The Legend of Zelda Series: When and Where

I'm working on a Mario timeline (found here) that I one day hope to extend into a general Nintendo timeline. This means I would include Zelda games. However, even though I own and play most of the Zelda games, I haven't been very involved in the community and therefore do not know much about the series other than what the games present.

I've been trying to figure out in what dimension and in what time period each main Nintendo series takes place. I haven't checked every fandom for the accuracy of these statements, but this is what I have so far. Several of these have been confirmed by their respective fans.


Mario
Time: present.
Place: a planet called Mushroom Earth in an alternate dimension from our own, usually called the Mushroom Dimension.

Donkey Kong
Time: present.
Place: a chain of islands off the coast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa; our dimension.

Pokemon
Time: present (or maybe near future).
Place: a collection of landmasses near Japan; our dimension.

F-Zero
Time: the future.
Place: several galaxies and planets; our dimension.

Fire Emblem
Time: the past.
Place: possibly Asia in our dimension.

Kirby
Time: the present.
Place: a star-shaped planet called Popstar very likely in the Mushroom Dimension.

Earthbound
Time: the present.
Place: Eagleland? Possibly in Middle-America or maybe even Asia; our dimension.

Ice Climbers
Time: the present.
Place: a mountain most likely in Asia in our dimension.

Game & Watch
Time: the present.
Place: Flatworld (an alternate dimension).

Metroid
Time: the future or the present.
Place: either the future of our dimension (I'm told there are references to Earth in Metroid's story) or the Mushroom Dimension (which seems wrong, but Super Smash Bros. Melee showed us that Zebes and Popstar are very close to each other. Also, Samus has made appearances in Super Mario RPG and Kirby's Dreamland 3. On the other hand, she has also made appearances in F-1 Race and Tetris, games that occur on our Earth. The important thing about the Kirby's Dreamland 3 cameo is that Metroids also appear. If Samus had just hopped a dimension, it's highly unlikely she would have brought Metroids with her. This means, then, that Metroids have existed on Popstar.

StarFox
Time: the 1970s.
Place: the Lylat system, a system of planets very far away from the Milky Way Galaxy; our dimension.


I wasn't sure what to do with the Zelda series. Some Donkey Kong fans suggested that OoT could have happened around 1230 C.E. in the past of our dimension, most likely in England. But this conflicts with the origin story of Hyrule. If we are to maintain this story as true, then the Zelda series had to have happened at the very least on another planet because we know three goddesses didn't create the Earth.

This is where you fans come in. Did the Zelda series happen in the past of Earth in our dimension; the past, present, or future of a planet in the Mushroom Dimension; or the past, present, or future of a planet in another dimension entirely?

Donkey Kong is in the mushroom dimension, he's mario's arch rival for crying out loud.

Zelda takes place in hyrule, which is probably on a planet of it's own in the mushroom dimension, link appears in mario rpg.

Mushroom Kingdom, not Mushroom Dimension

Donkey Kong
Time: present.
Place: a chain of islands off the coast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa; our dimension.

Any reasons for selecting Congo in particular?

Fire Emblem
Time: the past.
Place: possibly Asia in our dimension.

I disagree. There's presence of Asian influences in the game and they are significantly isolated or make a prominence(the Nomads). If anything, their look(armor for one) and general concept just seems European based. There are also mutiple worlds that tend to differ anyways.

Kirby
Time: the present.
Place: a star-shaped planet called Popstar very likely in the Mushroom Dimension.

Very likely? Care to present the base? Both seemed very light hearted, but I don't see anything else.

Earthbound
Time: the present.
Place: Eagleland? Possibly in Middle-America or maybe even Asia; our dimension.

Is about right. But there is an Asian oriented place as well(Daalam). Fourside is a standard metropolis. Winters is well... a northern resort? And Summers could be an island resort(judged by how you can't get there normally).

Ice Climbers
Time: the present.
Place: a mountain most likely in Asia in our dimension.

Mountains are on many continents, you know.

Metroid
Time: the future or the present.
Place: either the future of our dimension (I'm told there are references to Earth in Metroid's story) or the Mushroom Dimension (which seems wrong, but Super Smash Bros. Melee showed us that Zebes and Popstar are very close to each other. Also, Samus has made appearances in Super Mario RPG and Kirby's Dreamland 3. On the other hand, she has also made appearances in F-1 Race and Tetris, games that occur on our Earth. The important thing about the Kirby's Dreamland 3 cameo is that Metroids also appear. If Samus had just hopped a dimension, it's highly unlikely she would have brought Metroids with her. This means, then, that Metroids have existed on Popstar.

Those are cameos. Are you going to place Zelda and Mario in the same timeline as well? And since when did anybody pay attention to Super Smash Brothers continuity?

