Book Review- The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia
Review by Jason T. Smith
Publisher: Dark Horse Books
Release Date: January 2013
Website: www.darkhorse.com
Video game giant Nintendo has recently released the highly anticipated The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia in conjunction with Dark Horse Books. This huge hardcover masterpiece features 240 plus pages of full color art from pretty much every Zelda game there ever was. If you have ever played Nintendo as a kid or in my case, still do, you are not going to want pass up on this beautiful book.
If you are even slightly familiar with The Legend of Zelda game franchise, chances are that you know who Link is. The green clad sword-wielding hero is second only to Mario when it comes to Nintendo’s flagship characters. In this book you will see all the versions of Link through the years, wonderfully chronicled on pages 228 and 229, as well as all the other characters that make up the Zelda series. You will even get to see concept character designs that never made it into any game. This book has it all. From the breathtaking landscape designs of the Hyrule kingdom itself to box art designs for every game, my favorites in particular being the 1980’s Zelda titles.
Senior Executive Director of Nintendo as well as the creator of the Zelda franchise, Shigeru Miyamoto states that there couldn’t have been a better time to release Hyrule Historia, with now being the time of the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda. Miyamoto goes on to talk a little about the history of the series, like how it was actually launched back in 1986 in Japan for the Famicom Disk System, the Japanese version of the old classic NES that a lot of us remember having as kids. He wanted the title to be “The Legend of” but couldn’t figure out what and he knew a famous American author whose wife’s name was Zelda, which he thought to be a beautiful name, so he asked if he could use it, the author said yes and the rest was history: Hyrule History.
So to sum it all up, The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia gets two thumbs up from me. An outstanding work of art and a must have for any Nintendo fan out there. Even if you’re not a video game buff and just appreciate great art then this ones definitely for you. It would be wise on your part to pick up your copy soon, as Hyrule Historia has already sold out overseas and the U.S. is sure to follow suit. Highly recommended, I give The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia a perfect @@@@@ out of FIVE.