A pair of intrepid fans of The Legend of Zelda series recreates the original game in 3D, putting their work online as a browser-based game for all to play.

Believe it or not, it has now been an incredible 30 years since the original The Legend of Zelda game was first released. Although Nintendo itself has celebrated in style, releasing the highly-acclaimed HD remake of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Wii U, it seems as though some fans have not had quite enough of Link and friends for the time being. In the case of two gamers, this meant taking on the project of recreating the original game.

Dubbing their game The Legend of Zelda: 30 Year Tribute, the development duo has remade the first The Legend of Zelda in a voxel-based 3D style, building the game entirely in WebGL. The pair, giving only the names Scott and Matt, has given other fans of the classic franchise an entire new way to enjoy the title that started it all.

What's more, this version of the title is available for free, with any interested gamer able to head over to the game's website to play it in-browser. Users can play the game using either the on-screen buttons, which replicate the iconic NES controller, or by using the corresponding keyboard buttons. Those who want to try The Legend of Zelda: 30 Year Tribute can do so by heading over to the title's website.

The project itself is hugely impressive, capturing the feel of the original game in a fantastic way. In fact, the game, which is a near-perfect reimagining of the first Legend of Zelda, feels eerily reminiscent in feel to forgotten From Software title 3D Dot Game Heroes. Fans of the top-down Zelda games of old will no doubt want to check it out, although given Nintendo's swift action against unofficial releases of its games, interested gamers should act quickly.

It's not the only time that the Zelda series has acted as the inspiration for a fan-made remake of content. In fact, just last month another gamer recreated sections of Ocarina of Time using the Unreal 4 engine. Meanwhile, last year saw one developer decide to make a version of Super Mario Maker using Link as the hero instead of the platforming plumber, dubbing the project The Legend of Zelda Maker.

Although this love-letter to the original game will no doubt prove to be respected by fans, gamers are still awaiting more details on the next official title in the franchise. According to Nintendo, the Wii U Legend of Zelda title is going to be "something new," although players will no doubt find plenty they recognise in the game. Let's hope that the title is worth the wait.

Source: Zelda 30 Tribute (via Nintendo Life)