A fan-made tribute of the iconic "Legend of Zelda" game, called "Zelda 30 Tribute" was recently shut down over claims of copyright infringement. Under the threatening request of Nintendo, which is the original creator and developer, the game was eventually forced offline.
According to Euro Gamer, some die-hard "Zelda" fans created a browser-based "Legend of Zelda" remake based on the original game, made with voxels in an effort to commemorate the franchise's 30th anniversary. This is when Nintendo stepped in with a copyright strike to bring it down.
According to the details printed on the project's page, developers Mike Magee and Scott Lininger were told to remove the "Zelda 30 Tribute" from the inter-web because of copyright reasons. "I guess it was a little too pixel perfect." A message read on the site, adding some humor on the issue.
The developers further communicated on the site that they were sad about the directive. However, they acknowledged that they loved Nintendo and the joy it had given them throughout the years, and this is why they had embarked on the project in the first place.
They also admitted that from the start of their project, they had known that things would turn out the way they did. All the same, they expressed that they had enjoyed working on the "Zelda 30 Tribute," and that Nintendo had every right to protect its IP.
Despite getting a little crude with some Spartan-like tributes, the browser-based "Legend of Zelda" remake managed to attract over half a million fans to the site. Gamers reported of having been immersed in a gaming experience that resembled much of the original "Zelda" game.
Remarkably, Lininger and Magee remained calm about the "Zelda 30 remake" and the immense traffic of players, with Nintendo already aware that the project was doomed for a shutdown. The developers wrote on the remake's website that it was a valuable learning experience especially in terms of coding.
Although it was not a full remake, "Zelda 30 Tribute" has had fans wanting to go and play the original game, according to Euro Gamer. In the meantime, Nintendo's "Legend of Zelda" is scheduled for a release in the course of this year.
Here is a comprehensive video coverage of the "Zelda 30 tribute" shutdown: