TP Overworld Map

Firstly, I did search the forum a bit and couldn't find a relevant topic with this information in so apologies if one already exists.

I know a lot of theorists believe that Nintendo doesn't care about geography and The Twilight Princess overworld map seems to be very disjointed compared to other versions of Zelda. For a start, there is a lack of an artistic map as available in OoT, MM ALttP etc. Therefore it is very hard to compare the maps of other Zeldas to TP. You can make rough estimations and such like, but can't tell for sure. Has anyone attempted to form a timeline from a purely geographical point of view? If so, I'd be interested to see how you described the transition from OoT to TP to then next game in your timeline.

From what I can decipher:

Hyrule Castle seems to be in the place of ALttP in the middle of Hyrule field.

Gerudo Desert is in the same place

Lake Hylia is more northern than in any other game

Snow peak mountain could be there, as within OoT and ALttP this area is not divulged.

The Link between the Castle, Kakariko Village and Zoras Domain seems to be way out. In OoT kakariko Village used to be situated between Zoras Domain and the Castle (new or old Castle).

The forest also seems to be not east enough.

The southern section of the map could be considered OK all be it with some pretty careless inaccuracies, however the northern section seems to be way out. If the map is tilted about 60 degrees CW then the northern half of the map seems to make more sense. However, we then have a situation where by the southern section is way out.

So is the TP map just a lazy representation to help the player rather than a geographically accurate map? If so then that's fine, because everything works just about OK. However, if it is meant to be an accurate map detailing the exact location of every area, then it throws up some large problems.

I'd be interested to know your thoughts.

there are many canyons and gaps all over hyrule, maybe from an earthquake?So the ground moved, maybe hyrule castle has been destroyed, so the hylians built it in an other area. And why is the ToT in the forest?
There are so many questions and speculations,
but I think Nintendo has it's reason why they changed TP hyrule.

I'm not to bothered about obvious changes like the castle and ToT. These are obvious points of interest and ones that can be theorised about easily. I'm more concerned about things like lake Hylia being out of place, as well as zora's domain.

TP's Hyrule is OoT's Hyrule many years later.

Yes, so i can ssuem that the seemingly off placements of places such as Kakiriko village etc are for reasons other than actual change in Hyrule's geography. Do you think the castle was OoT's castle then? And how did the ToT move as ZoraPrince stated?

Originally Posted by A Link To My Past

I'm not to bothered about obvious changes like the castle and ToT. These are obvious points of interest and ones that can be theorised about easily. I'm more concerned about things like lake Hylia being out of place, as well as zora's domain.

Maybe a dam broke. So the whole water flows into a canyon so OoT lake hylia dessicated and TP was born.
The Zoras moved, thats not spectacular and the kakarikans moved maybe because of the active vulcano?

I'll out myself as Zelda nerd and will tell you that I was in the middle of doing exactly what TP misses. An artist rendition of the map. I went to high spots and hrule and looked at youtube videos where people make link float through gameshark.
I have a very good idea of what hyrule looks like in TP. I only need to find the time to finish the drawing.
And actually the map matches up good enough with OoT. The only things that are flawed are:
-the location of the ToT
-Zoras domain (although if you want you can assume that there is an old one that is of map, and that we see a new one)

Originally Posted by zoraprince

Maybe a dam broke. So the whole water flows into a canyon so OoT lake hylia dessicated and TP was born.
The Zoras moved, thats not spectacular

The zoras moving may not be spectacular, but so many changes in waht was a little over 100 years is rather alarming. I highly doubt that rivers cut new paths in that space of time! I am for no going to assume that the TP overworld map is meant to be as close to the OoT map as possible. And the only problems with it are the obvious ones. Has the castle moved and how has the ToT moved?

Originally Posted by bitterlime

I'll out myself as Zelda nerd and will tell you that I was in the middle of doing exactly what TP misses. An artist rendition of the map. I went to high spots and hrule and looked at youtube videos where people make link float through gameshark.
I have a very good idea of what hyrule looks like in TP. I only need to find the time to finish the drawing.
And actually the map matches up good enough with OoT. The only things that are flawed are:
-the location of the ToT
-Zoras domain (although if you want you can assume that there is an old one that is of map, and that we see a new one)

Good Stuff!!

I think Zoras Domain is a pure inconsistancy and is meant to be in the same place as OoT. Obv ToT. What are you thinking about the Castle? Same Location?

Originally Posted by A Link To My Past

The zoras moving may not be spectacular, but so many changes in waht was a little over 100 years is rather alarming. I highly doubt that rivers cut new paths in that space of time! I am for no going to assume that the TP overworld map is meant to be as close to the OoT map as possible. And the only problems with it are the obvious ones. Has the castle moved and how has the ToT moved?

