26 replies to this topic

[Eurysilas]

OK, first off: I put this in here (OtBP, that is) because I didn't know where the hell else to put it. Let us begin with this:

http://www.youtube.c...ch_response_rev

OK. Does anybody know if this is legit? Did Nintendo actually just take one of my favorite pastimes and take a reeking dump all over it? What happened to "We've got a rough sketch of the official timeline sitting in a computer file in my office." (said by either Aonuma or Miyamoto in an interview)?

If this is true...I really don't see a reason to keep buying the games. Lack of continuity is one reason I never got into the Final Fantasy series. I don't do the type of fantasy found in LoZ just for its own sake. I do it because the prospect of some living, breathing alternate reality with a past, present, and future is about the most awesome thing I've ever been exposed to. And don't say "Well, try WoW, you'll LOOOOVE that!". No. I won't. I can barely tolerate my own mother, just to give you an idea of how anti-social I am. So how why would I want to interact with millions of strangers that I'll like even less? I sincerely hope this is not yet another great mythos brought to its knees by its own selfish creator. I'm sick of it.

[trucky5]

Wait wait wait... First of all, do you honestly think that Nintendo would say that? I think the first part of the letter is true, but I think the last part of it is made up. I think that guys just pissed off so he wanted to try to create trouble for Nintendo. I honestly don't think that Nintendo would drop the ball and so "There's no possible time line" for Zelda. That would basically just be saying "Just stop playing our games there's no hope." I'm not going to put any belief in it.

EDIT: Mkay so actually Nintendo said in the past that there IS a timeline. so don't worry dude. Either whoever replied to that guy is stupid, or the guy made it up. Don't worry

Edited by trucky5, 17 June 2010 - 03:12 AM.

[Daemon]

Even thought that last part probably isn't true, I honestly don't care if all the games can connect. They're all great experiences on their own. It would be nice knowing all the games can connect, but that's not really why I play games. Each game I play is mainly for the gameplay. Most games wouldn't be the same without there story, but I don't have high requirements in that department.

[Radien]

You guys need to make an important distinction: Nintendo of America, and Nintendo of Japan.

This letter would almost certainly have come from Nintendo of America. Nintendo of America has a bad habit of making up answers to appease fans without bothering to check with the creators of the Zelda series, because they can't be bothered to tackle the language barrier. Nintendo of Japan might also make it difficult to get responses to these questions unless you are part of the Japanese market (even today, they still show a lot of favoritism to their home country).

That letter was probably a form letter response put out by a minimum wage Nintendo of America flunky whose job is simply to put a dent in the mailbag. I doubt anyone with any authority on the matter even read the letter. This, frankly, is to be expected, since they probably get inundated with letters and email every day.

The real answer is probably along these lines (this is my made-up response):

"The Zelda timeline is so convoluted that we won't make any truly definitive statements about it, since they're certain to anger, upset, or annoy countless fans while providing no real benefit to us as a company. If it's even possible to organize it into a cohesive history, we're not going to try. The only canon you're getting is going to come from the games themselves, since that's the route we feel will keep the series popular. Good luck."

That's what I imagine they would say if they were completely honest about it. I don't necessarily feel any animosity about their P.R., but I *am* annoyed that Zelda timeline cohesion has been low-priority since the beginning of the series. I'm also annoyed at the lack of communication between Nintendo of Japan and Nintendo of America. That's their own fault.

[Eddard McHorn Van-Schnuder]

Not real. Do you have any idea of how many people send in questions like this? They don't reply to all, and they don't reply to any. Seriously, this isn't possible. They do not have time to do crap like that. Besides, Radien states it nicely: Nintendo of America is not Miyamoto or Aonuma. As you Eurysilas, mentions, Aonuma has said he has a full plan on how the timeline is holding together so far, and Miyamoto has confirmed this. I believe they even made it together. There's a timeline, and that's a fact, no matter how many people onYouTube want's to prove you wrong

[trucky5]

^^^Migokalle is right.

