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Multiple Links / Eras a Disappointment?

Do you enjoy having multiple Links?

  • I'm happy with multiple Links

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I'm not fond of changing Links often

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I'm really not sure how I feel either way

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I really don't worry about it at all

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    0

basement24

There's a Bazooka in TP!
Joined
Feb 28, 2009
Location
Ontario, Canada
I was thinking the other day how ST is 100 years after PH, and how this means the Link we knew from WW and PH is now gone. Granted, they could always go back to that specific time period to tell another story, but past games have told us this will most likely not happen.

So it got me thinking, do you enjoy the fact that there are multiple Links / Zeldas / eras?

On one hand, I am glad there are because it gives the games a chance to really change and be something different. To thrust the same Link into a wildly different adventure might be difficult to believe. When they created the world of PH, it would be hard to get the world unflooded in order to have another land-based adventure in that Link's lifetime. I suppose there could be a certain amount of willing suspension of disbelief involved such as how we believed James Bond was the same man for 40 years in the films, but really to have the Hero of Time get turned into a wolf in the Twilight Realm and sail the high seas of the Great Flood might be too much for one man.

Making different Links and different eras allows the games to start fresh each time. He has to grow as a person in his skills and such. The settings allow us to be introduced to new characters and reintroduced to old ones as if they were new.

On the other hand, it saddens me in a way that we are saying goodbye to yet another Link. We had to do it before with probably the most obvious "same Link" in OoT and MM. But now we are doing it again with the WW / PH Link. He's gone now. His adventure is over. 100 years later, it's doubtful he might show up as an old man in ST. His legacy will live on, for sure, but not knowing what happens to him as a young adult, or adult, or seasoned warrior or knight or what have you is a bit sad.

So, I suppose it can be good and it can be bad that we move on to a new generation of Links and Zeldas, but how do you feel? Would you rather have one series of Zelda games where we watch Link grow up and follow one boys adventure, or are you happy that we can jump around and be any hero at any time that he is needed?
 

Shadsie

Sage of Tales
I don't really worry about it.

On one hand, it's sad, because we all get to know a "favorite" Link and then we have to say goodbye. I mean, my personal favorite is Twilight Princess Link and he only got one proper game. (I know he got Crossbow Training, which I haven't played since I don't have a Wii, and I heard that game was just a basic shooter, no nice sweeping epic Zelda plot to speak of). It doesn't seem like he's coming back. After playing OoT and MM, I was quite taken with the Hero of Time, as well, and felt sad when I came to the end of MM that it was his last adventure.

Yet, on the other hand, it can be a good thing as it gives Nintendo the freedom to play with new eras and new elements. It also keeps the basic "Hero's Journey" story intact - a young person who must *gain* in strength and experience (allowing for the player to do so). There is a certain willing suspension of disbelief that has to take place with the sequel games, is there not? Link in MM having to re-learn songs he knew in OoT and having to gain items he once had? (Even though they were Terminian items and he started out with his basic sword and Epona)... I haven't played Phantom Hourglass, but I heard about the whole "Link can't swim" thing that many players find bothersome, especially seeing how Link can swim for limited periods of time in Wind Waker. Just having a "New Era, New Link" takes care of that quite well - you accept that you're playing a new archetypical Hero who hasn't learned the ropes yet, so the weakness he has at the beginning of the game is more acceptable than in the sequel games where, if you played the precursor, something in the back of your mind is going "What happened? Why is my Hero suddenly not skilled/back to zero?"

So, I guess what I'm saying is that it's really sad to say goodbye, and I might like to see more games than just a 2-set dealing with one specific Hero, but it makes sense not to overdo it and to have new Heroes for new eras.

Also, when you think about it, any one specific Link goes through quite a lot, and deserves some peace and something of a normal life, which is something they seem to get if you go by the "Links are descendants of each other" idea.

What I really like, though, is how in some of the recent games, we get some ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of past Heroes - such as the statue down in Hyrule of the Hero of Time in Wind Waker, or the references to "the ancient Hero" we see in Twilight Princess. I really like the idea of past Links getting some recognition in sucessive games. I think it would be great, in future games to see this in more detail, some greater specifics and perhaps some acknowledgement of multiple Heroes.
 
Well, I know I'll be sad when I finish MM since OoT/MM Link is my favorite one by far.

I'd like it if there was a series of Zelda games where we got to see the entirety of one Link's life but being able to jump eras and Links/Zeldas isn't so bad either.
 

NorthApple

GIVE ME THE APPLE!!
Joined
Jul 15, 2009
Location
UK :D
"Whenever there is a meeting, a parting is sure to follow. However, that parting need not last forever... Whether a parting be forever or merely for a short time... That is up to you." -Happy Mask's Salesman, Majora's Mask ending.

As Basement said, new Links are a bittersweet thing. On the one hand, you have the excitement of going through a new-but-same-old quest again from square one (and it's also easier for nintendo to explain and try new things). But I also find it quite sad that you never get to know "what happened next". Half the time you can't even finish that question with a "they lived happily ever after".
It's like saying goodbye to an old friend... but (yay) unlike real life you can always go and replay the games, go relive the experience. And where Nintendo never finishes the story... you can always fill in the gap yourself :3

I think the Happy Mask man had his head screwed on right- meetings always mean partings, but it's up to us to make the best of that cycle...

...it still bugs me having to say goodbye to Links so often though xD
 
Joined
Oct 31, 2009
Location
OH
I had been a die-hard supporter of the One Link Theory... then came WW.

