33 replies to this topic

[Gorelligan]

There's been plenty of debate picking apart the official timeline's flaws, but I figure there should be a topic for plots that make more sense with the new timeline. The successions of some Links and Zeldas might have some contradictions, but the official order seems to be much clearer when following the successions of more minor characters in the series. Particularly, the history of Lon Lon Ranch makes more sense in the three-timeline system. With TMC being set early in the timeline, we see that the ranch is a long-standing yet humble family business of Hyrule. And its appearances (or lack thereof) in each timeline make sense in the context of each timeline's events.

-I'll get the adult timeline out of the way first, since it's the most potentially depressing; simply the family was either wiped out by Ganon's forces or they were among those brought safely to the islands. In the latter scenario, there would of course be no way to continue their farm on an island, so it's likely they just married off to another family.
-The "Ganon beats Link" timeline makes frequent mention of Hyrule declining and several attacks/wars in the aftermath of the Hero of Time's failure. It makes sense that various survivors would want to flee Hyrule in search of somewhere relatively safe. Suddenly, Talon and Malon's presence in a small house at Holodrum at Oracle of Ages makes more sense with them as refugees (or the descents of them). There we see the family with their business on a much smaller scale.
-And then there's the child timeline, the relatively peaceful one for old Hyrule. Here, Lon Lon Ranch is able to survive and is still prosperous in the last game of the series, FSA. There still is the unexplained absence in TP, although that depends on your philosophy on video game geography (you could pretend it's in Hyrule Field but just not depicted in the game, in a different area of Hyrule since it was near a swamp in that game anyway, or that it actually got razed by Bobokoblins/Twilit monsters and was rebuilt after the game).

I also thought about Epona's Song, since one of the minor continuity things that bugged me was that the song originated from Malon's mother (not sure if she actually made it, could have been just a family song) yet it seems to be more commonly known in TP. With Link officially as the Hero of Time's descendent, it now makes more sense that the song could have been passed down his family, and perhaps Link even named his horse after his ancestor's horse or the name of the song, clearing up one case of coincidence. However I do realize that even though we now know that this Lin is descended from the Hero of Time, we have no idea whether or not Link knows about his ancestry, which could kind of inform his personality in the game. It is otherwise likely that the song naturally spread across Hyrule over the years.

Of course it doesn't help to explain how Malon and Talon always seem to be exactly the same. But still, can anyone think of any other developments over the series that gel with the official timeline? The next subject should naturally be the Tingle family.

[SOAP]

In some sense I always thought of Ordon Village as Lon Lon Ranch from OoT that simply grew into a small farming, ranching community. I also thought of Talo and Malo's family being decendants of Malon and Talon, because of the obvious naming reference. I also think TP Link is a direct decendant of Malon and OoT Link which would make Malo and Talo his cousins.

Edited by SOAP, 07 February 2012 - 10:26 AM.

[MikePetersSucks]

Honestly, there's nothing that makes sense in the new timeline that didn't make sense in my old one. Which is why I still use it.

[Snow]

Honestly, there's nothing that makes sense in the new timeline that didn't make sense in my old one. Which is why I still use it.

What about the town names in AoL, though?

[Sir Turtlelot]

As stated in another thread, the new timeline makes perfect sense if you look at it without the Capcom games. The Capcom games were problematic before the release of the timeline, and will probably continue to be so, simply due to the fact that they have no solid connections with the other games.

That and the Decline Timeline's explanation. They state what happens to cause it to happen, Ganondorf defeating OoT Link, but they fail to explain when and how that split actually happens. I still prefer the youtube theory I posted over the actual explanation.

Other than those two things, the new timeline is great.

[MikePetersSucks]

What about the town names in AoL, though?

What about them?

[Snow]

What about the town names in AoL, though?

What about them?

Well, the connection between them and the sages in OoT makes sense now.

[Sir Turtlelot]

I don't really see how's there's any more of connection now, than ever was before. I don't think there ever really was a connection, it was just assumed by the fans.

[Snow]

I don't really see how's there's any more of connection now, than ever was before. I don't think there ever really was a connection, it was just assumed by the fans.

Well, those sages don't even exist on the child timeline, so the connection made no sense then. And Aonuma has actually stated that there was an intended connection between the two, as did Hyrule Historia.

[Sir Turtlelot]

Really now? I was unaware that it was intended, I had always thought they just reused the names from AoL in OoT, and that the connection was simply speculative. That's interesting.

