4.60

4

Feb 14, 2019

My wife and I both dismiss Valentine's Day as a commercial holiday. When I got home from work yesterday, she surprised me with this. Luckily I'd gotten her a t-shirt with that caterpillar from the Labyrinth on it so I wasn't caught empty-handed.

The Legend of Zelda series is my favorite video game series of all time and I have fond memories of gazing at the art in the manuals and promotional materials. This book is treasure trove of Zelda art. It's a weighty tome at over 400 pages and I bet there My wife and I both dismiss Valentine's Day as a commercial holiday. When I got home from work yesterday, she surprised me with this. Luckily I'd gotten her a t-shirt with that caterpillar from the Labyrinth on it so I wasn't caught empty-handed.

The Legend of Zelda series is my favorite video game series of all time and I have fond memories of gazing at the art in the manuals and promotional materials. This book is treasure trove of Zelda art. It's a weighty tome at over 400 pages and I bet there are less than 4000 words in the entire thing, all occurring in an interview with artists on the series at the very end of the book.

Every page is packed with art. There are concept sketches, promotional art, box art, art from the manuals, even pixel art from the games themselves. Every game, from the original Legend of Zelda to the most recent game, Breath of the Wild, is well-represented. I don't have the Zelda II manual anymore but I think some of the art for it came from issues of the Nintendo Fun Club Magazine, the precursor to Nintendo Power. Is Nintendo Power still being published? Anyway, every character, every enemy, and even every magical item is depicted. I can't imagine a better source of Zelda art than this book. Four out of five Triforces.



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5

September 3, 2017

Better than a hard copy, can see the beautifully amazing art work on the go, where ever you are. Don't have to worry about damaging a hard copy, can view double page illustrations with ease and can zoom in, to an actual larger size than a hard copy. The art work in this book is stunning, a must for ...Full Review

5

Apr 25, 2017

As someone who loves Legend of Zelda and has a background in art, I really loved this book. It was fun to see how the style has changed from game to game, and read the interview at the end with some of the illustrators to learn why. I also liked comparing which monsters and characters carried over to different games and how their look changed as well. I would have loved for publication to occur after Breath of the Wild because the new game is by far my favorite, and is absolutely beautiful too.

4

Apr 15, 2017

For serious Zelda fans! If you have "Hyrule Historia", then you will love this book also. Really liked the timeline of all the Zelda games that have been released over the years and the cool box art that was used for each game. Liked the different sections that feature the friends and enemies you encounter from each game--some of the detail in the artwork is just awesome! There is also a brief interview in the back of the book with various artists who have contributed their talents to the Zelda For serious Zelda fans! If you have "Hyrule Historia", then you will love this book also. Really liked the timeline of all the Zelda games that have been released over the years and the cool box art that was used for each game. Liked the different sections that feature the friends and enemies you encounter from each game--some of the detail in the artwork is just awesome! There is also a brief interview in the back of the book with various artists who have contributed their talents to the Zelda franchise. ...more

3

Mar 11, 2017

I wish there was more information in it, but the art is fantastic.

2

Apr 01, 2017

I thought this book would talk about the idea behind the designs in the video games, but it's just pictures of the art and items in the games with no commentary.

4

May 13, 2017

I'm not sure how much I have to say about this book, because there's not that much that can be commented on. There's no text in it at all other than the names of the characters depicted or the game the art comes from for almost four hundred pages at the beginning, with the first artists' notes not appearing until page 399. Those notes, about the appearance of Link's motorcycle for the Mario Kart 8 DLC, are the only notes next to any illustration in the book.

I can point out some art I liked, I'm not sure how much I have to say about this book, because there's not that much that can be commented on. There's no text in it at all other than the names of the characters depicted or the game the art comes from for almost four hundred pages at the beginning, with the first artists' notes not appearing until page 399. Those notes, about the appearance of Link's motorcycle for the Mario Kart 8 DLC, are the only notes next to any illustration in the book.

I can point out some art I liked, though. The best is the Wind Waker art on page 62 and 63, with the woodcuts of the history of Hyrule leading to the victory of Ganona nd the failure of the destined hero to appear, and the stained-glass window depicting Link standing in front of Hyrule Castle and Princess Zelda in the background. I know that there was a lot of controversy at time about Link's appearance in Wind Waker--that it was too cartoony, that it was kiddy, that Nintendo was making stupid baby games for stupid babies--but I thought and I still think that it looked great when I played just after it came out. And hey, that art holds up worlds better than a lot of the "realistic" games released in 2003. It turns out that having a consistent art style is better than always chasing the bleeding edge of graphics if you want your game to stand the test of time.

Page 42 has a beautiful illustration of Ocarina of Time-era Link riding Epona through Hyrule Field which looks like what Ocarina of Time looked like in my memories rather than what it actually looked like when I replayed it in January. The field looks as expansive as it felt at the time and Link is staring off into the distant horizon as he rides with purpose from Lon Lon Ranch. It really captures what it felt like to play Ocarina of Time when it first came out.

There's another good character illustration of Link and Epona on page 154 and 155, with Epona especially being impressive.

I only got a third of the way through Twilight Princess before we moved to Japan and I never picked it back up, but I really liked the illustration of Link and Wolf Link on page 268. They're facing each other, Link away from the viewer and the wolf toward, and both are craning their heads to the viewer's right. It provides a nice synchronicity.

It's not quite the same art, which is why I didn't label it my favorite, but there's a section beginning on page 382 with pixel art from the first three Zelda games.I learned from this book that Zelda in the first game will wear a dress the same color as Link's tunic and that Link's swimming animation in A Link to the Past requires 18 frames to cover all possible swimming directions. I love pixel art and it's all beautifully labeled and presented against a black background, so even though the art in the rest of the book is beautiful, I have a soft spot for the ending.

Not quite the full ending, though, since the book ends with an interview with Wada Takumi,Takizawa Satoru, Nakano Yusuke, and Haruhana Yoshiki, all of whom were artists in various capacities on the Zelda series. This is the interview that revealed that Link was redesigned in Ocarina of Time to appeal to overseas audiences and his look was based on a famous actor (probably Leonardo Di Caprio, but unstated for legal reasons). There's also a note I really liked about detail and how traditionally bombable walls are visually distinct in some way, but if everything in the game becomes highly detailed and full of clutter it becomes impossible to distinguish important targets. That's why Wind Waker's art was scaled back and simplified, to prevent that from happening.

It's a quick read unless you're poring over every illustration looking at every detail, but a worthwhile one. And there's no timeline ridiculousness so it's automatically one up on Hyrule Historia. ...more

5

Nov 28, 2017

This book is hard to review because it is almost completely artwork. If you're interested in seeing art from the Zelda games (and they're all covered here up until Breath of the Wild) then you're going to really enjoy looking at the book. The image quality is high and the book is really nice-looking. The only potential reading is an extended interview with the artists behind Link's design in the back. It is detailed and a fitting tribute to the people behind this awesome series' art. For the This book is hard to review because it is almost completely artwork. If you're interested in seeing art from the Zelda games (and they're all covered here up until Breath of the Wild) then you're going to really enjoy looking at the book. The image quality is high and the book is really nice-looking. The only potential reading is an extended interview with the artists behind Link's design in the back. It is detailed and a fitting tribute to the people behind this awesome series' art. For the price, this book is excellent and sure to please any Zelda fan. I like it better than the previous book put out by Dark Horse and am happy to have it on my shelf! ...more

4

Jun 03, 2018

The bit of reading is at the end where the Artists that have been part of these pictures share their experience and thoughts of the whole process. It's good to know about some of the things I wondered about regarding some characters' designs are covered on that interview!

This is a love-letter kind of picture book where you find all the art that has covered The Legend of Zelda over the past 30 years up until the first pictures of Breath of the Wild.

4

Jan 27, 2018

An absolutely gorgeous volume! It collects 30 years of the most amazing Legend of Zelda artwork! This is primarily a book full of artwork, though I wish it had more text about the art. A must read for every Zelda fan, but I wouldn't say a must purchase.

