My Next Zelda Idea

Now that I played through most of the last Zelda game (Twilight Princess) and Gamecube's Wind Waker, I started thinking about what the next Zelda game should be. Two things got my attention. 1) How does all the games connect? 2) Zelda fanboys up in arms over what Gamespot said about TP not sending the series into any new territory. Like changing into a wolf isn't enough! In fact, while looking for a good source for #1 (which I found here) I first came by this April Fools video which addresses Gamespot concerns.

Before you continue, watch them both. I am going to now propose what I would like to see in the next Zelda game. A game which will wrap everything up that happened before, while still leaving room for a sequel in the next age of Hyrule. It is, in effect, a funnel for the stories, returning it to a single timeline. It also need to address, I think, why Ocarina of Time made it so the Triforce was with Link, Zelda, and Gannondorf from the beginning instead of being found like in the earlier made games. I recall how that pissed off a number of players. Also please note I am bound to forget SOMETHING and I haven't played all the way through Wind Waker, though I have seen how it ends. I also want to mention to the side this upcoming Wii title which could be the most Zelda like game available till the real thing comes out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLPNTZu9XU4

If you are a Zelda fan, keep a close eye on it. It seems to subtract the use of multiple items for pure sword play action while still having puzzling dungeons. Okay, 'nuff intros!

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The Legend of Zelda: Lines begins in Timeline B idea from GameTrailers, a long time after Wind Waker. As for Twilight Princess, its alternate world so closely resembles The Dark (formerly Golden) World of A Link to The Past that I place TP sometime after LttP. I'll explain why as I go through this.

The Legend of Zelda, lets say 500 or 1000 years into the future, is forgotten. Enter Ben, a young squire for a high ranking knight in this future Hyrule which I will call Nerule (Neo-Hyrule, or second Hyrule). Nerule is in its pre-industrial revolution and steam power is Nerule's cutting edge technology. The fact I like Steampunk has nothing to do with it! Ben's Knight is on assignment. An archeologist trying to find pre-flood relics - that is relics at and before the events of Wind Waker - discovered some ruins. The archaeologist, the knight, and the player as Ben then begins the game in a small town near these ancient ruins.

General tutorial stuff. Its morning, the knight barks orders to meet him at the ruins, the player does some crappy jobs at the village, the knight checks out Ben's swordplay, etc. etc. The trio enter the ruins, something attacks, and the place around them crashes. The three gets separated and apparently the knight lost his revolver. Yes, revolver, cowboy style. No crummy slingshot, thank you! Ben's find it, blah blah, and face a minor boss. This is an introductory, outdoor dungeon, nothing more. The good knight dies during this, but the archaeologist survives to till the king. Ben is knighted and hints of the king's old bloodline. Line! This includes the tradition of naming all princesses Zelda, which has not been done since Wind Waker and why during this time there was no Link vs. Ganon. It just so happens the queen is pregnant and the king thinks Zelda is a good name. Uh-oh. Zelda is born, and an old legend begins a reawaken. Thus ends the introduction.

Fast forward to act 1 when Zelda is a child. Ben hears again from the archaeologist who is getting too old to continue out into these crazy and dangerous journeys. He stays at the castle while Ben searches for more info about Nerule's past. Ben goes on the first three major dungeons of the game. The first is back at the intro place earlier where more has been uncovered. A 'true' dungeon like temple. After beating the boss and collecting the heart, he enters an award room (done like the 2D games) where he finds bits of the legend. This first one being the location of two other dungeons, one holding information about something called The Triforce, the other on The Three Blessed by the Gods. It also gave the name of the country as Hyrule, not Nerule. It says that to prevent the tragedy of the past, this information must remain secret. Who cares!

The second states the usual Triforce stuff, that it grants all wishes, but it can only manifest when The Three comes together. The third mentions who holds the three parts of the Triforce. The Princess holds Wisdom, the Combat Mage Power, and the Adventurer Courage. Ben learns who the Princess is, the Combat Mage is from a bloodline of Gerudo thieves, and the Adventurer from Hyrule's forest dwellers.

Enter act 2 with Zelda being a young teen. Two events occur at this time. First, Zelda becomes a playable character as she goes through three standard dungeons. Instead of a boss though, she finds a 'familiar spirit' who quizzes her wisdom as a leader. This is played out. Each time she passes, she gains a piece of the Triforce of Wisdom. Her health is the same as Ben's. Since so much time has passed, the Triforce of Wisdom has to be rediscovered. When she gains them, she becomes one of The Three.

Back with Ben, he tries to find Gerudo's bloodline. He does and find them a forgotten people. Their current male is old and is having nightmares. Ben goes through a dungeon and finds the stone statue of Wind Waker's Ganondorf. He brings it to Nerule's castle where they are able to revive him. The current Gerudo male dies and, for the sake of this story, this last adventure Ben gets a disease which prevents him from going further in his quest though well enough to live. Ganondorf is still technically in procession of the Triforce of Power, but VERY weak. During this weak state he can't do much, but this is to his benefit as he finds out everyone is ignorant about what they are doing. After his health begins to recover, like the Ganondorf of Ocarina, he begins to manipulate the king. Since Link has yet to enter the picture and need the third Triforce for its power to grant wishes to be complete, he suggests he can help. The kings allow it but Zelda has a bad feeling about this... much like OoT.

Act 3, Ganondorf is a playable character. WHAT!?! You will see. Because the two relms doesn't play in Wind Waker, I am going to assume Ganon doesn't know about it. He goes out to find Link, where he hears of a courageous boy the same age as Zelda. He went off to save his sister in a forest dungeon. Yeah, he is that courageous! Since Ganondorf still needs him to find the Triforce of Courage, he does the weird thing and helps him. But in the award room, he finds something that shocks him to the core. The Ganon of this timeline discovers the fabled Golden Land of the Three Goddesses that gave birth to Hyrule. It mentions the only place where The Three can bring the Triforce into physical existence is there. He goes into another dungeon and finds a way how to enter the Golden Land. But there discover the other timeline. So the subtitle lines not just mean bloodlines but also timelines.

Act 4, Ganondorf invites Zelda and Ben over to his discovery, but none of them return. The king has nothing to do but to put his faith in this Link. The storyline accelerates. First he collects pieces of his Triforce. Then he goes to where Ganondorf, Zelda, and Ben disappeared.

Act 5. In The Golden Land, aka The Dark World, Ganon bridged the gap between the two timelines by using the world that connects The Golden Land with both Hyrule timelines... The Twilight. He gives the other timeline's Ganon a second chance, hence why I place TP after LttP. A sicker Ben tells this to Link. Link then does the old classic face off, maybe after some additional side missions. After succeeding, Ganon looses his Triforce of Power. Link and Zelda wishes the two timelines into one.

What does that do to the Zelda universe? Guess we have to wait for the sequel! Of course there is problems with this. Namely, how many dungeons. Personally, I rather have more dungeons and less pieces of heart. Also fanboys undoubtedly can find exceptions here and there. Oh, and specifics like what the dungeons are like and new items, especially in the age of steam. Its just an idea, a way to bring all the earlier games together and open the door to new opportunities.

I reserve the right to edit this post in the future! Ideas (including flaws!) welcomed.