Community:Zelda III Cartridge Hoax



''This article refers to the unreleased NES prototype known only as Zelda III. For information on the actual third game in the series, see The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.''

Information
A game Nintendo was rumored to have been developing prior to the release of the Super Famicom (Super Nintendo Entertainment System). After the NES became obsolete, the game was thought to have been abandoned in favor of a game that took advantage of the new hardware. It is possible that the unfinished prototype was used as a platform of development for A Link to the Past, or the Game Boy game The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. All of this is merely speculation, as there is no proof that such a game ever actually existed.

Story
The story is stated to be a cross between Link's Awakening and A Link to the Past, there was a dream world like in Link's Awakening and the two worlds concept like in A Link to the Past.

Items
Okibi has stated that items from the LoZ and AoL are the only items here.

Gameplay
NOTE: Keep in mind this is all Okibi's words.

There is supposedly an experience system not like AoL's.

The map system is similar to FSA's where you select an area to go to from the map and then go through it.

When you completed a dungeon you got a stone slate.

The game starts out in a house, not Link's house.

The game features a Magic meter

Houses had 2 floors like in AoL

Prototypes
However, on October 27, 2005, attention was drawn to an Nintendo Entertainment System prototype labeled "Zelda III" on eBay. The auction was later pulled, and has since been largely considered a hoax. The incident did prompt the web master of ratedo.com, known as Okibi, to write an article. In said article, he claims to have the only known prototype of Zelda III in his possession. He does not detail how he acquired it, but is otherwise convincing in his arguments.

On June 9, 2006, another prototype was found. Apparently, he found it, along with several other prototypes, at a garage sale being run by a former Nintendo employee.

Porting
The game was to be ported to the GameBoy however it MAY have been changed to Link's Awakening.

The speculation that it was Zelda III was the 70% complete tidbit, because according to Nintendo, Zelda III was 70% complete when it was abandoned.

A ROM
Okibi sold the game cart June 2006, but he made a ROM of the game itself. It was the grand prize in a March 2007 competition but since it ended on 04/26/07 without a winner he is holding the ROM for a later contest.

Apparently, Rated O offered the Zelda III prototype ROM again, but this time to the winner of a Gaming Championship that was held in May 2007. Everyone who signed up was to play retro games against each other until they got to the semi-finals. Whoever obtained first place got his or her choice of a prize, including the option of the Zelda III prototype ROM. More information can be found at The Rated O Gaming Championship 2007 site.

Another Cart
Another Cart was being auctioned on E-Bay with a title screen much different than Okibi's that read The legend of Zelda: The triforce Saga.

The E-Bay auction was pulled for being widely considered a hoax, but the auctioneer eventually sold it to a "Knight7" who was thought to work for Silicon Knights, a Canadian gaming company. To this day the company denies the purchase.