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History of the Zelda Timeline

When the Zelda series began, the chronology between games was thought to be relatively simple. The second game, The Adventure of Link, was released under the title Zelda II, and was a direct sequel to the original adventure, set some years later as Link reaches adulthood. However, it wasn't until the release of A Link to the Past that the history of the franchise was explored in more depth. A Link to the Past was released as a prequel to the original game, and was the first game to expand upon the lore of the franchise, in particular the nature of the Triforce and the origins of the Demon King Gannon. A Link to the Past also introduced the concept of there being more than one Link: a predecessor of the original hero from the NES adventures. Link's Awakening was released as a sequel to A Link to the Past, following the adventures of the same hero.

The release of Ocarina of Time and the subsequent release of Majora's Mask caused some confusion. This time, as a prequel to A Link to the Past, it was purported to be a retelling of the events of the Imprisoning War described in the back story of the SNES adventure, and did indeed focus on the origins of Ganon, for the first time showing his human form of Ganondorf. However, the exact events did not match up as described, and arguments about whether the game really represented the Imprisoning War would continue for many years. These arguments were to be further confused by subsequent games.The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess both being released as sequels to Ocarina of Time and seemingly having no recognition of the events of A Link to the Past, or each other.

In 2001 a timeline of the first eight games was released by Nintendo of America on Zelda Universe. This timeline featured the games in the following order: Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, A Link to the Past, Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons, The Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link, and Link's Awakening, and featured a single Link. This timeline was not generally recognized to be canonical due to lack of involvement from the developers, and the concept of a single Link introducing many inconsistencies and impossibilities, in particular reconciling the events of Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask and A Link to the Past.

The Wind Waker in particular caused huge upheaval for the chronology of the series. By washing Hyrule away, the events of later games was put into question entirely. Some thought that a single chronology of events was impossible, and indeed, with the release of Twilight Princess, the developers revealed there were two timelines, something some fans had only previously speculated upon. The split in the timelines was caused by the ending of Ocarina of Time, with one timeline following the events seen in the future, while the other followed Young Link as he returned to the past. These are now known as the Adult Link Timeline and the Young Link Timeline. Despite this however, neither The Wind Waker nor Twilight Princess could be adequately placed as a prequel to A Link to the Past, and Four Swords Adventures sat as a wild card, set in a world similar to A Link to the Past but significantly different to the point where it was also difficult to place in the chronology.

On December 21, 2011, Nintendo of Japan published an official chronology of The Legend of Zelda series in Hyrule Historia, outlining how the games in the series are related to one another. This chronology revealed that there were not just two timelines, but three, and finally reconciled the placement of the original NES and SNES adventures in the timeline by introducing the Fallen Hero Timeline.

Zelda Timeline Theories are perhaps the object of greatest debate amongst fans of the series. Nintendo's transcendental and thorough method of incorporating the tried-and-true formula of "gameplay first, story later" has arguably produced some of the greatest games of all time, but it has also resulted in an incoherent chronology - full of loose ends, contradictions, and general confusion. Fortunately, this has motivated fans to do all they can to sift, sort, and organize the Legend of Zelda canon.

Chronology of the Legend of Zelda Series and the kid timeline and more!

The chronology section of Hyrule Historia consists of a collection of tales passed down by the people of Hyrule. There are many obscure parts in the account presented that will become perhaps more clear at a later point. Considering also that the account may contain inaccuracies, the editors of the book invite the readers to give their own interpretation regarding the actual events.

Hyrule was formed many ages ago through the works of the three Golden Goddesses: Din the Goddess of Power, Nayru the Goddess of Wisdom, and Farore the Goddess of Courage. Before spirits and life existed, these three goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule Din, with her strong flaming arms, cultivated the land, created the red earth, and was thus responsible for the creation of the geography of Hyrule. Nayru poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world, bringing order to a formerly chaotic realm. Farore, with her rich soul, created all life forms that would uphold the law established by Nayru.

When the labors of the three great goddesses were completed, they departed the world for the heavens. The three goddesses left behind a symbol of their power, the all-powerful relic known as the Triforce, which when mastered in its entirety would grant the heart's desire of its holder.They trusted the ultimate power in the hands of Her Grace, the Goddess Hylia, to protect it. The Demon King Demise, wanting to make the world his own, gathered an army of monsters and together launched an attack against the people of the surface, murdering them and causing misfortunes in an attempt to get their hands on the power guarded by Hylia.

Hylia gathered the surviving humans on a piece of land and sent it to the heavens, beyond the clouds and out of reach from the evil plaguing the land. In order to keep it from falling into the hands of Demise, Hylia also sent the Triforce to The Sky and hid the portals to three pieces of the Triforce within Sky Keep, and enshrined the Goddess Sword inside the Statue of the Goddess, to be found by a chosen hero when the time was right. Now that the humans were safe, the goddess and the five tribes who lived on the surface joined forces and sealed away Demise, restoring peace to the land, although the goddess had suffered "grave injuries"

Skyloft remained in the sky above the clouds for generations, with knowledge of the Surface and the origins of Skyloft becoming mere legend. Despite their dwindling knowledge of their origins, the people of Skyloft still knew of the Goddess Hylia and believed she watched over them to that day, unaware that she was living among them in a mortal form.

On the day of the 25th anniversary of Skyloft's Knight Academy, Zelda is taken to the surface by Demon Lord Ghirahim in an attempt to revive Demise. That night, Link is awakened by the voice of a mysterious spirit, who reveals itself as the sword spirit of the Goddess Sword, created by the goddess Hylia for the purpose of assisting Hylia's chosen hero in fulfilling his destiny. Guided by Fi, Link travels to the Surface in search of Zelda, who herself is guided by Impa to purify her body at the goddess statues to reawaken as the incarnation of the Goddess Hylia. As Zelda and Impa escape from Ghirahim to the past, Link quests to purify the Goddess Sword and power it to become the Master Sword. After traveling to the past, Zelda reveals her true identity to him, and as such must remain in a deep sleep to keep Demise imprisoned within his seal. Link travels back to the present and after learning the Song of the Hero finds the Triforce and successfully wishes upon the destruction of Demise.

After Zelda awakens from her sleep, an enraged Ghirahim kidnaps her back to the past, where Demise is still alive. Link follows Ghirahim to the past for a final showdown, but is unable to stop the ritual to revive Demise. The ancient Demon King escapes from his seal, swallows Zelda as The Imprisoned and returns to his original form. Demise announces his intention to take the world as his own now that Hylia is gone, but gives Link the chance to duel him in another realm for the fate of the world. After a fierce fight, Link bests Demise and fatally wounds him. The Demon King stumbles to his feet, congratulating Link, but warns him that it is not over, and that his hatred would be reborn as a being to pursue domination of the world, and those with the blood of the goddess and spirit of the hero in a cycle without end. Link raises his blade and absorbs the remains of the Demon King into the Master Sword.

Link returns from the battle to find Zelda and Groose, and the three return to the Temple of Hylia, where they meet with Impa and prepare to return to their own time. At Fi's behest, Link plunges the Master Sword into a pedestal in the Sealed Temple, leaving it and his partner behind now that her purpose to guide Link had been completed. Saying goodbye to Impa before she destroys the Gate of Time, the three return to their own time where peace has returned and residents of Skyloft take their first steps on the Surface.

