This is probably a first, but given the anticipation for the book, it's not too surprising. The veritable Zelda bible, "The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Hysteria" has received an official trailer. Check it out below!
Originally a Japanese only title, after it was announced that the book was being localized for an American release, pre-orders shot up on Amazon. Enough so that "Hyrule Historia" managed to shoot to the top of Amazon's Best Sellers list, overtaking the "Fifty Shades of Grey" mommy porn series.
The Legend of Zelda franchise has sold 68 million copies since the release of the first game, with the original Legend of Zelda being the fourth best selling NES game of all time, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time holding the record for the highest reviewed video game of all time.
With this year marking the 25th anniversary since the first Zelda title was released on the NES, it's only fair that the Zelda bible make its way to the states in lieu of a new game. But with the Wii U in full swing, I can't imagine a new game is too far off.
According to the official information, "Hyrule Historia is, in essence, the 'Zelda Bible.'" It's not so much a book as it is a tome. A 274-page collector's item that was created by the foremost Legend of Zelda authority, Nintendo. The book is made up of four sections:
* "The First Story" is an introduction to Skyward Sword and its world.
* "A Complete History of Hyrule" is the second section which gives the Zelda community the most sought-out information on the timeline and the tiny details such as Hylia's bloodline and the diminishing of the Hylian race. It follows the order of events of the series chronologically.
* "Creative Traces" holds a great amount of official and concept artwork along with various sketches.
* The fourth section holds the Skyward Sword manga by Akira Himekawa, the leading author in charge of creating the manga of the Zelda series.
And surely pleasing to many fans (I can think of one in particular...) is the inclusion of an official timeline. But serious Link-thusiasts should take notice of the book's "special mention" in regards to continuity:
"Though Hyrule Historia provided the fans with an official timeline, the creators mention that various details had to be overlooked and that fans should just enjoy the series and the new timeline. It is said that the order of events and the details within the timeline change according to who is weaving the tales, and additionally, history is still being spun. Therefore, it may be safe to assume that, years down the road, various aspects of Hyrule Historia may become obsolete as new information could take its place."
So if you see something that contradicts something else, don't get your Tingle panties in a bunch.
"The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia" will be released on Jan. 29. Pre-order it from Amazon here for about $20.
