The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia

Hyrule Historia is an absolute must-have for any Legend of Zelda fan. This beautifully designed hardcover book offers an in-depth look at the history of the beloved Zelda series, with rich artwork, detailed lore, and fascinating insights into the creation of the games. It’s a treasure trove of information, covering everything from the original Zelda to the more recent titles in the series. The concept art and behind-the-scenes details are incredible, giving readers a deeper appreciation for the stunning visuals and thoughtful design that have shaped the world of Hyrule. The book also includes a timeline, which is a great addition for those trying to make sense of the series’ often complex chronology. The timeline itself is a fantastic resource, and its inclusion adds a layer of depth to the Zelda universe that fans will love to explore. Additionally, the book contains interviews with the creators and never-before-seen sketches, which are fascinating for anyone interested in the development process of the games. Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to the series, Hyrule Historia is the ultimate companion to the Zelda games and offers a deep dive into the rich legacy of the franchise. Overall, Hyrule Historia is an essential addition to any fan’s collection. It’s informative, visually stunning, and a wonderful celebration of the Legend of Zelda series. Highly recommended for anyone who loves this iconic franchise!

This book truly does justice to The Legend of Zelda franchise. Honestly it is much wider and thicker then I expect it to be. It is, a little wider than the Japanese version, so Dark Horse can translate the art footnotes in an easier to read format, but I'll touch on that later. Beginning the book is an introduction from famed creator of many Nintendo franchise, including The Legend of Zelda, Shigeru Miyamoto! From there, the book is separated into three sections, "The Legend Begins" which contains plenty of concept art and character designs from Skyward Sword, "The History of Hyrule" which includes the official series timeline, and an in depth and detailed of important plotlines and sections of each game and how they fit into the timeline, and finally, the "Creative Footprints" section, which includes concept art and character designs for the rest of the Zelda games, from the first Zelda to Spirit Tracks (Skyward Sword is already thoroughly covered in "The Legend Begins" section, there is no more artwork for the game in this section). There is some nice little extra sections, one titled "Changes in Character Design" and one tilted "Game Catalog". They are nice, short little sections that I won't spoil for you. Ending the book is a 32 page manga from Akira Himekawa, the creator of the other The Legend of Zelda mangas, along with a nice closing message from Eiji Aounuma, a very important director and producer of the Legend of Zelda series from Ocarina of Time and up. This book is certainly packed to the brim with concept art, storylines, and interesting tidbits of the series. For $20 on Amazon, or even for it's $34.99 MSRP, you are getting more then your moneys worth. All of this plethora of content is wrapped in a very organized and pretty package. The presentation, especially for the money, is top notch. The cover itself is outstanding, with the gold foil lettering and Gate of Time symbol brillantly standing out on an equally brilliant green background. The pages are of a pretty good quality, making the art very clear and colorful, and are just an absolute pleasure to look at. Back onto the topic of the art footnotes, Dark Horse has done an excellent job translating them. Not only that, the fonts used are very crisp, clear and easy to read, making the bigger size of the book worth it. They may not be the unchanged handwritten footnotes of the Japanese version of the book, but it's a small sacrifice to actually be able to understand and read them easily. Also, there has been some concerns that increasing the size of the book would stretch some of the art. I, for one, haven't noticed any stretched images, although I don't have the Japanese book to accurately compare. Anyways, the background of each page looks browned, making it feel like you are reading through an ancient tome pulled right out of a Hylian library. It's little touches like these that makes the book such a special and pleasurable read. The quality of this book, once again, exceeds the price you pay for it. Let's dig a little more into the sections, the meat of the book. The first and third section, "The Legend Begins" and "Creative Footprints" contain beautiful artwork from each main game in the series. There is plenty of sketches, colored drawings, and paintings of various concept art found in each game, as well as for character designs, including some different character designs that haven't even made it into the game! An example, Fi has some pretty cool designs, including, but not limited too, a purple ninja design, a more bell shaped design, and even a heavily armored "Iron Man" design! It's nice to see these early, discarded ideas for some of the characters in the series, as it shows you just what really went into making these characters, their personalities, and functions so unique. There is this same level of treatment given into the concept art for areas within each game. Early sketches and drawings and the designer notes show the progression of the development process, and what the developers wanted out of each game. It's truly great seeing how these games came to be, and makes you appreciate the games even more! Onto the Second Section of the book "The History of Hyrule". This section contains the official timeline of the series, with later pages elaborating on how each game fits into the timeline. They truly did a great job summarizing key plot points of each game. There is also some extra lore that is placed in between some games. It helps ties the games together in the timeline, without taking anything away from the lore already established. All of this contained into a neatly organized sections, with each page labeled with the "era" and game that pages lore falls into. It is an interesting read that I would recommend anyone to look through, no matter what timeline theory you adhere to. Each section is brilliantly crafted, and filled with plenty of interesting art and information. The extras compliment what is an already excellent book. The presentation is wonderfully done. There aren't really any complaints I have with this book. It is an excellent tribute to The Legend of Zelda, and is worth a look from any ardent Zelda fan, and even worth a look from artists. Whether you are a Zelda fan, an artist, or someone looking for a great gift, you needn't look no futher then the Hyrule Historia.

