn Christmas! Very Happy I made some youtube videos showcasing the prototype, if anyone's interested. The last two parts are yet to be uploaded.

Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyJJy-rvZJs

Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFfk5onbxjw
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DarkTetsuya



Joined: 05 Sep 2003
Posts: 80

PostPosted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 10:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So it seems like they composed the 'Death Mountain' music first then the 'regular dungeon' music... felt really weird walking around the first dungeon to that music. Razz

and I *thought* I was getting more money from enemies than I usually do...

very awesome present, I have to say.
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Xkeeper



Joined: 04 Nov 2005
Posts: 327
Location: Henderson, NV

PostPosted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 10:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I wonder why some people are so skeptical. "FDS images can be faked easily!" Because obviously this is a fake. (Also, "Where's the video of someone playing it on a real FDS?" Because obviously if you can dump disk images, you can't write them.)

-_-
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nensondubois



Joined: 26 Dec 2010
Posts: 47
Location: Currently moving

PostPosted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 11:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Since ccovell is a known hacker, but highly respectable in the NES community, I doubt he'll let something as groundbreaking as a Zelda Prototype be deemed a fake with it's millions of fans and it would be moot to do so. I believe this is legitimate.

Here's Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdP2Wfh1n_w
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Tongueman



Joined: 27 Feb 2004
Posts: 631
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 11:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So who's saying it's fake, then?
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Xkeeper



Joined: 04 Nov 2005
Posts: 327
Location: Henderson, NV

PostPosted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 1:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tongueman wrote:
So who's saying it's fake, then?


Nobody's saying it's a fake.

More like saying your mom is an "alleged" law-abider.

There are a bunch of links from all over, really. Started over at GoNintendo ("alleged" prototype surfaces), etc.
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nensondubois



Joined: 26 Dec 2010
Posts: 47
Location: Currently moving

PostPosted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 2:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'll just leave this music modifier code here and slowly walk away. 0E00:??, (also a sound effect modifiers) 0E01:??, 0E02:??, 0E03:??, 0E04:??, and 0E05:??
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Erilily



Joined: 26 Dec 2010
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 3:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Xkeeper wrote:
Erilily wrote:
I wonder which build has the "Sword or Boomerang" choice that's in the American manual.


Not this one.

Interestingly, the US manual has a few of the early sprites. I was looking through it this morning and found the Ghini and skeleton.

Kind of neat, really.


I remember there being even more different sprites too. The Darknut and Zol come to mind.
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skyrunner14



Joined: 09 Aug 2010
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 4:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Skrybe wrote:
Right here.


Thank you for this, but I can't get it to work... I'm using VirtuaNES, if that helps. It says, "unsupported format". And when I try to run the prototype, "There isn't DISKSYS.ROM.", even though I tried to open it! Man, I want to try this proto out so bad...
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