Show HN: The Zelda timeline to catch up before the Ocarina of Time remake
Fans react to a fan-made website that visualizes the Legend of Zelda series timeline ahead of the Ocarina of Time remake, praising its design but questioning the premise that players need lore “homework” before playing. Many argue that Zelda games are best seen as largely self-contained legends or loose retellings—Nintendo’s official timeline is viewed by some as a post-hoc or even fanfic-like construct—while others enjoy piecing the games into a branching chronology despite inconsistencies. Side threads touch on Nintendo’s gameplay-first design philosophy, the growing emphasis on canon in modern media, and the role of AI and environmental cost in creating fan projects.
Project & Site Reception
- Many commenters find the timeline site fun, nostalgic, and nicely designed; some say it brightened their day or is a perfect low-stakes use of AI.
- Others feel the premise is flawed: you don’t need any timeline context to enjoy Ocarina of Time (OoT), and the site may even spoil story details.
- A few note loading issues or joke about “loading Link.”
Canon, Timeline, and Story Coherence
- Strong debate on whether a unified Zelda timeline is meaningful:
- One side: Nintendo now publishes an official timeline, interviews mention an internal “enormous document,” and many games explicitly reference past events and sequels. From this view, the split timeline after OoT (child/adult/fallen hero) is a reasonable way to reconcile stories.
- Other side: The timeline is seen as post‑hoc, merch-driven fan service or essentially fanfic that Nintendo adopted. Games were mostly written independently, with gameplay prioritized over lore.
- Multiple commenters argue that Zelda works better as “legends” or mythic retellings: recurring archetypes (Link/Zelda/Ganon) reappearing cyclically, not a strict chronology.
- Some say attempts to tightly canonize everything miss the point and reduce creative flexibility.
Gameplay vs Story & How to Play
- Broad agreement that each game is largely self-contained; you can play OoT (or any entry) without prior knowledge.
- Several emphasize Nintendo’s design philosophy: build gameplay systems first, fit story around them, and avoid overreliance on cutscenes.
- Others counter that story can still matter, citing narrative-focused games as examples.
- Commenters caution against treating the timeline like “homework” before playing; better to experience OoT fresh, then explore lore if interested.
Canon Status of Spin-offs
- Unclear/contested canon status for Hyrule Warriors titles; one comment asserts a specific entry is canon but also undermines its narrative importance due to time-travel complications.
- Jokes reference truly fringe or parody “entries” (e.g., board games) as timeline “linchpins” or apocrypha.
AI, Authenticity, and Environmental Concerns
- Some want transparency about how much of the project was AI-generated to better appreciate human creativity.
- Others argue that the end result is what matters, not the toolchain.
- One extended rant critiques “wasting compute” on AI projects like this due to environmental impact, likening it to the “my single vote doesn’t count” problem.