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The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
I already typed this review and it took me an hour and 45 minutes. Then, all of a sudden, the internet kicked me off and now I have to start over.
Grrr...
Okay, this is a good game. Thats all there is to it. New items, better graphics, and a good story make it the best Zelda game ever. But, you already know that if you read any of the 10,000 reviews. What makes my review so different? I'll tell you: absolutly nothing. This is just more reading material for those people who bought the game and want to learn everything about it while they wait for it to come in the mail. But, if your like me, you'll skip this review because it is to long. So why am I writing a long review if I hate it so much? Because I can. Hypocritical? Mabe. Waste of time? Definatly. But if just one person finds this review helpful, then it will all be worth it. *tear* Well, lets get started!
Here is what I will cover:
PART I: Graphics
PART II: Gameplay
PART III: Items
PART IV: Mini-games
PART V: What I miss from old games
PART VI: Odds and ends
I: GRAPHICS
Amazing. Thank God they went back to old school realistic rather then the crappy, cel-shaded nightmare that was the wind waker. The dungons and enemys look great. Clothes and hair look wet when you come out of water. Sheletons are covered in dirt. Gorons have tiny cracks (hehehe!) in their backs. Way cool. Lots of enemys get redone too. Stalchildren and Re-deads are actual human skelitons. However, not all changes are good. Octorocks are scary fish-frog like things. Still, everything looks better than it did in Wind Waker.
II: GAMEPLAY
Fun. This game has great controls. Swing the wii-mote to swing your sword. Point-and-click to shoot arrows. Vetren zelda players might get confused in the beggining, since now the former 'sword button' is the action button. In my first couple battles, I fount myself rolling around because I forgot that Im supposed to swing the wii-mote.still, once you get used to it, its a blast.
III: ITEMS
Items have always been a major staple in the Zelda series. I cant say much without giving it away, but there is a lot of cool new toys for Link to play with.
IV: MINIGAMES
Theres a LOT of mini-games here. Heres a small list with a couple:
- Goat herding (seriously)
- Fishing
- Snowboarding
- RollGoal
- Sumo Wrestling
- Hide-and-seek (you play with cats)
This isnt all of them. They're lots of them hidden throughout the game.
V: WHAT I MISS FROM OLD GAMES
1. Picking up a dead enemys weapon. God, that was satisfying.
2. Fire and Ice arrows.
3. The Magic meter. This means no spin attack, no fire and ice, no lens of truth, nothing. (However, the screenshot above where link fights a knight, he has a magic meter. Mabe you can get one with a cheat code.)
4. Musical items. No songs to learn. D,:
VI: ODDS AND ENDS
-In this game, you dont get a fairy for a companion, but an imp named minda.
-You can transform into a wolf and Howl, kill enemys, see ghosts, dig, and talk to animals. Also runs faster than link, but not as fast as Epona
-You can use a Zora tunic to basicly turn into a Zora. You can breath underwater and swim faster.
-In this game, you need FIVE pieces of heart instead of four. But, they are easier to find.
BOTTOM LINE:
Best Zelda Ever!
Music: 9/10--Old songs get new tune
Gameplay: 10/10--Tons of fun
Replay Value: 10/10--More Minigames and side quests than ever
Value: 7/10--If your patient, you can wait till this is re- released as a 'greatest hit' for $20
Overall: 9.7/10-BUY IT!
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The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
I never thought I'd ever say this but I've found a game that is even better than my favorite game of all time which was ... The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64. Ocarina held the number one position on my list since it was released some 8 years and 2 months ago. Sure there were challengers to the throne along the way ... Halo, God of War, and even the recent Gears of War. But nothing could make me change my mind; that is until I played TP. It does make me happy that the game that knocked Ocarina off the hill is none other a Zelda game.
What makes a game like this so good?
