Have you ever wanted to go back and play the original The Legend of Zelda, but don't have your NES or don't feel like blowing your lungs out just to get it to work? Have no fear! Thanks to a recent project by programmer Rich McLaughlin, you can start playing the classic adventure game right now on any device you're reading this article with. Click this link to start playing on your Android device, iOS device, or anything else with a browser that can run HTML 5.
After discovering HTML 5 Canvas, McLaughlin figured he would get to work trying to recreate his favorite video game. While McLaughlin's post is a bit more technically-minded, you can follow along with his progress as he documents every challenge he faces. The quick run-down involves McLaughlin having to map out all of the screens from The Legend of Zelda, program in enemy AI, movement, text, screen transitions, and all of the other features found in the classic NES game.
A perfect recreation isn't the goal, a player-friendly version is. McLaughlin has mentioned that he has made some changes to the original game design to have an easier play experience. One example of this is changing how Link moves around on-screen. "While his [Link's] sprite is 16x16 pixels, his collision detection size is smaller. This makes it much easier to move Link around and the player doesn't need the precision of a surgeon," writes McLaughlin.
While this project hasn't been fully completed, McLaughlin plans on continuing to develop the game with HTML 5. Ideally, he would like to keep going "until Nintendo hires sues me." This is a jab at the Japanese company who is known to strike down with Cease and Desist orders against copyright infringement quite regularly. I'm sure Legend of Zelda fans would also like to see this project completed so they can find easier and easier ways to slack off during the day.
If you think the concept of a Zelda game on your phone is exciting, a real Nintendo-made reality might be in our futures. Yesterday it was confirmed that Nintendo would be making Smartphone games based on their popular characters such as Mario, Pokémon, and more. Seeing a proper Zelda game coming out for these mobile platforms is definitely likely, as Nintendo knows it will earn them plenty of cash.
So what do you think? Will you give this Legend of Zelda hack a try for your phone or browser? Do you hope that McLaughlin can finish his work without interruption from Nintendo? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
