When A Link to the Past came out, it consumed me. Every waking moment involved either playing it or gazing at the beautiful art of the instruction manual, much like I had with the The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link manuals in previous years. The way that the artwork revealed abilities and hinted at quests to come fascinated me. The retro feel of Sordsoru’s work of art entitled “Zelda’s Rescue” speaks to my inner child, welcoming me back to the time of those well-worn booklets.
Sordsoru’s piece captures the moment of Link’s (and the player’s) first real trial in A Link to the Past: fighting the Ball and Chain Soldier. Previous soldiers faced on the trek through the dungeon were pretty simple to defeat, but the swinging, spiked ball of this enemy was different. It required some finesse. Looking at the art, Sordsoru conveys the danger Link is facing in several ways, through the soldier and through the hero and princess.
The soldier looms over the young hero, towering at two to three times Link’s height. Red demonic eyes blaze from within his helmet. There is only malice and an intent to kill within. It’s also worth noting exactly how many spikes this character’s armor has. Not only do they have some on their helmet and pauldrons, but their hands and feet are littered with them. Each knuckle features one…the better to hit you with! But they also have spiked bracelets on their wrists. Just in case you didn’t know this foe was dangerous, the sheer amount of spikes on display is enough to convince you that this enemy is more than metal enough to send you to a game over screen.
In the background we can see Princess Zelda. Her large, concerned eyes and open mouth imply concern for the young boy she’s been telepathically speaking to. You can practically hear her pleas of “Be careful, Link!” Nearby, I also love the giant keyhole for the cell. This is one of those tiny details that so clearly calls to mind the manuals of the past. The items in them, especially the smallest ones like keys, were always drawn so largely because after all, getting a key doesn’t look like quite so impressive a feat when they’re tiny.
Sordsoru’s Link in this piece perfectly captures my own tentative approach to this enemy. The hero is shown leaning forward, sword drawn and shield ready for action. His eyes are set and his brows are furrowed in concentration. It would almost seem like he feels no fear, but if you look closer, you’ll see more clearly. The side of his face is marked by beads of sweat, betraying his worry. Like me, Link knows this will not be an easy fight. Even still, he is ready because his recognition of a worthy foe is not a sign of cowardice but of courage.
Sordsoru’s art takes me back to the time when I first fell in love with the Zelda series. The simplicity of their art clearly evokes the art style of the instruction booklets of the earliest releases in the saga. In doing so, it brings me back to a time when every image was an adventure to be had, and even when I wasn’t playing the game, I was still journeying through Hyrule. All I had to do was remember the art in those tiny, paper instruction books.
