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Topic:
Retro Gaming Retrospective (Now Discussing "Eternal Champions" & "Zelda II: TAOL")
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Leto II
Registered:
Jan '00
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Date Posted:
6/2 1:25pm
Subject:
RE: Retro Gaming Retrospective (Now Discussing "Eternal Champions" & "Zelda II: TAOL")
- Date Edited:
6/2 1:27pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Leto II
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You totally just invoked one of my all-time favorite Zelda discussion-subjects.  
Another point to consider:
Is it any coincidence that the graveyard in The Legend of Zelda lies directly over the same land once occupied by Kakariko Village in the timeframe of Zelda III?
Methinketh not. As a matter of fact, that map of Hyrule as it existed in the original Legend of Zelda was the thematic basis for the design of ALttP's own map by the Japanese team back in the early '90s. Using this, it's quite clear that the Japanese staff intended to have some as-yet-undefined tragedy occur to Kakariko during the centuries between ALttP and LoZ/AoL, but what that is...dunno.
Very likely it was some sort of catastrophe involving the decimation of major sites such as the southern Hyrule Castle and Kakariko, leading to the relocation of the government far in the north, and the apparent destruction of the town. Connecting the dots between the games, the villagers evidently buried their dead upon the site of the old town (now a haunted, ghost-ridden environment), and then fled to the more remote lands of the north, settling towns like Rauru, Mido, and Saria, and expanding the kingdom to several times its former size than was seen in Ocarina of Time and Zelda III.
Whether Ganon himself was directly responsible is another point of info we don't have yet, but one of my original early hopes for Twilight Princess was that it would be the game that would finally answer these same questions (set chronologically between ALttP and the NES games), and bridge that gap in the storytelling.
Of course, this wasn't to be, but there's always the future.
You know Ganon's hideout in LoZ? It's on the northernmost segment of the map. That is, on Spectacle Rock, south of the town of Saria in The Adventure of Link. Was Ganon gaining ground by the time Link caught up with him? Did he thoughtfully centralize himself between North and South Hyrule to, I dunno, overlook it all?
It's quite interesting to note, though, that Ganon appears to be at his absolute physical weakest during the NES games, now seemingly permanently trapped in his pig-form (as opposed to being able to access his humanoid "Ganondorf" form), and commands his armies from beneath Death Mountain (Level 9), as opposed to having a more open presence as he does in earlier games in the series.
Evidently all of the constant kills by the Links over the centuries have gradually taken their toll on him, wearing him down to the point where he can only steal the Triforce of Power (instead of commanding all three), and to where he seems slighty more easily vanquished than in games like OoT, TWW, and TP.
By this point, the scope of the Kingdom of Hyrule had grown to eclipse the territorial size -- and presumably, the military strength -- of itself as presented in Ocarina and other games, and thus Ganon was forced to hole up further south in the "wastelands" of Hyrule, where he could assumedly recuperate and avoid open confrontation with the armies of the kingdom.
Remaining out of contact in a region nearly devoid of major population would ensure that he maximized his chances for success until he was ready to face the King of Hyrule head-on, and openly. It's no coincidence that each subsequent reincarnation depowered him significantly from the one before (Massively Obvious Real-Life Reason™: the games were largely designed in reverse chronological order).
And though it's possible that in the first game Link caught Ganon in a very early, weakened state, it took more and more to revive him as the centuries passed, with proportionately diminishing results.
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Legend_of_Leroy
Registered:
May '08
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Date Posted:
6/2 1:41pm
Subject:
RE: Retro Gaming Retrospective (Now Discussing "Eternal Champions" & "Zelda II: TAOL")
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^ I've been on zelda sites where people talk about nothing but zelda and come up with all sorts of zelda ideas, and I have to say you're good.
as for ganon's weakened state I would say that after the oracle's ganon did not get a complete transformation back into the living, this is shown by his mindlessness at the end of the game. The organisation of the army in legend of zelda is similar to the organisation of the army in the oracle of seasons, which has been set up by onox (similar enemies, similar bosses). Although onox is defeated the army is not and would have probably continued under new command to bring ganon back. Ganon would still be in his mindless form (I would also say ganon would be easy to get back as he wasn't defeated by anything special like silver arrows or sealed away) and when recovered they would probably hide him away somewhere (spectacle rock) because of his weakness. Also I cannot imagine after ganon has defeated hyrule that he would choose to reside in such a cave, he is usually would build ganon's tower and rule from there.
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The2ndQuest
Title: :
-LACWAC
-Lit Mod of Death
-Games
Registered:
Jan '00
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Date Posted:
6/2 2:02pm
Subject:
RE: Retro Gaming Retrospective (Now Discussing "Eternal Champions" & "Zelda II: TAOL")
- Date Edited:
6/2 2:10pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
The2ndQuest
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Since involving me in such a Zelda lore discussion will mean nothing but derailment for this thread, I'm going to have us continue this discussion in the Zelda thread.
Keep to discussing the gameplay of Zelda 2 here.
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K'Kruhk, 140 ABY: "Why haven't I come forth earlier to share my Jedi knowledge with Skywalker?
Well, it's kinda a long story, see, I had this freaking sweet hat..."
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timmoishere
Registered:
Jun '07
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Date Posted:
6/2 4:55pm
Subject:
RE: Retro Gaming Retrospective (Now Discussing "Eternal Champions" & "Zelda II: TAOL")
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It always irked me in Zelda 2 when I couldn't get enough points to level when I beat the lass boss of a palace. Since getting the crystal gives you an auto level up, I always tried to plan it so I got a natural level up just before fighting the boss, but sadly it didn't always work out.
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11/20/2008: The day I married the most wonderful woman in the world
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DarthIntegral
Title: Manager
SWC & Arena
Registered:
Jul '05
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Date Posted:
6/3 7:29am
Subject:
RE: Retro Gaming Retrospective (Now Discussing "Eternal Champions" & "Zelda II: TAOL")
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I wouldn't mind the Zelda franchise going back to the formula of the Adventure of Link in the future for another game. Sure, it's not the preferred method of Zelda games, but it was just as fun as other Zelda games, just as memorable, and added to the lore. Just the same as I wouldn't mind a future Mario game being made in the mold of Mario 2.
I'm not sure I ever got through the final castle without help of some kind (either from a map of the castle, or a friend standing next to me telling me which way he remembered going). That was painful to go through, but it was so rewarding in the end when you got to punk Thunderbird and Dark Link.
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