This article analyzes the Link’s Awakening 2D art and graphics workspace preserved in the Gigaleak — specifically from the NEWS_04 archive, a 96 MB Nintendo NEWS workstation backup.
Path in archive: NEWS_04.tar → home/arimoto/GB-zelda/
The GB-zelda directory belongs to Masanao Arimoto and represents a parallel Game Boy-targeted branch separate from the SNES-side zelda workspace on the same machine. This folder is the largest of three Zelda project folders in the backup (824 files total), with clear Game Boy hardware constraints, object-focused architecture, and explicit localization evidence for multi-region release.
The date range (November 1991 → August 1994) brackets the entire Link’s Awakening localization window exactly: Japan release June 1993, North America August 1993, Europe December 1993.
GB-zelda — The Game Boy Zelda workspace in the NEWS_04 archive. Directory home/arimoto/GB-zelda/ containing 824 files across 2D graphics, object definitions, maps, palettes, and transition screens. Most likely represents The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening production, given the localization evidence, object taxonomy, and date bracket (November 1991 – August 1994). The largest and structurally most distinct of three Zelda folders on Arimoto’s machine.
Arimoto, Masanao — Graphics engineer and workstation owner. Home directory (arimoto/) in the NEWS_04 backup contains the SF2 2D workspace, three separate Zelda project folders (DELDA, zelda, GB-zelda), and Sugiyama’s multi-project overlay. Known for early NES-era graphics work on The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros. Likely served as a senior graphics authority coordinating both 2D and 3D asset pipelines during SNES/Game Boy production.
CBOS — C-type boss objects in the GB-zelda o/cbos subfolder. 21 files dated September 1992 to February 1993, containing numbered boss definitions (numbered 1-11). Part of the object taxonomy that separates enemies by type and role.
DBOS — Dungeon boss objects in the GB-zelda o/dbos subfolder. 47 files dated August 1992 to April 1993, containing dungeon-specific boss definitions (numbered 1-6, with 6-1 and 6-2 variants). Paired with CBOS to form a clear enemy classification system.
GOMI (ゴミ) — Japanese for garbage or junk. Files suffixed with -gomi in the GB-zelda workspace (e.g., f-gomi, d-gomi) mark explicitly discarded or superseded definitions. Represents objects replaced but preserved in the backup, consistent with cautious personal-backup patterns seen across the archive.
DAN (段) — Japanese for steps or stairs. Used in the GB-zelda p subfolder to name staircase/step transitions. Part of the room-transition vocabulary (dan, irekae, tenso).
IREKAE (入れ替え) — Japanese for swap or replacement. Combined with tenso to form irekae-tenso (swap-teleport), naming warp-point transition screens in the GB-zelda p/f subfolder. Part of the internal naming convention for room transitions.
TENSO (転送) — Japanese for transfer or teleport. Combined with irekae to form irekae-tenso, naming teleport/warp transitions in the p/f subfolder. Part of the internal naming convention for the room-transition pipeline.
CGX — Character and graphics bank format. Used in both SNES and Game Boy branches. 86 files in GB-zelda. Typically paired with .COL (palette) and .SCR (screen/layout) files. Used for sprite sheets, tile art, and object-side graphics.
OBJ — Object-side or enemy-side asset definition. 147 files in GB-zelda, significantly more than the 2 files in the SNES zelda branch. Reflects the Game Boy architecture’s reliance on composed objects rather than full-screen bitmaps. Organized into subtypes (CBOS, DBOS, field, house, dungeon).
MAP — Map data format. 62 files in GB-zelda, more than double the 35 files in the SNES zelda branch. Represents world-map and overworld structures. The m/tmp snapshot contains named tile types (forest, town, shrine, cloud) and even NES-format variants.
SCR — Screen or layout assembly format. 45 files in GB-zelda, fewer than the 77 in zelda, reflecting the Game Boy’s smaller screen resolution and object-composed architecture. Found across all subfolders including localization variants (gameover-France, gameover-Germany, gameover-usa).
COL — Palette or color set format. Only 3 files in GB-zelda, compared to 63 in the SNES zelda. The dramatic drop reflects Game Boy’s trivially small palette space relative to SNES. Game Boy color palettes are built into hardware rather than artist-defined.
BAK — Backup or prior-state file. 469 files in GB-zelda, more than the 268 in zelda. Heavy prevalence indicates aggressive iteration with preserved older versions. Game Boy work may have required more trial-and-error given hardware constraints.
Localization — The process of adapting a game for regional release. GB-zelda shows explicit localization evidence: regional game-over screens (gameover-France, gameover-Germany, gameover-usa) and dates spanning the entire localization window (June 1993 Japan → December 1993 Europe). The workspace continued active through August 1994, suggesting localization support and maintenance work.
PNL — Panel or transition screen format. Found in GB-zelda p subfolders handling room transitions. Files carry Japanese naming conventions for staircase (dan), warp (irekae-tenso), and dungeon-specific transitions. Represents the internal screen-composition pipeline for level entry/exit.