Following the defeat of Demise, the world created by the Golden Goddesses and guarded by the Goddess Hylia, became known as Hyrule.

Those descended from the people who were living in ancient times under the protection of the Goddess Hylia were known as Hylians. They were born with magic-infused blood, endowing them with psychic powers and skill in wizardry. It is also believed that the Hylians' pointed ears allow them to hear the messages of the gods.

Hyrule knew many years of peace, however, the legend of the Triforce, which was located in the Sacred Realm, spread throughout the land. Its power was lusted after by many people, and a wave of chaos descended upon the land of Hyrule as people tried to take this power for themselves. To protect the sacred power, Rauru, the Sage of Light, constructed the Temple of Time, which contained the only entrance to the Sacred Realm. Rauru sealed the entrance with the Master Sword and closed the chamber of the Master Sword behind the Door of Time. The Spiritual Stones acted as keys to opening the door. The Temple of Light, located at the center of the Sacred Realm, became the resting place of the Triforce, while Rauru remained in the temple to protect the sacred relic.

Those with the blood of the Goddess Hylia, reborn as Zelda, established the kingdom of Hyrule. Hyrule Castle was built at the center of the land, watching over the Temple of Time, which was protecting the Sacred Realm and the Triforce.

Many years passed after the kingdom's establishment. Within the Royal Family of Hyrule, as descendants of the Goddess, many were born with a special power that existed deep within the bloodline and the queen would often be named Zelda after the historical legend.

As ages went by and the Kingdom of Hyrule continued to develop in peace. one day the land was suddenly overwhelmed by evil creatures that descended upon it in swarms, driving the world into shadows and bringing the kingdom to near-ruin. As Hyrule neared the brink of collapse, the tiny Picori appeared from the sky and gave the Hero of Men the Picori Blade and the magical Light Force. Using these two special gifts, the Hero drove the beasts back and restored light to the land of Hyrule.

To ensure the beasts could not bring further destruction to the land, the Hero of Men sealed them all within the Bound Chest. Sealing the chest with the Picori Blade itself, the Hero of Men was able to bring the destructive war to an end and brought peace to the kingdom. The Light Force was embodied within the princess of Hyrule to prevent its misuse, shining forth upon the lands within its ruler

One year, in celebration of when the Picori last came to Hyrule 100 years ago to the day, the festival was unusually grand. Hyrule Castle was hosting a tournament of sword-fighting skill that called to mind the heroes of legend. That year's champion was a mysterious man by the name of Vaati. He won the tournament with an almost magical ease, and all of Hyrule was abuzz with rumors about this shadowy figure. During the ceremony following the sword competition, Vaati shattered the sacred Picori Blade and opened the Bound Chest, which, for an age, had been sealed by the Picori Blade, trapping evil monsters within. Vaati was after the Light Force, that golden light that was once wielded by the hero mentioned in the legends of the Picori. He subdued the castle guards and turned Princess Zelda to stone before making a speedy departure.

King Daltus asked the young Link to seek out the Picori and ask them to reforge the sacred blade. Traveling to the Minish Woods he met Ezlo, who helped him find the Picori, or Minish as they called themselves. Link met with the elder of Minish Village, who told him that in order to reforge the sacred Picori sword he would require the four Elements, the embodiments of the sacred powers of earth, fire, water, and wind. Once he had gathered the Four Elements, Link brought the Picori Blade—now the White Sword—to the Elemental Sanctuary hidden within the courtyard of Hyrule Castle. There he infused the White Sword with the Elements, fully restoring the sacred Four Sword; a legendary blade with the power to split one warrior into four.

Meanwhile, Vaati had brainwashed King Daltus and shrouded Hyrule Castle in darkness. He had discovered that the sacred Light Force had actually been passed down through Hyrule's princesses, and so he prepared to extract the Light Force from Princess Zelda. Link rushed to her rescue, and, after vanquishing Vaati, he used the Four Sword's evil-banishing power to restore Princess Zelda. Vaati had been a Minish, an apprentice of Ezlo, who was also a Minish. Ezlo had made a magical cap with the power to grant wishes, but Vaati had stolen it and used it to become a powerful sorcerer. He had transformed Ezlo into a hat himself, then proceeded to hunt down the Light Force. Now that Vaati had fallen, the wishing cap could be used to restore Hyrule. Princess Zelda put on the cap and wished with all her heart that Vaati's cruelty might be undone. With her righteous wish and the power of the Light Force that still dwelled within her, many miracles happened as a result and peace returned to the land of Hyrule.

Peace returned briefly to the kingdom of Hyrule, as Vaati was presumed dead, but suddenly he re-appeared to terrorize the land once again. No longer remembering his days as a Picori, or his lust for the Light Force, he made himself a home in the Palace of Winds and he named himself The Great Sorcerer of the Wind, Vaati. With the power to bend the wind to his will, Vaati goes on a rampage, using this awful power to terrorize many villages of Hyrule. In his assaults on the villages, Vaati would kidnap any beautiful girls who caught his fancy.

Many knights from the castle and other brave men set out to subdue the sorcerer and rescue the girls, but each one fell in turn to Vaati's awesome power. Just as the people had begun to lose hope, a lone young boy traveling with little but a sword at his side appeared. When this boy heard what was happening, he said only, "I will defeat this sorcerer." He boldly entered Vaati's palace, mystically trapped the evil sorcerer inside the blade of his sword, and returned the young girls to their villages. The boy then went deep into the forest and disappeared.

The villagers asked the girls how a boy so young could have saved them all and defeated the sorcerer when no one else could. The young girls told a story of how, with just a wave of his sword, the boy's body shattered into four pieces, each of which then formed a complete copy of the boy. These four young boys then worked together to defeat the sorcerer. The people did not believe the story, but they called it the Four Sword nonetheless. As rumors of the blade's power to divide a person into four entities spread, the people built a shrine to protect it.

For generations Zelda and her descendants managed the seal of the Four Sword, but one day the seal weakened. Zelda was in Hyrule Castle when she sensed that something unusual was occurring at the Four Sword Shrine. She asked a boy named Link, whom she trusted above anyone else, to accompany her to investigate the happenings at the shrine. As they approached the shrine to check on the seal, a dark figure suddenly appeared and grabbed princess Zelda. The seal on Vaati had weakened over time, and Vaati managed to break out of his prison within the Four Sword.

Having still no memory of his time as a Picori, or the power of the Light Force, Vaati did not recognize the princess and saw her only as a fair maiden. He decided she was to become his bride to commemorate his return and took off with her to his palace. After being instructed by fairies, Link takes the Four Sword from its pedestal and is split into four, as the legend foretold. The Great Fairies could help Link to get to the Palace of Winds, but not until he proved himself courageous enough. After traveling over three different lands and the dungeons they contained, Link and his three other selves confronted the wind mage in the Palace of winds, the seat of Vaati's power. After an arduous battle between the sorcerer and the heroes, Link was able to reseal Vaati into the Four Sword's blade.Long ago, in the kingdom of Hyrule, there appeared a Wind Sorcerer named Vaati. Vaati could bend the wind to his will and used this awful power to terrorize many villages of Hyrule. In his assaults on the villages, Vaati would kidnap any beautiful girls who caught his fancy.

