The Legend of Zelda is a series that's no stranger to remakes. From the 3DS remakes of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, to the Switch version of Link's Awakening, the Zelda series has consistently managed to revitalize its most popular titles, while maintaining what made those games so beloved to begin with. As such, demand has only grown for other signature titles in the Zelda series to receive a remake of their own, including Oracle of Seasons & Ages.

Despite the wealth of rereleases that have been produced for the series, fans may be surprised to learn that the original Legend of Zelda has received a remake of its own. It may certainly come as a shock, especially considering Nintendo's reluctance to rejuvenate the Zelda series' oldest entries, preserving the original experience through the likes of the Virtual Console service. Yet, this 16-bit remake of the original NES classic went far beyond what more recent Zelda rereleases have achieved, adding a wealth of changes and additional content that alters the entire game as a result.

BS Zelda No Densetsu Is An Unusual Remake

The Remake Has Major Differences To The Original NES Game

BS Zelda no Densetsu is an unusual remake of the original Zelda title. Originally released on the Satellaview add-on for the SNES in 1995, BS Zelda is simply not content with being a faithful recreation of the NES classic game, contrasting it to more popular Zelda rereleases. This is most evident when the player first starts up the game, as the beloved hero Link is swapped out for one of two avatar characters from the BS-X broadcasting system featured on the Satellaview.

Two follow-up titles to BS Zelda No Densetsu were also made for the Satellaview add-on, subtitled Kamigami no Triforce and Inishie no Sekiban respectively. Both games resembled A Link to the Past in of gameplay and layout instead of the original NES title.

BS Zelda's differences to the original NES game only become more apparent as the player progresses through the adventure. For example, fans of the original title will likely be thrown off by the altered dungeon layouts in BS Zelda, changing both enemy and item locations as a result. BS Zelda consistently plays on fans' familiarity with the original game, adding a level of unpredictability and discovery that wouldn't have been present if the remake was a simple recreation of the NES classic.

That being said, BS Zelda's most impressive feature was its utilization of the Satellaview hardware. As the Satellaview would stream its games during certain times of the week, BS Zelda used this to introduce a wealth of timed events that altered the gameplay. As detailed on the website Zelda Dungeon, players are met with sudden item upgrades, temporary changes to rewards dropped by enemies or a new selection at the Merchant's shop, adding a greater sense of variety to the experience than what the original NES game offered.

BS Zelda Is One Of The Rarest Zelda Games

The Game Was Only Made Playable At A Certain Time Each Week

The multiple changes made to BS Zelda are likely going to pique many fans' interest in exploring the remake, and for good reason. The altered dungeon layouts and timed events help to make BS Zelda feel like a fresh adventure, offering players a unique take on one of the most important games in the series. Unfortunately, fans who choose to search for a playable version of the remake will be left disappointed, as BS Zelda is no longer playable in its original state.

There are a few reasons as to why this is the case. Firstly, both BS Zelda and the Satellaview add-on that the game was made for were not made available outside of Japan. This restricted availability already makes BS Zelda one of the rarer games in the franchise, while limiting the title's chances of preservation due to a small outreach.

While emulations have been made in an attempt to restore BS Zelda, they still lack crucial features, such as the voice acting that was present in the original version.

This is further compounded by the fact that players in Japan had limited accessibility to BS Zelda. During the Satellaview's broadcast, players were only able to access BS Zelda for a certain period of time each week, and the game was only broadcast a handful of times. As such, there are no physical copies of BS Zelda that are available to purchase, meaning the end of Satellaview's broadcasting in 2000 resulted in the original version of the game becoming completely lost to time, contributing to the title's rarity and lack of awareness.

BS Zelda Deserved More Recognition

It Is One Of The More Unique Zelda Games

BS Zelda's inaccessibility and seemingly insignificant status is disappointing to see, as it is a remake deserving of more recognition. The multiple new ideas introduced by BS Zelda don't simply enhance the original NES game, but add a huge sense of replayability. The altered dungeon layouts offer a new challenge to any Zelda player, regardless of their familiarity with the NES classic, making the remake an original experience in its own right.

BS Zelda's timed events provide the game with a greater level of interactivity.

That's not even mentioning how BS Zelda's additions showcase the huge potential that the franchise could take advantage of. BS Zelda's timed events provide the game with a greater level of interactivity as players are forced to adapt to the constantly changing environment around them. The unpredictability that comes from playing BS Zelda helps to maintain an element of surprise that makes the series so exciting to play, laying the groundwork for future titles to potentially take advantage of.

BS Zelda serves as one of the more disappointing aspects of the series' history. While the remake went above and beyond to elevate the original experience offered by the NES classic, BS Zelda's limited accessibility has resulted in the title becoming lost to time, while also becoming one of the least recognisable games in the series' catalog. BS Zelda deserves far more recognition, not only as the beginning of a long line of Zelda remakes, but as one of the more unique titles that the series has to offer.

Source: Zelda Dungeon