Its sheer size wins points; but I'd never say a game was the best based on how expansive the world it was set in was. Besides what good is anything in a game if the core game play isn't spot on perfect. That's what Twilight Princess is ... Spot on perfect. How do I know it is a great game? Well a few times while playing it I said You know what would make this even better? I won't tell you what I wished for because it would spoil the game. But every time I found myself saying those words; the next thing you know, it would happen. So many developers get caught up in themselves that they forget their creations will be played by someone other than their staff. Nintendo may be accused of going to the sequel well too often but with their Franchise players like Link they always seem to look at development like they were the average gamer. Then they add functionality and features based on what they'd like to see if they had just bought the game and were sitting in front of their TV.
The length of the game
There seems to be 2 opinions about games and their length today. You've got one group that believes you should make a game that lasts less than 15 hours and the other group believes games should be an epic journey. I think this speaks volumes about what developers THINK their consumers want. In my opinion, I just don't believe a game can be epic in less than 15 hours. To draw a comparison ... Most of today's games would be the equivalent of a 30 minute sitcom or 1 hour drama. Twilight Princess on the other hand would be a 10 part miniseries. The length of a game wouldn't matter a whole lot if you didn't feel like it took you on a journey; and that is exactly why this game has unseated Ocarina. This is why I loved Ocarina so much. Because even though it was just a game; I started investing my feelings in the characters; and like real life relationships, you need time for true respect to develop and evolve.
Parting is such sweet sorrow
Finally ... What is an indicator of a game's greatness? If you are plowing ahead and can only think of completing the game then ... Can that game really be the best of all time? I say NO it can't. A great game is one that you savor. A great game is one where you beat a Boss and say to yourself I'm getting closer to the end of it and this thought saddens you because you don't want it to end. A great game is one that stays on your mind long after you've completed it. In this time of online gaming (which I love) a great game is one that entertains you and keeps your attention even though it's only a single player experience.
Twilight Princess is utterly amazing and as I said earlier ... IT IS EPIC. I'm sure you noticed that I didn't talk about any of its features, weapons, worlds, friends, or enemies. This review would have been 10 pages long if I talked about every amazing aspect of the game. That is why I chose to talk about the experience of playing this masterpiece instead of mentioning specific moments from the game. If you own a Wii and have still not purchased this game then please do yourself a favor ... Get it ASAP. It does not matter if you like this genre of game or not; Twilight Princess is an experience that should not be missed. Games like this just don't come along very often.
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The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Pros:
+ Perfect controls, very satisfying combat
+ Classic Zelda gameplay in full force - awesomely clever puzzles and dungeons
+ Boss fights are very cool and original
+ Beautiful graphics and art style
+ Nice sound effects and voices
Cons:
- Boss fights are WAY too easy
- The game doesn't seem to beat you up much at any point; again, too easy
- A disappointing lack of anything to do outside the main quest
- Lacks the magic that Ocarina of Time had... feels less epic
- Not much to come back to after beating the game
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The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
For some people, there hasn't been a proper Zelda title since Majora's Mask. While Wind Waker was indeed an incredibly solid title, a ridiculous amount of people wrote it off and probably never played it because of the graphical style. With people longing for a more Ocarina of Time-like feel have got their wish with Twilight Princess. Utilizing the Wii's remote-sensing technology, this is probably the most different Zelda you've played yet the most familiar. Time will tell whether this'll eclipse Ocarina but it's sure exceptional so far anyway.
Story: In probably the most melancholy and darkest entry so far, Link starts out as a citizen of Ordon Village who's tasked to deliver something to Hyrule Castle. However, he's attacked and children are kidnapped. Trying to save them, he gets thrown into an unusual world known as the Twilight world, with strange enemies and a foreboding atmosphere. Worse is that Link transforms into a wolf whenever he's there but at least he has help with Midna, a strange character who bosses him around. Putting Hyrule back to normal and beating those responsible is one of many things you'll have to look forward to.
