Nintendo has a long history of creating games with sprawling worlds and complex histories. The Mario and Zelda series have both been around for more than 30 years, and with both new titles (such as Breath of the Wild 2) and remastered originals appearing each year, these beloved universes just keep growing. If you’re someone who can’t get enough of Nintendo and its history, you’ll be delighted to hear that The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia, and Playing With Power: NES Classics have all received substantial discounts in Amazon’s Cyber Monday sale. Due to the nature of these sales, it is quite possible that they will be gone by tomorrow, so you’ll want to grab them quicker than your favourite Mario Kart power-up.
For those who don’t know, these hardback collector’s books cover different aspects of the history of Nintendo. Hyrule Historia gives an overview of the Zelda series up to Skyward Sword; Super Mario Encyclopedia offers a look at the first 30 years of the Super Mario series; and Playing With Power gives an extensive overview of the NES, detailing key games from the console’s library. They’re packed full of trivia, and original artwork.
If you know anybody who loves Nintendo, these official reference books could make an excellent gift for the holiday season. They’ll be able to curl up by the fireplace on a cold winter’s night, a hot chocolate to the side, and lose themselves in beautiful concept art from their favourite video games.
Let’s have a closer look at each of the books:
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The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia
Originally published in Japan in 2011, Hyrule Historia was released to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda series. In 2013, it finally received an English translation and was released in the west. This book was the first to ever detail the history of Hyrule and explain the ways in which the different games in the series are connected. Offering extensive overviews of each game in the series, the book includes development insights, concept art and more. There’s even a unique manga story about the very first incarnation of Link.
At the time of release, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was the latest game in the series and so that game gets a little more focus than the rest. Funnily enough, with the 2021 HD remake, it is the latest in the series once again and fans who have just discovered this classic will have an opportunity to learn more about it. The physical edition is now just $24.49 (39% off), while you can get it digitally for Kindle or Comixology at only $6.92 (83% off).
Buy nowSuper Mario Bros. Encyclopedia
Another reference book made to mark an anniversary, Super Mario Encyclopedia was originally published in Japan in 2015 to mark the 30th anniversary of the game Super Mario Bros. It details the history of the Super Mario series up to 2013’s Super Mario 3D World – another game that has coincidentally had a recent resurgence due to a remake.
You’ll find extensive details on all 17 entries in the main Super Mario series up to that point. Full of concept art, character information, glitches, tips and tricks and much more, fans of the iconic plumber will really enjoy the things this book has to offer. The physical copy is now just $23.22 (42% off) as part of an Amazon Lightning Deal (this will only run for a few hours), while the digital version is now $7.59 (31% off).
Buy nowPlaying with Power: NES Classics
The NES is one of the most iconic consoles in the history of video games and, no doubt, many games are discovering some of its classic games for the first time thanks to the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service. This book details 17 of the most famous games on the console (including Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros. 3 and The Legend of Zelda), providing complete walkthroughs for each (which is handy, considering how cryptic these older games can be), as well as concept art, maps and lots of other stuff. Anyone who loves their NES games, or who is interested in learning more about Nintendo’s past, will get a lot out of this book. Right now, it’s 56% off, bringing the price down to $19.95.
We hope that you are able to grab one of these brilliant reference books while they’re available on offer. Check out our Cyber Monday hub to keep up to date with all the best discounts from around the internet.