That didn't happen... (Video Game Edition)

I'm sure this happens to most of us, but despite the canon of a story by its creators, have you ever decided they just lost their mind and simply choose to ignore it? So this is about Fanon Discontinuity where the fans choose to ignore official canon on a story because they feel it's dumb or unnecessary. This thread isn't necessarily about arguing what is actually considered canon, this is just about venting on what you wish wasn't canon.

For me personally, direct FF sequels are always non-canon in my head so don't try to bring them up to me in conversation cause I will gladly explain why everyone should ignore them. Also the whole "FFVII and FFX take place in the same universe" thing is also stupid and doesn't actually make much sense. Especially since X-2 kind of had to retcon a bunch of stuff in FFX to make this actually kind of work.

On the flip side, I ignore Kato's insistence that Radical Dreamers never happened. I feel the setting of the Chrono universe makes it plausible to still be canon via alternate timeline. Kato sort of did this to himself since some of the new material in the DS version of CT gives credence to RD's interpretation of what happened to Magus.

So what are some plot related canon that you choose to ignore?

Definitely the VII compilation and FFXII: Revenant Wings. I'm also not really fond of the additions Atlus make to their rereleases after the P3 rereleases, since they've felt particularly shoehorned in. Marie was the absolute worst thing they could have added to P4 and many of the added scenes really don't add anything other than fanservice, SMT: Strange Journey Redux gives you smurfing Lucifer's daughter as a means to earn a happy ending of your flavor of choice, and the less said about Qatherine in Catherine, the better. I've yet to play SMT IV Apocalypse, but from what I've heard, it's definitely not a direction I was hoping the series would ever take. In general, I feel like Atlus' recent history, sans some gems here and there, has been pretty regrettable. Dare I say, sellout?

The entire convoluted way all of the Zelda games are supposedly connected and placed into one chronology. Unless they're clearly tied together (eg Oracle of Ages/Seasons) I think of them all as essentially standalone.

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Originally Posted by I Took the Red Pill

The entire convoluted way all of the Zelda games are supposedly connected and placed into one chronology. Unless they're clearly tied together (eg Oracle of Ages/Seasons) I think of them all as essentially standalone.

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Agreed on this. Also agreed on all FF sequels and the compilation. Most are so bad that assuming they're canon would actually make me like the original games even less.

Also, and this is probably a weird example but I was playing some recently, I prefer to pretend that there was never really a Quake game after the first. I liked the somewhat medieval feel of a lot of the first one and everything after that was not that. Actually the Quake series in general is weird. It's like id never knew what they wanted to do with it so it's just a mishmash of ideas between all the games.

The Zelda timeline doesn't bother me that much. Fans who insist on how super important it is to understand the franchise do, but honestly I feel the timeline mostly makes sense. The only thing I don't care about it is that I do feel certain titles really don't belong in there, namely the Four Sword adventure style games, Tri-Force Heroes, and while I'm sure it's a great game, Minish Cap since I kind of feel like the games about Vaati should really be a separate timeline. The actual three timelines makes sense to me.

I also tend to pretend like most of the events of MGS4 didn't happen. I honestly believe Kojima when he said MGS2 was the original end for Snake's story and I feel the franchise would have been better to end on that title than MGS4.

The timeline only bothers me when you take Breath of the Wild into account. Because it's apparently in the fallen hero branch, but it's either tens of thousands of years in the past or future, because there has apparently been a rise and fall of an insanely technologically advanced civilization in the meantime. If this game fits in the timeline at all, then the Zelda continuity has become a nearly incomprehensible time abyss at this point. And there's no official comment from Nintendo on it as of right no, so I can really only hope this one's a reboot of sorts - or else it's simply a reinterpretation of Zelda 1, cause that would kinda fit.

I agree that I don't much care for the canon of the games being linked in the same timeline, especially when you consider things as far off a BotW and the fact that the linking of the games is almost entirely extra-game content. The light plot elements of the games themselves do next to nothing to actually indicate the games exist in the same timeline/universe. I prefer to think of it like they're all different tellings of "The Legend of Zelda" kind of like how Arthurian legends have a lot of different versions.

Also ditto on FF7 compilation and sequels/prequels to FF games. Also, Xenosaga. Just all of Xenosaga period. I know it's not officially in the canon of Xenogears anyway, but it's super not in the canon in my head. It's in no canon. Just the garbage pile.

I'm usually not too bothered by the story in sequels/prequels, even if they're not great (or even good). Generally when I dislike a sequel or prequel, it's more because of gameplay/technical reasons, rather than the additions to the continuity (Bioshock Infinite and Deus Ex Invisible War, for instance)

There are, however, some exceptions.

Such as Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World, which throws the story and character arcs of the previous game in the garbage bin.

And The 3rd Birthday, which is just a mess. At least it doesn't carry the Parasite Eve name.

Finally, I'll throw Metal Gear Solid V in here, because without the cut content (which would've made it simply an okay addition), the story is at best unnecessary and at worst insulting.

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Originally Posted by Fynn

The timeline only bothers me when you take Breath of the Wild into account. Because it's apparently in the fallen hero branch, but it's either tens of thousands of years in the past or future, because there has apparently been a rise and fall of an insanely technologically advanced civilization in the meantime. If this game fits in the timeline at all, then the Zelda continuity has become a nearly incomprehensible time abyss at this point. And there's no official comment from Nintendo on it as of right no, so I can really only hope this one's a reboot of sorts - or else it's simply a reinterpretation of Zelda 1, cause that would kinda fit.

