There's been no shortage of intrepid modders inversing gender roles in video games in the last few months.
There was the dad of the year contender that hacked Donkey Kong so his three year old daughter could play as Pauline and rescue Mario. Taking a cue from dad, an animator hacked the NES version of The Legend of Zelda to be able play as Zelda and rescue Link. It's actually really cool, and has opened up whole new avenues of dialogue about the role of women in video games.
Enter artist Aaron Diaz, a self-proclaimed Legend of Zelda devotee, that has re-imagined not only the characters, but the Hyrule universe itself.
"Inspired by Anita Sarkeesian’s Video Game Tropes vs Women, I wanted to pitch a Zelda game where Zelda herself was the hero, rescuing a Prince Link.
Clockwork Empire is set 2,000 years after Twilight Princess, and is not a reboot, but simply another iteration in the Zelda franchise. It just so happens that in this case, Zelda is the protagonist. I’m a very big Zelda fan, and worked hard to draw from key elements in the continuity and mythos.
This concept work is meant to show that Zelda as a game protagonist can be both compelling and true to the franchise, while bringing new and dynamic game elements that go farther than being a simple gender swap."
An aspiring Battle Mage is what Diaz ultimately sees Zelda in his fantasy series. Take a look at his Tumblr to get a better view of his vision in its entirety. Let us know what you think.
[via Dresden Codak Tumblr]
