The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past holds up as one of the greatest video games ever made by Nintendo. But how does the comic adaptation, which originally ran in 1992 through the pages of Nintendo Power, fare compared to its video game counterpart? The republished graphic novel of Manga legend Shotaro Ishinomori’s work is a fantastic nostalgia trip, one that pays tribute to Zelda’s core themes of adventure and good versus evil. And, much like how the game is a stunning look back at ‘90s game design, the comic is a refreshing reminder of Japan’s manga scene during the same period.

From the stormy intro sequence to the inevitable discovery of Princess Zelda, the comic book adaptation of Zelda: A Link to the Past closely follows the game’s iconic introduction scene-for-scene. This is the case with the overall arc of the story, as well. As expected, Link has to rescue a princess, fight the evil sorcerer Agahim, collect three Pendants of Virtue, and jump headfirst into a greater conflict to save the mythical land of Hyrule.Yet, even with a pre-determined sequence of events and themes, Ishinomori finds suitable room for his adaptation to grow and veer down its own interesting paths. Where the video game version of Link is designed as a blank slate for the player to control, this version has a personality that’s relatable given his circumstances. This everyday boy gets pulled into a series of incredible events and grows to become a hero.From the start, Link is an average villager and an innocent bystander that doesn’t have all the answers. He stumbles onto the death of his uncle at the hands of Agahim and, for a portion of the story at least, is driven to avenge his relative. Later, in the Dark World, this problematic motivator has some dire implications that ultimately affect him. The supporting cast helps Link continue his journey, and each one adds a fun personality and layers of context to the story of Hyrule.As a Zelda fan, I thoroughly enjoyed Ishinomori’s interpretation, but the abrupt ending left me a bit confused. The final exchange between Link and Princess Zelda left a big, unexplained hole for me in an entertaining story. Considering how much time and effort Ishinomori put into contextualizing locations and items in Hyrule’s lore, the last few panels quickly paint an ending, execute it, and move on.Ishinomori’s art chronicles the same impossible odds Link seemingly faces in the Zelda games, as the artist masterfully brings the world of Hyrule to life in this full color graphic novel. Each rich panel follows the rules of story manga, which was pioneered by Ishinomori’s mentor Osamu Tezuka. Slow-motion panels build anticipation for major events, and large, detailed one-panel illustrations punctuate the epic moments through the 196-page story. Whether trading sword swings with the many temple bosses, or crossing swords in the inevitable face-off with Ganon, each expressive panel is a nod to simpler, measured looks of ‘90s manga.If you’ve been spoiled by the manga tucked away at the end of Hyrule Historia, however, you may be disappointed by the classic look of Ishinomori’s work, even if it is in full color.