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From my understanding, BotW is set the farthest down it's token timeline than other Zelda titles. I also wouldn't really worry about the "rise and fall of an insanely technological society" because that has happened before. Skyward Sword introduced us to a an advanced civilization that not only had machine workers but possible could control the flow of time itself before whatever happened wiped it out.

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Originally Posted by Lord Golbez

I agree that I don't much care for the canon of the games being linked in the same timeline, especially when you consider things as far off a BotW and the fact that the linking of the games is almost entirely extra-game content. The light plot elements of the games themselves do next to nothing to actually indicate the games exist in the same timeline/universe.

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I disagree because the whole reason the timeline thing even started was due to fans noticing the subtle references to other titles together. If you read the backstory for LttP, you would quickly realize that Ocarina of Time is that actual backstory being told. Wind Waker and Twilight Princess both have direct references to Ocarina of Time as well. Half the fun was trying to figure out why these games make chronological references to other entries. Hell, half the series was always blatantly said to be a direct sequel to another entry such as Link's Awakening, Majora's Mask, Phantom Hourglass, and Zelda II. So honestly, the timeline idea has been woven into the series since almost the beginning when you think about it. Granted, maybe I just like the timeline because my favorite one comes about because the Hero of Time gets killed in that one... :shifty:

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Also ditto on FF7 compilation and sequels/prequels to FF games. Also, Xenosaga. Just all of Xenosaga period. I know it's not officially in the canon of Xenogears anyway, but it's super not in the canon in my head. It's in no canon. Just the garbage pile.

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I have very mixed feelings about Xenosaga. I honestly would say that for me, any entry that isn't the first episode and Pied Piper is probably not canon due to executive meddling in all of the other entries. I would still love to see Takahashi and studio attempt a more traditional Xeno story in the future, but we'll see if that ever happens again. Saga had so much potential.

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Originally Posted by Wolf Kanno

I also tend to pretend like most of the events of MGS4 didn't happen. I honestly believe Kojima when he said MGS2 was the original end for Snake's story and I feel the franchise would have been better to end on that title than MGS4.

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MSG3 is my personal favorite, like many fans, so I'd be fine with this. I thought that was the original idea.

"Well, the story is sort of wrapped up, so let's do a fantastic game based off of the lore we built up in all the previous titles. Then we'll call it good."

There's some interesting things in MSG4, and I havne't played 5, but for the most part it just doesn't capture the same magic anymore.

MGS4 had a lot of problems. MGS5, I'm not hugely into the story, but the gameplay is fantastic, so I'm glad the game exists, regardless of whether I would consider it canon. Honestly, dropping David Hayter alone is good enough reason for me to consider it non-canon, probably.

I will never accept Final Fantasy X-2.5. I know it's not technically a game, but the only purpose it serves is to destroy everything good about the games. It reads like fan fiction of the lowest quality.

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Originally Posted by Darth Ganon

I will never accept Final Fantasy X-2.5. I know it's not technically a game, but the only purpose it serves is to destroy everything good about the games. It reads like fan fiction of the lowest quality.

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Yeah I can accept FFX-2 but what the hell was that, like when I read it I honestly thought it was a joke, or at minimum just a really really bad translation.

I forgot there was ever even a book, as I know enough about Squeenix to immediately disregard a lot of what they come up with, but this summary I found?

URL="https://www.reddit.com/r/FinalFantasy/comments/23fw1g/a_summary_of_final_fantasy_x25/"]https://www.reddit.com/r/FinalFantasy/comments/23fw1g/a_summary_of_final_fantasy_x25/[/URL]

Amazing.

Also, the idea that FFVIII gun blades don't actually shoot anything. It's just a concussive wave sent through the blade. I don't think it's necessarily something they ret-conned, it's just something I found out about years later. It's also something i refuse to accept. It my version of FFVIII those things shoot projectiles. That's why it's a GUNblade, not a concussive-blade.

Everything about X-2.5 and Will. Just leave it be you squares.

Also I don't sub to it but the (SPOILER)Rosatrice theory in Umineko is literally this taken to an extreme. It's actually kinda both tragic and fascinating to watch it explained. It truly is driven by a deep revulsion for canon, but damn if it isn't creative as smurf.

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Originally Posted by sharkythesharkdogg

Also, the idea that FFVIII gun blades don't actually shoot anything. It's just a concussive wave sent through the blade. I don't think it's necessarily something they ret-conned, it's just something I found out about years later. It's also something i refuse to accept. It my version of FFVIII those things shoot projectiles. That's why it's a GUNblade, not a concussive-blade.

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It's bulltrout either way, you explicitly use ammunition to craft some gunblades *in the game*. Why the smurf do they need me to gather the super rare Pulsar Ammo for the Lionheart if it ain't shooting anything.

The gunblade does use ammo which you can see if you watch the montage on the main menu screen. They show Squall's Revolver case and it has ammo in it. Also, if you really look at the animation for critical hits, the gun practically explodes when done correctly, so it's not surprising it functions like a gun. I imagine the "ammo" is more like a flare though.

Well that's what I'm getting at. I remember seeing the shell casings eject from the revolver section, but those bozos want to tell me it's just a casing with a powder charge in it, and not a projectile.

I ain't buyin' it Square. I am NOT buying that.

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Originally Posted by Lord Golbez

Honestly, dropping David Hayter alone is good enough reason for me to consider it non-canon, probably.

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There's really no way to justify the way that the situation was handled on Kojima's part; it was kind of a dick move. However, Kiefer Sutherland doesn't even play "Snake", he plays the combat medic gussied up and brainwashed to believe he is Venom Snake, so it doesn't bother me. It's like the voice actor from Igor in Persona 5 being different: people were mad until it turns out that it's not really Igor at all.