Many knights from the castle and other brave men set out to subdue the sorcerer and rescue the girls, but each one fell in turn to Vaati's awesome power. Just as the people had begun to lose hope, a lone young boy traveling with little but a sword at his side appeared.

When this boy heard what was happening, he said only, "I will defeat this sorcerer." He boldly entered Vaati's palace, mystically trapped the evil sorcerer inside the blade of his sword, and returned the young girls to their villages. The boy then went deep into the forest and disappeared.

The villagers asked the girls how a boy so young could have saved them all and defeated the sorcerer when no one else could. The young girls told a story of how with just a wave of his sword, the boy's body shattered into four pieces, each of which then formed a complete copy of the boy. These four young boys then worked together to defeat the sorcerer. The people did not believe the story, but they called it the Four Sword, nonetheless. As rumors of the blade's power to divide a person into four entities spread, the people built a shrine to protect it.

Princess Zelda of the land of Hyrule was a beautiful young girl born with mysterious power to sense approaching forces of evil. For this reason, she was assigned with the sacred duty of protecting the shrine of the Four Sword and the blade itself. One day, Zelda was in Hyrule Castle when she sensed that something unusual was occurring at the Four Sword Shrine. She asked a boy named Link, whom she trusted above anyone else, to accompany her to investigate the happenings at the shrine..."

As they approached the shrine to check on the seal, suddenly a dark figure grabbed princess Zelda. The seal on Vaati had weakened over time, and Vaati managed to break out of his prison within the Four Sword. Having still no memory of his time as a Picori, or the power of the Light Force, Vaati did not recognize the princess and saw only a fair maiden. He decided she was to become his bride to commemorate his return and took off with her to his palace. After being instructed by fairies, Link takes the Four Sword from its pedestal and is split into four, as the legend foretold. The Great Fairies could help Link to get to the Palace of Winds, but not until he proved himself courageous enough. After traveling over three different lands and the dungeons they contained, Link and his three other selves confronted the wind mage in the Palace of Winds, the seat of Vaati's power. After an arduous battle between the sorcerer and the heroes, Link was able to reseal Vaati into the Four Sword blade.  

In the Kokiri Forest, all the forest children have their own guardian Fairies, bestowed upon them by the Great Deku Tree0, except for one boy. This boy who has been plagued by nightmares of a girl fleeing from an evil man clad in black. is named Link. For as long as he could remember, the boy had been ostracized by the other children and has never quite fit in. One day, as he neared death, the Great Deku Tree sends Navi the fairy to summon the boy to him. In order to test young Link’s courage, the Great Deku Tree bids Link to venture inside his hollow and break the death curse cast upon him by a wicked man dressed in black.

Link complies, but his efforts are for naught; the Great Deku Tree's death was sealed in the pages of fate before Link's attempt had even begun. With his final breath, the Great Deku Tree bestows upon Link the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, the Kokiri's Emerald, and entreats him to travel to Hyrule Castle and seek an audience with Princess Zelda.

After traveling across Hyrule Field and passing through the Castle Town, Link does not take long to realize that speaking to the princess of Hyrule would not be a simple matter; many guards stand watch, alert and ready to catch any trespassers. However, he manages to infiltrate the castle, bypassing the front gate and evading all the guards in his path. When he reaches the castle itself, the raised drawbridge seems an insurmountable obstacle. However, Link discovers an unguarded water drain by the castle moat and manages to crawl through the hole, emerging within the castle garden. Many more guards are on patrol here, but Link is able to dodge around all of them and sneak into the castle courtyard.

In this courtyard his fate converges with that of the young princess of Hyrule.

Princess Zelda tells Link of her prophetic dreams, explaining that she had seen him come from the forest and break through a veil of darkness, accompanied by a fairy guide and bearing a green and shining stone. She also warns him about Ganondorf, the desert man clad in black whom Zelda believes is symbolized by the dark clouds of her dreams, and his evil intention to steal the Triforce of Legend from the Sacred Realm.With the power of the goddesses, his desire to subjugate the world would be realized. In order to do this, Ganondorf would require not only the three Spiritual Stones of Hyrule, but also the mystical  Ocarina of Time.

Zelda insists that Link track down the other two Spiritual Stones, so that they might beat Ganondorf to the Triforce and put an end to his plot.

Link sets out for Death Mountain and Zora's Domain, where he succeeds in assisting both the Gorons and the Zoras in quelling the calamities that Ganondorf had wrought in his pursuit of the Triforce and is awarded with the other two Spiritual Stones, the Goron's Ruby and Zora's Sapphire for his efforts. He returns to Hyrule Castle to inform Zelda of his success, only to witness his nightmare come to pass. Ganondorf attacked Hyrule Castle in an attempt to steal the Ocarina of Time, and Princess Zelda was forced to flee with her loyal attendant Impa in order to keep the sacred relic from Ganondorf’s hands. As she passes Link on the drawbridge of Hyrule Castle Town, she throws the ocarina into the moat to give him the chance to enter the Sacred Realm and retrieve the Triforce. In hot pursuit, Ganondorf charges across the drawbridge, blasting Link with dark magic when he tries to stand in his way. Dismissing Link as no credible threat to his power, he speeds off in his pursuit of the princess. When Link retrieves the Ocarina of Time from the moat, he receives a telepathic message from Zelda, bidding him to play the Song of Time in front of the Temple of Time's altar. Link makes his way to the Temple of Time, and proceeds to use the four keys to open the Door of Time. Beyond it lies the Master Sword, the blade of evil’s bane, resting in the Pedestal of Time. Link draws the blade, unlocking the gateway to the Sacred Realm. But then the Master Sword, though accepting Link as its wielder, seals him away in the Sacred Realm.[ Ganondorf, who had suspected that Link might have already held the keys to the Sacred Realm, mocks him for practically giving him the Triforce. Link watches helplessly as Ganondorf passes him by and crosses over into the Sacred Realm.

The Triforce is a scale that measures the three virtues ruled by the Goddesses, Power, Wisdom, and Courage. If the heart of one who holds the sacred triangle carries all three of these forces in balance, that one will acquire the Triforce intact, the divine authority to govern all. If one’s heart is not in balance, the Triforce will separate into three parts, and only one part will remain for the one who touched the Triforce: that part which embodies the force that one most believes in.

If an unbalanced heart would seek the Triforce, then that one must strive to acquire the two lost parts, which will rest within two others chosen by destiny who will hold the crest of the goddesses on the backs of their hands.

When Ganondorf laid his hands upon the Triforce, the prophecy came to pass. The Triforce split into its three parts, and only the Triforce of Power remained in Ganondorf's hands.r

Ganondorf proceeded to conquer the Sacred Realm, and became the self-proclaimed King of Evil,but his lust for power was not yet satisfied. In order to gain complete mastery of the world, Ganondorf started hunting for those chosen by destiny to hold the other two Triforce parts that had escaped his grasp.