I always liked the idea of there being one Link because I like to think I play the same person in all the games. I have since warmed up to the idea of multiple Links because both WW and TP were refreshing, and not rehashes of the same old thing. With each new Link, a new flavor is added to the series, whether is be oceans, wolves, or shrinking to the size of ants. On the flip side, it is depressing to say goodbye to a certain hero so soon. I would have loved a few more games with OoT/MM Link. I felt I could identify with him and relate to his world the best. Something just seems so magical about Oot... I can't describe it.

All in all, I've come to not mind it as much. Sometimes I wish they wouldn't jump around as much as they do. The series needs some sort of consistency in the plot (besides the whole Ganon kidnapping Zelda thing lol). I'll still love this Wii Zelda no matter what it does, though. It's still Zelda. :)
 

Waker of winds

Finally playing PH!
Joined
Jun 9, 2009
Location
Mexico, si señor.
Having different Links is ok for me.
Yeah, not seeing one of them anymore is kinda sad, but you get to know other descendants of the legendary hero. Plus, you get to choose your favorite^^.

WW Link had his time, now another hero will get to fight Ganondorf and save Hyrule again.

I'm talking about the new Zelda Wii Link! Well, assuming he IS a new Link...
 
Joined
Sep 10, 2008
Location
UK
I think that, yes, you can change the type of adventure by changing the time
period, but- well, I tihnk they change the time period too often. Like what Emicon said a few posts ago- All this jumping around around between time periods makes consistency hard. Also, it seems that this time period juming is possible why Zelda is going more "steampunk"-it seems to have been advancing in time periods since the beginning- and judiging by what we've already seen, it doens't look like it will be going back in time anytime soon. Problem is, if Zelda Advances much mroe in time, Aside from creating lots of Other Links, it will eventually end up closer to present day, and an almost present day Zelda sounds awful to me.
I hope the time period clock sets itself back sometime soon.

Edit: something I remembered. The Thing is, as much as I hate it, the jump between time periods is neccesary. As time advances, so does technology and other things. With no advancement in time or technologically, it would be, essentially, the same old Zleda. And as characters never remain ageless, link would grow older, and older, until he was just too old or doddery for heroics. The way i see it, this means Time jump in Zelda is neccasary.
 

Y2K3

Lushier than Mercy!
Joined
Apr 14, 2008
Location
Newfoundland, Canada
I've never really thought about it before, so it doesn't really bother me. I don't get attached to any one Link, so the fact that his adventures end for good doesn't really get to me. I tend to think more along the lines of: "Wow. And Link thought his adventure was over before, but now he's got a brand new one. Poor bugger can't even relax properly."

Also, I like the whole timeline thing even though I do not understand parts of it. If there were just one Link, we wouldn't have this Timeline stuff.

Plus, people seem to complain when one Link is in too many games anyway.
 
Joined
Dec 14, 2008
Location
Louisiana, USA
Seeing as Link is an emotional log in every single game ever, I've never established a personal bond with him that would make me miss him. His emotions are reduced to facial expressions and weak body language, so it's impossible for me to miss him in any way. I'll in know way miss WW/PH Link now that ST is on the horizon; I'm HAPPY Nintendo is finally putting an end to what I consider to be the worst Link in all of the games, instead of dragging it out further. The only case that I might miss one of the Links is at the end of MM. But even then, it was good closure, and again, I had no reason to miss him anyway. Maybe as the Zelda stories get more complex I might, but as of now, I'm glad each Link is terminated after one or two games, just because it's boring to have the same one each time.
 

Master Kokiri 9

The Dungeon Master
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
My ship that sailed in the morning
Well to be quite honest I'm very fond of WW/PH Link because one we resemble each other mentally a lot (like we're both usually pretty rash and also compassionate in addition to other things) and he is the first Link I ever played as (granted I was stuck on Outset Island and the Forsaken Fortress for 5 years but still) and now it's unlikely that he'll ever get to have another official adventure. :cry: But on the other hand the Zelda timeline spans eons apparently and obviously no person can live that long. This also allows for a variety of different adventures among the different Links. I simply don't know how to feel about it. >.>
 

Zarom

The King
Joined
Aug 18, 2009
Location
Quebec
I don't mind the fact that there are multiple Links. I don't really miss any Links. I even like when there are different ones. If it was always the same Link, it would get a little boring, and the game would always take place in the same old Hyrule. :tired: everytime. Having multiple Links makes the games to happen in different eras. And I'm happy with that. :)
 

Steve

5/19/13
Joined
Aug 25, 2008
Location
Florida
I don't really worry about it.
I mean, my personal favorite is Twilight Princess Link and he only got one proper game.

Zelda Wii isn't out yet. ;)

Anyway, I wish they would stick around with one Link for awhile, and get to see his character develop. I agree, I like to start off fresh as well, especially when games such as Phantom Hourglass comes around, but Link and even supporting characters always seems to be almost lifeless. Midna as an example, we did get backstory, something we don't get too much of for characters in this series, but she's obviously gone forever, so there's no knowing anymore than what already is known.

I guess it would get old if they stayed within a single time period, though, because in the gaming world, consistency usually isn't a good thing. People like to see new and innovating things, like Spirit Tracks, which looks like a really good game, and I can only imagine that Zelda Wii will be even more different. So, for the sake of the story, I'd like to focus on a single Link for awhile, but most likely, it would get old after awhile.
 

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