We’ve never been so relieved to see a Zelda game scrapped. At first, it seemed like it would be the ultimate installment in the series, but it was shaping up to be a major disaster for Nintendo. While the first leaks in 2020 thrilled fans, the gameplay of this Retro Studios title turned out to be shockingly poor.

Retro Studios is a developer whose history could fill volumes of reports. Best known for their masterpiece Metroid Prime, as well as other memorable titles that have left an indelible mark on players worldwide, they are no strangers to success. However, like most game studios, their portfolio includes a handful of projects that never saw the light of day. Among these are two Zelda games so radically different from the main series that they might have caused an uproar among fans.

We’ve already shared the story of Heroes of Hyrule, a Final Fantasy-inspired project that Nintendo quickly rejected. Today, we’re diving back into Retro Studios’ past to discuss another title that combined stunning artwork with abysmal gameplay. This story, brought to light through the meticulous research of the DidYouKnowGaming YouTube channel, revisits a project that gained attention in 2020 due to some promising leaks.

Rumors and Captivating Sketches That Enthralled Fans

Speculation about this Zelda project—internally referred to as Project X—dates back to 2008 on platforms like Nintendo Life (via My Nintendo News). However, news about the game quickly faded. In fact, fans heard little about Retro Studios’ offering until 2020, when Sammy Hall, a former artist for the studio, posted over 100 sketches of the project on his ArtStation profile.

The game aimed to explore the origins of the Master Sword, reimagining Sheik as the legendary weapon.

These sketches were quickly removed once they started circulating online, but their descriptions pointed to “a cancelled Zelda project developed between 2005 and 2008.” They were part of a “pre-pre-preproduction” phase focused on unraveling the backstory of the Master Sword. The narrative was set in an alternate timeline from Ocarina of Time, where the last surviving Sheikah transforms into the Master Sword following a catastrophic genocide. Meanwhile, the Gerudo would offer a once-in-a-century newborn to Ganon. However, such details conflict with established lore, as Link already wields the Master Sword in both Ocarina of Time and earlier adventures. DidYouKnowGaming suggests the story was likely still in development at Retro Studios, as later revelations indicated that the protagonist would not be “the last Sheikah,” but rather the Sheik from Ocarina of Time.

Regardless, Hall’s sketches depicted never-before-seen creatures, fantastical settings, and menacing wolf designs. Initially, the community suspected that Hall had fabricated the entire project, but subsequent leaks of official Nintendo documents confirmed the existence of Project X in 2008.

A Beautiful Concept That Was Destined to Fail

It’s clear that Nintendo decided against publishing this title before the 2010s, but what caused the company to reject the proposal from the creators of Metroid Prime? According to an anonymous developer: “We never worked on anything resembling Breath of the Wild, Ocarina of Time, or Wind Waker—nothing that could be called ‘traditional Zelda.’”

Programmer Paul Tozour shed light on the project’s core issue:
“The gameplay was like Whac-A-Mole, but with even fewer decisions involved.”

Tozour elaborated that the gameplay revolved almost entirely around shaking the Wii Remote, resulting in a simplistic and dull experience.

In the end, what seemed like a promising Zelda game with breathtaking artwork turned out to be a misstep that Nintendo wisely avoided releasing. Retro Studios’ Project X remains a curious but ultimately failed attempt that could have tarnished the legendary franchise.

Source: 3djuegos