Dark Horse has put out some pretty amazing graphic collections lately and this is no exception. This is a wonderful item that is well appreciated by an old Zelda fan like myself. The original Legend of Zelda is the game that got me hooked on video games (thanks a lot!) I remember as a kid, thumbing through the comic/story section of the Zelda manual so much that I wore it out! Now, 25 years later, we have one of the most iconic and enduring video game franchises rivaled only by Mario and Final Fantasy for longevity, popularity, and recognition. First of all, this sucker is heavy, nearly 4 pounds. It has nearly 300 pages, and is a pleasantly large 12.3 x 9.5. What this means is that it is a very good size for viewing the art and photography. The pictures are clear and the included drawings and notes are very nicely done. Obviously the artists at Dark Horse have digitally covered and written many notes in English, since it would be tough to have to read Japanese. But it seems they kept the style of even the penmanship close to the Japanese (and I mean the color of ink/pencil, line thickness, cursive notes for when kana was used, etc...). I like the attention to detail, though they could have also included captions under the drawings notating what the characters translate to in English. Still, I'm happy. At least they didn't leave it all in Japanese with no translation! My one complaint (a small one) is that a great deal of content is put aside for Skyward Sword. At times this does read like a commercial for the upcoming game. Granted, the folks at Nintendo want people to know about it (and since this is a translation of the Japanese version - we have to understand that they put it together). I just wanted folks to know. Though I would rather it be included then have it cut thereby reducing the number of pages. I just would have liked a bit more content for the first 3 games. Gladly though, the book designers didn't acknowledge those CD-i Zelda games! For the $21 price tag this is a no brainer. It will probably sell out at some point and go up in price from third party sellers, so get it now! Also a note: My copy came with a plastic wrapping, but there were still several marks and indents from handling and shipping. So if you are going to collect this and read it with plastic gloves and such, then you might want to buy a copy in person somewhere where you can visually inspect the book. It's still in good condition, but not 'Mint' condition. But I don't care since I plan on reading the hell out of this.

As a Zelda fan, I have long wanted to know the official timeline for the Zelda Universe, and this book definitely provides that and so much more. Before I bought this book, I had been uncertain if it would live up to my expectations, but I finally decided to buy it in late 2013; I've now had it for more than two years, and I am still looking at this book all of the time -- needless to say it was far better than anything I had hoped for. I realize that the review I am about to give may be quite long, but it is also extremely detailed and covers a lot more of the book's content than most reviews tend to discuss. I hope you will take the time to read it so that you know exactly what to expect when you purchase this product. Here is a list of the main sections in the book, where I will explain what may be expected in each and review it: The Legend Begins: The World of Skyward Sword This is the first major section in the book, where you will find a great deal of interesting concept art and also small notes on each character/location written by some of the game's creators, which are actually very insightful, and sometimes quite amusing. Yes, this section does take up a large part of the book, and rightfully so; this book was released as a celebration of the 25th Anniversary, and, by extent, the release of Skyward Sword, which was, at the time, the newest Zelda game. This may annoy some fans, but it should be kept in mind that Skyward Sword is not just another new Zelda game, but also the "origin story" of the Zelda universe. Naturally this wonderful game would get a lot of love and attention, and any true Zelda fan should be able to understand that to celebrate Skyward Sword is to celebrate the origin of the beloved series and every other game in it. I find it terribly sad that people claim to care so much about what's canon and what's not, but then choose to ignore a game that is canonically at the start of everything on the timeline, and as a result, needlessly bash this book for respecting that. This is not a huge advertisement, but a celebration that Zelda has made it this many years and is finally able to reward fans with an origin story. As a fan of the game, I can definitely say that this section is very satisfying and does not miss a single aspect of it. As a bonus, there is also a panel of additional facts, hints, and interesting theories about the things in Skyward Sword and their possible relation to the other games on the bottom of most pages in this section. The History of Hyrule: A Chronology This is probably the thing that people purchasing the book will be the most interested in, as it is an actual list on the official chronological