Daily Debate: Is the “Official Timeline” Officially Worthless?

I love keeping things neat and organized. My DVDs, Blu Rays, current and retro games; everything is shelved neatly and alphabetized. My notebooks are color coded, and I keep the boxes to all of my electronics. So, it truly pains me to say this, but The Legend of Zelda “official timeline” is unnecessary fluff.

There are, of course, many through-lines within the series that connect individual games to each other. Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask share a hero, as does The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link. The problems truly arise with games such as Breath of the Wild. Through the story snippets and vignettes, we are shown the rich history of Hyrule. It’s here where problems arise, when legend and lore seems to combine elements from all three separate timeline branches. When a structure is created 25 years into an existing story, conflict and inconsistencies start to show.

Truly, I don’t fault Nintendo in establishing a timeline for one of their flagship series. I love the idea of the recurring battle of good vs. evil. History is repetitive, and each game has an opportunity to tell this time honored tale in its own way. However, my general feeling is that the timeline can stifle creativity and force games into being something they were never intended to be.

What are your thoughts on the timeline? Do you feel it enhances or inhibits the story telling within the Zelda series? Let me know in the comments!

Timeline photo from Hyrule Historia