However, there also existed a prophecy of deliverance from evil. It spoke of five Sages, who dwelt in five temples. Together with a hero chosen by the goddesses, the awakened ones would bind the evil power and return the light of peace to the world.

Because of the evil power that now flowed from the sacred temples, however, the Sages could not hear the awakening call from the Sacred Realm, and so over seven brutal years Ganondorf’s powers of darkness, enhanced by the Triforce of Power, ran unchecked across all of Hyrule.

However, his hunt for the other two pieces was in vain, for their bearers had all but disappeared from the world. His search for Princess Zelda was futile, for she had gone into hiding, and Link was sealed within the Sacred Realm. Still, Ganondorf’s power went virtually unopposed and in seven short years he transformed the once pristine land into a world of monsters and darkness.

When it seems that all hope has died, Link appears as if from nowhere. A mysterious man named, one of the survivors of the ancient tribe, tells him of Ganondorf’s conquest over the last seven years, and of the legend of the Sages. Wielding the blade of evil’s bane, Link sets out to break the curse on all of the sacred temples.

After freeing the six Sages, Link returns to the Temple of Time and discovers that there is in fact a seventh Sage: Sheik, who is in fact Princess Zelda herself in disguise as a Sheikah to avoid Ganondorf’s pursuits, and was awaiting Link’s return all along.

Majora's Mask opens with a scene of Link leaving the land of Hyrule on a personal quest. The opening to the game states that he is searching for a beloved and invaluable friend, Navi, His trip is interrupted by the Skull Kid, an imp possessed by evil contained in Majora's Mask, which he wears after having stolen it from another traveler (with the help of two Fairies, Tatl and Tael). The Skull Kid knocks Link unconscious, making him fall off his horse, Epona, and steals the Ocarina of Time. When Link awakens, the Skull Kid takes off and leads Link on a chase.

When Link eventually catches up with the Skull Kid, he tells Link that he "got rid of" Epona, and uses the dark magic of Majora's Mask to transform Link into a Deku Scrub. He then leaves Link, while Tatl continues to beat the helpless Deku back. Her delay, though, causes her to be separated from her brother and the Skull Kid. She then insists that Link take her with him, so that they can work together to find the Skull Kid and Tael. With limited abilities, Link enters Clock Town where he meets the Happy Mask Salesman. The Mask Salesman reveals that the Skull Kid stole Majora’s Mask from him and that he can return Link to his human form if he finds the Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. He warns Link also, though, that he must leave in three days, and Link must retrieve the Mask and the Ocarina by then. Link then sets off in his Deku form, finding himself in the parallel world of Termina.

Link is able to do little around Clock Town, but, with the help of Tatl and the Great Fairy, he manages to find the Skull Kid, hanging around the top of the enormous Clock Tower from which Clock Town's name is derived. Also in his search, Link hears rumors and whispers of the Moon, which bears a grimacing and ominous face, steadily growing closer to the Town. At midnight on the Final Day before the Mask Salesman's departure, Link is able to reach the top of the Clock Tower for a face off with the Skull Kid. Upon arriving, Tatl demands that the Skull Kid give back Link's Ocarina. Seemingly not hearing, Tael delivers an enigmatic warning to Tatl, to find four beings from the "swamp, mountain, ocean and canyon."

The Skull Kid, in response to Tael's outburst, hits the Fairy aside. He then laughs about how even if "they" were to come, they could not stop him. He then points Link and Tatl's attention to the hideous Moon and challenges them to stop it from falling. With an unearthly shriek, he begins to bring it down completely to the land. Taking advantage of this, Link fires a magic bubble, a skill learned earlier, at the Skull Kid, causing him to drop the Ocarina of Time. On picking it up, memories of his departure from Hyrule flood back to Link. In them, Princess Zelda bids him a sad farewell, and tells him that the Goddess of Time is watching over him. After being snapped out of this reverie by Tatl, Link plays the " Song of Time", and is immediately thrown back to the morning that he first entered Clock Town, three days prior.

Link heads back to the Happy Mask Salesman, who teaches him the "Song of Healing". Playing this song with the Ocarina of Time returns Link to his regular self, with the only remnants of his time as a Deku being a Mask, which he can don to become Deku Link once again. After aiding Link, the Mask Salesman asks that Link uphold his part of the bargain and return the Mask that the Skull Kid stole. Upon learning that Link could not recover the Mask, the Salesman grows furious, berating Link and wildly informing him that the Mask, known as Majora's Mask, is an ancient artifact that possesses an apocalyptic power. He again requests that Link recover the Mask, stating that he believes that Link can do it.

To stop the Skull Kid, Link and Tatl work on the only clue they have; the four places stated by Tael. Upon venturing into the Southern Swamp, Link finds the area poisoned, apparently due to the disappearance of the Swamp's guardian god. After venturing through the Deku Kingdom and Woodfall Temple, Link faces down the dark being Odolwa. Upon defeating his foe, Link frees an "innocent spirit" from the Mask worn by the monster. Link and Tatl find themselves facing a sorrowful and powerful Giant. Tatl then surmises that the Giant was one of the "four" that Tael spoke of, as Link learns the Oath to Order".

The two head to Snowhead Mountain, a place that has experienced a longer-than-usual period of winter, to save the next Giant. While there, Link heals and takes on the soul of a Goron warrior (who tried to find a way to save his people, but died in the attempt), which enables him to free the Giant from the evil spirit of Snowhead. Link next requires a horse to get to the ocean, and finds that Epona has been found and taken in by the sisters Romani and Cremia at Romani Ranch. However, to recover Epona, Link must arrive on the First Day, so that he can find the little girl Romani in a well-enough state to give him back his horse. Link then heads to the cursed Great Bay, where the ocean is in disorder due to calamity at the Great Bay Temple. Link also finds the near-dead body of a Zora guitarist, and manages to adopt his soul too. By finding the stolen Zora Eggs (belonging to the vocalist of The Indigo-Go's, Lulu, in a fortress of pirates and a nest of sea snakes, the young hero manages to find the whereabouts of the third Giant and frees him.

Link finally ventures to Ikana Canyon, where he faces down the restless spirits of the dead, so that he might climb Stone Tower and save the last Giant. He then ventures to the Clock Tower at the end of the Final Day, summoning the Four Giants with the "Oath to Order" to stop the Moon. Even though the Giants hold back the Moon, Majora's Mask leaves the Skull Kid, who passed out at the Giants' coming, and rises into the Moon. There, the Mask possesses the Moon and attempts to consume all of Termina. Link follows the Mask inside, finding a surreal field, in which there is a tree and five children. After talking to the child who wears Majora's Mask, Link then proceeds to face the demon. After a harsh battle, Link destroys the spirit, and the Moon is destroyed.

When Link comes to the "Dawn of a New Day", he learns that the Skull Kid and the Four Giants had once been friends. The Skull Kid also remarks how Link smells like a kid who taught him a song in the forest, clearly implying that this is the same Skull Kid to whom Link taught "Saria's Song" in Ocarina of Time. The Happy Mask Salesman states that the evil has left Majora's Mask, and then, mysteriously, disappears, bidding Link a fond farewell. Tatl then tells Link that he should get back to his original quest, and the two part ways. The story ends with Link riding off into the forest once more, and "Saria's Song" echoes about a carving of Link, the Skull Kid, the Fairy siblings, and the Four Giants.

