"The era of decline" in Zelda

[SUCCESSOR]

Hyrule Historia claims Hyrule lost land after the Imprisoning War, though I'm not entirely sure what that means. Alttp's map seems similar enough to that of OoT for them to be the same, accounting for having compressed the land into a square and a few centuries passing. perhaps the haunted wasteland was lost? I'm honestly intrigued by how Hyrule's geography shifts between games now.


Here is what I can tell you as fact regarding overworld geography between Alttp and OoT in particular. Check it out!!


1): The downfall timeline begins with Link losing to Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time. This means that even if his castle is still standing and he hadn't fought Link as Ganon yet, Hyrule Castle has already been destroyed. Now yes, early on in the development of Ocarina of Time, Hyrule Castle was going to be at the center of the overworld, but it got scrapped. Instead, study the Alttp map with the understanding that the Hyrule Castle of Ocarina of Time no longer exists. *Assume* Ganondorf's castle was probably destroyed as well.

2): Hyrule Historia makes a point of stating that the resting place of the Master Sword in the lost woods was once the location of the Temple of Time. If you study the OoT map, there is woodland directly behind Hyrule Castle. Presumably after everyone fled, woodland took the place over again. (notice also that in alternate timeline game Twilight Princess, the connection between the lost woods and the temple of time is much more blatant.)

3): The site of the Master Sword is not far at all from the corner of Death Mountain. I'm talking about both games, here, but it also applies once again to Twilight Princess: In this game, Hyrule is not located beneath Death Mountain, but to the west of it, much further north than in Ocarina of Time. Interesting, huh?

Look at OoT's Map. Cut off the Lost Woods and much of Zora Domain. Where Hyrule castle used to be is now overgrown and refered to as the Lost Woods(a name passed down that people forgot refered to a place outside of Hyrule that has been lost). Put Hyrule Castle in the middle of Hyrule Field and southern Hyrule Field is now swampland directly below the castle. East Hyrule field at the edge of where OoT's Lost Woods used to be accessible is now where the Eatern Palace resides. A Sanctuary and Graveyard mark where Kakariko Village once stood (until it was destroyed). There, you now have the world of aLttP.

[King Aquamentus]

Look at OoT's Map. Cut off the Lost Woods and much of Zora Domain. Where Hyrule castle used to be is now overgrown and refered to as the Lost Woods(a name passed down that people forgot refered to a place outside of Hyrule that has been lost). Put Hyrule Castle in the middle of Hyrule Field and southern Hyrule Field is now swampland directly below the castle. East Hyrule field at the edge of where OoT's Lost Woods used to be accessible is now where the Eatern Palace resides. A Sanctuary and Graveyard mark where Kakariko Village once stood (until it was destroyed). There, you now have the world of aLttP.

^
This covers a lot, though the resemblance between the two overworlds cannot be dismissed. Also, I'm fairly certain that the river leading to Zora's Domain is in Alttp. It might even actually be called Zora's Domain in some translations.