Development:BS Zelda no Densetsu

This page details development materials of BS Zelda no Densetsu.

This page or section details content from the July 2020 Nintendo Leak. Check the July 2020 Nintendo Leak category for more pages also sourced from this material.

Early and Unused Graphics

Directories

\bbgames-noncvs\bbgames-noncvs\forest\tarball\usr_local_srd\srd\sample

ZLDOBJ.CGX

Found in the source data for Doubutsu no Mori is this nifty and revealing graphic for BS Zelda. This graphic shows a number of overworld characters. The most interesting among these graphics is that Link is present in here rather than the Male or Female Satellaview mascots like in the final game.

Link's palette is used to show the base palette for palette cycling seen in-game, as shown with enemies such as the Moblins, Octoroks, Leevers, Lynels, and Tektites; items such as the sword, bombs, Rupees, candles, and potions; and all four NPCs.

Of note regarding the items is the appearance of the Power Bracelet and the Lion Key. The former uses a preliminary design similar to the original NES version while the latter doesn't even appear in-game, likely due to the game's 1-hour time limit per week and events that lead to unlimited items, which would render the Lion Key useless.

Some palette changes are apparent - the Octoroks are now redder, and the Tektites and Peahats are now oranger. Some objects also got palette row changes, such as the Bracelet using the Gibdo palette, Armos using the Peahat palette, and the Ocarina and hearts using Link's palette (this was probably subject to change). Curiously, the Compass, Red Ring, Clock, Red Potion, and Heart Container still use the salmon-like palette that they and other red things like Octoroks used in the final game. The merchant NPC is also seen using the same green colours from Link's palette as Link's hat and tunic do, implying that he would have changed colour alongside Link when he got the Blue Ring and Red Ring, like the original NES game. While the merchant NPC still uses the same palette row as the player in the final game, two green colours are reserved for his tunic that are separate from the three used for the player's changing clothes when they get the Blue Ring and Red Ring (these green colours are also used on the male protagonist's hair, the Boomerang, and the Raft, which also are changed to not change colours alongside the player in this game unlike the original NES game. Oddly enough, the Wooden Sword still does change colour depending on whether or not the player has a Ring.)

Moblins and their spears, Armos, Lynels, Bombs, Arrows, Fairies, Old Man, the Compass, the Wand, the Magic Book/Bible, Boulders, the "arrow tink", and pushable rocks and graves all use different graphics. The Sword also not only uses different graphics, but does not have the unique sprite variants for the White Sword and Magical Sword seen in the final version. Interestingly enough, while the magic blasts from the Wand and Wizzrobes do not use substantially different graphics, the graphics seen in the final version are glitchier, with the horizontal version being misaligned to the grid and the vertical version being cut-off, to boot.

The Triforce fragment is also shown using a different animation than in the final release.

It is unknown whether or not the giant Octoroks were planned to be used - however, similar giant enemies happened as timed events in BS Super Mario USA.

Prerelease Palette in Final Game

In the introduction streamed from St.GIGA's servers in the original broadcast, the Octorok, Darknut, and Leever can clearly be seen using their original, more scarlet and slightly darker marigold palettes found in the prerelease files instead of their final palettes, which have the red be more salmon and the marigold as slightly lighter.

BOSS.CGX

Above is a preliminary version of the bosses. The most notable details regarding the file include the appearance of two bosses that were cut, Gleeok and Lanmola, the animation and assembly guides for Gohma, Lanmola, and Moldorm, as well as early designs for Digdogger's two sizes and Ganon. Dodongo is also missing its exploding frame in this graphic file. Digdogger's design gives it a more chitonous appearance that resembles the original artwork for the NES version. Ganon is also shown with a design closer resembling his appearance in artwork for A Link to the Past and later artwork for both Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons.

Two duplicates of this can be found in the "\other\NEWS\NEWS\テープリストア\NEWS_09\NEWS_09\home\nogami\bszelda" directory as boss-bak.cgx and boss.CGX.BAK.

on.CGX

Early tiles for the overworld, most notably dungeon entrances and the font for the status bar. It seems the second dungeon was originally meant to have its own entrance, like in the NES game. Note also the different Armos and tombstone.

\other\NEWS\NEWS\テープリストア\NEWS_09\NEWS_09\home\nogami\bszelda

boss.CGX

Compared to the .BAK file and the file found in the Doubutsu no Mori directory, this version of the boss graphic shows Dondongo and Digdogger in their final designs. Ganon however still uses his design from the previous file. Gleeok's palette was also flipped having a blue body with green highlights.

This image has been modified to show the correct in-game palette as shown in concept art.

gannon.CGX and gannon.cgx.BAK

gannon.cgx.BAK	gannon.cgx

Compared to the boss.CGX graphic, the design for Ganon on these graphics are his final design seen in the game. The main difference is the fact that the .BAK file (created August 1st, 1995 at 8:09 AM) and the main file (created August 3rd, 1995 at 3:29 AM) is the use of either the player, weapons, and NPCs or the bosses.

On the normal graphic, Ganon is nearly finished save for the last two sprites which are unshaded and incomplete. The .BAK file has several more graphics for Ganon seen in the final game, as well as a scratchpad for designing his face and how he should be animated for his entrance and cape twirl.