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.''

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.

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