31| The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Released: November 19th, 2006

Definitive Version: Wii U; Also on: Wii, GC

The Legend of Zelda series is one of the most respected in all of gaming. It is franchise that has set the standard of the action-adventure genre time and time again. The original NES game practically gave birth to exploration based game design. A Link to the Past refined the formula into tried and true 2D gameplay. Ocarina of Time brought the series into the 3D space and fixed many issues with 3D gaming as a whole. While Skyward Sword nailed motion control combat. Over the years the series has declined a bit in popularity. The series has put focus on the handheld space which is generally smaller than the console market. On top of that the last major console entry in the series, Skyward Sword, was released after its console lifespan had all but run out.

Looking at things through retrospect it is a bit odd, as just a few years before Skyward Sword the franchise was at peak popularity. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was the best selling Zelda game of all-time. Reaching almost 9 million copies sold the game was a mega hit title that complemented its mega hit console. While it was very well received by critics, like all Zelda games it was either loved or hated by its fans. Over the years the game has gotten a warmer reception from the fanbase. It was also recently released on Nintendo's Wii U with high acclaim.

So what exactly does the best selling Zelda title ever play like? Truth be told, it is very much like most other 3D Zeldas. The game revolves around exploring the general area as the player completes various tasks until they come across a dungeon. The dungeon is filled with various baddies and complex puzzles for the player to complete. The objective while in the dungeon is to unlock various rooms until one comes across the large key. Once obtained the player then goes into the final room to fight the boss of the dungeon. This process rinses and repeats until the final battle of the game.

This may sound very repetitive and while it is true that the game is very formulaic, it is so well done that most don't mind it. There is also the fact that the game does mixes things up a bit. In between dungeons the main character can turn into a wolf and enter the "twilight realm" to explore various clues and where to go next. While in the twilight realm creatures called shadow beasts appear to which the protagonist has to defeat them with their companion. It's pretty interesting as combat as a wolf is obviously going to be different than combat with a sword and shield.

The game also features and overworld which is pretty significant in size compared to previous Zelda titles. There are a lot of places to explore and treasures and secrets to find. One can spend hours on horseback looking through every nook and cranny in the game's map in order to collect all of the hearts and goodies. It may pale in comparison to something like Xenoblade, but the title still manages to scratch that exploration itch.

What's very significant about the title is the controls. Well at least on the Wii and Wii U. While the Gamecube version has traditional gamepad controls, the Wii and Wii U versions have added gyro functionality. This results in aiming being far more accurate, and it is particularly useful when shooting arrows or operating the clawshot. One temple in particular is greatly improved due to the gyro function as it focuses so heavily on using the clawshot . That said the Wii version also uses motion controls. This is mostly limited to swinging the sword. Unfortunately one can tell that the controls were changed at the last minute, as it doesn't matter what direction one swings the Wii remote as it will register any type of swing as a press of the action button. In short, instead of pressing "A" to perform the common combo you just swing the remote around instead. It seems cool at first but becomes very old quickly. As a result the Wii U version is the definitive version of the game as it has best of both worlds.

Story wise the game seems to shake things up, at least initially. It revolves around a dark and evil force taking over the city of Hyrule and it is up to a young hero named Link to save the day. What becomes immediately apparent is that the evil force isn't Ganon and his henchmen, but rather a creature named Zant and his shadow beasts. This is a very welcomed change from the typical Zelda lore. While on his journey Link comes across a peculiar being who calls herself Midna. I'm not sure exactly what she is suppose to be, but her character is designed very well and she is incredibly likable. She helps Link travel into the twilight realm and even aids him during combat. In my opinion, she is one of the best characters Nintendo has ever created. She is far superior to having a ball of light with wings as a companion. I know I usually avoid spoilers, so if you have not played the game yet avoid the rest of this paragraph. A big disappointment with the game is that it turns out that Zant is nothing but a pawn of Ganon who is the real big bad boss at the end. So instead of taking chances Nintendo once again uses Ganon as the final boss. Personally I find this incredibly disappointing. Nintendo already went through all of the hard work in making a new bad guy for the series, why chicken out in the last minute?

Speaking of disappointments, the game isn't without its faults. For starters the game is very linear. In fact, it is the most linear Zelda game there is. Unlike pretty much every other Zelda game, dungeons have to be completed in a set order. On top of that, one can't help but feel that Nintendo played it a little too safe with this game. Gameplay wise, it is essentially a more linear Ocarina of Time.  Yes Majora's Mask and Wind Waker received some backlash for being too different, but at least Nintendo was willing to experiment with the formula. There is also the introduction part of the game, which is bar far and wide the longest in any game in the series. I can't find the image online, but someone made a comprehensive list of the average playtime it takes before the first dungeon is encountered in each Zelda game, and Twilight Princess takes the longest by far. To be fair, Twilight Princess is also the longest Zelda game so one could say it is warranted. Though to also be fair, Skyward Sword is just a hair shorter and doesn't have as an extensive tutorial chapter. There is also the matter of the game's difficulty, or more so lack there of. The game is far too easy to the point where it is almost impossible to die in many stages. Most of the deaths are due to falling off a ledge too often or something similar.

Saying all of that, Twilight Princess does excel in many key areas. For starters, the game has the best dungeons in the series bar none. At least when it comes to the 3D titles. The dungeons are vast with intimidating enemies and complex puzzles. Each dungeon is very unique as it is designed ground up for whatever specific item it carries. Nintendo really out did themselves. There is also the fact that the game had fantastic bosses. It easily had the best bosses in the series when the game was initially released, however it has since been surpassed by Skyward Sword.

When it comes to presentation Twilight Princess hits a lot of the right notes. The art style of the game is great as it is filled with beautiful fall colors and a lot of strategic bloom effects. The music may be midi, but it is well done with a lot of catchy tunes. The title also lacks voice acting, but personally I see this as a plus as it adds a lot of character to the game. There are also a lot of cutscenes for a Zelda title with many of them being very well done.

Love it or hate it, Twilight Princess is one of the most well recognized Zelda entries. It is the best selling game in the entire series and has garnered a huge following since its release. The game certainly isn't perfect and has many faults. That all said, it is still a highly enjoyable title and personally my favorite Zelda adventure.