Thursday, January 31, 2013

Hyrule Historia Reviews


The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia is a perfect love letter from Nintendo to Link.  I'm always a fan of Legend of Zelda- actually, a fan would be a lie.  I never once have an opportunity to finish a Zelda game completely and for that I feel ashamed of myself.  However, this wonderful book has once again brings me my love for Legend of Zelda.  With Hyrule Historia, not only old fans can reminisce all the classic and new games, new fans can be easily suck into the magical, and beautiful world of Legend of Zelda.

The moment I pick up the book, I know that this is going to be a big deal.  I ordered this book through Amazon, and when I picked it up at my front door the weight instantly awe me.  The sleek, green hardcover, the color pages with high-end papers, the book scares me to even touch it.  It is almost a steal consider I pre-ordered it on Amazon back in August last year, and I only have to pay 20 bucks.

There are four parts in this book.  The first, "Legend Begins" is a section all about the latest, but chronologically the first game- Skyward Sword.  The second, "The History of Hyrule," is a chronological history of all the Zelda games so far.  Third, "Creative Footprints," is sketches and designs of all the Zelda games.  The last part is a prequel comic to Skyward Sword.

I haven't play Skyward Sword yet- I bought it for my roommate for his birthday last year, but I never play the game myself.  So, I can't say too much for the first section, which is ALL about Skyward Sword.  My favorite section has two be "The History of Hyrule."  My favorite thing about video game franchises has always been the story and history.  And one of the reason I can never fully enjoy The Legend of Zelda series is because the complicated history- but not anymore.  With this Hyrule Historia, Nintendo finally reveals the official timeline and answers that with Ocarina of Time, the timeline splits into three.  While still confusing, but it's understandable.  I'm thinking about going into detail of the timelines in a different entry when I read through the book thoroughly.

The "Creative Footprints" shows different sketches and designs from the artists.  Normally I don't really understand these sketches things, but I can still feel the power as I read through the section.  I especially love the sections when they go into details with the weapons and how they functions.  I, myself, while not a big fan of sketches, am a big fan of mechanical designs.  After "Creative Footprints," there is a small section for game catalog.  This sections shows the games in their release orders and it comes with different box arts for the fans to understand better.  I really enjoy this section as it helps me guess what the creative team were going through back in the days.  I haven't have a chance to read the comic yet.  Maybe I will post my thoughts later when I'm finished.

At the end, if you're a Zelda fan, Hyrule Historia is a must buy for you.  However, if you are like me, who are always interested in Legend of Zelda series, but not really a fan, the book is a must buy as well.  It teaches you everything you need to know about the series, and at the end you're guaranteed to be a fan.  Besides, who can resist that new book smell?

My Score: 9.7/10

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