Media kindly provided by Lavacopter.

August 4th, 1999

A different ice texture and green trees in the Snowfall area of Hyrule Field. The minimap is blank and the clock has an “H” symbol and doesn’t display the current hour above the sun icon. The bow is the one from Ocarina of Time.

Link starts out with the Deku Shield instead of the Hylian Shield and the Fairy Ocarina rather than the Ocarina of Time.

Navi is on C-Up!

August 19th, 1999

I don’t believe Link ever goes out of 1st person view on the Swamp Cruise.

The Fairy Ocarina is on the B button. It seems they were once again experimenting with equipping items on B, as seen during the development period of Ocarina of Time. This area is also far different than the final Stone Tower Temple, and the fairy is white like Navi instead of Tatl’s pale yellow.

Chinkuru Chinkuru kururin pa! The grass texture on the ground here is different and the area has a much more well-defined path than the final version. In addition, Tingle usually lands on a differently-textured area where the grass pattern changes as you go into the Swamp.

Zora Link has the Longshot on B. This is not an item that normally appears in the game, as Link uses the golden Hookshot. For that matter, Zora Link can’t usually use most items other than the transformation masks and the Ocarina.

Goron Link with the Megaton Hammer equipped on B, another item that’s not in the final version of Majora’s Mask.

One of the Gorman Brothers is seen in the background of Romani Ranch. Did they used to work there? Perhaps they didn’t exist at this time and this was just alternate-universe Ingo. There isn’t usually grass beside this building either.

August 23rd, 1999

Several odd textures in what looks to be an old test area. While a test map similar to the one in Ocarina of Time is still present in Majora’s Mask, it doesn’t look quite as interesting as this. EDIT: Scratch that, I guess it looks more like this area of Termina Field with really weird textures.

An unusual grass texture in the Deku Palace.

Link is seen with a mask resembling the face of Adult Link equipped. This was likely an early version of the Fierce Deity’s Mask.

August 28th, 1999 (Spaceworld)

The trees here are a lot shorter than usual. The blacksmiths’ house is also fatter and more simplistic-looking than the final version and missing the potted plants that normally grow out front.

The green water of the pond looks far more poisonous than the usual purple. Those reeds are also unseen.

Link looks more like his OoT model, lacking the belt he gained in MM.

Dat mask…

You can’t normally get this high up by the side of the Clock Tower. This raised platform is now nonexistent, and the area with the entrance to West Clock Town is much lower down.

Tatl’s name (Japanese name: Chat) was once Bell, apparently.

Planned Release: March, 2000
The Legend of Zelda ®
The Legend of Zelda: Gaiden (Temporary Name)
© 1999
Rumble Pack Compatible

The game ended up being released in Japan on April 27th.

A very similar shot/better quality version of the previous picture of Goron Link playing drums in front of the blacksmiths’ house.

The Deku Pipes here are white with red stripes, a different look from the final game’s brassier version.

An unused room containing Stalfos and unusual textures.

Not sure what’s going on with C-Up here.

The field leading up to Great Bay is quite different than the final version, which has blue fountains and lacks the checkered texture of the ground as well as having a shorter distance from the ramp to the sandy area.

Finally, a modern minimap!

Oddly, the “Shoot” command rather than the Deku Nuts is on B while Deku Link is flying.

Navi on B? Um…

Now regular Link has the Shoot command on B. Okay then.

It seems that originally you collected sticks for the beavers instead of racing through rings.

October 15th, 1999

Our first shot of the Happy Mask Man and the yellow Tatl…

…And our first shot of the modern clock with “1st” on the bottom instead of “H”. Still no hours, though. Perhaps by this time Nintendo had a clearer idea of the final story and the day progression.

That hole in the wall beside Epona isn’t there in the final game. This is also the first shot we the Ocarina of Time, in keeping with idea of a having a more fleshed-out story by now.

Difficult to tell, but it looks like the sign in the background might actually have Japanese on it rather than the mirrored “Nintendo” written in Hylian we usually see.

The potion shop lacks the flowery door from the final version. The Kokiri Sword has grown significantly, much longer than in the final game where the blade doesn’t extend past the B button.

“Ho ho ho… welcome.”

The area behind and around the Kotake is far more bland than in the final version. The texture to her right is normally on the wall behind her.

December 22nd, 1999

“Not a face I’ve seen around these parts. Are you a traveller?”

Our first sight of hours being marked on the clock.

The bow has changed to the normal version found in Majora’s Mask.

“I… it’s cold, goro. I… it’s tough to be a gatekeeper in this weather, goro.”

We see here that in the Japanese version, 12 is written as 0. On the C-Right button is the old icon used for the Goron Drums.