[Zeke]

Man, I can't wait to get this... though the compulsory fishing has ratcheted my enthusiasm down a notch. I know the fishing minigame in Ocarina is a fan favourite, but personally, I found it completely uninteresting.

On the timeline: When the games make it clear that they're to be taken as continuity sequels (like Wind Waker with respect to Ocarina), I take their word for it; I also put them in the same world when they occur in pairs that obviously go together (LoZ/AoL, OoT/MM, Oracles). But except in those cases, I think of the games as totally different universes where the basic Zelda story is retold each time. Trying to reconcile them requires backbreaking feats of rationalization -- which I can do, I'm a Trekkie, but I don't think it's worth it here. It's like trying to fit two Final Fantasy games together. Nintendo just likes to tell the story of the first time Link saves Zelda from Ganon, so they do it over and over.

This has been going on right from the start, incidentally. Ever read the story of Zelda II? It's the same Link but not the same Zelda, and we never hear from the one he saved last time. The very first time Nintendo had a chance to make continuity confusing, they did it.

All that said, if you do want a timeline, IJD's is sensible. I'd try to put the original game earlier for tradition's sake, but I get the reasoning.

Nate: The dungeon in Wind Waker with a million floors is optional. (And for the record, it goes down, not up.) There is a somewhat tedious compulsory part, a fetch quest before the final palace, but it's not too bad; further, the sea travel is much more interesting than people tend to say. By the way, you're not really surprised TP is being discussed at PA, are you?

IJD: I disagree about two things. One, Link in the Oracle games has met Zelda. She's mentioned and even comes to visit in whichever one you play second (then needs you to save her, natch). Two, Adama does rock sometimes, but not when you said it. From the date of your post, the episode you'd just seen is one where he's an utter douchebag.