The gameplay of Majora's Mask is much the same as in Ocarina of Time, although new features including the new Mask system, items, skills, and more are included. For example, several of the items that Link could only access as an adult in Ocarina of Time are now available to him throughout the game in the child form (such as the Hookshot or the Bow). Additionally, Link is slightly more acrobatic than he was in previous games, as seen when jumping off of ledges; Link will automatically do flips in the air instead of just a normal jump.

Unlike the previous installment and arguably one of the major departures from the traditional Zelda gameplay, Majora's Mask implements a time system. The time system cycles three days, the time until the destruction of Clock Town by the Moon, which is plummeting to earth because of influence from the Skull Kid. With the Ocarina of Time, Link is able to play the "Song of Time" to reset the cycle and return to the first of these three days as many times as he needs to. Link is the only one affected by the time-travel; other inhabitants live as if nothing has happened. When traveling back in time, Link loses all Rupees, quantities of items (although not the items themselves; e.g. Arrows but not the Bow, etc.), dungeon progress (dungeon maps, compasses, etc. unless, of course, the dungeon is completed) and most interactions with others (except for his Fairy, Tatl, and a few other exceptions). Going back to the First Day by playing the "Song of Time" also saves the game, the only way to permanently save the game; except in the Japanese release of the Nintendo 64 version, players can also quicksave at Owl Statues.

At the bottom of the screen, a clock is displayed, which keeps track of the time. In the center, the day number is displayed. Surrounding in a semi-circle is a revolving sun or moon (symbolizing day or night). This small icon moves around the clock and shows the hour of the day.

Several more "hardcore" players of the game have found it entertaining to attempt beating all four dungeons and the final boss in a single three day cycle, though it is an extremely difficult task and requires very extensive knowledge of the game.

Link appears in his younger form, originally seen in Ocarina of Time, despite using a Shield seemingly larger than the Deku Shield. However, in Majora's Mask, Link does not have the ability to transform into an adult. 24 different Masks with different functions and purposes can be found throughout Termina, of which several allow Link to take the form of another race; Deku Scrubs, Gorons, and Zoras. Because the transformation Masks are based on deceased characters, the game is one of the few where the player can control different characters besides Link. Each Mask, when used, depicts a face of agony.

Deku Link is the first transformation Link receives, and is based off the spirit of the long-missing son of the Deku Butler. In Deku form, Link can stun enemies with the spin attack, helpful to leave them defenseless. He can also shoot bubbles to attack aerial foes and to hit certain targets, although their firepower and range are more limited than those of the arrows. Usage of Deku Flowers is also possible, and they grant Link the ability to fly temporarily, as well as to release Deku Nuts and use them as Bombs. He can also use the Nuts on land. His instrument in this state is a set of Deku Pipes and, although optional, he can confront the boss of the Woodfall Temple, the dungeon where he is the protagonist. The weakness of Deku Link is fire.

Goron Link is the second transformation Link receives, and is based off the spirit of the tragically fallen Goron hero Darmani. In Goron form, Link can curl his body up in a ball to travel faster. He can perform a Ground Pound, useful for offense and for puzzle-solving, and can generate magic-based spikes for speed and offensive capabilities when rolling. He can also use his powerful punches to attack enemies and to hit hardened targets. Only Goron Link can use Powder Kegs. His instrument in this state is a set of Goron Drums and, although optional, he can confront the boss of the Snowhead Temple, the dungeon where he is the protagonist. The weakness of Goron Link is water; falling in it will cause Link to sink and take damage.

Zora Link is the third transformation Link receives, and is based off the fallen-in-battle guitarist Mikau. He has multiple abilities (more so than the other two forms), including a stylized combat moveset using his bladed fins which also double as a set of Boomerangs, the capacity to swim incredibly fast, electric barriers that can be generated while swimming or standing, and the ability to freely dive and walk underwater. His instrument turns into a Zora Guitar and he is helpful to confront the boss of the Great Bay Temple, the dungeon where he is the protagonist. Both fire and ice are lethal to him.

With the exception of the Giant's Mask, the rest of the Masks either give Link new abilities (i.e. the Blast Mask's instant explosion) or disguise him. After completing the game up to the point before Link fights the final battle against Majora's Mask, it is possible to complete several side dungeons in which Link plays a game of Hide and Seek with a series of children, at the cost of progressively giving up all of the Masks collected prior (although they are still available after the game is completed). Finishing this sidequest rewards Link with the Fierce Deity's Mask, which turns him into an adult form with devastating capabilities, but is only allowed during boss fights, Majora's Mask included.

Majora's Mask is also a noted game for its many optional (secondary) sidequests throughout the game, which, should Link complete, explores many more sub-plots and stories. These include helping a distraught troupe leader, returning a kidnapped Deku Princess to the palace, helping five Great Fairies be restored to power, and, perhaps the most intricate sidequest in any Zelda game, helping an engaged couple reunite moments before the Moon falls on Clock Town. These sidequests are recorded in the Bombers' Notebook. The number of mini-games is also higher and more complex in execution than those of Ocarina of Time, and there are more optional or secret areas where extra mini-bosses or Gold Skulltula hunts may be available. Completing sidequests is usually rewarding to Link, as the conclusions to many of them are shown during the end credits, but only if Link has managed to complete that sidequest.

In retrospect, the game currently features the highest amount of Heart Pieces in the series: 52 in total, while Twilight Princess is next with 45. Additionally, it features the highest number of empty Bottles: Six in total. With the exception of Skyward Sword and A Link Between Worlds which both feature five, all other Zelda games feature up to four.

On the negative side, the emphasis on sidequests also translates into a lower number of dungeons, which is a potential point of criticism for some players

Majora's Mask is generally regarded as one of the darkest entries in the Zelda franchise. The game's storyline contains much heavier themes than those seen in prior games of the series, with somber melodies and a myriad of tragic situations. Link is faced with the knowledge that the world of Termina will be destroyed within three days, and the only means in which to prevent this from occurring is by playing the Ocarina of Time to restart everything from the dawn of the First Day. Majora's Mask goes even further by delving into the emotional and psychological state of Termina's denizens, each of whom responds to the circumstance of their impending doom in an idiosyncratic but realistic manner. Link and Termina's denizens are continually confronted with elements of death, loss, and abandonment over and over and over again as the three-day cycle repeats continuously.

Link must go through this as a living, breathing character, being the only one with any awareness of the events that will transpire within each three day cycle. Everyone has their suffering renewed whenever the "Song of Time" is played, and are entirely oblivious towards everything that happened during the previous 72-hour period. The foreboding atmosphere of world destruction is always present in Majora's Mask, conveyed largely through the game's soundtrack and artwork. The desire to rescue the world from certain peril serves as an additional motivation for completing the game.

After the release of Ocarina of Time, Shigeru Miyamoto was planning to release another version of the game for the Nintendo 64DD with remade dungeons However, Eiji Aonuma did not like the idea of remaking the same dungeons, so he secretly started working on new ones instead After asking Miyamoto if he could make a new game, he replied that he could do it as long it was made in one year.