[MikePetersSucks]

The AOL towns are named after reincarnations of the Sages who had the same fuckin' names, and/or they awakened after a different event in the Child Timeline because it was their destiny.

There's precedent for both, so there you go.

[Snow]

The AOL towns are named after reincarnations of the Sages who had the same fuckin' names, and/or they awakened after a different event in the Child Timeline because it was their destiny.

There's precedent for both, so there you go.

Well, I'm not saying that your explanation isn't possible, but I really can't agree that yours make as much sense as the established in-game connection. After all, it requires you to come up with a completely separate event which you have no real basis for making up. In light of Aonuma's statement, it becomes even more confusing.

[Hana-Nezumi]

Well, Ocarina of Time having FOUR SEQUELS makes more sense with the new timeline.

[Hana-Nezumi]

Well, Ocarina of Time having FOUR SEQUELS makes more sense with the new timeline.

[MikePetersSucks]

Well, I'm not saying that your explanation isn't possible, but I really can't agree that yours make as much sense as the established in-game connection. After all, it requires you to come up with a completely separate event which you have no real basis for making up. In light of Aonuma's statement, it becomes even more confusing.

I TECHICALLY don't have to come up with anything, since tens of thousands of a bajillion things in the Zelda universe share names for no reason of any kind whatsoever aside from being callbacks.

Also lol, Kasuto and Mido.

[Snow]

Well, I'm not saying that your explanation isn't possible, but I really can't agree that yours make as much sense as the established in-game connection. After all, it requires you to come up with a completely separate event which you have no real basis for making up. In light of Aonuma's statement, it becomes even more confusing.

I TECHICALLY don't have to come up with anything, since tens of thousands of a bajillion things in the Zelda universe share names for no reason of any kind whatsoever aside from being callbacks.

Also lol, Kasuto and Mido.

True, but you can't say that not acknowledging an intended reference makes more sense than doing so.

[MikePetersSucks]

The only intended reference was to name some dudes after some towns as a callback to an older game. Anything else was effectively retconned in afterwards.

I frankly refuse to let my timeline be dictated by nitpicky details such as geography and the like. They're just so incredibly goddamn unimportant.

[Snow]

The only intended reference was to name some dudes after some towns as a callback to an older game. Anything else was effectively retconned in afterwards.

I frankly refuse to let my timeline be dictated by nitpicky details such as geography and the like. They're just so incredibly goddamn unimportant.

Oh, I'm not denying that it's unimportant to the overall story. I'm just saying that it's one occasion where the triple split makes more sense than the alternative without one. And I'm fairly certain it was stated that the sage names were intended to explain why the towns were named the way they were from the very beginning, actually.

[MikePetersSucks]

I just don't get the feeling of greater sense, if only because the towns don't start to exist for centuries after the Sages have long stopped being relevant.

[Chaltab]

I just don't get the feeling of greater sense, if only because the towns don't start to exist for centuries after the Sages have long stopped being relevant.

Technically we don't know when the towns start to exist. The Zelda series is notoriously bad about there being few towns and villages depicted in the game despite it being impossible to sustain a kingdom without more than what we see. You said yourself geography is basically meaningless. Combine that with the fact that North Hyrule only appears in two games and it's really hard to say what else is going on between the pixels.

On the other hand, I think the official timeline makes most everything make more sense now:

How can their be four sequels to Ocarina? Because the one that doesn't seem to fit in fact, doesn't fit.
The Seal War we're given in the manual and opening sequence of ALTTP makes perfect sense in a world where the Hero of Time failed.
Where does Oracle fit? Before Link's Awakening, which I've been saying for years.
Lon Lon Ranch has a comprehensible progression.
Ganon himself has a comprehensible progression.
We now have an origin for the 'Legend of Zelda' that doesn't require torturous logic to place AOL Sleeping Zelda at the start of the timeline.
The timeline, by virtue of being split again, is drastically shortened in implied length. We don't have to assume a thousand-year-long child branch to accommodate all the games that now go in the Fail branch.
The Ganon elements of Oracle make more sense now too! Why is Twinrova alive? Because Ganon won in that timeline.

[MikePetersSucks]

Frankly, I just think the new timeline is lazily put together. I think everyone would be way happier if Ocarina of Time DS had a Bad ending that played if you died against Ganon, or something.

And if the two Four Swords games were together because holy hell that was a solid plot connection wtf is wrong with you, Nintendo?

