We're in the days leading up to the start of the Wind Waker LP, so this is an appropriate time to come back on the Hyrule Historia artbook, which, on top of looking pretty, gave us the actual canon timeline of the Zelda series. At the time we were like, WHOA, the real official timeline? But now, looking back, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed, because instead of coming up with their own creative way of explaining things, they just took some fanon (God I hate that term) into canon, from the split timeline theory to Kaepora Gaebora being Rauru in disguise - and doing so, also made the corresponding plotholes into canon as well. Sure, they came up with the Ganondorf timeline, something no one even thought of, in order to staple a few plotholes shut, but at the expense of opening up a huge existentialism debate that feels even more out of place than a split timeline.
Overall, it feels like they took the path of least resistance, taking what most fans who actually care about that stuff believed, and making it fact. On the other hand, one could say that millions of fans will eventually be able to make more sense out of such a complicated saga than a limited amount of writers ever could, especially since said writers clearly stopped caring at all at some point that could be pinpointed to anywhere between the Oracle games and Twilight Princess.
So, what's your opinion on this? Laziness from the writers of the book, or the fact that such a massive amounts of fans is bound to make the most sense?
I'm not really troubled by the official timeline. I think that given all the hints of continuity in these games, it was good for them to take an official stand. With the release of Skyward Sword, I think the time was right. It was just kinda weird how they just put it out there with practically no hype. I figured that something that major would have been revealed through the story of a game, or at least an in-game library of sorts. (BTW, I have not played SS yet, and I've only completely played through like two LoZ games. Sorry for any of amount of ignorance on my part.)
ReplyDeleteI don't think the games are ever developed with continuity in mind, so there probably shouldn't even be a real timeline.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I'm a huge fan of what Nintendo came up with for the official timeline, and I view the series in a whole new light because of it. I don't care at all about the inconsistencies of the Ganondorf Wins split, and I really like thinking about the games in that timeline following a story where the villain has been established as a true threat even before the games begin.
I don't ever think the fans should have a say in how the story goes, but if an author takes ideas that have yet to be written from the fans and presents them in a way that makes it look like the fans 'predicted' it, everybody wins.
I read the summary of the timeline on the TLoZ Wiki and all I can say is... This is probably the only way for the series to make any sense without trying to invent some crazy logic that would have pissed off the fans.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that the Ganondorf timeline is quite an odd choice, though. But it all made sense, so I won't be complaining.
I didn't get to play any of the DS games yet, so I accidentally spoiled myself about the Phantom Hourglass ending, but I knew the dangers when I started my researches.
At least the information about Skyward Sword was pretty vague, so there was no spoilers about this game for me. Got lucky about one thing today at least.
I just don't understand why everyone wants and has a desire to link all the games together (No pun intended). Certainly some of them are tied together without much of a problem Ocarina of time/Majora's Mask and Zelda 1/Zelda 2.
ReplyDeleteBut I think the timeline takes away from the series. I think these games can stand alone on their own and not need a timeline to validate them. Before Hyrule Historia, I just treated the Zelda games like all the different versions of King Arthur that are out there or the Greek Myths where they all have similar Characters but they have different stories/events.
The timeline is not what's important about the series
(sorry about the delete I had a horrible typo)
I hate the timeline and I hate that they said the hero's shade was the hero of time. I don't know if they put other stupid crap in there, but the whole thing grinds my gears. They should have kept it as an art book. Leave the theory to the fans. And although the book itself practically admits it is crap by saying "...history may be rewritten..." I really wish Nintendo would come out and say it is. I can't believe that anybody is accepting this monstrosity.
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