Highlights
- Zelda has seen multiple canceled games, from a Sheikah JRPG to a Zelda 2 remake on the SNES. The series has faced its share of disappointments.
- The cancelled Zelda 3 and Wind Waker 2 projects showcased ambitious plans that were ultimately scrapped in favor of different directions.
- Retro Studios pitched a Zelda tactics game called Heroes of Hyrule, but Nintendo passed on the idea in favor of other projects.
Over its nearly 40-year history, The Legend of Zelda has produced some of the most incredible games in the entire industry. But for all of its landmark releases, Link had a few adventures snuffed out before they could reach the finish line. Canceled video games aren't a new phenomenon, and it's an affliction that can curse even the strongest franchises.
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In the case of Zelda, the series has seen a multitude of titles get the ax, whether they were in full production or just beginning development. As strong as the Hero of Time is, even he can't stand up to the cruel and heartless world of business decisions. Everything from direct sequels to strange spin-offs, Nintendo has shelved several tantalizing games in this long-running adventure series.
6 A Zelda 2 Remake On The SNES
NES Game Was Nearly Remade For Super Nintendo
Although it felt rather different to the first game, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link introduced several elements that would become crucial parts of the franchise moving forward, like the magic meter. The dramatic reinvention of the series was prepped for a remake on the SNES, planning to take advantage of the nascent 3D technology the hardware was capable of and use polygons instead of sprites.
Thanks to the Super FX chip, which powered games like Star Fox and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Nintendo was planning something big for Link on the machine. But as they tend to do, plans changed and the project was scrapped in favor of the next Zelda game being a fully 3D adventure on the N64. It's a shame, as this unique game in the series could benefit from a remake, especially after the delightful Link's Awakening remake on Switch proved so successful.
5 A Sheikah JRPG
An RPG Exploring The Sheikah Was In Development In 2007
If any of the numerous races and tribes in the Zelda series could justify a spin-off, it would be the Sheikah. This fascinating and mysterious sub-race of the Hylians hasn't appeared as frequently as others, but their impact on some of the games dating all the way back to Ocarina of Time can't be understated. And in 2007, Retro Studios was in the midst of prototyping a JRPG that explored the origins of the Sheikah.
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Set to explore the origin of the Master Sword, the Sheikah RPG was destined to be the strangest spin-off in the series, but potentially its most compelling. Unfortunately, due to regime changes within Retro, the project was eventually scrapped, and the studio began work on what would become Donkey Kong Country Returns. Interestingly, the next mainline Zelda game, Skyward Sword, would solidify the origin of the Master Sword in 2011.
4 Zelda 3 Was Going To Be Far More Ambitious Than A Link To The Past
Third Zelda Game Planned To Explore A Science Fiction World
Before Nintendo released A Link to the Paston the SNES in 1992, a game known as Zelda 3 was in development with a far more radical shift for the series. In Zelda 3, Link would explore three different locations and actions taken in the hub world would affect the others. It was a very ambitious project, one that ultimately influenced what A Link to the Past would become.
Another element of Zelda 3 was the use of a party system, one seen in the most popular RPGs of the time. It would feature Link with two companions, but this was also left behind once the third Zelda game was solidified into something more concrete. Science fiction within Zelda is rare, but this scrapped vision of the franchise on the SNES was prepared to explore it to the fullest before cancelation.
3 Ura Zelda Would Add More To Ocarina Of Time
64DD Add-On Planned To Create A Persistent World
In an effort to improve the capabilities of N64 games, Nintendo created a disk-drive add-on for the system known as the 64DD. One of the first games planned to take advantage of this was a title called Ura Zelda, which would take an already spectacular game and upgrade it into something even more amazing.
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Elements like chopping down trees that would stay in the world and permanent footprints were just a few of the things Nintendo planned, but the 64DD didn't quite work out the way they wanted, and Ura Zelda was shelved. Later games like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom would bring some of what Ura Zelda planned back into the fold, while a massive Nintendo leak in 2020 saw some material find its way online.
2 The Wind Waker 2 Was A Direct Sequel To The GameCube Classic
A Sequel To The 2003 GameCube Game Was Canceled In Favor Of Twilight Princess
Despite reservations surrounding its cel-shaded art style and more kid-friendly feel, The Wind Waker went on to become one of the best games in the franchise. Like they had previously done with Majora's Mask, Nintendo wanted to re-use some of the assets from the previous game in the series to cut production costs and create a new entry quickly. This resulted in them working on a direct sequel to The Wind Waker, which would be once again directed by Eiji Aonuma.
Unfortunately, as Aonuma saw the desire for a more mature Zelda title start to rapidly grow and watched The Wind Waker's weak performance in North America, the prospect of the sequel seeing the light of day dwindled. The sequel was canceled and production moved to creating an entirely new Zelda game in the form of Twilight Princess, as characters like Midna were transferred from the axed Wind Waker 2 project to the next mainline game.
1 A Zelda Tactics Game Pitched By Retro Studios
A Tactical RPG Would Have Explored A New Angle For The Zelda Series
The concept of a tactical strategy RPG set in the world of Zelda is a rather enticing concept, which is exactly what Retro Studios thought when they pitched that exact idea to Nintendo in 2004. Known as Heroes of Hyrule, it was planned for the Nintendo DS and would have seen Link take a backseat to three playable characters that were learning about his epic conflict with Ganon.
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In a pitch document obtained by the YouTube channel DidYouKnowGaming, the game known as Heroes of Hyrule would have focused on a book found by a young boy that evolved over time. As more pages were found, more areas and story elements would unlock. Battles were intended to unfold in a tactical RPG format, while the game would also include traditional Zelda puzzle solving. It sounded like an ambitious game, but Nintendo opted to assign Retro to the next Donkey Kong game and their Zelda tactics game was rejected.
The Legend of Zelda
- Created by
- Shigeru Miyamoto , Takashi Tezuka
- Creation Year
- 1986
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