[SOAP]

Okay since I'm bored and the Zelda forum here is kinda dead these days, I figured I'd revive this thread. It's still a good topic that should be discussed more thoroughly. Here's my take on what things make more sense and what things seem completely fraked now in light of HH.

Things that make sense are:

*Hyrules Geography- But only because they're extremely general with the connections. It's easier to understand if you envision Hyrule as three distinct "realms." A volcanic, mountainous region to the North, lush forests to the East, a Desert to the West, and the heart of civilization usually somewhere in the middle. Not that geography matters but at least there's a broad strokes way to look at that's somewhat consistent. Basically, Hyrule is like a big giant Triforce.

*TMC's Placement- TMC has always been a red-headed stepchild of the series, which is too bad because it's actually not a bad game and has a cute enough story. It just always felt disconnected from the rest of the series, even from the Four Sword games, which it's supposed to be a prequel of. This is largely due to TMC attempting to the beginning of the series, explaining the origin of Link's trademark cap, which is a pretty lame excuse to make TMC first but oh well. With HH, a pre-OoT TMC still sticks out like a sore thumb but it at least gels a little better from a narrative stand point. The Hero of Men era prior to TMC obviously takes place in Hyrule's early founding years shortly after SS. Perhaps some monsters were left over after Ghirahim and Demise were defeated and without a laeder to lead them they were quickly subdued and sealed up by the Hero of Men. Hyrule has a few centuries of peace to develop as a thriving nation and then TMC happens.

* Zelda's Sacred Power - It's always something different. In ALttP it's because she's one of the last pure Hylians. In TMC, it was because the Light Force was embodied within the daughters of Hyrule's royal family. In PH, she had an unusual abundance of Life Force energy due to her ties to Old Hyrule. In ST it was because she was a direct descendant of TWW Zelda and shared the same ties. In SS, it was because she was an incarnation of the Goddess. With the timeline provided by HH, it can be inferred that all of these are different aspects of the same exact source. All living beings have Life Force but the force within Hyrule's Princesses is special because they're all reincarnations of the Goddess Hylia. She literally is embodiment of Hylia's Life Force. Or Light Force rather, the same force that the Minish bestowed to the Hero of Men to defeat the monsters who invaded Hyrule but could not be found later by Vaati until he discovered a second source was within the royal family all along. Which is why her life force is particularly stronger than other beings. By extension of being Hylia's chosen people, Hylians also share Hylia's Life Force as it was among their ancestors that the first Zelda was born on Skyloft. It's not as strong however and it begins to fade over time. It's only within Zelda's direct bloodline that this trait remained pure even after he first Hyrule is long gone. Hylia is associated with the Sky, Light, Destiny, and Time. All of which are connected with Zelda and her powers in one way or another.

* The Various Sky People- HH does not go out of it's way to explain the connection between the Wind Tribe, the Oocca, the Rito, and the Skyloftians, if any at all. But it is strange that we go from SS having a civilization of sky dwellers settling on the surface along with the fore-bearers what will later become Hyrule's royal family, to one of Hyrule's Kings keeping diplomatic relations with a tribe that once dwelled on the surface but later left for the skies just because. And much, much later on you have a race of bizarre tiny bird-like beings living amongst ruins in the sky that look like they're built to accommodate more human-like beings. With the first FS game taking place in between TMC and TP, in which Vaati has taken over the Sky Palace, it could be possible he has something to do with the way the Oocca look. This is doubtful as even ancient depictions of the Ooca depict them as birdlike and never once as anything human like. The Rito could be completely unrelated as they're possibly evolved Zoras or they're just another race all together. And besides, they roost at a volcano, not in the sky. At the very least, the Wind Tribe could be Hylians who got a bit homesick and returned to the sky.

* ALttP's placement and the third split- As kooky and fanficcy as it first appeared, it actually make sense. People get hung up on the old games taking place in a timeline based completely on "what-if" scenario where Link died that never actually occurs in OoT except during a game-over. But what if OoT itself is what-if. The Imprisoning War as recalled in ALttP is what initially happened and OoT is what-if scenario where there was a single hero not a band of Knight that was able to stop Ganon before things got out of hand. The new games then take place in a reality where OoT Link wins against Ganon instead of getting killed and ending up a forgotten footnote in history. And from there, another what if is spun, where Link is able to stop Ganon even earlier to prevent Hyrule from being flooded after he escapes his imprisonment.

