Do the events of Ancient Stone Tablets fit in the Hyrulian timeline?

Question

Ancient Stone Tablets was a Japan-only game that's recently been fully resurrected and translated, renewing my interest in it.

I was wondering if it reasonably fits into the total Hyrulian timelines, and how so?

One of the latest official maps (from Hyrule Historia) doesn't include it, but I'm wondering if the story reveals any clues about whether or not it conflicts with the known timeline.

We know this:

Narrator: 6 years ago, Link the Hero threw down the King of Evil, Ganon. Since then, the land of Hyrule has basked in a time of tranquillity. But one day..."

But do we know if Oracles/Awakening/Worlds happen in those intervening 6 years? Or after? Or does it conflict entirely?

For reference, Hyrule Historia's timeline was published before Link Between Worlds, the spiritual successor of Link to the Past. So, we know it doesn't include all known Zelda stories. (There's also some best-forgotten content not included). Newer, but simpler, official timelines put Worlds immediately after Link's Awakening.

If there's no official Nintendo publishings on the timeline (from any point, not just recent), I'm okay with a reasoned approach based on the content of the story. I don't know if variations in the Japanese wording might give more clues, or if there was special content from that original time when the games were broadcast in Japan. I don't know Japanese.

Answer 1

I don't think there's a conflict.

According to the Hyrule Historia, A Link to the Past is immediately followed by Oracle of Seasons/Oracle of Ages and Link's Awakening. All of these games feature the same Link. Exactly how much time passes between the events of A Link to the Past in Hyrule and Link's travels to the other lands featured in the three other games is uncertain.

As you say, Ancient Stone Tablets takes place six years after A Link to the Past. It does not feature Link, so presumably (if Ancient Stone Tablets canonically takes place in the same timeline) he leaves Hyrule in these intervening six years.

This is muddled somewhat by the fact that Zelda and Ganon appear both in Ancient Stone Tablets and the "linked game" you can play after completing both Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, although I don't really see any problems with these events taking place one after the other without referencing each other (Zelda is transported from Hyrule to these faraway lands, like Link was).

So Link defeats Ganon in Hyrule (A Link to the Past), and Hyrule becomes peaceful. Some time later the Triforce sends him to Holodrum and Labrynna (Oracle of Seasons/Ages). Six years after Ganon's defeat, The Hero of Light is teleported into Hyrule, meets Princess Zelda, and defeats Ganon's spirit (Ancient Stone Tablets). Either before or after this happens (after sounds more logical), Zelda travels to Holodrum/Labrynna and is kidnapped to resurrect Ganon again, but Link saves the day (Oracles/Ages linked game). Link then sets off on a boat and shipwrecks on Koholint Island (Link's Awakening).

A Link Between Worlds, while having a lot in common with its spiritual predecessor A Link to the Past (most notably the actual Hyrule map), does not feature the same Link and Zelda and so isn't really relevant here. The game's article on Gamepedia's Zelda Wiki has a section devoted to the timeline placement of that game, with references; it takes place centuries later (Zeldapedia claims six generations later, but with no references).