Highlights
The Legend of Zelda series has a convoluted timeline, but fans continue to try and organize it into eras based on console generations.
One Reddit fan organized the series into six eras, based on console generations and significant games, which fans found appreciatively organized. However, they humorously pointed out the lack of a "Forbidden" era that would have included the notorious Philips CD-i games.
One fan of The Legend of Zelda series took it upon themselves to categorize the entire franchise into six distinct eras based on the console generations they were released in. They shared their work on social media, receiving compliments and feedback from other Zelda fans. These fans commented on certain games that could have been placed in multiple categories.
Since The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time introduced diverging timelines, the Zelda series has had a complex timeline depending on the fate of Link in that game. However, this hasn't stopped fans from attempting to understand Nintendo's offering or creating their own timelines and eras that could better fit the franchise. While some fans classify games based on Link's confrontation with Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time, others take a more practical approach to organizing the franchise. One player opted for the latter, providing explanations for their categorization.
On Reddit, a user named Scdsco categorized The Legend of Zelda franchise into six eras on the Zelda subreddit. These eras were named as the Foundational era (1987 to 1993), the Ocarina era (1994-2001), the Toon era (2002-2005), the Motion era (2006-2011), the Transitional era (2012-2016), and the current era called the Open era (2017-2023). The OP further explained that each era corresponded to a console generation, starting with the NES and the SNES in the Foundational era. Additionally, each era was marked by at least one of the most influential games in the Zelda series, except for the Transitional era which faced uncertain circumstances.
In the comments section, other Zelda enthusiasts commended the OP for organizing the eras in a concise and understandable manner. Some fans even shared their personal favorite eras based on different criteria. However, one Reddit user humorously noted that the OP overlooked a "Forbidden" era consisting of the infamous Zelda games on the Philips CD-i, such as The Wand of Gamelon and Zelda's Adventure.
The ongoing popularity of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom signifies the continuing dominance of the open-world era in the Zelda series. It remains uncertain what Nintendo's future holds and how fans will respond to it.
