RetroVision – Nintendo Unveils Original Legend Of Zelda Design Documents

The latest tale in the Legend of Zelda series is now only a matter of weeks away. However, before we all dive into Breath of the Wild, it seems like Nintendo wants to take back to where it all begin, or rather before it all began. And it’s doing so by unveiling some of the original design work by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka.

So what’s in this reveal then? Well much like the original Super Mario Bros’ design documents that were unveiled for the series’ 30th anniversary, newly revealed Legend of Zelda design documents are all hand drawn, and give a magnificent insight into all the work that went into this landmark title. What’s more, they range from dungeon plans all the way through to a complete map of Hyrule.

As you can see, the bulk of these are displayed in the video above. Nevertheless, Nintendo have also released individual images, all of which can be marvelled at below. So, take a seat and marvel at the basis for one of the most loved games in the history of our industry.

Skull Cave – From design to reality. This image was drawn by Takashi Tezuka.
And again, just take look at how Tezuka’s design went from paper to pixels. In turn bringing to life not one but two memorable characters.
The following four pictures on the other hand all come from the hands of Shigeru Miyamoto himself.

These images may have been early concept work, but Hyrule is already unmistakable.

Finally though, leaving the best for last is a complete hand drawn map of Hyrule. One which even points out the key enemy locations and dungeon entrances, amongst many other key secrets. Enjoy.

So there you go. I hope you enjoyed checking these out. If you’re anything like me, then all these will have definitely put you in the mood for a bit of Hyrule both old and new.

As such, in order to continue the hype train rolling all the way through to Breath of the Wild’s launch, we here at Rings & Coins will be diving back into the tale that started it all. So keep an eye out for our upcoming RetroVision looking at the origins and development of The Legend of Zelda, and of course a RetroSpective review of the iconic title.

Sophia Aubrey Drake

A lifelong gamer with a fanatical love of all things Nintendo and Japan. So much so that she's written a thesis on one and lived in the other. Currently on a quest to catch every last Pokémon. Follow me on twitter via @DivaXChill or @RingsandCoins.

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