[Review] The Legend of Zelda: Presented by Hand-Drawn Game Guides — A passion project for the pages

They say art can be anything, but I prefer when art is something remarkable, which is why I’m glad I was able to review this beautiful hand-drawn game guide for the original The Legend of Zelda game. Phil Summers, the creator of the Hand-Drawn Game Guides, specializes in recapturing the magic from the days of gaming yore, and he has done it again with this book inspired by the first game in our beloved franchise.

What makes this guide so special? Well, the fact that it is an actual well-made and wonderful guide is the first signal, but the important detail is how much love and effort were clearly put into the creation and presentation of the art. The art style is faithfully inspired by the one used for the promotional pieces for the first two The Legend of Zelda games. The use of ink and striking color contrasts, which are mixes between solid and multi-colored portraits, carry that unmistakable and entirely loveable 1980s aesthetic.

Detail, detail, detail — that is what comes to mind first, and then it stays there. The portraits of characters such as Link and Zelda capture their personalities as they are represented in the original guides and manuals from the era. Every line of every image has a purpose.

Flipping through the pages before truly diving into the material is like an almost too vivid preview. The glimpses of fantastical locations and terrifying beasts make the excitement of what is to come grip the reader’s attention. It’s something I used to do as a child, during the now-gone but forever cherished era of when games came with seemingly magical manuals. Seeing what’s ahead, but not too much, heightens the excitement to dive into the book’s contents.

Before I continue, I want to say that I’m happy with the presentation of the print version of this guide. Print copies will be in short supply, but those who are able to purchase a copy with be happy with it. The art is quality, so the book’s physical version meets an expectation anyone should have for a guide created for The Legend of Zelda. The dust jacket is a nice touch and an extra effort that comes as no surprise given the amount of work clearly put into the entire project. Phil Summers jokingly added the line “Guides for NES games created on cheap notebooks with ink & love,” on his site. Modesty is good, but when it comes to the guide’s presentation and production, I can’t find any corners that have been cut.

True to the promise of being a guide, this book offers illustrations for and details about every element of the game. There are images for each item, boss, and character. The drawings are also loaded with that charm found during the vintage days of gaming when not everything was made with software that can rob a piece of artwork of its perfect imperfections.

While being mesmerized by the art, it’s hard to avoid thinking about how all guides and manuals used to be like this, and it makes the nostalgia engine in my mind go into overdrive. Granted, I unfortunately never had the chance to play The Legend of Zelda in its early days, but I’ve more than made up for lost time, and I still have plenty of memories of when the printed material knew how to capture someone’s imagination.

If I had to compare this guide to something other than older guides and manuals, I’d liken it to illustrative children’s books. I am reminded of books such as The Chronicles of Narnia and Alice in Wonderland, which had certain editions that came paired with artwork that set the scene for specific points in each story. The art was a small bonus that helped a child’s mind properly create the world that it would be exploring. Who wouldn’t love that for a game with graphics that, though understandable for the time when the game was made, left a lot to be desired? The original manual helped, and now Hand-Drawn Game Guides is here to make the experience complete in a way that no fan would have ever expected.

Again, the art is great, but as I have continued to explain, this is a game guide, so I need to discuss how great the other half of the book is.

I mentioned that the guide provides details about the game’s various components, but it goes beyond supplying simple info. Of course, that simple information is still needed. The book begins with a table of contents, which is followed by an explanation of the game’s controls, complete with written instructions and art depicting Link performing each action. These first few pages set the foundations for both what to expect from the guide and the basics of how to play the game.

Following the tradition of older guides again, this guide introduces the reader to the cast of characters. Link, Zelda, Impa, Ganon, and others have their stories revealed along with their fresh new artwork. The same is done for every item in the game. As it should do, the guide prepares you for what to expect.

After these character introductions comes a two-page layout of the entire map of Hyrule. This map, which in the printed version is also included as a mini-poster, has every point of interest numbered, and those points are organized and named in an index. The entire map is perfect and exactly what any adventurer new to Hyrule needs to have by their side while playing.

Finally, once the player is fully prepared to play and knows who they’ll see, what they’ll do, and where they’ll go, it is time to turn the page and learn the epic tale of The Legend of Zelda. The game’s narrative is delivered alongside the visuals, telling the exciting tale of how Link’s destiny as the Hero of Hyrule began.

We learn what happened before the start of the game, when Ganon attempted to steal both pieces of the Triforce for himself and how Princess Zelda broke the Triforce of Wisdom into eight pieces and scattered them to keep them safe from the evil king. Next comes the details of how Link met Impa, who recognized him as the Hero of Legend and set him on his quest to save both Zelda and all of Hyrule. The language inspires adventure and a desire to fulfill the heroic role. It’s a perfect match to that children’s storybooks comparison I mentioned earlier, and sets the mood for the rest of the guide.

After this introduction comes the aforementioned rest of the guide, though it seems wrong to refer to it in such a simple manner. These pages are a summary of each sequence in the game, with those segments receiving dedicated pages that offer brief yet potent plot points and gameplay tips. One example is the series of pages that both cover the happenings in the game’s second dungeon and explain where Link goes and what he must collect in order to access the lair. From there it offers tips and a map of the dungeon, as well as a full-page action shot of Link challenging the dungeon’s boss, a monstrous Dodongo.

These helpful hints, invaluable maps, and awe-inspiring illustrations accompany the player throughout the entire book and their quest before ending with the finale, where Link and Ganon fight to the death for the fate of Hyrule and the subsequent scene of Link and Zelda finally meeting. The two-page artwork of the hero and the demon battling, Link’s sword and Ganon’s trident clashing in a moment of unforgettable tension, is a particular favorite of mine and something I wish I could hang on my wall as a mural.

The Legend of Zelda: Presented by Hand-Drawn Game Guides is a charming trip through a wealth of cherished memories. It will be available for purchase on the Hand-Drawn Game Guides website on June 29 (expected release time at 12:00 p.m., EST), with both print and PDF versions available. But, there will only be 100 print copies available, so if you want to hold the paper version of this love letter to The Legend of Zelda in your hands, you’ll want to act fast.

Having now read through the book multiple times and soaked in all of the hand-crafted passion for The Legend of Zelda, I’m unsure of what more I could say to convey my satisfaction with what Phil Summers has made. Detail and effort are words I’ve used to describe it, and it is clear that those are at the heart of this project. The guide matches that “Nintendo polish” we all love, which is enough of a reason to take a few minutes to flip through its beautiful pages.