order of the different Zelda games, according to Hyrule's historical events. All of the core games in the series up until Skyward Sword are included here; however, all of the spin-offs (e.g., Link's Crossbow Training), the two Satellaview games, Soulcalibur 2, and, thankfully, the awful CDi games, are not listed here. It is very well written, with a few mysteries that leave the reader with some very interesting questions, but not so many that the games seem out of place in the chronology. The timeline splits off in three directions after Ocarina of Time, but this should be no problem for anyone who is even just beginning to understand the concept of alternate universes, also called multiverse. In short, it is listing a set of three universes that occurr as a result of different possible outcomes at the ending of Ocarina of Time. It may sound difficult, but it is actually quite simple; this topic is covered in many different games, books, and TV shows nowadays, so I'm sure a great deal of people out there will be able to grasp this without any trouble. Furthermore, it gives some details about the first legend of Zelda game and Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link that the original games could not provide, such as the story of what happened just before the game began that set Link on his adventures. In addition to this, many of the pages detailing each era also include a small chart at the bottom of the page showing the Hylian writing of that particular time, along with a way to translate it into either Japanese or English. This is very important to those who have always wanted to read the writing placed on many signs and objects throughout the different games, so fans are sure to be pleased that these official translating guides are finally available. The Skyward Sword writing, however, was left out because Nintendo had intended for fans to try and figure it out (many already have). Creative Footprints: Documenting 25 Years of Artwork As the name would suggest, this section is full of artwork from the other core games in the Zelda series. It is definitely true that there is more artwork for the newer games like Twilight Princess and the Wind Waker, but I do not feel that this means they are ignoring the older games; I realize that the other artwork is simply more easy to find and publish because it is newer. As they said, for the older games, they had to dig through stacks of old documents to find the concept art, whereas the newer art would be more accessible. Also, it is unlikely that there would be much art for some of the older games, since the game systems were extremely limited in graphics, and as a result, not much detail could be put into designs that would be visible within the games themselves. Overall, this is a pretty large section, so they certainly were generous with the amount of art put in it. Special Comic: The Skyward Sword Manga by Akira Himekawa This was a very special manga requested by Eiji Aonuma for the 25th anniversary. As is stated by Akira Himekawa in the back of the Hyrule Historia book, this was also to celebrate the release of Skyward Sword and tell a story connected to the game that would complete the "very first Zelda tale" (Skyward Sword). As with most manga, it is read in the traditional Japanese right to left, back to front reading format. Contrary to popular belief, this is NOT a preview for a longer Skyward Sword manga; this is just a very short, very special story. There will not be a bigger manga released later, as is evident now that well over three years have passed since Hyrule Historia's initial release. The story starts out in beautiful full-color, then goes to black and white after a few pages. Some people find this disappointing, but I for one am quite happy with it as it is. The art style is beautiful and perfectly suited to the Zelda style. The story is top-notch and extremely touching, describing the tale of the war between the goddess Hylia and the Demon King Demise, the ascension of Skyloft, and the true origin of the Zelda/Link reincarnation cycle, along with introducing the very first Link, Hylia's Chosen Hero, and explaining his bond with the Crimson lofting. Now, some people claim that some things contradict the games and therefore cannot be true; however, in my opinion, this is incorrect. The Master Sword could have existed previously, been forged by Link and his comrades who would later be called the Seven Sages, and then devolved after the Triforce left its blade and entered the Silent Realm, just for example. In any event, I simply wanted to point out that while other reviewers claimed it non-canon, this was actually never said, and since I realize that many will skip over it if they feel it isn't canon, I wanted to clear that up, so hopefully more people will give it a read and enjoy this book to its fullest. In fact, since it was requested by Zelda's creators and placed in this official book, I think it's pretty safe to say that it is canon. Definitely worth a read, and in my opinion, worthy of its own separate game. I have to say this is my favorite part of the book, as it truly made sense of everything that I still had questions about in regards to Link