One of the biggest mysteries surrounding Metroid Prime 4 developers Retro Studios is what they’ve been doing in the years before – especially since they went quiet for many years without a new game release. Well, thanks to one staff who reportedly used to work with the studio, we might finally have some answers!

Sammy Hall, a former Retro Studios pre-production artist, recently posted what is claimed to be concept artwork for a “Cancelled Zelda project” from 2005-2008 and a “Cancelled Boo project” from 2006-2007. Based on these sketches, the cancelled Zelda project would have seen Sheik (one of many) as its protagonist – and likely be set in the Dark Timeline where Link fails in Ocarina of Time. On the other hand, it’s hard to tell what the cancelled Boo project would have been about – but some descriptions by Hall suggest it was intended for a handheld release back then.

If you want to check out the artwork in more detail, you can find it all on Hall’s Artstation page via the links below (Courtesy of Shinesparkers):

• Sheik & Deku
• Dark Gerudo 
• Horntown & Roots 
• Tooth & Claw 
• Clocktown & Kids 
• Gerudo & Critters
• Races & Roughs 
• Experiments & Doodles 
• Haunt (Cancelled Boo title)

As with all unconfirmed information, we urge our readers to take this information with a grain of caution. If these sketches are indeed the real deal, however – they really do offer an amazing look at what could’ve been!

What do you think? Would you have loved to see all these concepts become actual Nintendo releases? Feel free to share your thoughts below!