Zelda 40th Anniversary Remake Released, And You Can Play Free Now

3 days ago 12

Published Mar 20, 2026, 10:36 AM EDT

Known as 'Cyberpunk 2077's' biggest fan, Angharad is a Welsh games writer who thrives in anything related to digital storytelling. If a video game explores the intricacies and horrors of womanhood, she is there.

Thanks to previous work at GAMINGbible, GameByte, The Loadout, Game Luster, Angharad has built a strong understanding of both the digital world and what fans want from it and is eager to share her thoughts and expertise with readers.

First launched in February 1986, an award-winning franchise was born with the arrival of The Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Regarded as one of the best and most influential video games of all time, The Legend of Zelda celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, and celebrations are ongoing.

The Original Zelda Just Got A Stunning Remake

Image shows an unofficial remaster of The Legend of Zelda

Courtesy of the BasementLet'sPlay channel over on YouTube, we can now get a glimpse of what a new-and-improved The Legend of Zelda looks like. Offering just over an hour of footage, we can see all of the iconic locations and gameplay, and it really does shine a light on how much the Legend of Zelda franchise has grown over the past four decades.

This feat is possible thanks to jeb_yoshi over on Game Jolt, who has found a way to release "a fan-made interpretation of The Legend of Zelda" for the NES. "It may appear similar to the original, but there are many different surprises to be found here," the mod description reads. "Think of it like "Super Mario Bros Special" types of modifications made to the original Legend of Zelda, with new enemies, new areas, new secrets and more!"

The Legend of Zelda series is personally my favorite video game series of all time, and if you've never played any of the games before, I hope this game motivates you to give the others a try! You won't regret it, trust me.

This Fan Creation Is Free To Play Now

Free to download now, this The Legend of Zelda unofficial remaster takes us back to the original lands of Hyrule, a desolate landscape run by the Prince of Darkness known as Ganon. However, there is hope. "Zelda, the descendant princess of the land, held the Triforce of Wisdom. Without both Triforces, neither good nor evil can truly rule the land. Before Ganon could capture the princess, she bravely split the Triforce of Wisdom into eight pieces and hid them inside eight ancient dungeons to keep it out of Ganon's clutches. Impa, her assistant, was sent to give a young courageous hero to embark on a quest to find the Triforce and slay Ganon. The call was eventually answered by a young Link. The fate of Hyrule is in your hands. Will Link successfully uncover the Triforce fragments and slay Ganon, or will he die trying?"

Featuring new items, dungeons, characters, enemies, and more, this project is not a 1:1 copy of the original The Legend of Zelda, but instead, it is much more. So, if you want an excuse to feel the nostalgia of a 40-year-old title, but with the modern-day improvements which will make your experience a lot easier, make sure to download this free remaster now.