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The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
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System:
Gamecube
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Genre:
Action Adventure
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Publisher:
Nintendo
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Developer:
Nintendo
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Release:
Q4 2006
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Online:
No
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ESRB:
Rating Pending (RP)
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One of the more popular – if not the most popular – lineages that Nintendo has under its belt has got to be Zelda. A new Zelda game always has fans swooning and clamoring for details about the game. Unfortunately, since the release of Wind Waker there have been no new Zelda games launched for the GameCube. Even worse is the fact that a new Zelda game has been in production for years, only to be plagued by delays which rival Halo 2's. These delays have been so time-consuming that the latest Zelda title, Twilight Princess, is now being simultaneously released for both the GameCube and the Nintendo Wii. Everyone is thankful there is finally some light at the end of the long development tunnel, but with the lack of Zelda titles, Twilight Princess is finding itself having to fill some very big shoes. We all know, though, if there is any franchise out there which can completely blow the socks off expectations of fans (no matter how big) it is the Zelda franchise. Even better is the addition of the Wii remote for the Wii version of Twilight Princess, which promises new and exciting ways to experience a Zelda game.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, like all games coming from Nintendo's camp, is going to take full advantage of the Wii remote functionality. Even though Twilight Princess is also being released for the GameCube as well, Nintendo saw fit to redo the entire control scheme for Twilight Princess for the Wii. So far the results look promising. Many of the old gameplay mechanics are still found in Twilight Princess but some of them have been redone with a twist. One example of an old mechanic is that movement is still handled by the thumbstick, though found on the Nunchaku for the Wii. It is Twilight Princess's new controls where a lot of the magic of the new Zelda game is revealed.
At all times on the screen is the little fairy that has become the standard for a 3D Zelda game. This time, however, instead of just purely being a guide that points out important areas or locks onto enemies, the fairy now represents where the Wii remote is being pointed on the screen. At first it’s distracting but quickly becomes accepted as the gameplay begins to heat up. The fairy will also change appearance when a certain menu is selected or a specific item is used. For instance, the pointer can be used to select certain items on the D-Pad, which is where Link now stores all his equipment. Up to four items can be mapped to the D-Pad and can be selected by either hitting that appropriate direction on the pad or pointing to the item with the Wii remote. When the pointer falls onto the item selection menu, the pointer changes from a fairy to a blue target, making it easier to see which item is being selected. This isn't the only place, though, that the target makes an appearance. It is also found when handling Link's bow.
Much like Metroid Corruption, firing the bow is all under the control of the Wii remote. However, unlike Metroid Corruption, Twilight Princess gives gamers a very easy-to-understand visual representation of how the Wii pointer will affect screen movement based on where the pointer is, well…pointed. When Link pulls out the bow, a light, medium-sized circle appears on the screen. Movement of the Wii remote within this circle does not affect the screen movement and thus allows for more precise aiming. Point the Wii remote outside the light circle and the camera will move. The Boomerang also seems to function in a similar manner, except that, with the Boomerang, by pressing the B button when looking at a certain objects allows Link to "lock on" and thus solve some difficult puzzles. At first it looks to take some getting used to, but so far it seems more thought out than the Metroid Corruption use of the Wii remote. And of course there is the new sound feature thanks to the bow. When firing the bow the sound of the arrow being set and released will all originate from the speaker in the Wii remote and then travel to the TV. The idea is to give the feeling of the arrow actually shooting across the room. One wonders if this will sound even better with a surround sound system, and if such has been taken into account when they added the speaker to the Wii remote.
But what would a Zelda game be if Link wasn't using his trusty Master Sword? Twilight Princess is no different and, just like expected, some of the sword attacks depend on the Wii remote. The basic attack is still the same in that it is executed by pressing a button; the B button to be exact. However, it is Link's more specific moves which require the use of the Wii remote. Want to shove Link's shield into the belly of the lizard enemy to knock them off balance? Shove the Wii remote forward. Want to pull off Link's trademark spin attack and wipe the floor with multiple enemies at once? Twirl the Nunchaku. Want to spear the enemy after they have fallen on their back? Jab the Nunckau downward. The result is a much more energy driven battle on the player's end. No more random button mashing. Now there finally is some physical "umph" behind Link's more deadly and impressive attacks. The end result is just damn impressive.
The level shown at E3 consisted of a rocky mountain desert terrain fortress. Link mostly found himself outside as he solved simple puzzles amidst a punch of wooden walkways and rocky cliffs. The level took full advantage of showing off the puzzles Twilight Princess will integrate. At one point Link had to activate a magnet and then quickly don his metal boots and jump off a cliff, just to be "picked up" by the magnet and dropped off at another platform. The process was fairly involved and one has to wonder just how deep the puzzles will go in the full game.
There was a small lava portion to the level which ultimately lead up to the finale of the demo; the boss battle. The boss Link encountered at the end of the demo can best be described as a towering black demon with large chains around his wrists and legs. Fire was the element that this demon possessed as he is glowing red with heat and attacked with scolding hot chains from around his wrists. I don’t want to spoil the secret on how to beat the boss since that would rob everyone of some truly entertaining game time with this unique boss. Needless to say, one has to use their head. Like the puzzles in the demo, one has to wonder just what Nintendo has in store if the boss battle was this impressive.
The only other aspect of Twilight Princess worth mentioning is the entertaining mini-game of fishing. This is a no-brainer on Nintendo's part since previous installments of the Zelda franchise have had fishing, and with Wii remote it almost comes off as a match made in heaven. Casting is done by simply using the casting motion with the Wii remote. Depending on how hard the cast is, the bobber or lure can be sent out pretty far. There were two modes of fishing to choose from, Lure Fishing or Bobbing. Lure Fishing took place out on a boat while Bobbing was constricted to merely the shores. To reel back in after casting, players would have to press the A button while spinning the Nunchaku in a "reeling" motion. One gameplay aspect unique to the Lure Fishing was the ability to pull back on the rod as well as grab fish once they got close enough to the boat by pressing B.
Overall, Twilight Princess looks impressive. There is a bit of “wondering” to do, but that’s part of the fun. Twilight Princess is without a doubt one of the prettiest Gamecube/Wii games out there, and sounds great too. With the inclusion of the Wii remote and all the gameplay variations it is bringing to the table, Twilight Princess could turn out to be a smash hit. Oh and one more thing, it's a launch title. Yeah, the Fall season can't come soon enough.
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