[Article]Why the Hat Shouldn't Be Used As Evidence

Many people who place TMC as the first game in the timeline use Link acquiring a hat at the end of TMC as often the main reason for them placing TMC at the beginning. They see it as meaning that TMC Link was the first ever Link to wear a green hat, which is a pretty big assumption seeing as TMC leaves the origins of the tunic unexplained, yet there are three games that explain the origins of both hat and tunic.

I see Link (and the Hero of Men) being hatless at the start as a gameplay mechanic, nothing more, otherwise one of the main characters in the plot of TMC, Ezlo, would effectively be rendered obsolete, as if Link already had a hat, why would Link need Ezlo on his head? Many who place TMC first argue that Nintendo/Capcom didn't have to have Ezlo as a hat, he could have been something else. What else exactly? A talking tunic? Talking boots? A talking sword? A talking shield? All of these ideas are ridiculous, and would have been rather silly. The only part of Link's outfit that wouldn't seem stupid to have as a living talking being is his hat, so that's what they went with, ergo why they made the Hero of Men and Link capless at the beginning of TMC.

Another thing to consider is what Ezlo and his ability to shrink Link down to Minish size was based on. Anyone who's played Four Swords will know the answer to this. The Gnat Hat. A hat that when worn allows Link to shrink down to a tiny size and explore previously inaccessible areas. This was a popular concept, and Nintendo/Capcom liked it, so they decided to base a game around it. For this reason, they made Link hatless at the beginning of TMC, and made the Hero of Men hatless too, so that there'd be some continuity from the Hero of Men to TMC Link.

That's all that the Hero of Men and TMC Link being hatless is: a gameplay mechanic. If they weren't hatless, Ezlo would be useless, and the whole concept behind TMC would be pointless. Gameplay mechanics can't be used as evidence, otherwise we could say things like being able to ride Epona in OoT and TP is timeline evidence, when it's just a gameplay mechanic. If Ezlo didn't act as Link's hat in TMC, but something else, and gave Link a hat at the end of the game, that would be a storyline mechanic, and could be used as evidence. However, the removal of the hat from the HoM's and TMC Link's outfits was purely so that Ezlo could fit in there.

If the hat was meant as a storyline mechanic, Nintendo/Capcom would have treated it like one, but they made it clear that it was a gameplay mechanic, and thus can't be used as evidence. Ezlo was in the from of a hat, so the hat was removed from Link's costume for TMC. Simple as that. No storyline influences were intended by Ezlo giving Link a hat at the end of TMC, it was merely a parting gift from Ezlo to replace his spot on Link's head. Nothing more, nothing less.

I'm sure there are other reasons for placing TMC first in the timeline, other than the hat (gameplay mechanic) and the Aonuma statement (outdated, contradicted and was only correct at the time it was made), but I'd like to hear more reasons other than those mentioned above, as they aren't really valid evidence, and it becomes very tedious seeing these two things repeatedly used as often the sole reasons for placing TMC at the beginning of the timeline.

|Sentient|

Perhaps you should rework your earlier article to include all the points mentioned in this one. That way you'd have yourself a pretty solid article about TMC, worthy of a front page position.

I'm definately going to be rewriting my submission article, as it turned out awful. I'm surprised I got in with it, to be honest. But yeah, I'm definately going to compile all my work against the pre-OoT placement of TMC into one gigantic article, and word it better too.

Well it shouldn't be too big... Or if it really is gigantic as you say, then split it up in chapters.

I remember another certain article that didn't good too much feedback due to it's incredible length.

To sum this up:

1) Link begins the game without a hat. He does so in two other games (TWW, TP). Big deal.
2) Link does start the game with a green tunic, whereas he doesn't in TWW and TP. Something is different in this case; tunic, but no hat?
3) Link soon encounters Ezlo, in the shape of a hat, who becomes your sidekick throughout the game, and serves as Link's cap.

Possible conclusions:
1) Ezlo serves as the first hero's cap.
2) The hero in this story begins without a cap because he will obtain Ezlo, who is a cap.

1 is possible, not fact; 2 is fact.
1 requires speculation; 2 does not.