Fan Video Re-Imagines Breath of the Wild as a Game Boy Color Game
Posted on May 24 2018 by Rod Lloyd
There’s a special place in my heart for the Game Boy Zelda titles. Link’s Awakening, Oracle of Ages, and Oracle of Seasons not only proved that the magic and excitement of The Legend of Zelda could flourish on a portable system, but they also cultivated a unique identity all their own. For those like me that may want to relive the glory days of these Game Boy classics, Nintendo Wire on YouTube recently released an animation video that recreates the opening of the latest Zelda title, Breath of the Wild, in the trademark style of the Game Boy Color.
This new video presents a “What if…?” scenario in which Breath of the Wild was released as a Game Boy Color game in the mid-90’s. Utilizing sprite assets and sound effects akin to Link’s Awakening and the Oracle games, we see Link awaken from his 100-year slumber in the Shrine of Resurrection. After recovering a pixelated Sheikah Slate, Champion’s Tunic, and Rusty Sword, our hero exits the shrine with a Roc’s Feather-like jump and looks over Hyrule for the first time in a century.
Nintendo Wire really pulled out all the stops making this Game Boy fantasy as authentic as possible. The character animations, text bubbles, and screen transitions spark a sense of nostalgia for the portable Zelda games of old. And perhaps the most impressive aspects of the video are the 8-bit remixes of Breath of the Wild‘s Shrine theme and opening theme. The entire project is so well done that it makes us wish for a full-on BotW de-make down the road. We can dream, right?
What did you think of the video? Did Nintendo Wire capture the magic of the Game Boy Zelda games? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Rod Lloyd is the Editor-In-Chief at Zelda Dungeon, overseeing the news and feature content for the site. Rod is considered the veteran of the writing team, having started writing for Zelda Informer in 2014 as a Junior Editor. After ZD and ZI officially merged in 2017, he stepped into the Managing Editor role and has helped steer the ship ever since. He stepped up to lead the writing team as Editor-In-Chief in 2023.
You can reach Rod at: rod.lloyd@zeldadungeon.net