The TP castle is not the OoT castle. It was rebuild, like i said, maybe because of an earthquake. And why the ToT was rebuild i don't know, probably the ooccas rebuilt it or moved it into the forest.

Originally Posted by zoraprince

The TP castle is not the OoT castle. It was rebuild, like i said, maybe because of an earthquake. And why the ToT was rebuild i don't know, probably the ooccas rebuilt it or moved it into the forest.

That's what i though, but i wanted to get others opinion on the castle due to my relative lack of knowledge compared to some people on here and i think bitterlime is presuming it is the same castle as he suggests that Zoras domain and ToT are the only changes in the landscape.

Originally Posted by A Link To My Past

That's what i though, but i wanted to get others opinion on the castle due to my relative lack of knowledge compared to some people on here and i think bitterlime is presuming it is the same castle as he suggests that Zoras domain and ToT are the only changes in the landscape.

The thing is neither the ToT nor the castle really are completly in the right place. The temple of time is in the complete wrong place though. The castle still is kind in the aproximately correct location compared to lake hylia, death mountain, the desert etc.
Hopefully the picture I am doing will be able to explain it better than I can.

Originally Posted by bitterlime

The thing is neither the ToT nor the castle really are completly in the right place. The temple of time is in the complete wrong place though. The castle still is kind in the aproximately correct location compared to lake hylia, death mountain, the desert etc.
Hopefully the picture I am doing will be able to explain it better than I can.

OK, well if that's your finding then i assume its been rebuilt. Out of interest, is the castle in the same location as it is in ALttP?

Obviously ToT has been moved or rebuilt!

Originally Posted by A Link To My Past

OK, well if that's your finding then i assume its been rebuilt. Out of interest, is the castle in the same location as it is in ALttP?

Obviously ToT has been moved or rebuilt!

I don't trust ALttPs map because it was pressed into a square. :<

Originally Posted by bitterlime

I don't trust ALttPs map because it was pressed into a square. :<

Yes, but that's all we've got to go on from the game. Is the castle in a similar location? If so, i'd assume they are the same castle.

Although it is pressed into a square, it is obvious that in OoT there is no Hyrule Field between Death Mountain and the Castle, but in ALttP and it appears so in TP, that there is a section of Hyrule field between the Castle and Death Mountain. The castle almost appears to be located where Lon Lon Ranch is!

Just one geographical error bothers me...

OoT Temple of Time is in Castle Town

TP Temple of Time is in the Lost Woods


It takes one hell of a landslide to accomplish that lol

Unless we assume the castle was moved, and not the Temple of Time...

Something I noticed:

if the MS's location in the lost woods in TP is the same place as LttP's MS woods, then Death Mountain just about lines up, and Ordon village is in about the same place as Kakariko of LttP.

Originally Posted by zoraprince

Maybe a dam broke. So the whole water flows into a canyon so OoT lake hylia dessicated and TP was born.
The Zoras moved, thats not spectacular and the kakarikans moved maybe because of the active vulcano?

And took the mountain with them?
Death mountain is still next to Kakariko in TP.

well, the temple of time was where huryle castle was so the sacred grove in TP must be where the castle was in OoT.

what confuses me though is why lake hylia and the ,supposedly, Old kakariko/hidden village is so far away.

The geography is something that has been bothering me alot too.

Originally Posted by MrBaconsock

well, the temple of time was where huryle castle was so the sacred grove in TP must be where the castle was in OoT.

what confuses me though is why lake hylia and the ,supposedly, Old kakariko/hidden village is so far away.

The geography is something that has been bothering me alot too.

You know what! After more investigating, i'm going to blame Nintendo's pure laziness for the lack of correspondance between OoT/ ALttP maps and TP's.

I'm going to assume the following:

Every location is in the same place in TP as in OoT, except for the Castle and ToT.

The maps presented in TP are disjointed and don't join up, with coridor's and pathways joining main areas and large segments of the map simply missing. Therefore this map is not an exact geographical representation of the locations, but a simple guide for the player. So Nintendo sacrificed accuracy in order to help portray Hyrule in a way that is easily read by the player or the viewer.

The areas are correctly represented if taken in their own right and have then been placed on a map in a rough place in a way that fits nicely in the space nintendo have to present the map. So for example Lake Hylia is the right size and the right shape but is too far north on the overworld map. This is largely due to the fact that the corridors and pathways leading to other areas have been largely misrepresented in size.

So to recap, minus the Castle and ToT, the places are correctly represented in shape and size and have been placed in a rough position on the overworld map, not in the exact position.

Hope this is clear, i do struggle to get my words out sometimes.