Gigaleak — Large archive of Nintendo internal documentation, source code, and workstation backups released in 2020. Includes NEWS tape sets (NEWS_04, NEWS_05, etc.), source code repositories, and design documentation spanning NES, SNES, Game Boy, and other platforms. The GB-zelda workspace is one of the most detailed preserved views of Game Boy era production and localization work.
NEWS_04 — A 96 MB Nintendo NEWS workstation backup tape containing primarily graphics-side material. Preserved in the Gigaleak. Contains three Zelda project folders (DELDA, zelda, GB-zelda) and the Star Fox 2 2D workspace (SF2). Represents a snapshot of multi-project workstation usage from mixed production era, 1991-1995.
TMP snapshot — A frozen workspace state captured in the zelda/m/tmp folder on December 1, 1992. Contains named tile types (forest, town, shrine, cloud, opening/ending sequences) and notably includes op-ed-nes, an NES-format tile set preserved alongside SNES assets. Suggests the team was still referencing the NES original when designing world-map terrain art.
GB-zelda is the largest of three Zelda folders on Masanao Arimoto’s machine and structurally the most distinct.
Its extension profile is strikingly different from the SNES-side zelda workspace:
| Extension | zelda | GB-zelda | Implication |
|---|---|---|---|
.BAK |
268 |
469 |
More revision history in the GB branch |
.OBJ |
2 |
147 |
Object focus is far heavier on the Game Boy side |
.CGX |
84 |
86 |
Similar tile bank count |
.MAP |
35 |
62 |
More map data in GB-zelda |
.SCR |
77 |
45 |
Fewer raw screen layouts; objects replace them |
.COL |
63 |
3 |
Almost no palette files — GB palette system is simpler |
The steep drop in .COL makes sense for Game Boy hardware where the palette space is trivially small.
The surge in .OBJ reflects a more object-composed screen architecture.
The s subfolder contains screen layout files with explicitly localized names:
gameovergameover1gameover-Francegameover-Germanygameover-usafue-neiro — likely 「フエ音色」, a flute/ocarina sound timbre referenceThree named regional variants of the game-over screen (France, Germany, USA) are strong evidence that this branch was being prepared for a multi-region release. Link’s Awakening shipped in Japan in June 1993, in North America in August 1993, and in Europe in December 1993. The GB-zelda branch date range (1991-11-27 → 1994-08-02) brackets the entire localisation window exactly.
The o folder and its sub-trees form a clear object classification system:
| Sub-tree | Files | Date range | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
o (top level) |
84 |
1991-11-29 → 1993-07-01 |
General objects; clear, numbered variants |
o/cbos |
21 |
1992-09-18 → 1993-02-27 |
C-type boss objects (numbered 1-11) |
o/dbos |
47 |
1992-08-07 → 1993-04-12 |
Dungeon boss objects (numbered 1-6, with 6-1 and 6-2 variants) |
o/f |
28 |
1992-04-15 → 1993-03-16 |
Field objects (f1-f12 + f-gomi = discarded field data) |
o/h |
33 |
1992-12-03 → 1993-03-17 |
House/hero objects (h1-h13) |
o/d |
57 |
1992-04-09 → 1993-02-25 |
Dungeon objects (d1-d13 + d-gomi = discarded dungeon data) |
o/s |
2 |
1992-07-07 → 1992-11-04 |
Small: op-2, s1 |
o/y |
1 |
1993-02-12 only |
Single residual: ygomi (discarded) |
The -gomi suffix (ゴミ = garbage/junk) marks explicitly discarded or superseded files.
f-gomi and d-gomi are named junk heaps — earlier object definitions that were replaced but not deleted, which is consistent with the cautious personal-backup pattern seen across the whole archive.
The cbos / dbos naming (c-type boss / dungeon boss) sets up a clear enemy taxonomy.
Boss objects were separated from general field and dungeon objects and given their own numbered sequences.
The p subfolder and its sub-trees handle room transitions:
| Sub-tree | Files | Date range | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
p (top level) |
26 |
1992-03-04 → 1993-03-04 |
Staircase/step transitions (dan = stairs; dan-irekae = stair-swap variants) |
p/f |
38 |
1992-09-10 → 1993-04-08 |
Teleport/warp transitions (irekae-tenso = transfer/warp swap sequences) |
p/d |
10 |
1992-11-26 → 1993-02-09 |
Dungeon-specific transition data |
p/y |
4 |
1992-12-15 → 1993-03-16 |
Y-type transitions |
Key vocabulary:
dan — 段 (steps / stairs)irekae — 入れ替え (swap or replacement)tenso — 転送 (transfer or teleport)So irekae-tenso = “swap-teleport” = warp-point transition screen.
This is a named internal convention for the room-transition pipeline, not just a label someone chose at random.
The date range and folder structure support the interpretation that GB-zelda is the primary Link’s Awakening workspace:
GB-zelda opens as a parallel Game Boy-targeted branchThe regional game-over screens (gameover-France, gameover-Germany, gameover-usa) and the active date range through August 1994 suggest this workspace was actively maintained through European release and localization support.
dan, irekae-tenso, and dungeon-specific transitions to actual in-game level progression