5

Apr 10, 2018

A great little title to browse through if you enjoy The Legend of Zelda franchise or are a fan of good art and animation. I hereby give this book 5/5 hearts trust me you're gonna need them. A great little title to browse through if you enjoy The Legend of Zelda franchise or are a fan of good art and animation. I hereby give this book 5/5 hearts ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️trust me you're gonna need them. ...more

5

Feb 05, 2018

If you are a fan of the *Legend of Zelda* (Zelda no Densetsu) video game series, like I am, then you will love this book. This artbook showcases wonderful art from all the games.

5

May 20, 2017

Fantastic art, loved it. They could have peppered the commentary throughout the book rather than keep it all in the end

4

Jul 18, 2018

It's simply a chronological collection of artwork for the game. It's incredibly striking and amazing reference material. Though my friend has pointed out that it's missing an image of Midna's true form, like come on guys, not even 1 ??

5

Feb 22, 2017

4.5/5 stars ~

Thirty years worth of full-color Zelda art on high-quality pages, plus a few pages of creator interviews. It makes a nice set with The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia. It also doubles as a bludgeoning weapon because IT IS HEAVY -- dual-wielding bludgeoning weapons if you have both books.

My only complaint is it doesn't have art from Super Smash Bros. or Hyrule Warriors. I know those games were collaborations, but technically so is Mario Kart, and they featured a few pieces from that 4.5/5 stars ~

Thirty years worth of full-color Zelda art on high-quality pages, plus a few pages of creator interviews. It makes a nice set with The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia. It also doubles as a bludgeoning weapon because IT IS HEAVY -- dual-wielding bludgeoning weapons if you have both books.

My only complaint is it doesn't have art from Super Smash Bros. or Hyrule Warriors. I know those games were collaborations, but technically so is Mario Kart, and they featured a few pieces from that game but not the others. ...more

2

Mar 05, 2017

Deep in my soul, I knew I was lying when I purchased this book. I said to myself: surely, this book will have some substance. It can't be as disappointing as Hyrule Historia. Yet, here I am, seven million pages of artwork later, without having learned more than a few things here and there. There are no descriptions, explanations, clues, cultural tidbits - nothing of note, really - to be found in this book, but for the brief interview at the back. And, the interview is really interesting only in Deep in my soul, I knew I was lying when I purchased this book. I said to myself: surely, this book will have some substance. It can't be as disappointing as Hyrule Historia. Yet, here I am, seven million pages of artwork later, without having learned more than a few things here and there. There are no descriptions, explanations, clues, cultural tidbits - nothing of note, really - to be found in this book, but for the brief interview at the back. And, the interview is really interesting only in a few parts, in which they discuss where certain artifacts took their inspiration. Were I the interviewer, this would have been the bulk of the interview, but it seemed only an afterthought, and an unimportant afterthought at that. In summation, this is a pretty book, but it is only a trinket; there is nothing substantive within its pages, which have about as much depth as a thimble. ...more

4

Jul 13, 2017

This fine collection of masterpieces is the most beautiful thing I have laid eyes on in a while. There's so much detail in even the NPCs, it's crazy-good; it really gets you to appreciate the magnitude of the work the Nintendo teams get up to. I found the art style of A Link Between Worlds to be the most memorable (seriously gorgeous ( ω )) and the 25th-anniversary illustration was quite something as well () I also loved the cute, little concept art/doodles next to some of the artwork and I This fine collection of masterpieces is the most beautiful thing I have laid eyes on in a while. There's so much detail in even the NPCs, it's crazy-good; it really gets you to appreciate the magnitude of the work the Nintendo teams get up to. I found the art style of A Link Between Worlds to be the most memorable (seriously gorgeous ( ♥ω♥ )) and the 25th-anniversary illustration was quite something as well (´∀｀)♡ I also loved the cute, little concept art/doodles next to some of the artwork and I can't wait to have more of that beautiful Breath of the Wild scenery in the next book ♡＾v＾♡ ...more

