The Legend Only Grows

It's finally here after years of waiting, and...it is on the Wii? That is right, the once scheduled Gamecube game is now the star of the Wii's launch lineup with the Gamecube version coming in the near future. Twilight Princess is the latest installment of one of the most highly revered series of The Legend Of Zelda. Link returns to the land of Hyrule in this adventure, only for his world to be turned upside down as he is pulled into the twilight realm. Upon his return, the world is shrouded in the Twilight, and only our Hero Link can save the land of Hyrule. Although the basic mechanics are tried and true to previous installments, a new controller, and an emphasis on mounts changes it up this time around.

Gameplay 5/5: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (LoZ: TP) is, in a single word, breathtaking. Thrown into a new, vast, and beautiful environment with trusty Link, you will roam free to explore the lands, battle enemies, solve puzzles, discover treasures, slay bosses, and save Hyrule.

Now you are thinking, "Wait...I've done that before," and to some extent you have, but now you are in control with the innovative Wiimote and nunchuck attachment in hand. I will break each section in bold above down to explain how they function, feel, and control.

Explore the Lands- LoZ has always had young Link roaming vast lands, and this installment is no different. You will traverse many different and beautiful environments along the way to your ultimate goal, but this time around, you have a number of options. Along with your trusty horse Epona, you will be able (and even forced) to turn into a blue-eyed wolf accompanied by a new friend named Midna on your back. Midna will give you suggestions, allow you to jump long distances, and later on, warp you to previous areas.

Aside from the telportal powers of Midna, they all control virtually the same for basic exploring. Use the nunchuck thumbstick to move, and "A" to dash, kick, or roll. Obviously only certain mounts/forms can get in certain areas. While human Link can use doors and ladders, wolf Link can jump great distances with Midna, and Epona can hop fences.

Another aspect you will find when exploring is a large amount of ponds/lakes. These can be fished out using a simple control scheme. Simple drop in your line with "B" and wait for the bobber to face vertical, then make small tugs on the wiimote to keep your bait moving and attract fish. Once they are on the line, pull up until the fish is yours.

Battle Enemies- This is where Zelda gets turned inside out and then over again. Be prepared to try something new or do not even bother with this game. The basic battle scheme is controlled with a lock-on "Z" button on the Nunchuck, and swings with the Wiimote. A standard swing will swipe your sword. A swing while moving forward will make a stabbing motion, after locking on with "Z", the "A" button will do a jumping attack, and there are six additional secret techniques still to learn.

Sound confusing? It can be for the first few minutes, but sooner than you would think, it becomes second nature. You will find yourself able to maneuver more attacks than you would if you only had the buttons to actuate them. Both Human, and Wolf link have these same basic controls, except that the wolf is limited to lunge or bite.

Along with sword swings and wolf bites, there are assorted different ranged weapons. Just hold "B" (trigger on the Wiimote) and pull back your weapon. Let go and of it goes to wherever you pointed on the screen.

As many others, I was afraid my wrist would start hurting after hours of swinging at baddies, but it was to no avail, as that part of my arm is painless (shoulders hurt from Wii Sports though). It felt natural, and rarely read my motions incorrectly. After being skeptical, I have come to really enjoy how the Wiimote plays into this game.

Puzzles- As expected in any LoZ game, there will be plenty of puzzles to solve. Maybe my intelligence has grown since my previous LoZ plays, but these ones seem much simpler. A few have taken a while, but for the most part they will either be obvious or Midna will give you a helpful hint. This is not necessarily a bad thing though. You will be frustrated much less often, and while the puzzles will challenge your intellect, they won't hurt your brain. Simple observations, or a bit of back tracking are usually all you need.

Discover Treasure- Throughout the span of Ordon to Hyrule, there will be hundreds of hidden treasure chest for you to find. Many contain rupees, but a select few contain the coveted heart pieces. Five of these and you will get another heart added to your life. If you find a treasure chest in a dungeon, it may contain a compass. This compass will tell you where all of te treasure chest are waiting to be opened.

