Nintendo Lays To Rest Zelda Timeline Mystery

[SnowCold]

but I think it's time to let it go.

Oh I see what you did there!

 

[PureChaos]

i never thought about a split time line, i always tried to put them into a single line

 

[Hamster at Dawn]

I always assumed they were alternate universes. No need to make it more complex than it needs to be.

 

[Bat Vader]

I find it funny how one man can't let the company that made the game be right.

I accept the fact of what Nintendo said about them being a different Link.

 

[Aardvark Soup]

And I was right all along, although it was pretty easy to see Nintendo never intended to have an actual timeline. Of course there still are three direct sequels in the series (The Adventure of Link, Majora's Mask and Phantom Hourglass) so at least there is some kind of continueity within the series.

 

[xXGeckoXx]

There is a definitive timeline between OCT and WW. In the very opening sequence of WW it depicts the events of OCT followed up by a catashtrophe that lead in to the timeframe of WW. It is not a timeline of link, It is a timeline of the legend of zelda.

 

[Beltom]

The only continuity that is obvious are the direct sequels (Ocarina of Time-Majora's Mask, Legend of Zelda-Adventures of Link, Windwaker-Phantom Hourglass). But both Windwaker and Link to the Past reference Ocarina of Time in their back stories. Nintendo did at one point say that there was a timeline that they looked at during the development of a new game, but if this new statement is true then it seems they shredded that document at around the same time they found out making games like Wii Sports and Brain Training made more money than their older franchises.

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

Wait, wasn't it already sure within the timeline theories that each new Zelda had a new Link?

Didn't Ocarina of Time already prove this by saying that the 3 Goddesses created a Hero to rise up when needed? Link to the Past even had old legends of EVERYTHING that happened in Ocarina of Time and it took place hundreds of years before the Gerudo Thief became the evil lord of the sealed Magic Land, which there was known as the Dark World.
Heck, Link to the Past had the descendants of the sages you save in Ocarina of Time in it. Do unless Link is hundreds of years old, its logical that he is reborn because the Gods felt he was needed.
I mean, storywise anyway.

Then again, the only Zelda games that really play into the possibility of a storyline are Ocarina of Time and A Link To the Past.

I guess Nintendo made a mistake by hinting to a story they didn't want to enforce later on.

Exactly. It also didn't help when you were playing The Wind Waker and someone said 'The Hero of Tme is not in this land now, he is elsewhere'. That probably f*cked with their lives a bit.

To be honest though, it appears Twilight Princess is starting a timeline of it's own, so let's see what happens.

There is a definitive timeline between OCT and WW. In the very opening sequence of WW it depicts the events of OCT followed up by a catashtrophe that lead in to the timeframe of WW. It is not a timeline of link, It is a timeline of the legend of zelda.

Interesting point. For all we know though, they could just tie it all together if they so wished, but I guess for now it ain't happening.

 

[Kriptonite]

I really enjoy Zelda games myself and have played about all of them for home systems. I can't wait for the next one but the timeline is purely inconsequential.

 

[TheEnglishman]

So it's kind of like James Bond than.

 

[AceDiamond]

Just let Zelda fucking die already. We need to save the industry from getting completely infected by the moneymilker virus.

Ok once again I feel I would be remiss to not point out every single game developer and publishing house since time immemorial that has had franchise titles on their hands and yet do not get nearly as much flak as Nintendo does on this board for it.

So *deep breath*

Capcom (especially them), Midway, Bioware, Interplay, Konami, Eidos, Bethesda, EA, Activision, Microsoft, Sony, THQ, Rockstar, SNK...ok you know what I might as well just say "just about everyone" and save me some time. Seriously tell me how this is Nintendo's fault and gloss over the amazing franchise-"milking" skills of Capcom. Do remember, There were only two Zelda games by the time there were six Mega Man games. By the time there were 3 Zelda games there had been all four variants on "Street Fighter II". And the less said about SNK in regards to franchise "milking" the better.

So seriously. Just stop. Stop pretending Nintendo is trying to be the harbinger of gaming's downfall, accept that franchises have existed and will continue to exist in much deeper libraries than most of the ones Nintendo has, and move on.

And don't try to tell me that Nintendo invented the franchise "milking" concept or is the only one still doing it seeing as how Hideo Kojima can't stay away from Metal Gear.

 

[Eruanno]

Zelda has a timeline that is about as good as Marios timeline would be. Oh, wait...

 

[Sevre]

Well there goes years of thought.

 

[Archaon6044]

lol, that ocarinohero guy needs to get a life

i never worried about the timeline thing, they're obviously different links entirely

 

[Charli]

What!? I've ALWAYS known this was the case, you mean there were people out there actually trying to make sense of this crap? Goooooodgreif. Facepalm of the epic proportions... It's like trying to connect all the Tales Games...Impossible because the creators themselves don't actually know! (Theory also stands for two converged universes, I laugh)

You gotta be a creator before you get how impossible it is to cure every plot hole you make I guess... but seriously the Zelda Universe? Stay awaaay from that one, it's a messy, disjointed storyline if you want to try and link them up. (Oh puns, you are awesome)

I mean the final fantasies are the same aren't they, always have Chocobo's, Occasionally have moogles, reoccouring themes and spells, weaponry and folklore but all have very distinct universes that COULD be intwined in a time line if you really wanted to give it a go, but it's very very unlikely.

 

[GloatingSwine]

I mean the final fantasies are the same aren't they, always have Chocobo's, Occasionally have moogles, reoccouring themes and spells, weaponry and folklore but all have very distinct universes that COULD be intwined in a time line if you really wanted to give it a go, but it's very very unlikely.

Not easily. I mean the only ones that are canonically connected are FFVII and FFX, and they take place on different planets thousands of years apart.

 

[MrSnugglesworth]

I always thought the timeline was perplecing, but not on the terms of actually caring beyond 5 seconds every month.

 

[KeyMaster45]

I'm not quite sure how this is laying it to rest when it was done so years ago by the company. I couldn't tell you where or when I saw/heard this but the games all being meant to be stand alone stories is not something new to me. In fact the only ones that you can probably draw a time-line with are OOT, Majora's Mask, and Wind Waker; and only because the introductions mislead you into believing that are sequels of each other.

If people are shocked by this it is old news to some of us.

EDIT: Oh I figured out where I read it, it was in an old issue of Nintendo Power from right around the release of Wind Waker where they said it was not a sequel to OOT because all zelda games are stand alone stories. Not necessarily said in that exact way.

 

[la-le-lu-li-lo]

Have you, seen these uncut versions? Do tell about it.

Oh totally, me and Miyamoto hang out on the weekends. We're BFFs.

And I signed a contract not to speak about them! I will say that Link leaves in the morning and doesn't call Zelda back. Leaves a note saying 'That's's for all the other Zeldas who didn't put out for all the other Links! B****.'

He then rides off into the sunset.

You win plus 500 interwebz.

Thanks! I was hungry too. OMNOMNOM.