While thinking in ideas for the game, Aonuma met Yoshiaki Koizumi, who proposed a system of time passing where the same moments would be played over and over again. Thus, the three-day system was created. However, an entire week was originally planned, but was later shortened to only three days to make it easier to remember the character schedules.During development of Ocarina of Time, some ideas were not fully utilized, including the use of masks, so Aonuma decided to further expand this concept in Majora's Mask.

The original name of the game was ゼルダの伝説 外伝 (The Legend of Zelda: Side-Story). Prior to its North American release, the game was referred to as The Legend of Zelda: Mask of the Mujula and The Legend of Zelda: Gaiden on the official Nintendo website. The former was a direct translation of the Japanese title, and the latter the game's aforementioned working title.

The graphics are slightly improved in Majora's Mask from Ocarina of Time, possibly due to the necessity of the Nintendo 64's Expansion Pak (a memory-increasing add-on). As the second Zelda game with 3D graphics, Majora's Mask uses the same engine as its predecessor, and even uses some of the same character and enemy models. Eiji Aonuma, a key developer of the game, had stated that reusing many aspects of Ocarina of Time allowed his team to program the game in less than two years (as Ocarina of Time took no less than four years of development). The vast areas the game features have an improved definition in comparison to those seen in the previous Zelda game; the fog distance is nearly nonexistent, enemies are more detailed, and the overall atmosphere is more realistic. Another achievement from the Expansion Pak is that multiple non-playable characters can perform different tasks without impacting on the framerate, larger level design was possible, and many more enemies are present at the same time (most notably in Termina Field, contrasting to the barely populated Hyrule Field from the previous Zelda game). However some textures are less detailed in other locations, and the framerate may sometimes lower.

Termina's world is a parallel dimension to Hyrule's world.[19] There are some characters here that also have counterparts in Hyrule, except for Link, Epona, the entire Kokiri tribe, and (possibly) the Happy Mask Salesman, who are all residents of Hyrule. Skull Kid is confirmed to be from Hyrule as at the end of the game, he familiarizes Link as the one who taught him "that song" in the Lost Woods. Termina consists of five large lands (or "worlds", as stated by Anju's Grandmother). The central region houses Clock Town, Romani Ranch, and Termina Field. Clock Town provides many forms of entertainment, featuring important attractions, and numerous recreative zones and tourism. It is also there where the annual Carnival of Time is celebrated. Romani Ranch is a large rural zone where various animals are taken care of, and milk is produced for its distribution to Clock Town.

The Southern Swamp is located south, and is where various monkeys and monsters live, while the Deku tribe practices its monarchy in the Deku Palace. The swamp's waters are poisoned because of the creature living in Woodfall Temple. The Snowhead Mountain is located north, and is inhabited by the Goron ntribe (who puts into practice a patriarchy, not unlike in Hyrule's Death Mountain). The mountain's weather indicates an extremely low temperature because of the creature living in Snowhead Temple. The Great Bay Coast is located west, and is inhabited by the proud Zora tribe (living in an underwater reef, and are known for their artistic linage in the musical department), as well as by Gerudo Pirates (living in a sinister complex, and are known for their reputation of hunting treasure at all costs and by all means necessary), and humans (living in the coast itself, and doing miscellaneous activities such as scientific research and fishing). The coast's waters become murky because of the creature living in the Great Bay Temple. Finally, Ikana Canyon lies east, and the entire region is invaded by undead entities because of the creatures living in the Stone Tower Temple. It used to be inhabited by humans before this, but now the only living people found there are Sakon, Pamela and her father.

The release difference between the Japanese versions and the North American version was a full six months, the longest release wait among all 3D Zelda games so far. Despite this, there are not too many noticeable differences between the two versions.

In the Japanese version, Owl Statues simply serve as a destination for the "Song of Soaring"; players cannot use them to quicksave. While the Japanese version has three save file slots, the international release only has two due to the addition of quicksaves. The Japanese version of Collector's Edition includes two save files and quicksaves, like international releases.

In the United States and Canada, all versions of the game came with gold cartridges; however, only the ones with the Collector's Edition logo on the box came with a moving hologram effect on the cartridge label, while the ones without the logo came without it.

In Europe, the PAL versions of the game also came with gold cartridges, but were not named Collector's Editions and lack the hologram effect on the cartridges label. The only PAL Collector's Edition was released in Australia where it had the logo and the North American cartridge label, although they lack the moving hologram effect.

A limited edition Adventure Set was also released. Limited to 1,000 copies, it included a copy of Majora's Mask, the original soundtrack, a watch, a shirt, two pins, a poster, a sticker, and a certificate of authenticity. It was available only in Europe.

The events of Majora's Mask are placed shortly after those of Ocarina of Time, and are considered to be the starting point for what is called the "Child Timeline", which is eventually continued with Twilight Princess and then Four Swords Adventures centuries later. In-game connections between the game and Ocarina of Time are relatively scarce, because of the different setting and story, and include recurring characters like Happy Mask Salesman and Kaepora Gaebora, as well as some of the songs being remembered ("Song of Time", "Epona's Song" and the "Song of Storms"), rather than learned for the first time

Link, a young adult at the beginning of the game, is a ranch worker (but has also been called a wrangler) in his home town of Ordon Village in the Ordona Province of Hyrule.

Strange beasts begin to appear in the forest outside of the village just before Link is supposed to make a trip to Hyrule Castle to present a gift to the royal family, a Sword and Wooden Shield crafted by the townsfolk of Ordon. Talo, who in the beginning of the game served as one of Link's main motivations for fighting, was captured by Bokoblins while playing with a forest monkey, and taken to the entrance of the Forest Temple. With wooden sword in hand, Link goes to save Talo. He is able to free the monkey and his friend Talo who were caged by the Bokoblins,but this is only the beginning of his trouble.

The next day, Link is attacked by Bulbins and their leader King Bulblin and falls unconscious in the Spirit Spring near Ordon Village. When he awakens, he follows the pathway into the forest, whereupon he sees a large black wall draped over the ground. Approaching the wall, symbols begin to appear upon it, and as he nears closer a large and menacing black hand reaches out and pulls him through the wall into the darkness within.

Link is now in an entirely different looking world. A sharp pain runs through him and he doubles over. The Triforce symbol on his hand glows, and his entire body transforms into a wolf As Wolf Link, he is captured and held prisoner within the boundaries of Hyrule Castle, which has been covered by the twilight that spread over Hyrule. In his prison cell he encounters Midna, a rogue shadow Imp with mysterious powers, who aids his escape and helps him explore the castle in his wolf form.

In the tallest tower, he and Midna find a cloaked young woman. Immediately she explains to Link how Hyrule came to be shrouded in twilight, and reveals her true identity: Princess Zelda. Although in another world, Zelda is still the princess of Hyrule.

It is now Link's quest to save Hyrule from the Twilight as the hero chosen by the gods. He must restore the light to all the lands in Hyrule and collect mysterious dark artifacts known as Fused Shadows in order to gain enough strength to defeat the one who rules the Twilight.