* Placement of the Oracle Games- This one actually made me go "waitaminute!" Not really a big deal for me as the only issue with connecting it with ALttP was the fact that Zelda introduced herself to Link as if he was just someone she knew of but never actually knew intimately. Kinda jarring when it couldn't have been that long ago when he saved her ass from one of Hyrule's greatest evils. This can be handwaved by Link's wish to undo Ganon's evil also wiping Zelda's memories of the events clean. After all, she had experienced seeing her father die and whatever other horrors Afganhim inflicted upon Hyrule. Even though her father is revived and all is well, it would better for a young girl to not have any memory of those events at all. Link would be just a memory from a weird dream to her and it's possible he didn't stick around much after ALttP. So when she meets up with him again in Oracles, it verified to her that the boy from her dreams really did exist. At the very least, at least we know the significance of Link sailing off at the end of the oracle games. To lead into LA.

* The Knights Bloodline- I always thought of all the Link's being related anyways, albeit not as directly as the Zelda's seem to be. With the Knights of Hyrule, it's possible every Link is related via this particular family of knights. SS Link a student at the Skyloft Knight Academy and pretty much becomes a knight by the conclusion of SS. In TMC, there doesn't seem to be any knights anymore and Link is just the grandson of a blacksmith, but there is the Swiftblade Brothers who teach Link techniques simmilar to ones used by the Knights of Hyrule. OoT Link is related to them via his parents and some of his relatives rise up against Ganon after he is killed in one version of history. They mostly dwindle and die off by the time of ALttP after the Imprisoning War took it's toll on the family. ALttP LInk and his uncle are the last of them by that time. It's possible LoZ Link is too if he's a descendant of ALttP Link. In TWW's timeline, TWW Link can't be a descendant of OoT Link because he left that timeline before he could bear any children (Unless he boned adult Malon while we weren't looking, the snaeky bastard!). But again passing references are made of the Knights of Hyrule, and if it's possible ALttP Link could be related to the same family knights as OoT Link, it's possible TWW Link is as well. He was born on a island where the tradition is for all boys dress like the Hero of Time when they come of age. No other island seems to do this as far as we know. Way back in Skyloft, that same tunic is worn by all Skyloft Knights, except in various colors. Their tradition is to done such garbs during their final flight exams as their initation into Knighthood. It could be possible that Outset is maintaining that same tradition and that they themselves are descendants of knights. Orca, especially seems like he could be in the same vein. And of course TP and FSA are pretty much outright referred to as descendants of OoT Link. The Stalfos-like Hero's Shade is OoT Link according to HH and other ghosts of Knights appear before the Links in FSA in a similar fashion after being cursed by Ganon's evil.

Things that don't make sense:

* Splittng up the Four Sword games- This ones is especially fishy since it seems whoever devised this timeline was trying really hard to stick close to Eiji Aonuma's past quotes about the timeline, especially when he said he was thinking of Four Sword taking place very close to the beginning of the series, with Four Swords Adventures taking place some time after that. Well it sure does. A long ass time after the first Four Swords. I guess they didn't want to make Eiji to be a liar but then got hung on Ganon existing in FSA. I guess you can't have an incarnation of Ganon pre-existing the one in OoT, even though Demise being a proto-Ganon pretty much solves any issues that would bring up anyways. Maybe OoT Ganon is suppose to be special oh well. Personally, I would have stuck FSA before OoT anyways. Sure it's similar to ALttP and maybe they were trying to make the two parallel to each other but OoT is similar to ALttP too so whatever. Alternatively, I would have also just put FS after TP as well. Is it really a big deal to have FS come before OoT? The Four Sword is ancient by the time of FS anyways, and besides, TMC isn't FS's backstory either so what the hell?

Actually that's the only issue I have.

Edited by SOAP, 15 March 2012 - 04:00 PM.

[MikePetersSucks]

* ALttP's placement and the third split- As kooky and fanficcy as it first appeared, it actually make sense. People get hung up on the old games taking place in a timeline based completely on "what-if" scenario where Link died that never actually occurs in OoT except during a game-over. But what if OoT itself is what-if. The Imprisoning War as recalled in ALttP is what initially happened and OoT is what-if scenario where there was a single hero not a band of Knight that was able to stop Ganon before things got out of hand. The new games then take place in a reality where OoT Link wins against Ganon instead of getting killed and ending up a forgotten footnote in history. And from there, another what if is spun, where Link is able to stop Ganon even earlier to prevent Hyrule from being flooded after he escapes his imprisonment.

