As far as video game franchises go, few, if any, are able to compare to the Legend of Zelda series. From its inception on the NES, The Legend of Zelda has taken players into a world of unparalleled fantasy and adventure; Twilight Princess aims to continue that trend. As most people undoubtedly know, Twilight Princess was originally developed to be a GameCube title scheduled for release last fall. As you probably also already know, this did not happen as Nintendo decided to delay it a year and turn it into a launch title for their new console, the Wii. This upset some gamers (c’mon, who doesn’t hate delays?), but to others, the delay gave hope that perhaps this adventure would become more of a revolution for the series and not simply another evolution.
Since the game was originally developed for the GameCube, and then given less than a year to adapt it for the Wii (while also maintaining a version to be released on the Gamecube), nothing outside of the controls was changed. That means that the GameCube and Wii versions look identical besides the 16×9 widescreen support the Wii gets. This is admittedly slightly disappointing; having a brand new piece of hardware with visuals that do nothing to take advantage of it. That said, the real question is “does this detract from the game?” NO! Yes, it has for the most part last-gen graphics, but they are still stunning. Link, the dungeons, the NPC’s, the field, the buildings, the whole world of Hyrule look so incredible that it is hard to believe you are not really there. And just to kick that immersion level up a notch, you have the Wii’s motion controls.
The Nintendo Wii was designed with two things in mind, immersion and truly bringing gaming to the masses. The later part of that cannot be examined yet as the console has only been out for a month. Immersion, on the other hand, can be examined the first time you play a game. Twilight Princess, while not originally designed around the Wii, is a shining example of this immersion and an excellent way to transition from the old way to the new and improved way to play video games (Sorry Microsoft and Sony). Maybe this was Nintendo’s master plan to show how Wii can make games better; or simply they know Zelda would sell a lot of consoles. Regardless of the reasoning, it was a smart move. The simple gestures that translate into Link’s on-screen action feel very natural and very quickly, one begins to wonder if you could ever go back to the old way of playing. With each new weapon or attack gained, the improved way of playing is further reinforced by making actions that were once chores as simple as pointing and clicking (literally).
If there was ever one area in which The Legend of Zelda has ever tripped up, it has to be in its story telling. Often times, you went from dungeon to dungeon searching for items to save Zelda, collect the Triforce and thwart Gannon with little-to-no reason why. This is no longer the case as Twilight Princess has such a compelling and dark storyline that you will find yourself sacrificing work and family to see what will unfold next. From the absolute start of the game the user is given much more insight into our hero Link and the world he comes from. To keep instep with all the other games in the series thus far, there is no voice acting and Link is ever silent; all story elements and dialog is conveyed through the use of text. This, for some, could take away from the immersion, but to others, it will take them that much closer like reading a great book.
In the end, this is the single greatest launch title ever as well as one the finest games ever made. From start to finish, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is a piece of art in the truest sense. The only thing keeping this game from being perfect are the GameCube graphics which do not even take away from the actual game. If you have a Wii, go get this game. If you don’t have a Wii, get one, then get this game.
Overall Score: 98%
