Video game classic created Zelda-inspired art pieces as a tribute to the franchise, while savvy game designers have played around with their own versions of the fantasy adventures. Most recently, one clever fan took the original Legend of Zelda game and gave it a bit of 3D flair.
The very first Legend of Zelda game launched back in 1986 on the Nintendo Entertainment System. The colorful 8-bit action-adventure introduced the land of Hyrule and the franchise's hero, Link. In the story, the protagonist sets out to explore an overworld filled with several dungeons and retrieve fragments of an artifact called the Triforce of Wisdom. Link's ultimate goal was to save Princess Zelda from the wrath of Ganon, who later became a final boss known as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, has become known for its stunning 3D visuals.
As Nintendo Life reported, YouTuber CodyCantEatThis has brought the original Legend of Zelda graphics up to speed as best he could. He recently completely recreated the game in 8-bit-style 3D, including the entire overworld with all enemies and items. Needless to say, the project took him a very long time, as he revealed in a YouTube video about the game. He built the overworld's outlines with Unity and Pro Builder before adding in the individual objects, including more than 1,000 bushes that made up the game's maze-like structures.
Cody also shared gameplay footage to demonstrate some of The Legend of Zelda recreation's mechanics. In the video, Link could be seen collecting sword upgrades around the overworld and attacking enemies to collect rupees. Unfortunately, the recreation is purely for visual enjoyment, so fans won't be able to play it.
Cody's work is always impressive; fans of his may recall another project earlier this year where he turned classic Super Mario Bros. into a 3D game. However, this Legend of Zelda recreation might take the cake, simply because of how much detail went into building the massive overworld. It may not be quite the 3D that gamers know and love today, but to take something so old-school and bring it pretty close to modern development is worthy of applause.
Source: CodyCantEatThis/Youtube, Nintendo Life
