The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past: The Legend of Zelda, The Winter Lion

The Legend of Zelda The Winter Lion, return to the land of Hyrule you once knew. Now an aged hunter, "Old Man Link" will decide the fate of the world and its inhabitants.

In this retelling of the Legend, there are forces pulling society into maddening doom and there are those who oppose them. As a seasoned and skilled hunter, choose who to help.

Will you stand with Hyrule and its burgeoning army or will you stand with Zelda and revolution. Will you enforce the winter or help prevent it. The choice is truly yours.

Note: There's a quick walkthrough in the ONLINE read me file.

Those seeking for a reason to revisit this SNES classic can now do so.

The Legend of Zelda, The Winter Lion

a hack by Alfonso De La Vega

original game: Zelda A Link to the Past for SNES, by Nintendo


This is my first Romhack and I used Hyrule Magic to make it.



********Information about the original base Rom********

Database match: Legend of Zelda, The - A Link to the Past (USA)
Database: No-Intro: Super Nintendo Entertainment System (v. 20210222-050638)
File/ROM SHA-1: 6D4F10A8B10E10DBE624CB23CF03B88BB8252973
File/ROM CRC32: 777AAC2F



********Patching********


You need to have an original copy of the Rom. Use this Rom patcher to patch the file. Select the patch file "Winterlion.ips" then your original Rom.

https://www.romhacking.net/utilities/240/



********About the Rom Hack********

This hack contrast the original story of a fated young hero, with that of an old man, whos destiny is not fated but chosen.
The motivations for saving Hyrule and the characters within have all been altered.
This hack attempts to create two separate paths for the player to take, this is primarily within dungeons and the treasures they receive.
The dialogue has been completely changed to suite a slightly more complex political story and two separate story paths.
The overworld remains mostly unchanged.
Most dungeons provide a branching pathway, new enemy placement and some alterations to the layout.
The difficulty has been kept the same as this is a more stroy driven hack.

Those seeking for a reason to revisit this SNES classic can now do so.



********About the Hacker********

I'm a father and haven't much time outside of work to have made custome sprites, more complex puzzles, tite screen, dungeons etc.

The story aspect of the game was inspired by the politics and persepctives found at wsws.org

I have zero knowledge on Hex editing. Had I better knowledge of the game/Hyrule Magic or the Newer Rom hacking utility , I would have made it much shorter (those doors!!!)

The phenomenal promotional artwork of "old man link" was made by @duckmansdrawings on instagram



********Info for your hack********

There's a better utility out there that I did not use, Zscream https://www.romhacking.net/utilities/1507/,

Heres a video tutorial part 1 made by Scawful(not me) 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e2L0SfqJCc

I suggest you join the discord ZELDIX you'll find a really talented and friendly community. Join Here---> https://discord.com/invite/JmbKRYQ9


**********WALKTHROUGH********

This walkthrough was made to help players find the path towardthe story of their choosing Revolutionary or Hyrule Soldier. The need for a walkthrough speaks
to the shortcomings of the rom hack. You have my apologies, here I offer a quick guide.

***Pendant 1

When you go to the first palace in the East. You will find a bomb there. That bomb will be the deciding factor in what journey you choose to embark on.
(using that bomb incorrectly can soft lock the game. Save before using).

Military Path- Use the bomb to activate the switch, complete the dungeon.

Revoltionary Path- take the bomb back to kakariko and use it there. Talk to everyone to find out exactly where to use it, or read below:
If you go to the bar and talk to your old friend he tells you in a drunk voice to use it on the doorless shed at the southwest of town.

***Pendant 2

Go to the desert temple after grabbing the book from the library.


Military Path- Take the left path in the dungeon. Deafeat the boss.

Revolutionary Path- Take the right path in the dungeon eventually to a bomb. Leave the temple. Take it back to kakariko.
South of kakariko go to the Revolutionaries Headquarters ( Angry Brothers house in the the original game) bomb
that wall and make your way to the pendant.

***Pendant 3

In the third temple on the hill, enter and grab the moon pearl.

Military Path- Follow the statue doorway and defeat the boss.

Revolutionary Path- Head to the back doorway into the lower dungeon, grab the bomb and leave. The old man on the walk hinted at the King Zora being an ally to revoltion.
Go see him with 500 rupees. Buy the flippers. He'll tell you to head southeast. On the map you can see the lake there. Head further east of that lake,
there is a bombable cave in that region that leads to the last pendant.


***Dark World

The overworld map shows the crystals.

Palace 1- East Palace - pay the monkey. Once in the temple, follow either the statue path(Military) or the non statue path (Revolutionary). (Use the dash to break the wall in the revolutionary path.)
Both paths converge for you to fight the boss.


Palace 2- Swamp Place- empty the water in the light world and head in. There are two paths, unfortunatley they converge at one doorway (in the big room) but split up after that.
only to converge onec more to fight the boss.


Palace 3- Dark Woods- Military path- go into the small dungeon next to the soldier, get the fire rod and gift. Then leave the princess there, head to the next dungeon. Dont burn the demon
creature in the forest. Leave the princess in that dungeon, Hyrule wants her there.

Revolutionary path- go past the first dungeon entrance the one with the soldier nex to it and find the path to the other entrance.
You'll find you have to fall in from a whole on the north. Get the fire rod, burn the demonic creature in the forest, eter the dungeon and defeat the boss.


Palace 4- Dark Kakariko- Yank the gate open under the statue.
Military Path- follow the statues collect the gloves, kill the grasshoppers collect your money and leave. Leave the princess in that dungeon

Revolutionary Path - Fight the Lizard Men, free the princess, take her into the light and fight the creature inside her.


Palace 5- Ice Palace- There are two separate paths after a bit of treking into the temple, a statue path (Military) and a non statue (Revolution).
Both paths eventaully converge at the end of the temple. Fight the boss and get the princess (both paths)


Palace 6- Misery Mire- Military path- after crossing past the beamos and floating heads, head to the right in the big room.
Revolutionary path- after crossing the beamos and floating head left.
Both paths converge and you fight the boss and get the princess (both paths)


Palace 7- Turtle Rock- You'll need the ice rod either way, that's found in the cemetary (use dash on a grave)

There is a diverging path only toward the end of the palace where there are Pipes. One has a statue, (Military Path).
Another pipe has no statue (Revolutionary Path).
Both paths will converge and you have to fight the boss and free the princess(Both Paths)


Palace 8- Ganons Tower- (Military Path)- Dont enter the dungeon. Head down the hillside into a cave. You have to fall into the cave. It's in the Dark World, right south of the tower
where the demon is kicking the other pink ball dude. In that cave, there are spikes all over the floor and blocks in the way.
Receive your final gift from the military and let it sink in that you helped maintain the darkworld. Then close your emulator, the game's over.

(Revolutionary Path)- Complete the temple, Fight aganhim one last time. Ganons takes off to the pyramid.
get the big golden bomb and detonate it at the pyramid to get the silver arrows from the fairy, toss in your arrows to get them silvery
and go fight the final Gannon.




Database match: Legend of Zelda, The - A Link to the Past (USA)
Database: No-Intro: Super Nintendo Entertainment System (v. 20210222-050638)
File/ROM SHA-1: 6D4F10A8B10E10DBE624CB23CF03B88BB8252973
File/ROM CRC32: 777AAC2F