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Nintendo has served up a festive treat by uploading some of the original design documents from The Legend of Zelda, which was released on the NES around 30 years ago.

Chris Kerr, News Editor

December 22, 2016

1 Min Read

Heads up game designers, because Christmas has come early thanks to the folks over at Nintendo. 

The Japanese game maker has given us a festive treat by uploading some of the original design documents from the original The Legend of Zelda, which was released on the NES around 30 years ago. 

As you can see in the video above, and on the Nintendo blog, the design docs showcase a hand drawn overworld map, and reveal how some of the original dungeon sketches translated into the game itself. 

It's an intriguing glimpse at the game design process of days gone by, and shows how much the industry, and the technology surrounding it, has evolved over the years. 

We've taken the liberty of posting a handful (drawn by none other than Shigeru Miyamoto) of the docs below, but you can sift through them all over on the official Nintendo blog.

About the Author(s)

Chris Kerr

News Editor, GameDeveloper.com

Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.

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