The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts – Thirty plus years of art from one of the greatest video game franchises of all time

This month marks the release of the Nintendo Switch – the latest console from the legendary video game developer and publisher. But more importantly, one of the console’s launch titles is the latest entry in the Legend of Zelda franchise – Breath of the Wild. If (like me) you need something to hold you over for those last few agonising weeks before it hits shelves, then Dark Horse have you covered with The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts.

Since the 1986 debut of The Legend of Zelda on the Nintendo Entertainment System, this franchise has led to some of the greatest and most influential video games in history. If you’re part of my generation, there’s a very good chance you had some encounters with this series. Like many, my first exposure to the series was Ocarina of Time and I have been hooked ever since. It helps when every subsequent entry in the series is just as great with Majora’s Mask, The Minish Cap and Twilight Princess being particular favourites. One of the main factors of the series’ success that can’t be understated is the great character and level designs. From the battle with Volvagia to the Spirit Temple, these are moments that have been permently etched in gamers’ memories. Now fans can revisit all these memories in one place.

Clocking in at 424 pages, readers of the bestselling 2013 release Hyrule Historia, this new collection is packed to the brim with over thirty years’ worth of art. From the series 1986 debut to iconic entries in gaming history like Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker right up to the present day with Breath of the Wild – every entry in the series is accounted for. Included in the book are hard to find promotional art, cover box art, game manual illustrations, official character illustrations and even character sprites from the 8 and 16 bit eras. But one of the best aspects has to be the interviews with the illustrators themselves including Ocarina of Time character designer Yusuke Nakano and frequent series artist Yoshiki Haruhana who provide some great insights on their time working on the series and how it impacted their careers. Plus there are also a few pieces from Breath of the Wild just in case you need holding over just that little bit more.

It goes without saying that this is a must buy for any Zelda fan young or old, and for anyone looking to see some great video game artwork, you could do far worse than this great art collection of thirty plus years of one of the best video game series in history.

See our preview of The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts below: