The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia — Quick Summary
Rating: 4.9 out of 5 (9,617 ratings)
By CompletionistMaster — If you finish every side quest, hunt every collectible, and catalogue every NPC, this is the companion you didn’t know you needed. It’s more than a coffee-table showpiece. It’s a working reference for completionists who want lore, item data, and visual cues in one beautifully bound tome.
Physical Quality & Presentation
This book is hefty — encyclopedia-sized and packaged like a treasure chest. Reviews echoed my first impression: gilded page edges, robust binding, and an NES-cartridge-inspired sleeve. It begs to be displayed rather than shelved. As one buyer said: “Photos don’t do this justice. It’s the size of an encyclopedia; because it is.”
Content & Structure
- Comprehensive entries on characters, items, and locations — laid out like a database so you can flip to exactly what you need during a play session.
- Historical and timeline sections that help reconcile lore across multiple Zelda titles — excellent for theorycrafters and timeline completionists.
- High-quality art and NES-manual-inspired illustrations that restore the wonder of the originals while expanding on modern designs.
- Extra touches: oversized instruction-manual-style sleeve, collectible packaging, and sturdy construction built to withstand frequent use.
How I Use This as a Completionist (Gameplay Tips)
- Checklist planning: Use the encyclopedia’s indexes to mark pages for every heart container, shard, and major quest giver so you can plan route loops that minimize backtracking.
- Boss prep: Before a dungeon run, read the boss entries to verify weaknesses, recommended gear, and lore-based hints that often suggest useful tactics.
- Collectible cross-reference: When I hunt 100% items, I annotate the book’s item pages with sticky tabs (page numbers + in-game region). It turns the encyclopedia into a physical checklist faster than any app.
- Co-op teaching: Hosting a newbie run? Pass them a chapter on basic lore or item functions to bring them up to speed without pausing gameplay—this book makes teaching easier than alt-tabbing to a wiki.
Player Voices
- “A Must-Have for Zelda Fans” — Nikki B. (5.0 out of 5 stars): Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to the series, the Encyclopedia offers a fascinating look into the world of Zelda. It’s both informative and visually stunning.
- “Photos don’t do this justice. It’s the size of an encyclopedia; because it is.” — Kodie (5.0 out of 5 stars): Describes the gilded edges, NES sleeve, and how the artwork rekindles that childhood manual imagination.
- “Great deal!” — Richard P. Conti (5.0 out of 5 stars): Notes solid binding and that it’s “big, heavy, packed with info” — perfect as a gift or keepsake.
Pros / Cons (Completionist Take)
- Pros: Monumental presentation, exhaustive entries, and physical durability — a true collector’s item and practical reference.
- Cons: Size and weight mean it’s not a casual bedside read; it can dominate a shelf or table. If you want something pocketable, a digital wiki still wins for on-the-go lookups.
Final Thoughts
For completionists and lore hunters, The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia is a near-perfect blend of art and utility. It’ll sit on my desk next to my guidebooks and annotated maps because it’s beautiful and genuinely useful when planning 100% playthroughs. Rating: 4.9 — well deserved.
If you love Zelda enough to memorize shrine puzzles and NPC dialogue, this book will earn its place in your collection.
