Miyamoto & Aonuma’s “The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia”

A Must Read 300With the recent E3 information about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild taking the gaming world by storm, I figured this was a good time to pick up a book I’ve wanted for a few years now. Let me start off by saying that this is going to be a niche review: this time I am taking a look at Shigeru Miyamoto and Eiji Aonuma’s The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia. This book is a massive encyclopedia of Zelda, detailing artwork, an established timeline of every entry in the game series, and it even contains a short manga (Japanese comic) that was created for the 25th anniversary of the series. I grew up playing Zelda games, and I have remained a huge fan for my whole life. This book is, quite honestly, beautiful. The pages are filled with concept art (both used and unused) from various stages of the series’ development, and creator’s notes are found throughout the whole book. The illustrations, themselves, are as vibrant and colorful as the critically-acclaimed visuals found in the games. That being said, the illustrations have a unique charm, as there is a big difference in seeing a 3D model and seeing a work that somebody drew by hand.

In regards to the timeline, it is extensive and detailed in its descriptions of not only what happened, but also why the events tie in. For fans of the series (each game is created, initially, as a stand-alone title, fitting loosely into a general timeframe) establishing a timeline has always been a major area of contention. The debates will not end because of this book (due to the nature of the series, even the developers acknowledge inconsistencies), though it is very nice to finally have something to fully examine. The manga found at the end of the book is exceptionally stunning in composition, bringing a unique visual flare to the universe of Zelda, as well as detailing a particularly interesting event in the lore of the series and providing the silent protagonist, Link, with a voice. Though it may seem strange at first to see Link talking, I think fans will be very interested in the direction Akira Himekawa (the manga’s author) takes Link. I warned you that this was a very niche review! Regardless, to any The Legend of Zelda fans out there who read this review, go pick up a copy of The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia: it is a must-have for fans everywhere.

Source: Jake Depew, Assistant Editor