Breath of the Wild DS Demake Explained: Creator Debunks Internet Rumors

A demake of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the Nintendo DS has recently captured attention across the gaming community, after a video showcasing its nostalgic, low-poly world circulated online.

Originally presented as a mysterious project with ambiguous origins, the true story behind the DS version of Breath of the Wild has now been clarified by its creator, debunking widespread speculation.

The footage highlights classic Zelda protagonist Link journeying across a scaled-down version of Hyrule, rendered in charmingly old-school 3D graphics suitable for the Nintendo DS hardware.

For a brief time, online rumors speculated that the ROM—a digital file of the game—might have been the work of an unknown Chinese developer.

However, these reports have since been corrected thanks to a public statement from the project’s actual creator. The developer, known as 'Ermelber' on social media and currently working at Strobetano, directly addressed GBATemp to clear up the confusion.

In his statement, Ermelber confirmed that the project originated "several years ago" as a collaboration with friends.

According to the developer, “It turns out an old ROM of a project I was developing with friends leaked online.

It’s funny to see it now being discussed as if it were some rare media from an unknown source.

In reality, it was simply a personal project from years back.” He further explained that this version of Breath of the Wild for DS was primarily created to test his team’s proprietary terrain engine and provide a fun side project, rather than as an official game or full fan remake.

The unexpected leak of the ROM, which has now been discovered on DS flashcards sold via AliExpress, took even the creators by surprise.

While Ermelber did not entirely dismiss the possibility of revisiting the demake, he indicated that such a scenario is unlikely at this point. The origins of the project are even older than many believed—footage first appeared as early as 2019 on the Chinese video-sharing platform BilliBilli, as reported by GamesRadar.

This puts to rest any remaining mystery about the demake’s origins, providing important clarity for the Nintendo and homebrew communities. Ultimately, the Breath of the Wild DS demake stands as a testament to the creativity and technical prowess within the fan development scene, even if it will remain an unofficial curiosity.

As confirmed by Ermelber, the ROM is simply “an old project” that unexpectedly found new life online.

Nintendo Switch and Nintendo DS fans can now appreciate the demake’s place in the broader landscape of unofficial gaming tributes, knowing the true story behind its creation.

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