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The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)
Developer: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Action Adventure
Release Date: November 19, 2006 (US)
Release Date: December 8, 2006 (UK)
Release Date: November 19, 2006 (US)
T for Teen: Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence
PEGI: 12+
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The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)
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Developer: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Action Adventure
Release Date: November 19, 2006 (US)
Release Date: December 8, 2006 (UK)
Release Date: November 19, 2006 (US)
T for Teen: Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence
PEGI: 12+
Game Overview | Review | Articles | Screenshots | Videos | Cheats | Walkthrough

Reviews

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

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There are many memorable characters in the game, but easily the best of these is the spooky little imp-like individual, Midna. Her story is a mystery initially, but she proves to be an invaluable helper and hint-giver throughout the game, making for a new dynamic over and beyond the previous games in the series. There are a lot of series' staples found in Twilight Princess as well as some great new additions. Fans of the series will feel right at home with the combat system (Z-targeting is an absolute must) and the traditional mythology of dungeon crawling, money and item gathering, and item usage. It wouldn't be a true Zelda game without some of the classic themed dungeons, so all those players out there who got stuck in Ocarina's notorious Water Temple should start quaking in their boots!

The item and inventory system is well-executed, as is the in-game map system. Up to four items can be selected and mapped to the Wii Remote's B-button and D-pad at any one time, while the up direction on the D-pad is reserved for communication with Midna only. Link starts out with very little in terms of items and weapons, but it won't be long before sword and shield are at your command, along with some decent stop-gap secondary weapons like the slingshot, Gale Boomerang and the Hero's Bow. The game eases you into combat slowly, and makes sure you have a firm grasp of the Z-targeting system along with dodging, back-flipping and rolling around. Later in the game, you'll be facing off against some pretty hardcore mid-bosses and big bosses, but you'll never be put in the position of not being able to beat them -- it just might take a little time to figure out the best course of attack.

Horse riding plays a greater role in Twilight Princess than previous games, and Epona's representation is handled well. The controls are decent and fighting and maneuvering are well-implemented. There's never a shortage of areas to explore, and questing to find every single collectable item or power-up is a huge undertaking. You'll be able to collect fragmented heart containers (you'll need five pieces to form one full heart container this time) along with special hidden glowing bugs, fish and all manner of other stuff, too. The scope is truly magnificent. Speaking of fish, there's essentially an entire full-length game dedicated to catching crazy numbers of different and unique fish. This sometimes comes across as more of a Remote-enabling gimmick than anything else, but completists will love taking some time out for a spot of virtual haddock-reeling. You might even get a surprise reward or two for your piscine-based tomfoolery.

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Twilight Princess is a great-looking game. On one hand, it has its graphical problems stemming from the GameCube development cycle (blurry textures, comparatively low-res characters, etc.), but the artistic direction more than makes up for these issues. I ended up playing through about 75 percent of the game using the standard composite cables that ship with the Wii, until I managed to snag some component cables towards the end. The difference in quality, clarity and imagery between the quite frankly subpar composite signal and the sexy 480p component signal was night and day. A sharper, more vibrant image enhanced the game experience significantly, so if you have the means, I highly recommend using component input.

I was delighted to hear that the musical score and sound effects were of the same high standard as Wind Waker, with new implementations on classic Zelda themes adding greatly to the nostalgia factor. The sound is pumped out in sweet Pro Logic II via the stereo cables and again, if you've got the means, it'll sound much better than just regular stereo.

In the end, there's no way that The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess disappoints. It's an excellent addition (and homage to Ocarina) to the franchise, and you'll have an enormous amount of fun playing it from start to finish. Get over the fact that the Wii's hardware is simply not as powerful as the other next-gen machines and get into the fact that Twilight Princess is one of the best games you'll play this year. If you've been on the fence in any capacity, then please rest assured that you'll not be disappointed. I'm looking forward to checking out the GameCube version later next month, but I'm having a hard time imagining it being any better than the Wii interpretation. Nintendo's flagship game has finally arrived and you better damned well appreciate it. It's ultimately fantastic.

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Essential Links

Screenshots: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Sep 14, 2006)
Videos: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Movies (Sep 18, 2006)
Article: Link on Tour (Oct 26, 2006)
Videos: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Videos (Nov 02, 2006)

Game Information

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)

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