After Link and Midna collect the Fused Shadow they are confronted by Zant, who heavily injures Midna and causes Link to be stuck in his Wolf form. After meeting up with Zelda, Midna is brought back from the brink of death when Zelda transfers her soul and powers to Midna's body. Zelda does this at her own expense, and disappears as a result. With a newly restored Midna, Link travels to the Sacred Grove to retrieve the Master Sword, breaking his curse as a wolf, and allowing him to transform between human and wolf form at his own will.

With his newly enhanced ability Link and Midna go in search of the Mirror of Twilight, an item required to travel to the Twilight Realm, the domain of Zant. After going through great trouble in Arbiter's Grounds, a location in Gerudo Desert, when Link and Midna went to retrieve the mirror, they realize that Zant had broken it into four shards, with only one shard on the Grounds. In addition to this tremendous knowledge, the Sags reveal that they had sentenced Ganondorf to death, and had gone as far to impale him through the chest with the Sword of the Sages. However, through some "divine" fluke, he had previously received the Triforce of Power, which allowed him to survive the execution. He then used the power of the Triforce to kill the Sage of Water, break free from his chains, and pull the Sword of the Sages from his chest, leaving behind a glowing wound that stays with him forever.

With the last of the sages' power, they activated the Mirror of Twilight and banished Ganondorf into the Twilight Realm, and so he waited for a way out. He soon found his chance of escape in Zant, acting as a "god", and influencing him to become an assistant for his evil desires. Using a misguided Zant, Ganondorf found a way to seek his revenge on Hyrule. The Sages task Link and Midna with the duty of repairing the Mirror of Twilight and defeating Ganondorf. The duo then travels across unexplored zones of Hyrule in search of the missing fragments.

Link and Midna restore the mirror and use it to enter the Twilight Realm and defeat Zant. With him defeated, they return to Hyrule and, with the regained Fused Shadows, Midna breaks the seal surrounding the castle. It is in the castle where Link battles and defeats Ganondorf. This releases the curse on Midna, turning her from an imp to her true form. She then returns to the Twilight Realm and also shatters the Mirror of Twilight, breaking the only known gateway between the two worlds.

Link returns the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time, and the children of Ordon Village also return home to their families. Much later, Fado attempts to seek help from Link for his ranch by calling through his house, but the house remained empty. Link does not stay, he rides away with Epona from there, equipped with just his shield, while his friend Ilia was witnessing his leaving from his hometown. At the very end, the Throne Room of the Hyrule Castle is seen, revealing that the Castle was rebuilt.

In a further departure from The Wind Waker, Link is once again a young man, as opposed to a child, as in the latter part of Ocarina of Time and in The Adventure of Link. The game also takes on a darker tone, rivaling that of Majora's Mask.

Link transforms into a wolf when entering the Twilight, a dark shroud that has ensnared Hyrule. This is not a separate place like the Dark World in A Link to the Past, but a festering malignancy across Hyrule.

As a wolf, Link is unable to use items. Instead, he resorts to abilities like dashing, biting, digging, and howling, among others. With the help of Midna, he can also warp through portals to reach far destinations instantly and create an energy field that can defeat multiple enemies simultaneously. In addition, Link can communicate with animals in wolf form as if they were people. When transformed into a wolf, Link’s sense of smell is greatly improved, allowing him to follow trails left by certain characters in the game; in the same way, Wolf Link can also see spectra and other elements that are invisible to the human eyes.

During the first half of the game, Link is a wolf only when he enters a portion of Hyrule that has fallen under the influence of the Twilight; once there, the young hero is unable to return back to normal until he purges that cursed place by reviving the Light Spirits after collecting their Tears of Light. eventually, Link is able to shapeshift from one form to the other at will thanks to a Shadow Crystal and the Master Sword.

The Wii version of the game is a mirror image of the GameCube version, meaning that East is West (and viceversa) in the former version; this is to accommodate for most Wii players being right-handed, while Link is often left-handed.

The Wii version uses the "point-and-click" feature of the Wii Remote as a "Fairy" cursor (an on screen pointer modeled to look like a fairy), for accessing menus, and for using various tools such as the Hero's Bow, Clawshot, and Fishing Rod, (see Weapons, items and abilities); it uses the Nunchuk attachment analog stick for movement. In order to swing the sword which Link uses as a weapon, the player makes a slashing motion with the Wii Remote. A jab with the tilt-sensitive Nunchuk will cause Link to perform one of his secret moves, the shield attack. To use Link’s “spin attack” (a powerful attack where Link swings his sword circularly around himself), the player shakes the nunchuck side to side horizontally.

In the GameCube version of the game, the 'Y' and 'X' buttons are used for add-on weapon such as the Clawshot, Bombs, Iron Boots, and Hero's Bow. The 'B' button is used for Link's sword attacks. Tapping it once does the normal slashing motion. Pressing it two or three times allows Link to perform sword attack combos. Holding B until Link's sword charges and makes a "ching!" sound allows the hero to perform a Spin Attack. 'L' locks onto enemies or people to talk to. The C stick rotates the camera around, while the A button is for actions like talking, opening doors, and picking things up.

In order to use items in the Wii version, the game allows the player to equip the items to the left, right, and down positions of the D-pad and the 'B' button of the Wii Remote using the item screen. When an item's respective direction button is pressed, the item is switched into the 'B' button for easier use. The built-in speaker on the remote is used for sounds like the bowstring of the Hero's Bow being drawn and released, Midna's laugh, and the ever present "Zelda chime" when discovering secrets.

In Twilight Princess, Link learns more moves than in any other The Legend of Zelda game to date. Link also shares similar moves between human and wolf. For example when an enemy is on the ground, Link has the option to finish them off by plunging his sword into their chest or in wolf form (on poes, to rip out their souls). With these abilities come some disadvantages. As mentioned before, Wolf Link cannot utilize any of his items, or open any doors with handles until he transforms back into a human.

As Link progresses on his quest, he can learn various Hidden Skills, which improve his repertoire of sword attacks, and even expose new weaknesses on strong enemies. In addition, he also makes use of various items that appear for the first time in the game, as well as classic tools and weapons that, in one or another way, have been revamped to have secondary uses.

Returning from Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, a horse can again be ridden in Twilight Princess. The default name for the horse is Epona (the set name of the horse from the two aforementioned games) and is used as the main form of transport whilst Link is in human form and until various warp points are opened around Hyrule. For the first time, Link can use his sword in combat while riding Epona in the game. This is also the first and only game in which the player can decide the horse's name.

The game is meant to have a more mature atmosphere than the rest of the Zelda games, as well as significantly darker, and more rabid versions of monsters from older Zelda games. It is also supposed to be the longest Zelda game to date, accumulating at least sixty hours of play, twice as long as Ocarina of Time, confirmed by Iwata, although many who completed the game believed this to be inaccurate. Princess Zelda and Ganon also appear in Twilight Princess.

The game's story takes place several years after the events of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. As featured in The Wind Waker, Link uses special facial expressions to inform the player and give subtle clues on how to solve certain puzzles. For some gamers, the game still proves to be more challenging than other Zelda games preceding it, although all the bosses have been noted as remarkably easy, taking most gamers only one try to defeat. Another returning feature is the day and night system of Hyrule, consisting of not only the cycle of days but weather and atmosphere effects as well.

