It fascinates me how gaming has gone from being a niche hobby to something that’s firmly ensconced in mainstream culture (even if there’s still some way to go before it gains widespread acceptance), and for evidence of this you need look no further than the burgeoning fan art community. The current generation of artists is the first one to have grown up under the spell of video games, and a quick look at deviant ART reveals no shortage of video game influences.

Some of the fan art involves interpretations of modern game heroes, but much of it also has a tint of nostalgia, and some of my favourite artwork features Link from The Legend of Zelda. In particular, I love the below interpretation of A Link To The Past, which is part of the Videogame Remakes series of pictures by Orioto. I like the way it captures the sense of forboding and the enormity of the quest to come. (You can find the original here.)

Zac Gorman is deservedly famous for his video game-inspired artwork, and I particularly like the pic below, which is both funny and a little poignant. He’s used Link as his muse many, many times over the years, and I urge you to check out his excellent work with all possible haste at http://magicalgametime.com/. (You can find this Zelda pic here.)

This black and white pic of Link, also by Zac Gorman, is another of my favourites – like the Orioto pic, I love the way it emphasises the frailty of the character.

Finally, I’m also a big fan of the artwork of Link-obsessed Lara Crow over at Toastmonster. I particularly like this interpretation of Link’s remarkable ability to roll up stairs, and Lara even featured Link on her wedding invites.

Does anyone else have some amazing video game fan art they want to share?

[Penned in artistic admiration by Lucius Merriweather.]