The Legend of Zelda is an epic video game series by Nintendo about a princess, (who the game is named after) a hero in a green tunic named Link, and there enemy, the always evil, sometimes porcine, Ganon. That's three major characters battling for the mythical land of Hyrule. As in many mythologies, three is a significant number in this tale. Hyrule was created by three goddesses, and the main symbol of the series is The Triforce which is constructed from three triangles.
The most groundbreaking entry of this series came in 1998 with its fifth installment, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Taking advantage of the R4300i processor of the Nintendo 64, it was the first Zelda game to be rendered in 3D. It was more than a graphics upgrade however--while the previous Zelda games certainly had storylines, much of which had to be read in the manual, they focused more on gameplay than weaving a coherent narrative. Ocarina of Time managed to balance story and exploratory gameplay, presenting the deepest look into the magical world of Hyrule at the time. Most importantly it forced us all to learn what the hell an ocarina was. Well played Nintendo.
The Genesis of Hyrule via the goddesses Din of power, Naryu of wisdom, and Farore of courage.
In this game the player experiences Link in two forms: as a child in the relatively peaceful land of Hyrule, and through the power of time travel via The Master Sword, as an adult. Only as an adult the sunny skies of Hyrule have been enshrouded in darkness. Ganon a.k.a. Ganondorf has taken over the land and must be vanquished.
Little did we know at the time what a big impact the time traveling elements of Ocarina of Time would have not just within the game--but with the entire Zelda franchise. In December 2011, Nintendo released a book titled The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia which contained within the one thing fans have been constructing, speculating, and even reconstructing for years, the official timeline of the Zelda series. All the major Zelda titles have been placed in chronological order, which is not to be mistaken with the games' release date orders. This may be confusing for newcomers to the series as the release date of the games do not correlate with where their story falls into the timeline. For example the latest Zelda for the Wii, Skyward Sword, was revealed to be the beginning of the world of Hyrule. On the other hand, the Zelda games that were created back on The Nintendo in the 80's, take place well after Skyward Sword and Ocarina of Time in the chronology. Further more, from one Zelda adventure to another, the player is typically not controlling the same Link or interacting with the same Zelda (though that bastard Ganon seems to keep surviving--evil never sleeps). Link and Zelda are beings reborn through the ages who come to assist Hyrule in its times of need.
To add to the complexity of the Zelda timeline, there are not two, but three divergent paths, all of which occur thanks to Ocarina of Time. When Child Link pulls the legendary Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time (King Arthur style) he travels seven years forward into the future. Here, we play as Adult Link who, Master Sword in hand, must rid Hyrule of Ganondorf, which at the end of the story leads to three possibilities:
- The Hero of Time fails to defeat Ganon. This creates "The Fallen Hero Timeline." Ganon has free reign with no hero to oppose him. This would lead to The Seal War, which connects to Zelda: Link to the Past released on the Super Nintendo.
- The Hero of Time succeeds. An adult Zelda rewards the matured Link for defeating Ganondorf by sending him back seven years to his childhood so he could live a normal life. Now following Zelda, this is "The Adult Link Timeline." Unfortunately Ganondorf returns to life and wrecks havoc on Zelda's kingdom. There is no Link to stop him as he was only recently sent back in time. Rather than let Ganon have the world, the goddesses plunge Hyrule beneath a vast ocean. This leads to Wind Waker, where players follow a new Link who sails the flooded world.
- The Hero of Time succeeds. Same as above only this time we follow things from Link's perspective as opposed to Zelda's. Sent back to his original time, he is a child once more. This little Hero of Time would have another adventure in the sequel Majora's Mask. This is known as "The Child Link Timeline." Despite having minor conquest, no one would truly know that Link was the great hero who went forward in time and saved all their ungratefully hides from Ganondorf.
Ocarina of Time would not be the last we see of this incarnation of Link, The Hero of Time. In The Twilight Princess (which follows along the "Child Link Timeline") the new Link takes guidance from a ghostly figure known as The Hero's Spirit, who teaches him seven hidden skills, making the new hero into a better swordsman. The Hero's Spirit turns out to be Link from Ocarina of Time. His ghost stays in Hyrule begrudging the fact that he had no heirs to pass his skills onto, and that he was never recognized as a great hero. Twilight Princess marks the first time we get to see one Link interact with another--hopefully it won't be the last.
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| A left-handed swordsman? It is The Hero of Time! Oh Link what woes have befallen thou? | Source |
Clearly Nintendo realized what an impact Ocarina of Time has had on the series and released a remake for the 3DS on June 19, 2011
Robin Williams and his daughter Zelda who thankfully lacks her father's hairiness.
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