The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild demake for the Nintendo DS has been a topic of intrigue among fans, but the mystery surrounding its origins has been clarified. The demake, which features a low-poly version of Hyrule and a themed model of Link, was initially thought to be the work of a mysterious developer. However, it has been confirmed that the project was developed by an Italian modder and game developer named Ermelber. He shared that he and his friends worked on this project years ago to test their terrain engine and have fun. The ROM was leaked online and ended up on an AliExpress DS flashcard, sparking speculation about its origins. Videos of the demake first surfaced on BilliBilli, a Chinese video-sharing site, in 2019.
UPDATE: A few news outlets have talked about my tweet and credited me as the main creator, however my involvement in this was minor compared to my friend who made the entire terrain engine, I worked on Link's model animations and Link's state machine code.
— Ermelber (@ermelber) October 22, 2024
Despite early rumors about its background, the demake is simply an old project that gained unexpected interest. While it doesn’t include many features from the original Breath of the Wild, like towns and villages, it does a great job of recreating Hyrule’s terrain on DS hardware. The creator hasn’t dismissed the idea of revisiting the project in the future, but for now, it stands as a unique fan-made tribute to the beloved game.
Via Reddit
