Artwork reveals Retro Studios' cancelled The Legend of Zelda project Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Artwork reveals Retro Studios' cancelled The Legend of Zelda project The missing Link. News by Tom Phillips Deputy Editor Updated on 6 May 2020 32 comments A now-cancelled The Legend of Zelda project was once in pre-production at Retro Studios, the Nintendo-owned developer behind Metroid Prime. Ideas for the project have been shown off in several newly-surfaced galleries of concept artwork, drawn by former Retro Studios contract artist Sammy Hall (thanks, Shinesparkers). The tone of the game was meant to be dark, and its story designed to offer an origin tale for the Master Sword set within the "bad ending" timeline branch of the series storyline - the one which has Link fail to defeat Ganon in Ocarina of Time. Perhaps most surprising? Series hero Link is nowhere to be seen in the artwork. Instead, his place is taken by a male Sheik, a character normally represented as a hidden guise for Zelda. "Fun pre-pre-pre-production origin story of the Master Sword," Hall wrote alongside one gallery. "[Set] within the bad ending of Ocarina of Time exploring the last male Sheik's (after a genocidal ethnic-cleansing) journey transforming into the Master Sword. All while the Dark Gerudo are giving their 100 year birth to Ganon." Images include a petrified Deku Tree, a dark Windfish-like creature called the KindlerFish, a version of Majora's Mask's Clock Town, ideas for the Dark Gerudo tribe and all manner of weird landscapes, monsters and enemies. Hall worked on the project between 2005 and 2008, a fascinating period for the Zelda franchise overall. Nintendo released Twilight Princess in 2006, after spending several years in development pivoting away from the colourful cel-shaded Wind Waker. A petrified Deku Tree. Kindlerfish. Much of this artwork is clearly inspired by Twilight Princess, which makes sense considering the development timeframe - although Nintendo eventually pivoted back from Twilight Princess' darker style for Skyward Sword, which released after a protracted development in 2011. And while this Retro Studios project never saw the light of day, the story of a character transforming into the Master Sword is one which features heavily in Skyward Sword, suggesting some ideas were taken on by Nintendo, even as the project itself was shelved. Hall's art profile is well worth a browse - there's also a few concepts for a cancelled handheld game project starring King Boo, another in the long list of Retro Games titles cancelled before the seeing light of day. A dark, trilobite-inspired landscape. Clock Town. Dark Gerudo. Watch on YouTube Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 59 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 11 Latest Articles Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 59 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store