StarFox
Time: the 1970s.
Place: the Lylat system, a system of planets very far away from the Milky Way Galaxy; our dimension.

1970s? o-O

I wasn't sure what to do with the Zelda series. Some Donkey Kong fans suggested that OoT could have happened around 1230 C.E. in the past of our dimension, most likely in England. But this conflicts with the origin story of Hyrule.

Base. Why England? France could work. So would the various German states. It seems like just a generalized, molded up European framework of the feudal age.

If we are to maintain this story as true, then the Zelda series had to have happened at the very least on another planet because we know three goddesses didn't create the Earth.

... I take it your are of some of faith?

At any rate, I wouldn't think too much of it. I think you are, to be frank. A lot of these things are set in very grey areas that tend not to provide basis for your timeframes-- what with the "our dimension" and such. It's a video game. Some of these measures just seem really stretched or huge assumptions. ...The big clincher for me...why assume they follow any type of contuinity in realtion to other?

Pokemon on earth? I know for a fact(though I wish I didn't) that Pokemon is on a different planet. It says so in one of my Pokemon books that I'm hoping to sell. Just so you don't think it's in Japan. It's just made in Japan.

Kanto, Johto etc are actual places in Japan.

Originally Posted by Junahu

Kanto, Johto etc are actual places in Japan.

Well it's still true! Pokemon is on a different planet. Now don't make me back it up, because I'm trying to stop knowing all this stupid Pokemon stuff.

Kanto is an actual district in Japan that has Tokoyo smack dab in the middle of it. Johto is a fictional name but is based on Kansai. Hoenn is roughly based on the island Kyushu. But even so, it dosen't really matter. The whole idea is silly-- Pokemon could take place on Earth for all we could know even though it's nigh highly imporbable from a graphical standpoint. That's not the point though. Games are in their own respective worlds and could be based on actual places but I think it's funny that you go and make thorough theories on how they are somehow interconnected. What would you say if it was on Earth? Would you go to beleive that it is an actual place? Sorry, this is just want it sounds like to me.

The first Pokemon game made a reference to the moon landing.

Any reasons for selecting Congo in particular?

I don't know much, but I do know about the Donkey Kong Universe. There are many reasons why Donkey Kong Island is not in Mario's dimension. Once again, refer here to find out why. Oh, and the Mushroom Kingdom is not the name of the dimension Mario lives in. It's a region/country of the planet Mario lives on.

I disagree. There's presence of Asian influences in the game and they are significantly isolated or make a prominence(the Nomads). If anything, their look(armor for one) and general concept just seems European based. There are also mutiple worlds that tend to differ anyways.

Fire Emblem: I've never really played any of the games, so I was just assuming. I'll figure that one out after I find out where Zelda fits in.

Very likely? Care to present the base? Both seemed very light hearted, but I don't see anything else.

As to Kirby's placing in Mario's dimension: no, I don't have any proof. All I know is that a star cannot be shaped like Popstar is and exist in our universe. The laws of nature don't allow it. So obviously it's not in our dimension. It's either in Mario's or some new dimension. To keep things simple, I placed it with Mario.

Those are cameos. Are you going to place Zelda and Mario in the same timeline as well? And since when did anybody pay attention to Super Smash Brothers continuity?

I probably shouldn't have mentioned any cameo for Samus other than the Kirby's Dreamland 3 instance. That's the only one that really has any relevance because it includes creatures that can only exist in whatever universe Samus lives in. This suggests Kirby and she share dimensions.

1970s? o-O

Starfox took place in the 1970s for one reason. The triceratops named Tricky is presented as a young dinosaur in Starfox Adventures. Then, in Diddy Kong Racing, we see the same triceratops as an adult. I'm just guessing, but he looks about thirty. So that pushes Starfox back to the 70s to allow for Tricky to grow up.

Base. Why England? France could work. So would the various German states. It seems like just a generalized, molded up European framework of the feudal age.

What? I just said someone suggested that. I came here to see what you guys, the most knowledgeable Zelda fans, would say.

... I take it your are of some of faith?

What do you mean? That three goddess theory was something someone made up for a video game. Of course three goddesses didn't create the Earth. How is this statement religious?

Oh, and the Mushroom Kingdom is not the name of the dimension Mario lives in. It's a region/country of the planet Mario lives on.

And why can't it refer to that?

As to Kirby's placing in Mario's dimension: no, I don't have any proof. All I know is that a star cannot be shaped like Popstar is and exist in our universe. The laws of nature don't allow it. So obviously it's not in our dimension. It's either in Mario's or some new dimension. To keep things simple, I placed it with Mario.

By placing it by those means, I get the impression you actually beleive that those things happened in a plausible space and time continuity. What exactly classifies as our "dimension", something that could be acheived by realistic enough means?

