This fantastic compendium makes up about a third of the Historia, and is worth the price. The rest is, unfortunately most involved with the design and concept of Skyward Sword. Don't get me wrong. I liked Skyward Sword, but Zelda games have simply not evolved much since Ocarina of Time. I can understand why. After all, Ocarina of Time is one of the best and most influential video games ever, but Nintendo has done little but try and use what they established in that wonderful game to try and remake it over and over again.
My point is that there just isn't much emotional investment in Skyward Sword to really involve a reader in the first third of the Historia.
The final part, though, is pretty interesting. It's a lovely layout of concept art in the series from all across its 25-year history. Watching the evolution of the world is bloody fascinating, and does help justify the $35 price of the book. It's a gamer's coffee table centerpiece sure to attract attention and start conversation.
I'm glad I bought the book. I would have preferred a detailed beastiary to all the expanded Skyward Sword coverage, and the manga in the back could have been replaced with just about anything else. How about in-depth interviews with the creators dealing with the series as a whole, or comparisons to other folklore?
Oh, and I find it very ironic that the Historia goes out of its way to point out that the Hylian language has never been translated when a lazy Skyward Sword programmer left essentially the Rosetta Stone in the game and got the whole thing cracked by a girl named Sarinilli.
I continue to assert that video games are art, and things like the Historia are further proof of that assertion. As someone that adores Wiki models for everything from Portal to Doctor Who, it really is an experience to see those same facts weighed down in print with definite craftsmanship applied to the presentation.
Just How Awesome is the Hyrule Historia? Pretty damn awesome.
Wonder what we thought of Skyward Sword when it came out? Check out our review. We also did some digging to find out how the rupee stacks up against other video game currency.
Jef With One F is a recovering rock star taking it one day at a time. You can read about his adventures in The Bible Spelled Backwards or connect with him on Facebook.