Motion capture is used to bring the characters alive in a realistic manner. This is most evident during cinema sequences.

Twilight Princess was first revealed E3 004 when Nintendo showed a teaser trailer of their new Zelda game to a small group, resulting in outrageous uproars from the viewers. When the Zelda community found out, many fans were extremely excited. Many were happy to see Zelda taking a mature turn, which, as opposed to the cartoony, cel-shaded art style of 2003's The Wind Waker, received a much warmer welcome. After ten months of silence from Nintendo, a new trailer was finally revealed at the Game Developer Conference March 10, 2005 to an eager audience.

It was learned at the Nintendo E3 conference on May 9 that Twilight Princess would be released October 4, 2006 and would simultaneously be released on GameCube; it was later announced that, to compensate for the fact that most players would be right-handed, the Wii version would be mirrored entirely so that Link could be right handed as well.

On September 13, 2006, it was revealed that Twilight Princess would be a launch title for the Wii and would be released on November 19, 2006; the GameCube version would be delayed until December of that year. In Japan, the Wii and GameCube versions had a simultaneous release in early December, although the latter was only available for purchase online.

Twilight Princess features a stylized, naturalistic art style (similar to, but more advanced than, that found in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask); These graphics are displayed by use of a heavily modified version of the The Wind Waker engine. This modified version of the 2003 installment's engine makes the graphics in Twilight Princess realistic, as opposed to the cartoonish, cel-shaded design of The Wind Waker. However, as the Wii version is a mere port of the GameCube version, the graphics supposedly fall short of the Wii's capabilities.

There is no extensive voice acting in the game. The characters laugh, scream, and make other such noises, as they have in previous installments on the Nintendo 64 and Nintendo GameCube. In conversations, Link remains silent, and his responses are implied by nods and facial expressions, much like other The Legend of Zelda games. The only character who is completely "voiced" is Midna. However, she says no clear words, instead speaking in an unintelligible language (similarly to E. Gadd in Luigi's Mansion).

Music itself once again plays a role in Twilight Princess, as in previous The Legend of Zelda games. While Link does not carry a musical instrument of any type until a late point into the game, he can pick grass from certain patches and whistle with it to call an animal, either a Hawk or Epona, Link's horse (later on, an instrument shaped similarly to the grass used to summon Epona is given to Link and has the same effect as the aforementioned grass). Also, while as a wolf Link can howl near the same patches, to the same effect. When Link is in his wolf form, there are seven Howling Stones (including one with a Triforce symbol at the entrance to the Sacred Grove) located around the world where, after Link howls a certain melody shown on screen a few times, a golden wolf appears and jumps somewhere else in the world. Link must then change back to his human form and find the wolf to learn a hidden sword technique. The songs howled by Wolf Link are taken from Majora's Mask, Ocarina of Time, and The Wind Waker, with the exception of the final howling stone, which is the "bass" of the game's Hyrule Field Main Theme.

Like previous Zelda titles, Twilight Princess has a synthetic soundtrack. This allows the background music to be more dynamic, but the sound quality suffers. The fact that Nintendo had decided not to use an orchestrated soundtrack has been a point of criticism for the game. Koji Kondo, the lead composer for the game's soundtrack, originally stated that he "would really like to push for" the music to be orchestrated. Part of the full soundtrack (featuring the songs "The Legend of Zelda: Orchestra Piece #2", "Hyrule Field Main Theme", "Ordon Village", "Kakariko Village", "Death Mountain", "Midna's Theme", and "Ilia's Theme") is received when a Nintendo Power subscription is purchased (the subscription also comes with a game guide for Twilight Princess). A soundtrack also is packaged with the Twilight Princess Collector Box, an exclusive item sold at Target stores. The soundtrack also features two bonus tracks. The first bonus track, known as "D.S. Trailer Pack", was the theme that was to be used instead of the present Hyrule Field Main Theme.

A version of the game's Hyrule Field theme was recorded with a live orchestra before release. It was probably intended to be used in the final game; however it ended up being used only in pre-release demos and promotional material.

Along with the standard features of sound in a Zelda game, the Wii console offers something more to the customers buying the Wii version of Twilight Princess. Using the Wii Remote, various sound effects (sword swing, Midna's calls, etc.) come from both the television and the Wii Remote's internal speaker, improving the overall game experience.

Eight years after appearing in Ocarina of Time, Hyrule is once again fully explorable in a 3D console title. In order to provide appropiate continuity, this incarnation of the sacred kingdom features most of the regions and zones portrayed in the 1998 title; a major difference, however, is that Hyrule is much bigger than before (similar to how it was shown in The Adventure of Link), thus it's now divided into provinces, six in total, similar to the four worlds of Termina from Majora's Mask. The GameCube and Wii versions of the game feature mirrored (west/east) variations of Hyrule because of the control scheme. It must be noted that all indications shown below are based on the GameCube version, which is largely considered the canonical map due to that version being reflected in official artwork.

The southernmost province is Ordona, a rural zone where milk, pumpkins and cheese are exported to the other parts of Hyrule (as hinted during the exploration of Snowpeak Ruins), and where Link lives until fate calls him to fight evil; north from Ordona is Faron Province, a forest area inhabited by monkeys and very rarely by humans (or any other race), and where there used to be an ancient temple guarding the Master Sword; found northeast from Faron is Eldin Province, which houses Kakariko Village (now a wasteland due to invasion of monsters, and where a graveyard keeps the rests of deceased Zora monarchs) and Death Mountain (where the Goron tribe inhabits and has developed a mining complex over the flow of time).

North from both Faron and Eldin is the Lanayru Province, which houses the sources of water in Hyrule (namely Lake Hylia, Zora's River and Zora's Domain, the latter one inhabited by the proud Zora tribe), as well as Hyrule Castle Town (where most of the Hylians live, and where Hyrule Castle can be found); southwest from Lanayru (west from Faron) is the Desert Province, entirely uninhabited except by monsters that overran Gerudo Desert and Gerudo's Fortress, and where the long-fabled Mirror of Twilight lies a the top of an ancient dungeon; Northwest from Lanayru (north from the desert) is the Peak Province, also entirely uninhabited except by monsters and the gentle Yeti race, and seen as the coldest region in Hyrule.

Twilight Princess occurs some centuries after Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, due to a number of events which occurred in the days of the Hero of Time (Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask Link), during what is known as the "Child Timeline". After defeating Ganon iOcarina of Time's "adult ending", Link was sent back through time by Princess Zelda to relive his sacrificed childhood and divert the past Hyrule away from its terrible future. In the past, Link's knowledge of Ganon's plans led to his capture, following an unsuccessful invasion of Hyrule. Ganon was taken then by the Sages to the Arbiter's Grounds to be executed.This event took place several years after Ocarina of Time's "child ending" and the events of Majora's Mask.

Twilight Princess's placement in the series was confirmed in December 2006 by Eiji Aonuma.With the release of Hyrule Historia, it is officially established that the events of this game took place before Four Swords Adventures