and Zelda. If you are worried that this story may disappoint you, don't be; I am a huge Zelda fan and adore all of the core games in the series, but this story still holds an extremely special place in my heart, perhaps even slightly above any Zelda game I have ever played (and I've played them all); it's that good. Akira Himekawa's love and respect for the series truly shows in every aspect of this tale, and the final lines in the story really sum up the Zelda series beautifully; "a story that weaves destinies and spans eternity". At the start of the book and just before the manga are two small sections in which Shigeru Miyamoto and Eiji Aonuma, respectively, say a few words about their love for the Zelda series and thank the fans for their continued support, nicely wrapping up the book in a very nostalgic way. The name Hyrule Historia is not intended to imply that the book is mostly about the development of past games, or the history of the series as it has evolved over the years, although it does provide some of that; the name refers to the chronological history of Hyrule that is shown in the book, with all of the events talked about and shown in Skyward Sword being at the beginning of that timeline. Anyone who buys this book would do well to remember that, as it is unfair to expect the book to be about the official chronology, and still not have any focus on Skyward Sword over the rest. As a whole, the book is beautiful and interesting, the price is extremely amazing compared to the usual price in-store, and though it took a while to arrive from overseas, it was well worth the wait. I know that some reviewers complained that their book did not arrive with enough protective packaging, and as a result, was damaged, but this was not the case for me; it arrived in a very large box filled with protective bubble pack, and was in perfect condition, as I bought it new. I highly recommend this book to any and all Zelda fans, and I sincerely hope that if you are undecided about whether or not to buy it, like I had been, this review will have convinced you to give it a shot. You will never regret it.

I could start out this review by professing my love for the Legend of Zelda franchise and reflecting on how long it's been a part of my gaming history, but who couldn't say the same? Anyone whose gaming ambition extends beyond a few rounds of Wii Sports Tennis has likely sampled at least one of the games in the franchise. The games cater to an innate love of exploration and adventure that all humans share. Everybody loves the Legend of Zelda. It's an empirical fact. But for all the massive and enduring popularity the games enjoy, Nintendo has rarely made an effort to peel back the curtain and allow gamers a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes process and development that produces them. They tend to prefer to play everything pretty close to the vest. That's what makes the Hyrule Historia such a treat. This handsome hardcover tome is devoted entirely towards exploring and celebrating the long history of the franchise, with hundreds of images of concept designs, character art, screen captures, and other artwork from every major game in the series. The book was originally released in Japan to coincide with the release of Skyward Sword, and Dark Horse Comics and a team of English translators have finally brought it to our shores. Hyrule Historia is divided into four distinct sections. The first, "The Legend Begins: The World of Skyward Sword," is devoted exclusively to reproducing artwork from and commentary about that particular Zelda game. It may seem strange to devote so much of the hardcover to one entry in the franchise, but as mentioned, the Japanese release was timed more to coincide with that of the game. These pages reproduce countless images from the game, mainly character designs and sketches and renderings for the various environments. These pages include various snippets of general commentary and even comments from various members of the development team. It's easy to admire the effort the translation team put in here, as even the various scribbles and hand-written notes on the individual images have been converted from Japanese to English. The second section, "The History of Hyrule: A Chronology," is the material that may be of most immediate interest to hardcore Zelda fans. This section tackles the entire series and finally establishes the Nintendo-approved timeline of all the games. Beginning with Skyward Sword (which is chronologically the first Zelda game), these pages progress through the series, showcasing the many characters and trappings of the games. This section is a bit more text-heavy as it summarizes the games and examines certain shared elements and ties between the games. The writers do a reasonable job of making all the information clear and concise despite the fact that the timeline splinters into three once Ocarina of Time rolls around. I'm of the mindset that the Zelda mythology is more fun without Nintendo setting everything in stone. But even so, the approach here is just open-ended enough to leave some semblance of mystery and accommodate the various other games that will eventually crop up down the