Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Diving into the World of Zelda

The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia

If you know the difference between Zelda and Link, you should read this book.  Go ahead, marvel at the beauty of it.

The book is split into three parts.  In the first section the pages are filled with beautiful artwork and design sketches from Skyward Sword.  The graphics are accompanied by designer notes and character insights. 

The second part of the book is a wonderful timeline of Hyrule, The History of Hyrule: A Chronology." So if you ever wondered where Twilight Princess fit against Ocarina of Time, you now have your answers. It is incredibly well organized with notes as to which events belong to which game and even has notes on events that happen between games.  I was surprised by the parallel timelines that break apart at the end of Ocarina, based on if Link won or lost, though I have to admit it makes much more sense now.   

The third part of the book tracks the artistic history of the characters through all the years.  The art work is incredible and it’s fun to see how the artists change the characters in each game but still keep them recognizable within the franchise.

The book is amazing. Beautiful cover, thick pages, and amazing contents.  The only thing I would add to it would be more talk from the designers and artists.  Not much is said about the game play or the changes brought about by the advance of technology. Then again, that might be a whole other book.

There is a lovely bonus Manga at the back of the book. It is a brief (32 pages) look at how the island of Skyloft actually made it into the sky and how the surface world and Hylia fought Demise the first time. (Note please that it is manga and you read it from right to left and the story starts at the back of the book.)  Of course, now I want to know how Link got into the place he began the story at. 

This book is recommended for anyone who has played a Legend of Zelda Game and fans of great art.

You might also like to peruse:
Art of Blizzard Entertainment

~Amy W. 


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