2

May 29, 2017

The Legend of Zelda series has an interesting history spanning back to the original NES, and it has had at least one iteration for each new Nintendo system and handheld, including such masterpieces as; Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, and A Link To the Past. This book collects the artwork from each game and places them in consecutive order from game posters to character sketches and item pictures. The progression of the series is obvious as well as the advancement in technology allowing for more The Legend of Zelda series has an interesting history spanning back to the original NES, and it has had at least one iteration for each new Nintendo system and handheld, including such masterpieces as; Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, and A Link To the Past. This book collects the artwork from each game and places them in consecutive order from game posters to character sketches and item pictures. The progression of the series is obvious as well as the advancement in technology allowing for more detailed and intricate designs, and the tone of each iteration is perfectly expressed in the style of each game's artwork/characters.
However, Dark Horse seems to have rushed this out with little thought for design or detail. The first several hundred pages are just artwork with no script besides characters & items names and the titles of each game corresponding to the art. However, the last dozen pages are a fascinating interview with the actual artists discussing the works as they flip through those same previous pages of artwork. Why were the anecdotes and details from the artists not placed next to the artwork they are describing?
This could have been a deeper analysis of the evolving narrative of The Legend of Zelda series with personal anecdotes granting the art a higher complexity than just being plastered on a bunch of pages. As is, this book feels rushed and repetitive with a superficial interview placed on the last few pages. This is not worth purchasing unless you really love The Legend of Zelda or you don't have an internet connection to find all of these pictures with a simple Google search. ...more

5

May 05, 2019

As the second Big Book of All Things Zelda, I can't help but compare Art & Artifacts to its green brother The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia. Though it is bigger by half, this red tome is much more specific in scope, which I think is a great improvement. There's hardly any text, sure, but the contents don't really require much in the way of text.

Art & Artifacts contains a lot of art, ranging from promotional material for the games to illustrations from instruction manuals, character As the second Big Book of All Things Zelda, I can't help but compare Art & Artifacts to its green brother The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia. Though it is bigger by half, this red tome is much more specific in scope, which I think is a great improvement. There's hardly any text, sure, but the contents don't really require much in the way of text.

Art & Artifacts contains a lot of art, ranging from promotional material for the games to illustrations from instruction manuals, character illustrations, some pixel art, and a handful of sketches, spread out over some 400 pages. Unlike Hyrule Historia, the vast majority of works included in this book are finished illustrations without their artists' notes. This feels like a breath of fresh air after the first book, which zoomed in on Skyward Sword's art (and the other Zelda titles to a lesser degree) and the development thereof. Though it is utterly fascinating to get a look into how Zelda characters are created and designed, it slowed my journey through the book to a crawl at times. Not Art & Artifacts, no! The red book is content with giving you just the art, and works better as a book to open and flip through on a whim as a result.

This is a book for Zelda fans first and foremost, and can be enjoyed even by non-artists. It doesn't say much, but it sure shows a lot. It's just an absolute joy to look at, and that's all it really needs to be. ...more

4

Jun 04, 2019

A gorgeous gallery of art. I also absolutely loved the interviews at the end of the book with various artists who have contributed works to the Legend of Zelda through the years.

Four things I would have liked to have seen:

-MIDNA in her non-imp form! I was shocked to see this lacking in the Twilight Princess sections of the book! (You can see her face in the backgrounds of some pieces. That is all.) This omission also calls to mind that there really are probably other characters that will be A gorgeous gallery of art. I also absolutely loved the interviews at the end of the book with various artists who have contributed works to the Legend of Zelda through the years.

Four things I would have liked to have seen:

-MIDNA in her non-imp form! I was shocked to see this lacking in the Twilight Princess sections of the book! (You can see her face in the backgrounds of some pieces. That is all.) This omission also calls to mind that there really are probably other characters that will be lacking in this book, despite its enormous size.
-Credits for the primary artists of each individual piece, when possible. I like learning about individual artists and their personal styles/techniques through their work, even if it's part of a franchise (i.e. Pokemon cards always credit the illustrator)
-More location-oriented art/landscapes. The artwork of the book is largely focused on the characters. While this is the majority of what I wanted, some of the Zelda franchise's best artwork is that of its landscapes (including overworlds, dungeons, etc).
-Rough sketches and explanations of design choices would have been welcome. I also believe there could have been room made in the book for 3D-modelling examples, at least occasionally.