I just don't like getting explanations for shit that can't be inferred within the games themselves. They had a perfect opportunity to put a Bad Ending in Ocarina of Time 3DS and didn't, which only cements my suspicion that they pulled this out of their ass. I never took bullshit from other fans and I'm not gonna give others a chance for the same shit just because they're official.

Everything above this point already existed in MY timeline.

This can be handwaved by Link's wish to undo Ganon's evil also wiping Zelda's memories of the events clean.

This is silly, in my opinion. I don't want to stop to consider the horrid moral implications of Link violating the sanctity of Zelda's mind and soul by taking the arrogant, paternalistic assumption that he knew what was best for her well enough to just fuck with her memories without her permission.

Also, it's Zelda. If anyone can cope with bad shit, it's her. It's practically her job.

[Sir Turtlelot]

* ALttP's placement and the third split- As kooky and fanficcy as it first appeared, it actually make sense. People get hung up on the old games taking place in a timeline based completely on "what-if" scenario where Link died that never actually occurs in OoT except during a game-over. But what if OoT itself is what-if. The Imprisoning War as recalled in ALttP is what initially happened and OoT is what-if scenario where there was a single hero not a band of Knight that was able to stop Ganon before things got out of hand. The new games then take place in a reality where OoT Link wins against Ganon instead of getting killed and ending up a forgotten footnote in history. And from there, another what if is spun, where Link is able to stop Ganon even earlier to prevent Hyrule from being flooded after he escapes his imprisonment.

I just don't like getting explanations for shit that can't be inferred within the games themselves. They had a perfect opportunity to put a Bad Ending in Ocarina of Time 3DS and didn't, which only cements my suspicion that they pulled this out of their ass. I never took bullshit from other fans and I'm not gonna give others a chance for the same shit just because they're official.

Everything above this point already existed in MY timeline.

I agree with MPS on this one, I really did not like the explanation for the classic timeline. I still prefer the alternate theory I've mentioned a few times, and even though there isn't technically a way to prove it, I think it's more plausible than the official explanation.

This can be handwaved by Link's wish to undo Ganon's evil also wiping Zelda's memories of the events clean.

This is silly, in my opinion. I don't want to stop to consider the horrid moral implications of Link violating the sanctity of Zelda's mind and soul by taking the arrogant, paternalistic assumption that he knew what was best for her well enough to just fuck with her memories without her permission.

Also, it's Zelda. If anyone can cope with bad shit, it's her. It's practically her job.

I took it more as Zelda's memory was erased as a side effect of Link's wish as opposed to Link deliberately wishing for her to forget. I actually rather like this idea, since it effectively explains why Zelda can't remember Link in OoX, which was the main issue of the placement.

[SOAP]

This is silly, in my opinion. I don't want to stop to consider the horrid moral implications of Link violating the sanctity of Zelda's mind and soul by taking the arrogant, paternalistic assumption that he knew what was best for her well enough to just fuck with her memories without her permission.

Also, it's Zelda. If anyone can cope with bad shit, it's her. It's practically her job.

Um what LOL? I didn't say it was Link's choice. Only that Link made a wish to undo Ganon's evil. Zelda getting her memory erased simply being part of that. If it was anyone who decided that it was probably the Triforce which probably figured that was the best way to facilitate his wish. And if anyone (or anything in this case) has to right to patronize anyone it would probably be the Triforce. Turtlelot got what I was saying.

[MikePetersSucks]

Well, okay, but that's making a big ass assumption about the Triforce's nature because you're asking it to make a subjective moral judgment call about whether or not it should fuck with a girl's mind without her permission and it can't judge between good or evil so it shouldn't even be able to carry out something like "Erase Ganon's evil" without Link's conscious guidance or specifications.

Sorry, but I call shenanigans. It's not consistent with what we know.

[SOAP]

Well, okay, but that's making a big ass assumption about the Triforce's nature because you're asking it to make a subjective moral judgment call about whether or not it should fuck with a girl's mind without her permission and it can't judge between good or evil so it shouldn't even be able to carry out something like "Erase Ganon's evil" without Link's conscious guidance or specifications.

Sorry, but I call shenanigans. It's not consistent with what we know.

