After yesterday’s massive explosion of never-before-seen asset prototypes for various Nintendo 64 games, it’s hard to imagine that we haven’t seen all that Ocarina of Time has to offer, and still, more and more content is still being discovered. beta.
We previously reported on dungeon prototypes, one of the earliest Stalfos models and original artwork assets, but that was really just the tip of the polygonal iceberg.
Models of characters, enemies and objects.
First off, a beta version of an in-game Octorok has been assembled, which looks a lot more like the classic red sprites from previous Zelda games than the revamped purple version of the final Ocarina of Time model. This model was also previously seen in very early promotional screenshots.
Dr. Disco AKA z64me discovered a couple of Ocarina’s beta foes of time in the recent source code leak, and has made them work in-game, featuring the Octorock beta, appearing on OoT for the first time in over 20 years https : //t.co/uNoQ6T3Ogb pic.twitter.com/oINJUN8L3O
– Ganondork – Commissions closed (@ Ganondork123) July 26, 2020
Continuing the theme of the enemy, a golden figure, similar to a knight who has emerged, is believed to be an early version of the game’s mini Iron Knuckle boss.
Another incredible long-lost foe from the development of Ocarina of Time is revealed in the 7/25 escape! This mysterious knight has been found (iron knuckle?) Pic.twitter.com/vd8yDi6cVY
– MrTalida (@MrTalida) July 26, 2020
Completing the character models it is one of the earliest models of Link’s faithful Epona steed, which appears a little more ragged and bare than its final version.
oh no stupid horse
(Zelda Ocarina of Time Early Epona Model) pic.twitter.com/Xv5jZaq5Rh– @qwrtAlex (@qwrtAlex) July 26, 2020
Not all of these findings are degradations of Ocarina of Time’s final assets, of course. For in-game items, you can now look at Link’s expansive arsenal in more detail than ever with these high-quality renders.
Locations
As for the areas, many beta versions of the iconic locations of Ocarina of Time have been found, along with some items that were apparently removed early in development.
Yesterday, we shared a prototype screenshot of what appeared to be an initial version of Link’s house, the Kokiri Forest. That tweet is no longer available, but luckily, images of the area have been uploaded, and it’s huge!
Next, “micro-dungeons” containing only two or four rooms have been found, believed to be part of a potentially planned “boss rush” mode.
Over the past 24 hours, we have made massive progress.
Yesterday, I found what I interpret as boss dungeon scenes in the OoT source. These scenes are micro-dungeons that have between 2 and 4 rooms, each ending with the boss’s camera. Files have DD in their names, maybe 64DD tests? pic.twitter.com/ecRPDw1qvi– Psi-Hate (@Psi_Hate) July 27, 2020
Also included are the creepiest places in Ocarina of Time, with the first versions of the Casa de la Calavera and the surface of the bottom of the well. The map of this latter location appears to be a copy of Majora’s Mask’s mini Beneath the Well dungeon, leading to speculation that this area was originally planned for the canceled Ura Zelda project and then reused for Majora’s Mask.
The earliest versions of the spider houses and below the Majoras Mask well / redesign rooms are present in the DD files found by @SageOfMirrors and @xdanieldzd as well.
It probably means they were initially made for MasterQuest / DD URA EXPANSION but then used for MM later. pic.twitter.com/6eGjtIjv0n
– AeroArtwork (@AeroArtwork) July 26, 2020
If, like me, you’re a fan of N64-era pre-rendered backgrounds, you’ll love this next one. Here’s an early, expanded panoramic view of the Temple of Time, with a larger trail instead of the final version’s bodies of water.
majora’s mask
Ocarina of Time isn’t the only Zelda game on Nintendo 64 that has had freshly recovered and early-development content, as many remnants of the Majora’s Mask sequel have also been found.
In an old Iwata Asks interview, director Eiji Aonuma confirmed that Majora’s Mask’s three-day system was originally planned for a seven-day period. The weeklong period was ultimately removed due to concern that it could overly complicate the experience, but text graphics representing seven different days have recently been unearthed, proving that at least the initial idea was advanced.
100% proof that Majora’s mask would last 7 days. pic.twitter.com/0FZ8M3mt6Y
– Zen (@ Zen64_) July 27, 2020
A North Clock Town beta map is not far from the final version, although a large, fenced area can be seen.
Apparently MM has beta maps too! pic.twitter.com/yZ3SlwayE4
– 87N ジ ほ ブ e ぞ (@MrCheeze_) July 27, 2020
Eventually, an unused area was discovered, believed to be a discarded archery minigame in Great Bay.
I just found this unused archery minigame in Great Bay. pic.twitter.com/SqZrBVGKQY
– zel. (@ zel640) July 27, 2020
With allegedly two terabytes of data breached while still being examined over the Internet, it wouldn’t surprise us if even more discoveries were not made within the prototypes of the Nintendo 64 library yet. We will keep you posted as soon as more important findings emerge.
