Despite various rumours and wishful thinking over the years, there will be no female version of Link in the latest Zelda game.

When asked why this much talked about option wasn't implemented in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, producer Eiji Aonuma told Gamespot that Nintendo had "thought about it," but "decided that if we're going to have a female protagonist it's simpler to have Princess Zelda as the main character."

So why didn't Nintendo go for this option? According to Aonuma, it would have fouled up the series' lore. "If we have princess Zelda as the main character who fights, then what is Link going to do?" Aonuma said. "Taking into account that, and also the idea of the balance of the Triforce, we thought it best to come back to this [original] makeup."

It's an odd explanation that doesn't really address the matter in any substantial way, but I digress. The end result is that Link remains male, albeit a very pretty androgynous male whose gender is frequently called into question.

For more on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, our Tom Phillips got to play it over the weekend and called it "the most ambitious Nintendo game in years" in his hands-on preview.