road. And even if you don't care one lick about where A Link to the Past and The Minish Cap fit in relation to one another, these pages are filled with various interesting tidbits. For example, one segment explains how to translate the various Hylian runes and signs in the games. The third section, "Creative Footprints: Documenting 25 Years of Artwork," is far more visually-oriented. Rather than the chronological approach of the previous section, this one moves through the games more in order of release. The focus is on character and creature designs -- both rough early sketches and final promotional artwork fans will likely be familiar with. The final few pages even offer a neat collage of the evolution of the character designs for Link, Princess Zelda, and Ganondorf over the decades. The early pages focused on older games like the original Legend of Zelda and A Link to the Past are easily the most fascinating. Sadly, they also comprise the smallest portion of the section. Hyrule Historia is heavily weighted towards the newer games in general, and this section seems to fixate mainly on Twilight Princess and Wind Waker. To a certain extent this makes sense. There's simply more material and existing artwork for Nintendo to utilize from these newer games. But these are also the titles that have received the most prior attention and press coverage and there many facets are more familiar to gamers. One of my few real complaints with this book is that too little attention is paid to the pre-Nintendo 64 era. The fourth and final section shakes things up by providing a new manga story from artist Akira Himekawa. This manga actually has the distinction of being the "first" Zelda adventure. Most of it takes place long before Skyward Sword and directly sets the stage for that game and the saga of Link and Zelda in general. The English translation is a bit clunky at times, but in general the story is an entertaining and thought-provoking look at the early days of Hyrule. I do wish the entire comic could have been printed in color rather than the traditional manga route of coloring the first handful of pages and switching to black and white for the rest. With a hardcover of this size, simple black and white art simply doesn't do the format justice. One fun added touch is the inclusion of a foreword from Shigeru Miyamoto and an afterword from Eiji Aonuma. As the two men most closely involved with the franchise over the years, it's nice to read their thoughts on the book and their reflections on the past 25 years of Zelda gaming. On that note, the quality and construction of Hyrule Historia is very impressive, especially considering the fairly modest price tag. The book is roughly a foot tall, similar in height but not quite as wide as Dark Horse's various Library Edition graphic novels. The binding is tight, and the pages are thick and glossy. Just watch out for the occasional black pages in the table of contents and so forth, as they tend to pick up fingerprints pretty easily. Even the cover is classy, eschewing a dust jacket and presenting a green motif with gold embossing. One nitpick -- the Dark Horse logo on the spine looks a bit tacky alongside the rest of the text. Overall, the quality and construction were impressive enough that it's actually a bit surprising that Dark Horse is only charging $35 for it. Many online retailers like Amazon are barely charging $20. At that price, any complaints about the contents almost become moot. Almost, but not quite. As mentioned, the book has a perplexing fascination with the newer Zelda games at the expense of the NES, SNES, and Game Boy era. What's more, the book makes no acknowledgement of the Philips CDi games. Yes, those games are legendary for being awful, but that fact alone justifies their inclusion. It would have been interesting to see how the contemporary Zelda crew look back on those titles and whether there are any connections to be drawn between them and the Nintendo-developed games. There's a small section detailing "elusive and rare Zelda titles," but it only references the Gamecube-exclusive Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition and the two BS games that were offered on the Satellaview service. Nor does the book touch on the old animated series or any other multimedia spinoffs. The focus is very insular and devoted almost exclusively to the Nintendo-developed games. A bit wider perspective on the franchise and its impact would have been nice. One other recurring problem is that the art rarely takes full advantage of the page real estate. Hyrule Historia is more about quantity than quality in that regard. You'll rarely find a page that doesn't have at least three or four separate pieces of art on display. Many times I found myself wishing than a particularly dynamic character design or interesting concept painting could have been blown up to full size. Naturally, Nintendo has to be efficient with their page design or risk winding up with a finished product in the thousands of pages. But at the very least, the occasional full-page image or double page spread could have added some extra visual spice to the book.

It is good the artwork and the comic pages on the end of book.

