With the wild success of  Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild this year, it’s no wonder that fans have begun to take their love for the title and expand it into something new. Now, the latest fan-creation in the wake of this title’s release has come to light, and this creation throws back to the good old days of retro-gaming. Hearkening back to the original Zelda, this latest fan-game comes from creator Winterdrake, and has this retro-style 2D title available to download for free on itch.io. This adaptation allows players to traverse the world of Breath of the Wild in an entirely different way, bringing veteran Legend of Zelda players back to their roots!

Interestingly enough, developers at Nintendo had previously revealed that while designing the mechanics of Breath of the Wild, life for this popular title began as a humble 2D prototype. This prototype ended up being invaluable to game developers in figuring out exactly which elements were required to make this open-world title successful. Unfortunately, the prototype never made it past testing, so once the game was released, fan creator Winterdrake decided to create that 2D version that never saw the light of day. Check out the video below to see this retro-title in action:

While this version may not completely translate all the elements of its 3D cousin into this fan-title, this video definitely shows that Winterdrake did a pretty good job on recreating the adventure, as well as throwing in some familiar elements from previous Zelda titles. It even has a day and night cycle, allowing for passage of time to feel as real as the original source. While this may not be the complete Breath of the Wild experience, it definitely goes to show that fan creations are always incredible, no matter what the outcome. Whether it be a free game for fans everywhere, or even spot-on replicas of in-story objects,  there seems to be no shortage of creative output from those who love their video games.

Thoughts on the retro-style 2D creation of Breath of the Wild? Has Winterdrake created an incredible little retro game or should this title have stayed a 3D adventure? How many fans are planning on playing this title for themselves? Make sure to join in on the discussion in the comments below, and don’t forget to follow DFTG on Twitter for live gaming and entertainment updates 24/7. As always … game on, friends!