Graphics: When I first played the game, it was in 480i and even then I thought the graphics looked great. But upgrading to 480p is a huge improvement as lighting is more fantastic and bright, water and streams are more lifelike and areas such as Zora's River and especially the Springs where spirits are found just look gorgeous. Sure it doesn't look as next-gen as others but you have to admit, these graphics are a pleasure to look at and I never get sick of em.
Sound/Music: Some sound effects actually come from the controller's speaker such as Midna laughs, sword sheathing or that familiar puzzle ringing when you solve something. The music is very good with plenty of beautiful themes and big epic splendors but while it would've been nice if it was orchestrated, this'll do. As usual with Zelda, there's no voice acting to speak of save for yells or character making groaning or happy noises.
Gameplay: The nunchuk controls Link, Z-button is for targeting, C is camera and if you swing the controller, Link does a spin move. As for the remote, the D-Pad acts as a item setter where you can assign an item to one of the directions (except Up, as that's your Midna guide) and it'll assign that item to B. Swinging the remote will make Link slash. Only problem with both is that doing the spin gets irritating since it might not happen when you need it to (a horse battle early on was frustrating as hell because of this). But I don't think I'd go back to manual aiming with an analog stick after the immensely accurate remote aiming. A target will appear on screen should you use, say a bow and arrow and I've found I was deadly accurate, picking off enemies that weren't even remotely near me.
As for the wolf part, it's actually not as cumbersome as I thought it would be. Basic controls are the same except A is for attacking. Instead of items, Link turns on a sense which can locate either ghosts, parasite bugs and others. Also in sense mode are dig spots where Link can dig up hearts, rupees or locate secret entrances. As for faults, aside from the aforementioned spin attack, the game is not really difficult but this is no cakewalk in the park either. If enemies don't give you pains, the dungeons and puzzles will which might range from frustrating to smack-in-the-head obvious.
Most of the Wii games I've noticed are either novelty games where it's just about using the controllers in weird ways such as Cooking Mama or just simply ports with Wii controls (which almost always seem awkward), games such as Twilight Princess are for hardcore gamers that want a long and involving quest to spend nights trying to master.
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The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is the next game in the popular Legend of Zelda series. It has the common go to temples and release the spirits type of plot, but adds its own twists and turns. Each of the temples has its own element and is fun play through and beat the boss at the end. It gives you a feeling of accomplishment when you get through a boss and beat a level of the game.
Twilight Princess features a bunch of new weapons that can help you solve puzzles. Sometimes there are puzzles you can't solve without a special item. These can be annoying if you try to do them before you have the item. These items include the Gale Boomerang, the Hero's Bow, the Clawshot(hookshot), and some more items. There are many side quests and extra items to get so that the replay value is very high.
The graphics are a little above the Gamecube's best in most places, but in a couple of spots they, although not realistic, are beautiful, full of color and light. There is a section of the game that has gray faded colors to add a dismal desperate look to the world. These places accomplish their purpose well, but aren't as fun to play through.
The Wii controls are a very small part of the game. Fishing is probably the time when you most use the Wii controls, but fishing is not a very big part of the game. During the battles you normally just shake the Wii remote a little to attack, but every once in a while it's fun to stand up and do large sword-like slashes with the Wii remote. Although it doesn't use the Wii remote very often it doesn't really need it to be fun.
Overall this is a must have game for all fans of the series or owners of a Wii or Gamecube.
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The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Ever since Ocarina of Time, I've been anticipating a cooler, more realistic Zelda (although Ocarina was just perfection embodied anyway). At last, at last - here is Twilight Princess. More realistic? Oh, yeah! Link has some butt-kicking sword moves and additional sword skills he can learn. Also, there are some very epic battles (Lord of the Rings-style). I am so happy that Link can use his sword while riding his horse now. Playing as a wolf is fun, too, even though toward the beginning I wasn't so into it.
