“The Official Zelda Timeline is Not Comprehensive Enough”-brand Zelda Timeline, mark 6!

I’ve updated a few icons from previous iterations of my timeline project, such as portraying the DIC cartoon with the cover to a Norwegian VHS release instead of the modern DVD (because it’s funnier), and getting some better shots of the LCD games. Check the tag for back issues, including justifications for all the additions. Also added are the Google Maps promotion and Super Mario Maker, with its many “costumes”.

For one day on the 4th or 5th of March (depending on timezones), the “Pegman” that you can drop on Google Maps to launch Streetview was replaced by Link to celebrate the launch of Twilight Princess HD in the West. This was an officially endorsed collaboration, as seen by its mention on the Japanese official Zelda Twitter. Whenever something like this comes up, I have to determine which of the many Links it is. Most of the modern adult 3D Links have white leggings and undershirt sleeves, taking cues from OoT. But this Link has the bangs and forelock rather than the centre part that design had. Of course in the process of narrowing it down I suddenly realised what the point of the promotion was; despite the bright colours, it’s intended to be the Hero of Twilight/Chosen by the Gods/whatever. The pose in the promotional image that I used for the timeline is also deliberately evocative of the Smash 4 pose which was used for the amiibo, and the Link in that game is heavily based on the TP design.

Super Mario Maker is a difficult game to take seriously as part of continuity, since it’s so deliberately meta and uninvolved in a game story or world. But if you torture your brain just enough to accept that the Mystery Mushroom costumes really are in some way the characters portrayed instead of Mario wearing a suit, even if it’s just their “essence” or something, and if you convince yourself that there is some level of reality to this whole thing for the characters who are nominally involved… then it must be part of the timeline. As with Smash Bros., we have a range of Zelda characters who have… somehow… been removed from their context temporarily and compelled to jump on blocks and all that jazz.

As for how this is happening, I’m at a loss. An in-universe explanation would be ideal but again is difficult in how involved “you, the player” and even the game developers are in what the game actually is. If as in the Mother games the player is regarded from within the world as a powerful entity that has some control over that world, then maybe it’s “you” who brings the Zelda characters from their world. But you don’t choose who is taken, so I guess it’s “the developers”. But this explanation is unsatisfactory to a canon nerd like me so my current theory is that Yamamura, the pigeon level designer, is responsible somehow. He’s oddly one step removed outward from the game, but also one fictional level away from our reality… but also appears in the game as a costume. It’s messy but otherwise we can always turn to sources like “Star Spirits” or Master Hand again (there are hands in the game that build the levels but they’re not gloved except one and sometimes they’re cats and my brain hurts).

Anyway the characters. Link’s there from Zelda 1 as a direct sprite rip; Sheik (OoT) and Zelda (TP) again as in Smash Bros. raise continuity questions but I’ve treated them as before. Ganondorf is most like his TP design, and Wolf Link and Midna have been newly added too from TP. Toon Link and Tetra appear from Wind Waker (most likely), and Tingle is from there too (his noticeable buck teeth placing the design despite the sprite giving limited distinguishing clues to pick up on). Finally, the three Tri Force Heroes… or one hero and two other unexplained people who look identical (the “explanation” for Tri Force Heroes’ continuity annoys the crap out of me) appear. Consequently we now have Mario Maker logos all over the place as it draws on the whole timeline, farther and wider than any other single game.

Sorry for the boring and long-winded musings, but Super Mario Maker is one heck of a thorny continuity pickle. As always check the tag for the past and future of this project.