The last 48 hours have been massive for Zelda fans. Nintendo finally launched Breath of the Wild, and its’ new console, the Switch. I’m sure a lot of us are busy sinking our teeth into Breath of the Wild, but I wanted to give a quick overview of something that is being overshadowed by the newest entry — the history of the series.
Hyrule Encyclopedia is part two of three of the Zelda 30th Anniversary books being published by Nintendo Dream.The first part was Arts and Artifacts, which finally made its’ way overseas a couple of weeks ago (I’ve previously reviewed the Japanese version here). Hyrule Encyclopedia hasn’t been announced in America as of writing, and after sitting down with it for awhile, I don’t think it’ll be coming soon. Hyrule Encyclopedia is MASSIVE. It really lives up to its’ name with details on every item, enemy, location and NPC in the games. There may be some things missing here and there — but the attention to detail is astounding. This book is going to be a must own for any hardcore Zelda fan. The quality of this book is on par with the first one — I’m very happy with the binding and page quality.
The book is divided into three chapters. Each chapter is 60-130 pages.
Chapter 1: Historical Records
Part One: General History
Part Two: Details about the Various Worlds
Part Three: Details about the Various Tribes/Races
Part Four: Changes to the Map Between Eras and Nature
Part Five: Culture, Food, Language Guides
Part Six: Items in All the Games
Part Seven: Magic
A map showing how Hyrule changed from OoT -> WW. Just an example of the detailed information.
Chapter 2: Database
Part One: Towns, Villages
Part Two: Items
Part Three: Dungeons
Part Four: Enemies
The first entry to the Nintendo Dream series had more art. This entry has a LOT more information.
Chapter 3: Archives
(Every game has a summary, character map that explains how characters are connected), some information from development and concept art (Note: BS entries are mentioned, but aren’t given a full breakdown like the other Zelda titles).
My only issue is that the book is already outdated. There are no Breath of the Wild sections. However, the gorgeous layout and the detailed information for the series definitely makes up for it. I’m so stoked to have so much information in my hands!
I’ll be combing through this to see if there’s any juicy information to share with you guys. Make sure to follow AllSourceGaming on Twitter to stay up to date! Let me know if you have any requests in the comments below.
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- Sakurai Discusses Isabelle, Echoes, and Newcomers - September 26, 2018
I want this now. I can’t wait to see it!
I feel like the US version will be more up to date as the Japanese version came out before Breath of the Wild did. I think Darkhorse will be able to add things from Breath of the Wild, including an updated timeline