The Zelda series has been one of the cornerstones of Nintendo. Each game has been highly anticipated. Not everybody has been completely satisfied with the final product, but gamers generally agree that if it's a Zelda game, it's guaranteed to be good. Such is the case with the latest entry, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
Zelda fans rejoiced when Nintendo revealed footage of a new Zelda game in 2004. Much to their dismay, the game was delayed several times. At last, Nintendo announced that not only would the game be released for the Nintendo GameCube, but it would also be a launch title for Nintendo's newest system, the Wii.
Once again, the main character is Link, sent on a journey to Hyrule Castle. He is ambushed and finds himself imprisoned as a wolf. He meets Midna, a playful yet suspicious imp who helps him escape for her own reasons. Link finds out that twilight has settled upon the lands of Hyrule, but he is destined to save the world. As the storyline progresses, he learns more about Midna as well as Hyrule's dark history. The storyline is nothing special, but Midna is arguably the most complex character in a Zelda game.
The graphics in Twilight Princess might not match up with the prettier games on the PlayStation 3 or X-Box 360, but it is nevertheless a beautiful game, with impressive landscapes and expressive characters. Midna is the only character that "talks," but the game is still without coherent voice acting. The music is still in the MIDI format, which might annoy some people because of the lower sound quality, but it still has good tunes that hearken back to former Zelda games.
Yet Zelda games have never been known for their storylines or technical aspects. It is the gameplay that makes Zelda games great. On the Wii, most of the controls, such as running, are still performed with the control stick or buttons found on the "Wiimote" and the nunchuck attachment. Motion detection, one of the highlights of the Wii, is important for combat. Shaking the Wiimote allows Link to swing his sword. A cursor appears when using the bow that allows you to aim with the Wiimote. These controls are easy to learn and work well. The only problem is both the spin and shield attacks require motion with the nunchuck -- you might end up doing a spin attack instead of a shield attack.
As the Wii is hard to find, the game is also available for the GameCube. The game is the same, but combat may not have the novelty of the Wii version. The controls are just simple combinations of button presses, making them easy to perform. It is difficult to say which version is better, but both versions are quality titles that are worth a purchase.
Yet one of the biggest problems with the game is that it may be one of the easier Zelda games. The dungeons are long, but many of the puzzles are mostly self-explanatory. The bosses are puzzles themselves. As a result, the boss fights are extremely fun, yet ultimately very easy. Some may bemoan the game's lack of difficulty, but for others it may be a reason to play through the game multiple times.
How Twilight Princess ranks among the other Zelda games is a potential subject for debate. It goes without saying, however, that Twilight Princess is a fine game that does not disgrace the Zelda name. There is no better game that serves to bid farewell to the GameCube and to introduce the Wii.
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