Well it needn't neccessarily be a judgment based on morals either. More like raw data. I kinda always thought of the Triforce of an AI of sorts that looks at the situation, analyzes all the data it has at hand, makes several projections based on that data, and then picks an action that has the highest percentage of carrying out a wisher's command. Why erase a girls' mind without her persmission? Who knows? Why hurl a a colossal statue that had sacred significance to humans at a demon? All I'm saying is Zelda's mind getting erased was a side effect of Link's wish that LInk probably didn't intend. In the end it probably worked out for the best. Maybe the Triforce took the wish too literally and in undoing all the damage caused by Ganon, saw Zelda's mind as damaged and "fixed" it without her permission.

Well, okay, but that's making a big ass assumption about the Triforce's nature because you're asking it to make a subjective moral judgment call about whether or not it should fuck with a girl's mind without her permission and it can't judge between good or evil so it shouldn't even be able to carry out something like "Erase Ganon's evil" without Link's conscious guidance or specifications.

Sorry, but I call shenanigans. It's not consistent with what we know.

Well it needn't neccessarily be a judgment based on morals either. More like raw data. I kinda always thought of the Triforce of an AI of sorts that looks at the situation, analyzes all the data it has at hand, makes several projections based on that data, and then picks an action that has the highest percentage of carrying out a wisher's command. Why erase a girls' mind without her persmission? Who knows? Why hurl a a colossal statue that had sacred significance to humans at a demon? Why create a mirror image of Hyrule in a parallel dimension when the wisher clearly wished for the real thing? All I'm saying is Zelda's mind getting erased was a side effect of Link's wish that LInk probably didn't intend. In the end it probably worked out for the best. Maybe the Triforce took the wish too literally and in undoing all the damage caused by Ganon, saw Zelda's mind as damaged and "fixed" it without her permission.

[MikePetersSucks]

Well it needn't neccessarily be a judgment based on morals either. More like raw data. I kinda always thought of the Triforce of an AI of sorts that looks at the situation, analyzes all the data it has at hand, makes several projections based on that data, and then picks an action that has the highest percentage of carrying out a wisher's command. Why erase a girls' mind without her persmission? Who knows? Why hurl a a colossal statue that had sacred significance to humans at a demon? All I'm saying is Zelda's mind getting erased was a side effect of Link's wish that LInk probably didn't intend. In the end it probably worked out for the best. Maybe the Triforce took the wish too literally and in undoing all the damage caused by Ganon, saw Zelda's mind as damaged and "fixed" it without her permission.

That's still making severely subjective judgment calls that I don't think the Triforce is equipped to make on it's own. Some of the wish's side effects can't even be blamed on "Undoing Ganon's damage". Like certain people who had nothing to do with the situation are happier and whatnot.

Actually wait a minute, speaking of the statue-drop in Skyward Sword, I just noticed something: The Triforce always takes the path of least resistance when granting a wish. It always does this. Wish to kill Demise? Drop this big ass thing straight fuckin' down and crush him. Want to rule the world? The Sacred Realm you're currently in becomes an image of the world as you wish it to be. Want to give the children hope? Destroy Hyrule, sequester itself away, and ensure the kids survive after the fight.

This actually makes a whole lot of sense, since the Triforce is the cosmic keystone of Hyrule, governing it's physical and metaphysical laws; of COURSE it'd try to disrupt the universe's "programming" as much as possible!

With this in mind, I can only conclude that either Link made a very clever wish, or he made multiple wishes, but either way it seems he was Wise enough to figure out how the Triforce worked from Ganon's example and directed it with manual instruction.

Edited by MikePetersSucks, 16 March 2012 - 12:58 PM.

[SOAP]

Path of the least resistance? That makes sense. Someone at ZI a while back speculated something similar where the Triforce can't or won't interfere with free will or something like that.

[Masamune]

To be honest, if you look at the end of A Link to the Past, it's more like Link's wish was one giant Undo. What would be the easiest way to give Link everything he wants? To simply undo everything Ganon did. That means as far as everyone is concerned, Link never went on his epic quest. It also means people aren't freaking out at the sudden revivals of the King, the sage, and Link's uncle (and all those soldiers Link killed). Hell, it thematically even fits with what happens in the Child Timeline of Ocarina of Time. It also means that ALttP was, in a sense, the first Zelda game to do 'time travel', though in a far more subtle form. It would explain why everyone's happy but nobody is bothering to give Link a parade.

In which case the lead in to Oracles makes so much perfect sense that I wish I had thought of it in these terms a long time ago. Since Link is the only one who remembers his quest, he also realizes he's the only one who can deal with Ganon if he returns. So what does he do? He accepts the Triforce's quest to become stronger and again defeat Ganon. And then he gets caught in a dream, but that's not important.