This book is almost too awesome for me to put into words. I've long been a fan of the Legend of Zelda. It is not only my personal favorite video game series, but arguably the greatest series in video gaming, period. When this book released in Japan for Zelda's 25 year anniversary, many hoped it would get translated and come to the States. Thankfully, our wish has been granted. This book is about as high-quality as they come. The opening letter from Shigeru Miyamoto sets a wonderful, celebratory tone for the rest of the book. I can't think of a better opening. The first third of the book, entitled "The Legend Begins: The World of Skyward Sword " is devoted to said title, the most recently released Zelda game we all played and loved. It's filled to the brim with the concept and official art that inspired Skyward's Sword brilliant aesthetic style. As one who views Skyward Sword as one of the most beautiful and brilliantly inspired video games ever made in terms of its art design and visuals, this is just fine with me. There's tons here, including a lot of really interesting ideas for characters that didn't make it into the game, like a floating Fi in a massive suit of armor or Zelda designs that are decidedly more elegant and fancy. Really cool. There's also a good amount of location art that is simply gorgeous and really captures your imagination, just like the settings in the game did. Throughout this whole section are notes from the Zelda team, which gives nice insight into the design process of the game. It's a great start to the book, and roughly 60 pages long. The next section, "The History of Hyrule: A Chronology," is probably what most Zelda fans are most excited for. It begins with a chart chronicling the various timelines and when each and every Zelda entry takes place in the chronology. Needless to say, it's quite interesting and some of it will probably be very unexpected to many fans out there who, up until now, had only their own musings and theories to make sense of it all. What is even better about this section is the following 70 or so pages that actually chronicles, in great detail, the events of each timeline in chronological order. These different timeline sections provide a lot of details about the events of each game in their respective timeline, and can be viewed as an encyclopedia of Hyrule. It's hard for me to describe this section without resorting to spoilers so I'll just say this: the official Zelda timeline is somewhat complex, with major splits and events that lead to multiple timelines. Despite how easy it would be for this to be confusing, it is presented in a way that is simple and intuitive to read through, and boy is it riveting! It really feels like you're reading a tome of legends. Sprinkled liberally through all of this are nice screenshots and art, as well as fascinating tidbits, like boxes that fully decipher the various Hylian/Hyrulean dialect text that appear in the games. How awesome is that?! After this is "Creative Footprints: Documenting 25 Years of Artwork," which goes for about 100 pages. This essentially boils down to old concept art the went into almost every single Zelda game ever made. It's all amazing. Newer games get more page space, obviously. Twilight Princess has about 32 pages, The Wind Waker (cannot wait for the Wii-U remake!) has 10, Ocarina of Time gets 6, and so on. You may think that some of the games deserve more space, such as A Link to the Past (1 & 1/2 pages!) , and you're right, but the pages are pretty huge, and it's understandable that the newer games have more art stored than the old ones. Personally, I love this section very much. The layouts are great, and the pages are huge, so trust me when I say a lot of art is given its spotlight. This section closes with a very nice letter from Eiji Aonuma, arguably the second most important man behind the Legend of Zelda, after Shigeru Miyamoto of course. A great way to close the book. Ah, but the book isn't over quite yet. The book ends in spectacular fashion, with an all-new manga by Akira Himekawa, the genius duo that have made many fantastic Legend of Zelda manga already . Anyone familiar with their past work will not be disappointed here. I won't spoil anything about it for you, but I will say it's an all new legend, featuring a new, original Link, that essentially spells out what happened on the surface with Hylia during the original war with Demise, a story that would eventually lead to the events in Skyward Sword thousands of years later. I love that even farther back than Skyward Sword's seeming origin story, there are even more legends to tell in this universe. So that's the content of the book. It's all fantastic. The presentation and quality of the book itself is just top-notch. The lay-outs are nice, the printing quality is vibrantly beautiful and sharp as a tack, and the pages are crisp and clean. The binding is also high quality, which is important because this is a big book that would fall apart relatively quickly if it wasn't bound well. And how about that gorgeous cover? I love that they decided to make the Gate of Time from Skyward Sword the art on the cover. Its dazzling gold sparkle contrasts nicely with the forest green. It declares loudly and proudly to all who see it that this is a sacred historia of true legends, and you'll be proud to display it prominently. Great stuff! I know this review is a little lengthy and full of praise, but man, if ever a encyclopedia/art book/celebratory tome deserved it, it's this one. As I said earlier, I love the Legend of Zelda. It is by far my favorite series in gaming, a hobby I consider my favorite pastime. There are few games that capture the sense of beauty, imagination, and adventure like the Legend of Zelda effortlessly does with each and every release. This book really honors the series' legacy. If you're a huge Zelda fan like I am, or you have one in your life, getting this book is an absolute must-buy-immediately. Buy it, get lost in this lovely Zelda celebration, and be inspired by the legends within.

