Zelda Timeline Revealed...?

Apologies for the lack of posts recently. Exams and revision have been a priority, sadly.

Anyway, on topic.

For years now, Zelda fans have speculated about the chronology of the games in the Legend of Zelda series. This certainly has not been easy, considering the number of contradictions, characters of the same name, and most confusingly the concept of time travel, that are all present in the games. Many fans have also been frustrated with Nintendo's activeness to not reveal the definitive timeline, and only giving us possibilities of what it could be.

Well, it seems that will no longer be the case.

Nintendo have recently released the Zelda art and factbook, Hyrule Historia, in Japan. Several sites have managed to translate the book to find information that I'm sure any Zelda fan will find interesting.

image property of Kotaku: 

http://kotaku.com/5869993/this-might-actually-be-the-official-zelda-timeline

Ever since the release of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, many have theorised about the possibility of there being split timelines. At the game's finale, Link has defeated Ganondorf in Hyrule's ruined future, and is sent back in time to prevent Ganondorf's conquest of the land from ever happening. This has led many fans to believe that there were two parallel timelines in Hyrule's history in the games: one in which Ganondorf never conquered Hyrule due to Link's intervention, and one in which Ganondorf did reign over the land but was defeated. These timelines are shown by the middle and far right splits, respectively.

However, this theory always led to complications. Yes, it made sense for the main console series games that followed OoT (Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Link's DS outings fit into these split timelines nicely) but some of the older and later games did not. 

Nintendo has revealed the presence of a third timeline in the series' chronology, shown on the far right of the image. This timeline represents the path Hyrule's history would have taken if Link actually failed to defeat Ganondorf in OoT. I have to admit, this concept never came to me until today, as I (like many others) only considered the possibility of the two previously discussed timelines. However, it makes a lot of sense when you think about it.

The first game that takes place in a time when Ganondorf was defeated by Link in OoT is The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. In this game, Hyrule has been flooded and has become The Great Sea. Link defeats a resurrected Ganondorf in Hyrule and leaves both The King of Evil and Hyrule to remain underwater forever. In all games following Wind Waker, Hyrule is submerged, never to be seen again as it once was. There's no way that A link to the Past and the games following it could take place in this timeline.

Then, we have the timeline in which Ganondorf never rose to power and the events of OoT are prevented by Link. In The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, the game ends with Ganondorf being fatally struck by Link's Master Sword. Although Ganondorf's true fate is not disclosed in the game (something I'm sure Nintendo will exploit for a future release) it seems safe to assume that he was truly vanquished. Again, A link to the Past and its followers can't have taken place in this timeline.

This leaves us with the third timeline, in which Ganondorf was never defeated by Link himself. In the prologue of A Link to the Past, Ganondorf was defeated and sealed by the Seven Wise Men, with the help of the Hylian Knights, NOT by Link. It can be assumed that Ganondorf's original defeat in ths timeline is after the events of OoT, which means that this timeline is very plausible.

All in all, this revelation on Nintendo's part will likely lead to even more speculation both now and in the future of the series. 

Until next time,

Hylian. Archer. 

Skyward Bound

Finally...

Well well, look what we have here. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, has finally hit store shelves and our Wii systems! Zelda fans everywhere, rejoice!


I was planning to review the game early on, but I've reached a dilemma... Amazon have delayed the delivery of my copy, so I won't be able to properly review the game for another week. It should hopefully come tomorrow though, so it's not all bad.


Enjoy the game, gamers of the world!

IGN's Skyward Sword Review. Honestly, Did You Expect Any Less?

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. The wait is nearly over, Zelda fans. You've likely either been scouring every Zelda related site you can find for every tidbit of information and each obscure review, or been on a complete media blackout.

Whichever group you are a member of though, this is likely to increase your hype level tenfold.

Below is IGN's video review for Skyward Sword. IGN is one of the most reputable gaming news and review sites out there on the web, with quotes from their reviews appearing in ad campaigns for games. So what score did IGN give to Link's latest epic?



That's right. A whopping 10/10.

For those of you trying to avoid all footage of the game, rest assured that IGN made sure to keep all possible spoilers out of their video review. All the footage is safe for your eyes, won't spoil any surprises, and will only leave you wanting time to speed up towards this game's release.

