Zelda: Ocarina of Time early 1997 build emerges with pre-release assets, showcases changes from the final game

Posted on January 19, 2021 by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News

One of our earliest looks at The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time came in 1997. It was fully playable at the trade show, which was a full year before launch. We’ve learned over the years that the build on display there offered up some significant changes from the final version.

Now more than twenty years later, assets from that early version of Zelda: Ocarina of Time have popped up online. Forest of Illusion obtained a prototype N64 cartridge for F-Zero X from a former Nintendo employee, which amazingly enough, has the unfinished build.

Here’s a roundup of notable findings:

We have a prototype Nintendo 64 cartridge of F-Zero X that contained data from an early build of Zelda 64 that used to be on the cartridge. We're estimating it's from Spaceworld 1997. We're going to look into this more. Of course everything will be released. pic.twitter.com/Q5SoAbsdWM
— Forest of Illusion (@forestillusion) January 19, 2021

Beta Water Temple had more water level based rooms. Small differences in Gerudo Training Grounds' main room, but the last pictured room is… what? Maybe the silver rupee room. pic.twitter.com/DzSqzMWypS
— Psi-Hate (@Psi_Hate) January 19, 2021

These rooms are fairly chunky. What could be in them I wonder? pic.twitter.com/MEeXo0IDLV
— Psi-Hate (@Psi_Hate) January 19, 2021

Looking through beta Fire Temple. Really huge differences here. pic.twitter.com/hM0T2KdxIg
— Psi-Hate (@Psi_Hate) January 19, 2021

The extra foliage really breaths some life into here. Also elevators weren't invented apparently. pic.twitter.com/N5xbcz23SY
— Psi-Hate (@Psi_Hate) January 19, 2021

https://twitter.com/MrCheeze_/status/1351611689989533696