The Legend of Zelda is one of the most beloved video game franchises of all time. But for a series that is so treasured, Nintendo has been coy about giving fans an insider scoop regarding detailed plotlines, development commentary, and the behind the scenes creative process. In fact, the overarching storyline has been a topic of heated debate among gamers for years. Finally, after 25 years, Nintendo in partnership of Dark Horse Comics has peeled back the veil of this legendary video game series. Hyrule Historia is a hardcover documentary detailing everything Zelda. Originally, this book was released only in Japan as a tie-in with the release of Skyward Sword. But thanks to Dark Horse, everything has been translated to English – even handwritten captions by Japanese developers have been reworked for Western audiences. This book is basically divided into four sections. The first section is solely dedicated to Skyward Sword, the most current Zelda game but the first in the Zelda timeline. Tons of artwork is nicely displayed along with developer commentary and notes. It might seem kind of strange that such a large section of the book is dedicated to this one game but it was originally designed as a side-by-side release with the Skyward Sword game. Also, since this is the most recent game, all the game’s assets should have been the most easily accessible. The second section is going to be the most coveted as it finally explains the chronology of the entire Zelda series. All the games are canonically linked together on the opening page but then followed by brief summaries of each title on the subsequent pages. As a Zelda fan that has played and completed every Zelda title (except for the highly difficult Adventure of Link – someday I will conquer it!) this section was an eye-opener. Details explained in this section are not something that players can obtain simply by playing the games or reading the instruction manual. Even if you played every Zelda game one hundred times, there are still factoids listed here that you never knew about. Just browsing through these pages will create several “ah-ha” moments especially for hardcore fans. While the rest of the book is definitely welcomed, this section undoubtedly makes the most impact. However, although the book explains the Zelda series in more detail, it still leaves enough open-endedness to allow for readers to make their own assumptions. But at the same time, it leaves things vague enough so future Zelda games can find their place in the series history. Creative Footprints: Documenting 25 Years of Artwork is the third section. Here, viewers are treated to a highly visual representation of the entire Zelda series by game. From early rough sketches, to creature design or declined ideas, this section focuses on the craftsmanship of Zelda. Unfortunately, the earlier released games, say before Ocarina of Time, received the least amount of attention although these games are often the most interesting. Nonetheless, it is pretty to look at and well respected. Finally, artist Akria Himekawa drew an exclusive Zelda anime that basically sets up the events of Skyward Sword. This is an interesting way to experience Zelda especially since this story is basically the origins of Link and Hyrule. Unfortunately, much of this comic is in simple black and white. For a book that is so detailed, the black and white is a jarring difference and doesn’t hold up in comparison to the rest of the publication. The book itself is also well put together. The heavy green cover makes the reader feel like they are holding history in their hands while the pages are printed on high quality paper to make colors pop without unsightly finger printing. This book, in a way, almost makes me feel like I am holding the book of Mudora from A Link To the Past. Luckily, I didn’t need the Pegasus boots to knock it down from the top shelf. Instead, this piece of video game history retails for $35 but outlets like Amazon are charging under $20 it. This is a great way to absorb the most amount of Zelda with the smallest price. My complaints revolve around omitted material. Outside a brief sidebar, BS Zelda was not talked about. Also, the CD-I titles were completely absent which only ensures that Nintendo chooses to ignore this unsightly blemish. The cartoon and even the Zelda cereal were also not shown any love. For a book that is basically the encyclopedia of Zelda, omitting these pieces of Zelda history seems like a wasted opportunity. And for a book based on a game franchise that is filled with some of the most creative character and level designs in history, many of this book’s screenshots and other art assets are small. It would have been nice to see a blown up map or landscape art spread over two pages on occasion. And the Dark Horse logo on the binding of the book also looks out of place; it detracts from the aura of the publication when it sits vertically on a shelf. Hyrule Historia was created for the fans and the artistry shows. Sure there are some flaws with the final execution but the excellent quality of the cover and paper along with the intriguing content make this a book gamers will actually want to read.