Slay Bosses- The Bosses in LoZ: TP are as epic as ever, and just as fun. Figure out there weakness and exploit it. Most bosses have two different forms, so be ready to change up your strategy.

Save Hyrule- Kill the baddies and save the Light entities. Restore Hyrule from its darkness, and bring it back into the light.

All aspects of gameplay flow smoothly and are extremely fun to play. Whether your trying to figure out a puzzle, fighting baddies or looking for that big bad boss' weak point, you will always be satisfied. It goes without saying that LoZ: TP's gameplay warrants a 5/5.

Graphics 5/5: Read carefully! This game does not look amazing. This game does not have next generation graphics. So why the 5/5? The answer is simple, for a system comparable to the power of a Gamecube, this game looks great. At first, the new art style threw me off with its mix between anime and realism, but when you really look at it, it works. Things are darker, grittier, and more adult. *On that note, this is the first LoZ to ever be given a Teen rating.* Enemies look imaginative, and even a bit gruesome. Link returns majestically in green in his new stylized form. Everything fits the gameplay, story, and theme, and works seamlessly together. Nothing will blow your mind, but with the power available, this is amazing. You can't possible compare Wii's graphics to the X-box 360, as they are apples and oranges, and even Nintendo admits the Wii isn't next gen, but only "new-gen." "New-gen is plenty for me as this game looks great, and the graphical capabilities of the Wii seem to fade as you play and realize the quality of the title. Compared to next-gen, LoZ would get a 2/5, but if looked at unto itself, as it should be, this section warrants a 5/5.

Sound 4/5: The only real fault of LoZ: TP is the sound. Of course you will hear the classic songs in there, and it is still an amazing feeling to here the doo-do-do-doo after opening a treasure chest, and the other classic melody after solving a puzzle, but everything else just does not match up. Where is the orchestral score? Why am I roaming beautiful gigantic lands to virtually nothing?

Another issue I have is that they seemed way to gung-ho about this speaker in the controller. Way too many noises are mapped to it. There are two problems with this. 1. The quality of the Wiimote speaker is not nearly as good as your tv, and if you are running through surround sound, it makes it feel even more inferior. 2. A little know thing called Simulated Sickness (Ask Dr. Gamer OXM Dec 2006) which can cause dizziness and motion sickness "that stems from a disconnect between what your eyes see and your inner-ear-balance system is telling your brain." When something occurs in front of you, yet you hear it below you, it has a greater chance to cause such sickness. I have only experienced this once during my time playing, and it was during a nearly four hour long session, so don't worry too much, but if you are prone to dizziness in games I may suggest avoiding it.

Finally, amongst the controversy I take a stand in saying why no voice acting? "But LoZ has never had voice acting!" So, neither did final fantasy for the first 6 installments, and now it is praised as having the greatest cut-scenes in all of gaming. In this day and age of consoles it is simply lazy to leave out voice overs. This section only gets a 4/5 for the nostalgia the classic tunes bring, and the attempts to bring in a new sound format via the wiimote (this part is nice when you swing your sword, and hear it in what would be your sword).

Replay Value 5/5: Replay value? How about play value? This game packs in forty plus hours with many stating seventy. Side quests abound and an epic story line make one play through of LoZ: TP as long as two or three plays through a standard adventure. This alone warrants it a 5/5, but throw in all the hidden treasures and heart to collect and it is even better. Who has not played LoZ: OoT more than at least once? This will be no different. This is an amazing game that will keep you occupied for weeks upon weeks.

Overall 5/5: Aside from the issues in sound, this game screams perfection. One could easily say it is the best in the series, but I will leave that up to you. If you have a Wii, or are going to get one, make sure you also have a copy of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Easily the best launch title of all three systems, and probably the best single player experience out on any of the consoles as well. Take the sound in stride and bask in the glory that is LoZ: TP.

Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Action/Adventure
ESRB: Teen