Futuristic Zelda Concept Art - 'Echoes of the Future'

Fans have long been clamoring for a futuristic The Legend of Zelda.  It would starkly contrast pretty much every Zelda title to date, as even though they all take place generations apart, there are seems to be a similar landscape and technology.  Skyward Sword humorously featured futuristic robots that are from a long removed bygone time, as Link used timeshift stones to step into their world.

Wouldn't it be cool if the whole game took place in "the future"?  This would be a future where Link himself is futuristic in character, clothing, and weaponry.  And wouldn't it be cool if this future Hyrule that Link inhabits was somewhat dystopian?

Apparently at least one fan thought it was worth sketching up, and from his "Echoes of the Future" set, I'm inclined to agree.  It's sad that Nintendo has a tendency to play it safe instead of changing it up once in awhile for its flagship characters.  Even Sega at least tries, although they don't usually get it right.  Nintendo transformed and brought Mario and Link into the 3D world seemingly without effort, but not much has changed on that front since 1996.  That's not a bad thing, but hey, it would be nice to see an effort like the below sketches on the Wii U Zelda launch title. I may be getting ahead of myself..

Check out some of the art below, and view the rest of it in a gallery over at Gamesblog.it.