Un livre à recommander aux fans de la saga Zelda mais surtout au dessinateurs, étudiants en art en quête d'inspiration pour leurs œuvres. De très belles images parsèment le livre. Les divers concept arts sont variés et bien présentés. La qualité du papier, la grande taille du bouquin permettent de profiter pleinement de l'univers Zelda haut en couleurs. J'ai acheté ce livre en version anglaise car la version française comporte des maladresses de traduction et possèderait moins de pages apparemment (d'après Amazon : 276 pages pour la version anglaise, 200 p. pour la française). Je suis passée par un revendeur. Le livre est arrivé dans les temps mais l'emballage a été négligé. L'ouvrage est donc arrivé avec quelques cicatrices sur la tranche et le dos mais rien de grave. L'intérieur est intacte.

What a treat this infographic type book

Like the Triforce, this Hyrule Historia must be taken together with the other two pieces--the Encyclopedia and Arts & Artifacts books which are part of this series. This is like a Zelda bible--the most essential, comprehensive, beautiful, and interesting thing you can own in your library as a video game fan, a fan of lore, a fan of art, and most importantly, a fan of the Zelda franchise! I loved every bit of it, the quality of the printed art is exquisite, the hardcover feel and triforce-gold print is high quality, the design and layout is excitingly inviting, and the entire package is created beautifully, aesthetically, and thoughtfully--all creating something I absolutely loved! Don't hesitate, and if you are a Zelda fan, buy it now and enjoy reading and looking at the greatest Zelda experience in a book!

En tjock och väl inbunden bok! Jag blev väldigt nöjd! Hade förväntat mej ett billigare och mindre häfte, men detta är en riktigt fin bok!

Ricevuto come regalo di natale, e ne sono rimasto non felice di più, sono un fan della sega e questo volume è un MUST HAVE per come me, che anche avendo solo vent'anni sono appassionato dal fantastico universo creato da Shigeru Miyamoto. Come scritto nel titolo il pacco è arrivato un po' rovinato ma per fortuna il libro non era danneggiato (a mio avviso Amazon deve ancora trovare il modo migliore per spedire libri). la copertina è rigida e testo e logo sono foil (dorate e riflettono la luce), all'interno le pagine sono davvero ben fatte, sono molto spesse cosa che al tatto è molto gradevole, L'albo è completamente in INGLESE ma non serve un madrelingua per capire ciò che c'è scritto. In questo libro comprende tutti i lavori di Akira fino al 2013 ovvero: -the legend of zelda (1986) -zelda II the adventure of link (1987) -the legend of zelda a link to the past (1991) -the legend of zelda link's awakening (1993) -the legend of zelda ocarina of time (1998) -the legend of zelda majora's mask (2000) -the legend of zelda oracle of ages/oracle of season (2001) -the legend of zelda the wind waker (2003) -the legend of zelda the minish cap (2003) -the legend of zelda four sword adventure (2004) -the legend of zelda twilight princess (2006) -the legend of zelda phantom hourglass (2007) -the legend of zelda spirit traks (2009) -the legend of zelda ocarina of time 3D (2011) -the legend of zelda skyward sword (2011) -the legend of zelda the wind waker HD (2013) -the legend of zelda a link beetwen worlds (2013) Tutto questo più un fumetto finale lo abbiamo in circa 240 pagine completamente a colori ed ad una qualità senza pari. Nell'albo è possibile scoprire molti segreti su personaggi, ambientazioni e creatori del gioco, in più ci sono i collegamenti cronologici dei videogiochi e le varie prove e bozze di molti dei principali personaggi tra quali: link, zelda, ganondorf, impa..... poi ci sono i concept art, i prodotti venduti per pubblicizzare il gioco, bozze di paesaggi, prove di colorazione, i vari npc, boss e nemici che è possibile incontrare e molto altro.... In conclusione ci vorrebbe troppo per dirvi cosa è compreso in questo mastodontico omaggio ad una delle saghe videoludiche più famose e amate della storia, e poi voglio lasciare a voi la stessa felicità che ho avuto io mentre sfoglialo le pagine e scoprivo sempre cose nuove. ✔️PRO: -prezzo (su Amazon) -copertina rigida -pagine molto spesse -qualità dei disegni eccellente -contiene davvero molto materiale utile ed interessante ✖️CONTRO: -peccato non esista una versione in italiano