I probably shouldn't have mentioned any cameo for Samus other than the Kirby's Dreamland 3 instance. That's the only one that really has any relevance because it includes creatures that can only exist in whatever universe Samus lives in. This suggests Kirby and she share dimensions.

And I've seen Pokeys and Pirhana Plants in the Zelda realm. Are you going to base something else off that? Also, the Triforce makes a cameo in one of the Kirby games(Treasure Hunt, I beleive). I really think the key word is cameo.

Starfox took place in the 1970s for one reason. The triceratops named Tricky is presented as a young dinosaur in Starfox Adventures. Then, in Diddy Kong Racing, we see the same triceratops as an adult. I'm just guessing, but he looks about thirty. So that pushes Starfox back to the 70s to allow for Tricky to grow up.

So Diddy Kong Racing took place more or less around time? Also bear in mind that the game was released in '97, so your own idealogy about that may shift. But the main thing is-- why do you assume that triceratops is Tricky other than the fact that both of them are of the same species? To interconnect it all together more? From a technical standpoint, are you sure of dinosaur growth that may influence even more? Even in Star Fox Assault,

Spoiler (Highlight to read):

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you can see Tricky as rather sizable and that game dosen't seem to take place long after

---

.

What? I just said someone suggested that. I came here to see what you guys, the most knowledgeable Zelda fans, would say.

That's a good idea. But well, being the history buff I am, I felt a need to challenge that. The conditions of Zelda are really generalized as far as the Middle Ages go. Maybe a Japanese look on it, but nevertheless...

What do you mean? That three goddess theory was something someone made up for a video game. Of course three goddesses didn't create the Earth. How is this statement religious?

Who is to say that some little known faith is not based off that? There actually may be beleivers-- ack, I'm not sure what I'm getting at it, but must you make such a deep work of the dimensions and such? But I guess I'm missing the point. Sorry at any rate.

And why can't it refer to that?

That's like saying, Why can't the United States refer to our universe? This is because everything in our universe is not the United States. Same thing with Mario. The term "Mushroom Kingdom" can only be applied to a certain place in the universe Mario lives in. For instance, Dark Land (SMB3), Bowser's homeland, cannot accurately be described as the Mushroom Kingdom because it's a land under Bowser's control--not the control of the Mushroom Kingdom government (which is headed by a Chancellor (SMRPG).

By placing it by those means, I get the impression you actually beleive that those things happened in a plausible space and time continuity. What exactly classifies as our "dimension", something that could be acheived by realistic enough means?

Things are sorted into dimensions by their being merely improbable or simply impossible. For example, F-Zero isn't necessarily impossible considering it's based on futuristic technology. It's just very improbable that events like those portrayed in F-Zero will ever occur. On the other hand, something like Kirby is simply impossible because stars cannot be shaped like Popstar. Of course, there are always a few exceptions, such as a series deemed improbable featuring a concept or item that is impossible. Such a thing is usually forgiven because, overall, the series is generally just improbable (as opposed to generally impossible). Magic also is usually forgiven of a generally improbable series. In other words, the presence of magic doesn't necessarily make a series impossible. I hope this makes sense.

Who is to say that some little known faith is not based off that? There actually may be beleivers-- ack, I'm not sure what I'm getting at it, but must you make such a deep work of the dimensions and such?

Well, I'm sorry if I offended anyone of this particular religion.


Okay, let's say all of my mistakes and inconsistencies with the other series were fixed; let's stop focusing on those because I obviously haven't thought this whole thing through very well. If every other series fit in with the others, where would Zelda fit in? That was my original intent in starting this thread, but we seem to have become distracted.

i'm quite sure hyrule is in the same dimension with mario
cause like someone said before, he's appear in mushroom kingdom on mario rpg

Good idea, but as Frost Guardian stated, we can't really base theories on cameos. Not usually, at least. We've seen Link travel to alternate dimensions willingly (Soul Caliber 2) and unwillingly (Majora's Mask), so maybe his Mario cameo was just a result of a portal or something that warped him to Mario's world.

Originally Posted by silver arrow

Donkey Kong is in the mushroom dimension, he's mario's arch rival for crying out loud.

Zelda takes place in hyrule, which is probably on a planet of it's own in the mushroom dimension, link appears in mario rpg.

The original Donkey Kong took place in Brooklyn. I believe Mario somehow got transported to the Mushroom world.

And about Link appearing in Super Mario RPG. That was quite obviously nothing but a cameo, an easter egg, same goes to Samus who can be found sleeping in one of the beds of Mushroom Castle.

Well it's still true! Pokemon is on a different planet. Now don't make me back it up, because I'm trying to stop knowing all this stupid Pokemon stuff.

On top of making reference to the moon landing, a diary mentioned the pokemon Mew being discovered somewhere in Rural America.