Besides OoT and Twilight Princess, I've completed Link's Awakening, Majora's Mask, and Wind Waker. Compared to the other Zeldas, I would say that Twilight Princess is lacking music-wise. Often, the soundtrack fades out, leaving you to listen just to the rain falling (which is kinda nice) or the wind. Twilight Princess's soundtrack borrows heavily from older Zeldas and has many references to them, especially OoT. Unfortunately, not many of the songs are as catchy, although the one played in Malo Mart and Midna's Desperate Hour are really good in their own ways. I really wish the composer had used OoT's Gerudo Valley song, which was really exotic and fun.
A lot of older Zelda weapons show up - of course, there's the bow and arrows, the slingshot, a kind of boomerang... However, there's some new, weird weapons that I would never have expected to be in the game, or new uses of the weapons. To avoid giving away too much, I'll just explain the Gale Boomerang, which you get early on. Instead of just wacking things, the boomerang creates a whirlwind around them. It can retrieve things, clear away leaves, turn propellers... Also, it will go to targets in the order you targeted them with. Comes in handy even in the last part of the game. Plenty of other weapons are useful in a variety of different, creative ways.
Story-wise, Twilight Princess is not really about Link, in my opinion - although, of course, he's the main character. After the game was over, it seemed to me that the game was more about Midna, the little goblin-like girl who's with Link for a good deal of the game. She was one of my favorite characters since she had spunk and humor. Anyway, the story is much more complex than I would have expected since it deals with two worlds, the world of light and the world of shadows. Link seems to have closer relationships with other characters than he did in other games - but of course, he never actually SAYS anything. One of the things I would like to see in a Zelda game is more interactive character relationships (although that's rather RPG-ish, isn't it?).
What broke my heart, though, was that Link is no longer left-handed in this game (the creators realized people seemed to like having the Wii remote in their right hand while Link swings his sword with his right hand... the Gamecube version is the mirror of the Wii version, so Link is left-handed in that one). I sorta wish there had been a left-handed option so you could still play with Link left-handed. Ah, well. Also sad that the game is sort of scary/intense sometimes but there are NO wallmasters or booby-trapped chests, to my knowledge, and the ReDeads aren't as eerie as in OoT. I guess this means...I don't think any Zelda game will ever be exactly the way I want it, hehe.
Anyway, to summarize: Zelda is awesome. Zelda is always worth it. Twilight Princess is awesome. I beat it in around 50 hours including several side missions and mini-games and hours of pointless running around. The bad guys are tough; the last battle is relatively easy, although it's really, really long and epic (and awesome). The ending is satisfying, appropriate, and rather touching. As for the graphics, the Wii is clearly capable of more, but I heard that Twilight Princess doesn't look as great as it could because it was originally designed for the GameCube. In any case, with a game as fun as this, you should not be a stickler for the graphics. The game looks great regardless, and it's fun regardless.
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The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Once again, Nintendo is able to give a stellar addition to the popular Legend of Zelda series. Despite the fact that the games usually contain the same three core characters (Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf), the games continue to be original. More importantly, though, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is engaging, challenging, and fun.
A few centuries after the events of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the descendents of Link and Zelda, who themselves are also named Link and Zelda (the various games in the series take place across various time periods, with the main characters being represented by ancestors and descendents, all of whom strangely share the same names). Link is a farmer in a southern province of Hyrule while Zelda is, as always, the princess of Hyrule. In an interesting move, the people that link lives with may not exactly be Hylians; Hylians, including Link and Zelda, have always been characterized by their pointed elf-like ears, but Link's fellow villagers have rounded ears that we have.
The first few tasks of the game have Link dealing with mundane tasks in order to learn the various controls for the game, which, for the Wii version, is extremely important. However, after being asked to bring a gift to the royal family, mysterious and shadowy beasts show up and enshroud the land in a mysterious twilight. Link is turned into a wolf while trying to fight the monsters, and is subsequently knocked out and jailed. While in jail, he meets Midna, who helps free Wolf-Link in exchange for help with a yet-to-be-revealed task.
