A Zelda idea: How about an older/middle aged link?

[IsawYoshi]

Soundwave said:

Ryudo said:
If you want a mature Zelda play Darksiders.

If you just want a Zelda with a middle aged link. Why? How would it add to the story? Would this affect mechanics.?
Just slapping a bear on him is dumb unless you have both story and mechanic reason.

Perhaps the game starts in the future of Hyrule and the world has been decimated by some horrible calamity. You begin playing as some old mage/wizard, but as the first part of the game goes along you realize he's actually Link (!).

Zelda is dead in this time line or something. 

This Old Link travels back in time to set things right perhaps. If everything goes according to plan, this future time line ceases to exist. 

Shrugs. To me it seems like it could fit well within Zelda which seems to be all about time travel/alternate time lines/realities. And it would be an interesting way to shake up the "wake up teenager Link! Need to go talk to Old Man Whathisface" beginning that's getting pretty stale. 

The game could still have younger Link in it later on (as you travel back in time). 

Bolded: This is the way to do it. Making you play some old man, and then gradually build him up before revealing who he is. Zelda could be dead at the moment, and your mission is to go back in time to save her (before she dies). The problem would be hiding the secret. First of all, they can't reveal it, and secondly it might end up really easy to understand. But who knows, they might be able to pull it of.