At 30 years of age, Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda series is not only one of the oldest gaming franchises of all time, but it’s also one of the most celebrated. Because of this, throngs of self-proclaimed super-fans exist far and wide who often choose to wear their affinity for the game on their sleeves — literally. For one such fan named Bryan, the YouTube video channel Awe Me decided to give him the ultimate way to advertise his fandom: an exclusively designed Zelda-themed billiards table with all the bells, whistles, and triforce symbols in full effect.
With the help of renown Hollywood prop aficionado Lonnie Goodman, Awe Me’s Super-Fan Builds web show took to the monumental task of faithfully creating a table to capture what makes the Zelda series so great. Featuring a highly detailed map of Hyrule, Zelda’s most commonly appearing land, on the table’s felt topside and hand-carved wooden legs outfitted with giant Zs (for Zelda, of course), the team cut no corners in creating the perfect homage. There’s even a series of the franchise’s Sage symbols lining the piece’s broadsides.
“We picked out a custom green felt, had the Hylian map and the Hyrule and Lorule crests printed onto the fabric,” said Goodman in the reveal video. “We also customized the balls with the wing crest. If you take a look at the legs, they’ve been hand-carved to look like trees of the Lost Woods.”
Using nothing more than his own knowledge of the Zelda universe and a brief conversation with Bryan, Goodman went to work on the project at Los Angeles’ The Hand Prop Room. It’s worth noting that while Goodman created the initial vision for the project, he employed his normal team of manufacturers at The Hand Prop Room to help pull off the build itself. Over the course of two grueling weeks, the team sculpted, painted, etched, and fabricated each part of the unique table until the finished product looked like something ripped right from the franchise itself.
“This is amazing, I am stunned beyond belief,” Bryan exclaimed during the official reveal. “This is art. This is art I can actually enjoy with my friends. It’s incredible. I am so happy and so thankful, this is amazing.”
Certainly enthusiastic about his latest ode to the franchise he’s devoted a chunk of his life to, Bryan could hardly hold back his joy upon not just seeing the table for the first time, but in talking with Goodman about everything that was included. Who could blame him?
