THE "Z" FILES

Z-Files Update 3/23/99 - Now, while reading this page I don't want you to get the impression that these images/abilities are hidden in your Zelda 64. These are just anomalies from the Beta/Pre-Production copy that do not exist today. In fact some of these are so old they represent a totally different concept Idea during early production in late '96 and '97. You can not equip the Forest Medallion, Use the Blade Beam Attack, or find the Unicorn (a.k.a. Goddess Fountain) Fountain. These are all "on the cutting room floor" so to speak. ...but there is hope for some of these images, it is possible that they represent parts of the Zelda Add-On that may be coming later this year. But in saying this I do not guarantee that these are going to be in that version of Zelda 64. Here are some new Z-File screenshots to take a look at.

Who is that Blonde Haired Girl? Early Concept Idea for a Kokiri?


Images of the Unicorn Fountain...with a TRIFORCE on it. (These are real screenshots by the way from the official Nintendo Power Source's Website)

You know these screenshots really bug me, first off, if we look closely at it he has the Ocarina of Time and the Slingshot equiped and if you look at the image of the Unicorn Fountain lower on this page you will see that it is young Link who is viewing it. The only window of opportunity for this to be a valid occurance would be just after he collected all the Spiritual Stones and viewed the cinema of Zelda running from the palace followed by Ganon and obtained the Ocarina of Time from Zelda. "So what," your thinking, but remember when I said that the only window of opportunity for Link to obtain the Triforce would be before he opens the door of time and allows ganon to touch it. In this case he is at that window of opportunity possibly before going to the Temple of Time (look at the number of hearts he has) in a place that NO ONE has seen and there is an image of .... The Triforce... Hmm.... Strange... What happened to this area? If it was cut by the programmers or development staff before the game was produced then WHY?

Adult Link and a perhaps prettier Malon in the Stable

Yet another mysterious screenshot of our friend Mr. Link mackin' (sorry for the crude terminology) with a rather attractive Malon. Why did they take THIS ONE out? What for? It looked fine to me. And this is late in development too, the language is english. Also notice that the Fairy Ocarina is equipped. This is impossible for adult Link, we all know that. In fact many of these Z-File images have Adult link with the Fairy Ocarina equipped. What the hell? What did they do with all this stuff.

Straight out of Nintendo Power arrives another Z-File

Hmm...Well, what can I say. It's Young Link with the Master Sword equipped and items that are only available to Adult Link equipped to the C-buttons. He even has THE LIGHT ARROW which we all know you only get close to very end of the game! But he doesn't seem to have enough hearts to be at the end of the game. He's of course at the infamous spot at the bottom of Gerudo Ravine where the gerudo, crate, cow, and bean planting spot is. What was Nintendo Power thinking when they printed this image? It must be another pre-production image, but it can't be too long ago because the map isn't transparent like some of the older screenshot have it. And this change (for what purpose I have no idea) wasn't made until very late in development.

Something hit me in the face and it was so plain as day I can't understand how I didn't notice it. It took an avid visitor, Ann Charron to The Odyssey of Hyrule to point out the utter mystery. Ann Charron Wrote: I noticed at the bottom of the home page of your Zelda page you have a screen shot of Link and the tri force i was wondering is this from Zelda the ocarina of time and if so any ideas of how to get it. I have enclosed the picture I am talking about. I myself looked at it and wondered, "Where the hell IS that?" I been from one end of the game to another and I just know that adult Link never encounters the entire triforce face to face. If you've completed the game you already know that Ganon is still in posession of the Triforce of Power when he is sealed into the Sacred Realm. (Sorry for the Spoiler...), yet this picture shows link in front of all three sections of the Triforce in some kind of Sky Room. Does anybody know where this is or how it might occur? If you know E-MAIL Video Gamer X immediately.

An anonymous gamer submitted this comment to the Odyssey of Hyrule. Whether it is true or not needs to be investigated. He wrote: By the way, that screenshot, the one with the completed triforce, that is on/in the Japanesse version, my family had a forgein exchange student that had beat the game and he showed me that screen. Oh yeah? If true, that could mean there are definately TWO different versions of the game floating around out there. Different ending? Is it accessable in the US version? Somebody needs to find out.

THE ZELDA WE NEVER PLAYED

Having gone though my collection of Zelda 64 screenshots, I found some oddities. Mind you, I've had them for a long time on my hard drive so they must come from preproduction stage of the game's development. Most likely they were things that were removed from the game entirely and include places we gamers never actually saw. Perhaps the previous picture came from this pre-director's cut of the game. Or, my friends, these are somehow included in the additional quests that were supposedly to come with the Zelda 64DD game. How about that. We in the States, from what I've read, will never see the 64DD, and in this case if a second quest is made for The Ocarina of Time, we will not be able to play it. This is similar to the remastered 16-bit Mario All-Stars type thing that was done to Zelda 1 and 2 (NES) in Japan, that never came to America (I think is was part of some satellite or downloadable game feature they had). If true, it could represent an ultimate bummer for US gamers and Zelda fans alike.

In this picture we see Link, on the horse near some road or causeway. I never saw this in the game, did you? Notice he can use all his weapon while on the horse. I would have liked to see that!

The following two pictures are from the same dungeon, I think. Notice the awesome shadow of Link on the ground, and what on Earth shield does he have there. Must be an old picture. Removed dungeon?

A picture of, most likely, Hyrule Castle, but where is this, and how is he able to stand in front of the soldiers without being thrown out?

The following is a scene where Link is fighting some staffos, inside of a house with triangular windows. Nice sunlight effect, but what happened to it. Gone? He sure has a lot of rupees here.

Check it out. He has the Forest Medallion equipped! What does it do? I'll bet it's an awesome spell or something. I want it! But I won't get it. *sigh*

The pictures below are of an apparent blade beam attack that was either removed from the game, only in the Japanese version, or are on the 64DD version. As far as I know it is impossible to get a blade beam attack, so DO NOT send me useless rumors about how to get it. It's (unfortunately) not in the game as far as I can tell.

Here's another screenshot with Link and the Forest Medallion equipped, but look at the environment he's in. It's a desert of some kind, but I am certain that this is not in the game. Another removed area? Makes you wonder how much of the game original environment we are actually playing in.