They have a timeline completely planned out. They just aren't releasing it.
And that's a good point to make about Nintendo in America. I never even thought about that.

[Fabbrizio]

I like how the reply was totally BS'd. Seriously, if there wasn't a possible timeline, then how is it that the elements of each game specifically show its place in the timeline. Whether or not Ganon had the Trident of Power, for example. He gets it in Four Swords Adventures, so naturally every game in which he has it is after Four Swords Adventures and every game in which he doesn't (and trust me, if he had it' he'd have used it) would be before Four Swords Adventures.

There are many other examples of this, and if you read all the right clues (for example, mentioning Gustav, rather than another hero of legend, as the hero who preceded the Link from Minish Cap) can give you a perfect timeline.

Bottom line, if they didn't have an actual timeline in mind then they wouldn't drop big fat hints in every single prologue.

Edited by PowerGauntlets, 17 June 2010 - 05:32 PM.

[sigtau]

Besides, Skyward Sword is an obvious prequel to Ocarina of Time because of the storyline including

Spoiler

the Skyward Sword becoming the Master Sword, implying that all games featuring the Master Sword are preceded by this one,

...and with OoT being the first in the split-timeline with the Master Sword...

Well, you get the point.

[Saffith]

As I understand it, the timeline is mainly Aonuma's department, Miyamoto being more concerned with gameplay.
There definitely is a timeline, though. Or two. See here, for instance: http://www.thehylia....o...om=&ucat=19

–When does Twilight Princess take place?

Aonuma: In the world of Ocarina of Time, a hundred and something years later.

–And the Wind Waker?

Aonuma: The Wind Waker is parallel. In Ocarina of Time, Link flew seven years in time, he beat Ganon and went back to being a kid, remember? Twilight Princess takes place in the world of Ocarina of Time, a hundred and something years after the peace returned to kid Link’s time. In the last scene of Ocarina of Time, kids Link and Zelda have a little talk, and as a consequence of that talk, their relationship with Ganon takes a whole new direction. In the middle of this game [Twilight Princess], there's a scene showing Ganon's execution. It was decided that Ganon be executed because he'd do something outrageous if they left him be. That scene takes place several years after Ocarina of Time. Ganon was sent to another world and now he wants to obtain the power...

Edited by Saffith, 17 June 2010 - 06:43 PM.

[sigtau]

In other words, split timeline theory confirmed (again)?

[Mitchfork]

I always thought that while Aonuma/Miyamoto did intend for all Zelda's to fit into some sort of timeline, they were more interested in making each game stand on its own. To be more clear, basically they have the mentality "This game first, the timeline second."

Other people have already expressed my own opinion on the video (prewritten/2-minute response by someone that doesn't have anything to do with scripting or creating Zelda games) so I won't really argue hard on that, except to say that regardless of the creator's opinions, we're free to interpret these games in whatever way we want. It's obvious to me (especially in Wind Waker, which ironically is used by the letter-writer to disprove the timeline) that there is an overarching mythos to the series. Regardless of what they say now, that story is out there. They can't simply say that didn't happen.

[Old-Skool]

I like how Nintendo did all these nice things at E3 and you're still screaming at them about something. Proves my theory on the fans...

[Saffith]

What, that they refuse to be pleased? 'Cause that one got proven years ago.

[Fabbrizio]

I think this calls for another timeline thread, because it's clear we all believe there is one.

[Eurysilas]

I like how Nintendo did all these nice things at E3 and you're still screaming at them about something. Proves my theory on the fans...

*Writes on his mental blackboard*

I WILL NOT FEED A TROLL. I WILL NOT FEED A TROLL. I WILL NOT FEED A TROLL.
I WILL NOT FEED A TROLL. I WILL NOT FEED A TROLL. I WILL NOT FEED A TROLL.
I WILL NOT FEED A TROLL. I WILL NOT FEED A TROLL. I WILL NOT FEED A TROLL.