Thoughts on IGN's review?

25 Years of Zelda

25 Years of Greatness

You'd have to have been living under a rock for the whole of 2011 to not know it was the 25th anniversary of Nintendo's famous The Legend of Zelda franchise. From humble beginnings on the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) to Link's latest quest on the Wii, Skyward Sword, Nintendo has managed to gather a large following of devoted fans with the series gracing their many game systems.


With the technology of modern times, many people like myself are now able to publish their work and opinions online for the world to see. Youtube is one site where many fans of The Legend of Zelda have posted countless videos as tributes to the franchise.


However, some fans go the extra mile.





Youtube poster Joeysan24 posted this brilliant fan-made Zelda tribute (I'm assuming they are the one to have made it). Marvellously edited, well put-together, and truly capturing the adventurous essence of what makes the Zelda franchise so great, this is definitely a video any Zelda fan should watch. 


The video also shows just how much the technology available to game developers has improved over the past 25 years. Remembering Link's early days as an 8-bit sprite to now being a cel-shaded Hero, you've really got to stop and admire how impressive the change is.

1986 - 2011

It's not just the fans who have been celebrating. Nintendo have done a lot this year to celebrate the past quarter of a century. With the release of the 3D remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - the most widely popular and critically acclaimed game in the franchise's history - Nintendo made a good decision to remake the timeless classic. While leaving the core gameplay unchanged, the remake's visuals were remastered to look up to date with modern games, and to also take full advantage of the Nintendo 3DS' stereoscopic 3D capabilities. The game was as well received as the original, if not even more so. Older fans were able to play the game they knew and loved as if it were brand new, and Nintendo managed to make Ocarina of Time available to a new generation of gamers.

You'd think that would be enough, but Nintendo would beg to disagree. DSi and 3DS owners are now able to download a version of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords for free to their handhelds. For free. It's no Minish Cap, but it can definitely be fun to play Zelda cooperatively with your friends.

So 2011 has been a solid year for Zelda  in the handheld space. Pretty much anybody who has played a Zelda game must have a favorite tune from the series, right? Well, Nintendo are fully aware of that. In recent weeks, there have been numerous concerts around the world playing some of the franchise's most iconic musical pieces in celebration of the 25th anniversary. Each concert sold out of tickets within hours, which just goes to show the massive popularity the series has garnered for itself.

Awesomeness incarnate.

And here we are, in November. I shouldn't have to say what this month means for Zelda fans, but I will anyway with two words: Skyward Sword. That's right, the wait for Link's latest epic journey to begin on our Wii systems is almost over. The release date has been pushed back for a number of months, but it has been worth the wait. Shigeru Miyamoto wanted the Zelda team to make a game that is as close to perfection as possible, and to reach that quality, the game's release was delayed. Now multiple sites are giving Skyward Sword astronomically brilliant reviews. In just two weeks, the fans will finally be able to get their hands on the Master Sword once again and play as Link in Nintendo's latest masterpiece, and end 2011 with a bang.

The wait is nearly over...

Happy 25th Anniversary to The Legend of Zelda series!

Let the blogging begin...

To anybody out there reading this, welcome to my blog!

Here, I'll be posting news, articles and opinions related to games and technology. Freelance writing has always been a bit of a passion of mine, and now I'm finally taking it online. Hopefully this is the start of something great!

Don't be turned off my by name and page layout. I am a Zelda fan, and really can't wait to get my hands on the upcoming Skyward Sword (and that lovely Gold Wii Remote), but I will also make posts about other franchises, such as Assassin's Creed, Elder Scrolls, Call of Duty, nearly all things Nintendo, and much, much more.

I'll also be posting reviews of games and tech I manage to get my hands on for your convenience. I always try to give a fair and non-biased opinion of anything I review, and I intend for all upcoming reviews to be trustworthy for you, the readers. I will make a post when I am in the process of writing an in-depth review so you will know when to check back here for the final version.

Well, with that introduction out of the way, thanks for reading my first post here. I really hope you enjoy my future ones even more and that you'll keep visiting this blog.