From there, Link and Midna work as a team to rid the land of Hyrule of the strange twilight. The quest takes Link and Midna to previously seen locales of Hyrule such as Death Mountain (where Gorons live), Lake Hylia, Zora's River (home of the Zoras), and Gerudo Desert. New places include Snowpeak (home to one of the strangest dungeons I've encountered in a Zelda game) and Link's home of Ordon.
As the game goes on, Link's quest takes new turns and has events that are some of the most epic actions I've ever seen in a Zelda game. While Ocarina of Time was an epic tale overall of how Link, Ganondorf, and Zelda first crossed paths, there are moments in Twilight Princess that seem to be taken directly from The Lord of the Rings. The final battle of the game is also very well constructed and fun to engage in.
The Wii gameplay is amazing. Swinging the Wii Remote to swing Link's sword, pointing the Remote at the screen to aim the bow, and using it as a fishing rod truly bring the player into the game in ways the traditional control system could never attempt. It also allows for a much smoother form of horseback combat than that present in the N64 versions (though it was still difficult). If you have a Wii, I definitely reccomend this version over the Gamecube one (the only downside is a loss of continuity; since Link is usually left-handed, the programmers were afraid that right-handed people, who are the majority, would have trouble using the sword, so they flipped the game around; what this means is that Gerudo Desert is now in the East and Kakariko Village and Death Mountain are now in the West, though in the Hyrule in Ocarina of time, the desert was in the West and Kakariko and Death Mountain were in the East).
I have to say that the only thing that I would change about this game is the inclusion (or lack thereof) of magic. For some reason, even though magic exists, Link does not have a magic meter. Therefore, there are no spells or magic arrows (or green potions), and the Magic Armor, which makes Link invulnerable while wearing it) is powered by rupees, which can be very annoying. Still, aside from the complaint, this is an amazing game. The story is fantastic, the gameplay is top-notch, and the graphics are amazing. This game may not be as good as Ocarina of Time, but it is very, very close.
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Wii Classic Controller
I gave this a 3 on the fun rating simply because the controller itself isn't really fun. It is, in my opinion though, a necessity for anyone who wants to get the best experience out of the Virtual Console.
I held off buying a classic controller for the simple fact that Virtual Console games using it could also use Gamecube controllers. I had my trusty Wavebird, so it's not like I'd have to deal with being tethered to the console (oh, the horror!) :)
Then it happened; Castelvania IV was released for download. It didn't take long to realize I needed something that hearkened back to the feel and control layout of the SNES.
The problem comes from the fact that older games were designed without the thought of analog control, and it shows when you try and use it and the direction pad on Gamecube controllers just isn't located in a good enough spot to use either.
For NES and TG16 games I just hold the Wiimote on its side, which works well enough. This can work alright for Genesis games too, unless you need to use three buttons, in which case the 'A' button is used. Ten minutes of Toe Jam&Earl and you'll realize you need something different. You could try a Gamecube controller, but my argument placed for SNES games carries over.
Considering the prices of the Wiimote and Nunchuck, a Classic Controller really isn't too bad of a buy. It connects to a Wiimote, so you're still wireless.
It should also be noted that the creator of Super Smash Brothers has hinted that the Wii version will NOT use the Wiimote and will be optimized for the Classic Controller.
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I've been playing computer and video games for over 2 decades now, and this amazing controller is re-energizing game-play for the first time in years. Old game-play concepts are fun again, and more importantly, a multitude of new game-play concepts have been, and will be, invented to utilize the Wiimote. The force-feedback, plus the small speaker make even mundane things like rolling over a menu button *feel* real. The first time you swing the Wii remote as your racket in Wii Sports Tennis, you'll realize gaming will never be the same again.
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There's a little video on the internet that shows two girls like in the PC vs Mac commercials. One's a Wii and the other is a Playstation 3. It's right on the money. The Wii is playful, cheap, and great cartoon fun whereas the PS3 is just a PC that you can't upgrade.
This little monster is so great at keeping my family and myself entertained that we actually have to have Wii time or we'd be on it all day.
If you get one, you won't be disappointed.
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