A Link to the Past... What does it mean?

What does the title of ALttP have to do with the story?

From reading the title for the first time, you would expect the game to have something to do with time travel, but so far, through my playthrough, I havn't come across anything having to do with time travel.

I once heard that the title explains how most of the regular and ancient Hyliaan culture had been lost, and that now it is 'reborn' through link, who is apparently the only Hylian left.

Is there any other meaning to this title?

It's pretty much just a title that Nintendo of America thought sounded cool. The Japanese title is Triforce of the Gods *points to his name*

There is still debate about it.

Some people say,
"Well it's like they're sending Link to the past" in a timing sense.

While others say,
"It's a link between the future and the past, it just so happens that Link is his name as well. A pun in the title, if you will."

So it's hard to say, but really is just open to interpretation.

I think Triforce of the Gods is right...it was chosen because it sounded cool, more than anything.

It could also be argued that Link is this "link to the past" himself, since he's the last descendent of those knights - the last "link" in the chain, if you will, leading all the way back to ancient times.

Link is the last Hylian in ALttP? I must have missed it, haha. But then what about Zelda?

Originally Posted by eiyuu_004

Link is the last Hylian in ALttP? I must have missed it, haha. But then what about Zelda?

He's not the last Hylian. He's the last in the bloodline of the Hylian Knights (the only ones who could become the hero).

I just thought of an answer for this: nintendo knew there would be a four-swords. before you attack me, just think. when you unlock something in one game, it can affect the other. the palace of the four swords is living proof.

It literally means there is a link to a past event: four swords. just a thought, but it makes a lot of sense when you get right down to it.

I think the 'link to the past' is the ancient seal Agahnim breaks

Strangely, in the Prima guide to Wind Waker, it explains that ALttP was supposed to be a prequel to the other two games at the time, so it's a real Link to the Past.

A Link to the Past means that Link goes to the past. Thought that was obvious.

Originally Posted by hireshi

A Link to the Past means that Link goes to the past. Thought that was obvious.

No, because Link doesn't go to the past anywhere in ALttP.

did ANYONE hear me? four swords! nintendo had it planned!

Originally Posted by electricut

did ANYONE hear me? four swords! nintendo had it planned!

No, I don't think that's it. The time distance bewtween both game's releases are way too far apart. But then again, only God knows the mind of Nintendo.

Put it in context of the game series as it was in 1992. Two games had been released with an unrelated gameboy title soon on its way. A Link to the Past is merely an extension of the story... backwards. Consider it a prequel to the Legend of Zelda that provides some backstory on the triforce, introduces the master sword, etc.

It's also a sweet pun.

The game was originally advertised to take place 100 years BEFORE the first two Zelda games. It was supposed to be a prequel. People these days, seem to think its not. I dont buy it. Call me stubborn but i think alot of theorists are talking out of their backsides when it comes to that game.

Originally Posted by Florina Belmont

The game was originally advertised to take place 100 years BEFORE the first two Zelda games. It was supposed to be a prequel. People these days, seem to think its not. I dont buy it. Call me stubborn but i think alot of theorists are talking out of their backsides when it comes to that game.

Miyamoto>A official box. He says it was OOT-LoZ/AoL-ALttP.

The Japanese box is a lot more ambiguous.

Originally Posted by Florina Belmont

The game was originally advertised to take place 100 years BEFORE the first two Zelda games. It was supposed to be a prequel. People these days, seem to think its not. I dont buy it. Call me stubborn but i think alot of theorists are talking out of their backsides when it comes to that game.

You beat me to the punch.

It's a prequel; the entire U.S. title was a reference to the storyline being a step backwards, chronologically-speaking, for the series. It's canonical, with every major official source, from the game manual to Nintendo Power, supporting this.

Originally Posted by electricut

I just thought of an answer for this: nintendo knew there would be a four-swords. before you attack me, just think. when you unlock something in one game, it can affect the other. the palace of the four swords is living proof.

It literally means there is a link to a past event: four swords. just a thought, but it makes a lot of sense when you get right down to it.

Something called Hombre du Watties Double ALttP theory.

It's due to the chronological order which the game takes place... I mean, the ALTTP's events takes place before what occurred in LoZ and AoL... given that the game was launched after those aforementioned titles... you can get the main idea.

I came up with another theory, but this only works if Nintendo knew about the split timeline by the time they released AlttP, which I highly doubt. But anyways...

We know that the timeline is plit into two seperate lines after OoT. We have the Adult timeline and the Child timeline. The adult timeline being the furture, and the Child Timeline being the past. If we label the timelines as "Future timeline" and "Past Timeline", it could be that Nintendo had the first two games on the Future timeline, and then released AlttP on the Past timeline, making AlttP the only Link to the past (timeline) that we had back in 1992.

Get it?