When the original Zelda launched in 1986, it captivated players with its massive, sprawling map and an incredible level of detail.
While subsequent Zelda games have improved on this foundation dramatically, it's still easy to appreciate the level of complexity present in the NES original – and nothing captures that better than this hand-drawn map from 1986, unearthed by History of Hyrule.
Created by Takako Toshima for the Japanese magazine NewType, the map was originally spread over three pages, but History of Hyrule has stitched those pages together so we can finally appreciate it in its entirety.
How many little details can you spot? Let us know with a comment below.
[source twitter.com]
Comments (23)
why does this still feel so magical? I don't know, there is a thing with paper fantasy maps that always click with me. Like the one who was included with Zelda 1 on NES
I really like TLoZ, but I still have to complete both I and II. My brother gave me a Zelda Game & Watch this christmas, I think now is the time.
This map is etched into my memory. The levels that don't have a typical entrance (6, 7, 8, and 9) aren't readily apparent here, nor are the various walls that are bombable and bushes that are burnable, but perhaps that's best. A no-spoilers map of sorts, though, he did reveal the secret area in the top right corner.
Has anyone else seen Under the Silver Lake?
What's the big black monster east of the starting area?
I remember drawing my own maps of games, or printing them on paper and marking stuff on them with pen, keeping little note books about my adventures. I recently did this with my Survival playthrough of Fallout 4 and it was a silly amount of fun. This is also a reason why I'm addicted to buying notebooks, probably
As a youngling me and my dad made a giant LoZ map as well. Nothing fancy but it was indeed accurate. Think we taped like 20 pieces of paper together to make it.
Love hand-drawn maps of games. Takes me back to reading the tips sections in Crash and Your Sinclair…
I wish those Hand drawn guides that got into legal bother didn’t. They were a thing of beauty I have the PDFs but I’d have loved real copies of the books
Everyone save it to your hard drives QUICKLY.
Seeing other people remember attempting to draw the overworld got me wondering why I didn't do that, and it occured to me that I had The Official Player's Guide that came with the NES my family bought. It had the whole overworld map in it. Nice trip down memory lane right here:
https://archive.org/details/The_Official_Nintendo_Players_Guide_1987
Awesome artwork, only a matter of time before Nintendo shuts the artist down.
Download it now before Nintendo takes it down. 🙄
Nicely done, I love it.
Looks really nice!
Reminds me of when I used to draw maps for the Fighting Fantasy game books, except mine were nowhere near as nice looking as this one.
@Gryffin Yes. Best moment in that film
@FantasiaWHT Vinni Puh, apparently
It looks really spongy and tactile. I want to touch it
NINJA APPROVED
@FantasiaWHT I think it's a moblin
It looks good!
@BloodNinja I'm confused by this statement?
@Tempestryke The way the artist drew the map makes everything look squishy. I like that art style, because it looks like if you touch it, it would go smoosh, like a sponge.
@BloodNinja oh okay.
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