10 replies to this topic

[SOAP]

EGM: Where does Twilight Princess fall in the overall Zelda timeline?

EA: It takes place [a few decades] after Ocarina of Time [N64], but this game is not specifically a sequel. That being said, we’re thinking that, because it’s several decades after Ocarina, it’s possible some of the characters from that game might still be alive in this world. We’ve already shown the goron [a race of stocky, brown earth-dwellers shown boxing with Link] in an earlier trailer; I think people can look forward to seeing if we include zoras [gray mermen and mermaids] as well....

Why am I brining up old news? Well people are STILL saying that since it comes between OoT and TWW, then it must be the story about a Link that fails or one who dies to buy time for another Link later down the road who also fails to save Hyrule or something egually nosensical (What scares me the most that people are crazy enough to believe such a sad ending would make the series that much better. The Zelda series can do well without it). If that were the case, in order for the bs to TWW, it's have to be the direct sequel to OoT. But according to this interview, it's not really a sequel at all. So therefore, it doesn't neccesarily relate Ganon's imprisonment in OoT and his escape in TWW's backstory. It's just a totally new story that comes in between. Nothing more.

Oh Ganon is going to be in it alright. But already know he will relate to the game in a totally different way than he has in previous titles. And what did Ganon do in nearly every single game he's appeared in? Either he escapes, gets revived, HALF-revived as a mindless beast, or some nonesense. Either way, he's "alive" in some shape or form and Link has to kill him or seal him up. All with the exception of AoL which he remains dead all throughout the game unless you run out of hearts. I speculate there will be a simmilar situation in this game. Ganon is still sealed inside the Sacred Realm and he stays imprisoned throughout the game without screwing up the continuity between. Not that that would be serious issue and it could very will be that TP is infact TWW's backstory but my point is that it doesn't HAVE to in order for it to make sense.

Link can do what he needs to do like he always has. He doesn't need to die or give up his humanity just for the sake of continuity. That's something I doubt Nintendo will ever do. If push ever came to shove and they had to decide whether to sacrifice continuity or Link himself, I think they will just concentrate on the story of the game at hand and just leave the rest of connections to us.

What I DO think will happen is that TP will connect TWW and OoT and other ways other than Ganon's escape. For one, Hyrule's geography and construction of buildings, temples and such. It would be interesting to see the Tower of the Gods being erected. Also, judging by the Triforce mark on Link's hand, it may go deeper into the shattering of the Triforce of Courage deal.

Anyways, yeah, discuss.

[mohammedali]

There are too many conflicting reports on where the story goes, and in all fairness, I wouldn't put it past Nintendo to send out false information. I'm waiting for the game to come out before theorising any further. I've put it down in my timeline, but that's subject to change.

Mohammed Ali

[Wolf O'Donnell]

Let's not forget that in WW, it says that nobody came to challenge Ganon. No Hero of Time appeared. It didn't even mention that people rose up to challenge Ganon and failed.

[SOAP]

Yeah, they pretty much lied on their backs and let themselves get screwed over. I think it implies the only people that did anything about Ganon were the King and possibly the Sages Laruto and Fado as they seemed to have been killed action. And of course the Gods too. We don't know much about what the people did other than they were instructed to go to the mountiantop that later became islands.

[garsh]

The bigger mistake these storyline pessimists are making is assuming that just because they might know a part of a story -- or rather the result of one -- they can deduce what must have happened before. This sort of reasoning only works when all other possibilities are eliminated. That reasoning may not even be applicable to Zelda at all, because the possibilities in the Zelda mythos are quite unlimited.

Let's say, for the sake of argument, Twilight Princess -is- the direct prequel to Wind Waker. Further, let's insist that the game has to account for the backstory in Wind Waker. Just because the legend is recited the way it is doesn't mean the story will play out the way it looks on the surface.

Just as one example, maybe Ganon is the primary antagonist, but not the primary threat. Maybe he sets into motion this Twilight Realm that takes on a life of it's own as a kind of natural disaster arisen from unnatural circumstances.

So anyway, maybe instead of confronting Ganon, Link has to decide to to stop the Twilight instead, and in so doing hands Ganon Hyrule in a catch-22 situation. In other words, he can only choose one: let Hyrule and Zelda and his people, and even Ganon himself, all vanish forever into the Twilight; or stop Ganon from conquering the kingdom. He might reason that a Hyrule dominated by evil is better than no Hyrule at all. It's a choice between oblivion or hope.

It's a simple plot device that would account for the legend in question and it has nothing to with Link failing or dying. Best of all, it's from the imagination of a shlub like me and not the professional geniuses at Nintendo. I suspect they can do better.

Bottom line: Link won't die, and he won't fail. I tend to keep an open mind about things that could hypothetically take place. For instance, I remained dubious, but never protested the possibility that Link could transform into a wolf. Now we know he does. But he just won't die, it's not possible, at least not in any finalistic or conventional way.

A symbolic death and resurrection, could happen, but is unlikely. A simulated death as a way to save Hyrule is also possible, but only a bit more likely. Link dying forever (even only one generation of him) just won't happen. Likewise, it would be quite a coup if Link truely lost in the end. What kind of a game is impossible to win? A really stinky one.

I hope your long-winded topic puts an end to the silly speculation, MJ.

[SOAP]

Haha fat chance. I posted an even longer topic last time and people STILL believe such nonesense.

Also I might add that OoT was the prequel to ALttP but it didn't match up word for word to the Imprisoning War. Perhaps even so much that it may not have even been the IW but rather the precursers of the Imprisoning War.

[Vazor]

Here's an idea: what if towards the end of the game, when Link confronts Ganon, he becomes sympathetic to him? After all, Ganon did seem to have less-than-evil in his speech at the end of WW. What if Link began to understand Ganon, and the two of them fought off the Twilight together? Link then goes on a MM-type sidequest, and with the hero gone, the WW backstory happens. Link doesn't die, it opens up for a sequel, and the OoT and WW are now directly connected.

[MikePetersSucks]

...and Ganon totally has a relapse and tries to take over Hyrule anyway. Here's an idea: What if Link seals Ganon in the Twilight, and he rises later and fulfills the TWW backstory? Simple, and it works.

[~Light Goddess~]

That is actually a good idea. If you think about it, possibly Gannon decides that the Twilight is too strong for him and that he actually decides to help Link out. But later on, when Link is nearly disposed of all of it, Gannon goes back on his evil rage getting his power back since the twilight is nearly gone. Link sends Gannon into the bottomless pit of Twilight (possibly a dark world?) and years later Gannon goes even more insane in the darkness, and then starts TWW phase. Personally, when they said that the Hero of Time never returned, maybe Hyrule became a smaller country or land and Toaru village was forgotten? Until the date, we'll never really know.

I really don't want Link to die though (come on! He's the hero and in stories like these the Hero's always win! In my world...)

[Husse]

Noooo...I think the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Ganon is certifiable lock-me-up-in-a-rubber-room nutso, so he's going to do the EXACT same thing as before...

[~Light Goddess~]

we'll never know. Since it is the darkest of the most, maybe they'll actually show him doing such awful things, like torturing. He'll probably look much more realistic in this one then the next.