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 (SNES). 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 LA and AlttP, there was a dream world like in LA and the two worlds concept from AlttP.

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 NES 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.

Okibi's Article

Pictures of the Second Prototype

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 an 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.

UPDATE: It seems that Rated O may be offering the Zelda III Proto rom again, but this time to the winner of a Gaming Championship to be held in mid to late May 2007. Apparently, everyone who signs up will play retro games against each other until they get to the final four players. Whoever gets first place apparently gets his or her choice of a prize, including the option of the Zelda III Proto rom. It seems signups are still being taken and you can get more info 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.

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 but the company to this day denies the purchase.