Overall, you should know if you want this book or not based on how important artbooks and/or The Legend of Zelda games are to you. My list above should give a clear indication of what you will not find in this book. ...more

4

Apr 25, 2019

A friend of mine recommended this book and I'm very glad she did. I grew up on the Zelda series and reading this was as much trip down memory lane as it was a journey and adventure of the fantastical. This book is what all gaming art books should strive to be; it features the complete collection of official Zelda artwork, item design, sketches, pixel art, skits, and even interviews with each artist from every Zelda game! This is really the full gamut of the visual Zelda experience. The only A friend of mine recommended this book and I'm very glad she did. I grew up on the Zelda series and reading this was as much trip down memory lane as it was a journey and adventure of the fantastical. This book is what all gaming art books should strive to be; it features the complete collection of official Zelda artwork, item design, sketches, pixel art, skits, and even interviews with each artist from every Zelda game! This is really the full gamut of the visual Zelda experience. The only thing holding me back from giving this book five stars is the content itself. Zelda art is great, but it is nowhere near as good as Yoshitaka Amano's art from Final Fantasy or even Shigenori Soejima's art from the Persona series. Nevertheless, this is a great book to get lost in that Zelda fans should seek out. I was able to find my copy online for only 30$ (brand new) and for that price, I would definitely recommend picking this up. ...more

3

Jun 10, 2017

As an art book it's pretty fantastic. It's an excellent showcase for all the art that has been drawn and painted and published throughout the years for all the games in the franchise. It's even got a (small) section for Breath of the Wild! Nevertheless, I WAS expecting more written content, as in interviews or explanations regarding the creation of these pieces, or the history of the games' artistic development. All it's got is an interview with a group of Nintendo artist near the end; it's As an art book it's pretty fantastic. It's an excellent showcase for all the art that has been drawn and painted and published throughout the years for all the games in the franchise. It's even got a (small) section for Breath of the Wild! Nevertheless, I WAS expecting more written content, as in interviews or explanations regarding the creation of these pieces, or the history of the games' artistic development. All it's got is an interview with a group of Nintendo artist near the end; it's pretty informative and entertaining, which makes the fact that there isn't MORE of it all the more disappointing. I really like The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts, but I can't deny I was expecting more. ...more

3

Jul 12, 2019

A beautiful volume that delivers what it promises--tons of concept and promotional art for "Legend of Zelda" games throughout the series. I found the focus a little narrow; the book assumes you know your Zelda mythos, and it offers little context for the different characters and artifacts in its pages.

It's fun to watch Link evolve from the squat, big-nosed look he originally displays, and the art throughout is beautiful. There is a smattering of pixel art from the first few games, but most of A beautiful volume that delivers what it promises--tons of concept and promotional art for "Legend of Zelda" games throughout the series. I found the focus a little narrow; the book assumes you know your Zelda mythos, and it offers little context for the different characters and artifacts in its pages.

It's fun to watch Link evolve from the squat, big-nosed look he originally displays, and the art throughout is beautiful. There is a smattering of pixel art from the first few games, but most of the pages are illustrations. For someone who's interested in the topic, this would be a great overview, but I wasn't the right audience for this one. ...more

5

Jan 16, 2018

This book is gorgeous. It almost entirely full page color art work. There is a small chapter with interviews at the back. The artwork covers every game through Link Between Worlds. And every game is given it's due.

As a fan of Link's Awakening, I am used to my first Zelda game getting the short shrift in favor of more popular franchises like Ocarina of Time. But this book will give you a lot to look at, no matter what your favorite game is.

This is all beautiful stuff. I want most of these pages This book is gorgeous. It almost entirely full page color art work. There is a small chapter with interviews at the back. The artwork covers every game through Link Between Worlds. And every game is given it's due.

As a fan of Link's Awakening, I am used to my first Zelda game getting the short shrift in favor of more popular franchises like Ocarina of Time. But this book will give you a lot to look at, no matter what your favorite game is.

This is all beautiful stuff. I want most of these pages as large posters. ...more

5

May 08, 2018

I am a huge Legend of Zelda fan and this book is a wonderful addition to the world of Zelda. The beautiful imagery presented in this book for me gives more depth to The Legend Of Zelda series. It was nice to have the interview with some of the illustrators at the back of the book as it shows the passion that they have for this game series.
This is a book which I am happy to have on my bookshelf and I look forward to completing the 'Goddess Collection'.
A must have for any Legend Of Zelda Fan.