The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
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The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess | |
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Developer(s) | Nintendo EAD |
Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
Designer(s) | Eiji Aonuma (director) Shigeru Miyamoto (producer) Yoshiyuki Oyama (enemy design lead) |
Engine | Heavily modified version of the The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker engine.[1] |
Release date(s) | Wii![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() GameCube ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Genre(s) | Action Adventure |
Mode(s) | Single player |
Rating(s) | ESRB: Teen CERO: B(12+) PEGI: 12+ OFLC: M |
Platform(s) | Wii, Nintendo GameCube |
Media | 1 × Wii Optical Disc 1 × GameCube Game Disc |
Input | Wii Remote and Nunchuk, GameCube Controller |
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (ゼルダの伝説 トワイライトプリンセス Zeruda no Densetsu Towairaito Purinsesu?) is the latest video game in Nintendo’s critically acclaimed The Legend of Zelda series, for the Wii and Nintendo GameCube video games consoles. Originally planned for release in November 2005, it was delayed by Nintendo so that the developers could add more content and fine-tune the game.[2] The Wii version was released on the console's launch dates, in November and December 2006, making Twilight Princess the first Zelda game to debut alongside the launch of a Nintendo console. The GameCube version was released in December 2006.[3][4] Twilight Princess was called The Wind Waker 2 during its early internal development, but was changed to Twilight Princess as development progressed.[5]
Link, the protagonist of the game, initially a rancher in a small village, travels to Hyrule, the game's setting. He encounters a number of enemies, and with the help of the creature Midna, fights the twilight spreading across Hyrule. Twilight Princess introduces three new races: Oocca, Twili and Yeti.
Twilight Princess is the first game in The Legend of Zelda series to be rated T by the ESRB, for fantasy violence and animated blood.[6]
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Set a few decades[7] after the events of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the game begins with Link living and working as a ranch hand in Ordon Village. When Link pursues a group of monsters who kidnapped two other villagers, he is pulled into the Twilight Realm, transformed into a wolf, and imprisoned in Hyrule Castle. An impish creature named Midna helps Link escape from his cell, and the two join forces. They meet another of the castle's prisoners: Princess Zelda.
Zelda explains that the Twilight King Zant is trying to merge the Twilight Realm and Hyrule into a land of darkness using a power strange to the Twilight Realm. Zant is a member of the Twili, a race of beings descended from the magicians banished to the Twilight Realm by the goddesses of Hyrule. Midna is a Twili who is searching for a weapon called the Fused Shadow to defeat Zant and save the Twilight Realm. Restoring the four light spirits of Hyrule, Link and Midna re-assemble the Fused Shadow. Zant takes the Fused Shadows, traps Link in his wolf form, and exposes Midna to the light of a light spirit, critically injuring her. Link rushes Midna to Princess Zelda, who reveals that the only way Link can return to his normal form is to find the Master Sword. Zelda sacrifices herself to heal Midna, allowing her to exist outside of the Twilight. After Midna and Link obtain the Master Sword, Zant's curse manifests as a gemstone that allows Link to assume his wolf form at will.
When Link and Midna reach the Mirror of Twilight — the only way to reenter the Twilight Realm and stop Zant — they learn that Zant has already broken it into four fragments, and three are missing. The ancient sages who guard the mirror reveal that they banished a man named Ganondorf to the Twilight Realm using the mirror. After Link and Midna retrieve the shards and restore the mirror, the sages reveal that Midna is the true ruler of the Twili and that Zant turned her into an imp. When Link and Midna confront Zant in the Twilight Realm, he explains that he encountered Ganondorf while in a rage about being passed over as the king of the Twili. Ganondorf offered to make Zant's wishes come true and made Zant into a vessel for his power. Midna regains the Fused Shadow and uses is to disable Zant.
Link and Midna return to Hyrule Castle, which is surrounded by a seemingly impenetrable magical barrier, but Midna breaks through it with the Fused Shadow. Link battles Ganondorf in the form of a possessed Princess Zelda and then of a giant boar. Midna purges Zelda of Ganondorf's spirit, warps Link and Zelda to safety, and tries to destroy Ganondorf with the Fused Shadow. Hyrule Castle explodes, and Ganondorf appears on horseback, holding Midna's helmet. Princess Zelda uses magic to summon the light spirits, who give her the Light Arrows, and she and Link battle Ganondorf on horseback. Ganondorf falls from his horse in battle but challenges Link to a swordfight. Link drives the Master Sword into Ganondorf's chest, and Ganondorf stands, impaled, as the image of the Triforce fades from his hand. His eyes close and he stops moving.
With Hyrule and the Twilight Realm safe again, the curse that Zant put on Midna lifts, and she regains her true form. Link, Zelda and Midna travel to the Mirror of Twilight, where Midna returns home. Before she leaves, Midna shatters the Mirror of Twilight with a tear, severing the link to the Twilight Realm. At the end of the game, Link is shown returning the Master Sword. The final image is of the statue of the Triforce and the Goddesses above the throne room in Hyrule Castle, now restored.
[edit] Gameplay
Twilight Princess features a stylized, naturalistic art style (similar to, but more advanced than, that found in Ocarina of Time, rather than the cel-shaded look that The Wind Waker exhibited — although it still makes use of cel-shading effects, using a very heavily modified version of The Wind Waker’s engine.[1] In a further departure from The Wind Waker, Link is once again a young man, as opposed to a child, as in the later part of Ocarina of Time and in The Adventure of Link. The game also takes on a darker tone, rivaling that of Majora's Mask.[8]
Link transforms into a wolf when entering the Twilight Realm, a void that has ensnared Hyrule. This is not a wholly separate place like the Dark World in A Link to the Past, but a festering malignancy across Hyrule.[9]
The Wii version uses the "point-and-click" feature of the Wii Remote as a "fairy" cursor (an on screen pointer modeled to look like a fairy), for accessing menus, and for using various tools such as the Hero's Bow, Clawshot, and Fishing Rod, (see Weapons, items and abilities); it uses the Nunchuk attachment analog stick for movement. In order to swing the sword which Link uses as a weapon, the player makes a slashing motion with the Wii Remote. A jab with the tilt-sensitive Nunchuk will cause Link to perform one of his secret moves, the shield attack. To use Link’s “spin attack” (a powerful attack where Link swings his sword circularly around himself), the player swings the Nunchuk horizontally.
In order to use items, the game allows the player to equip the items to the left, right, and down positions of the D-pad and the B button of the Wii Remote using the item screen (-). When an item's respective direction button is pressed, the item is switched into the B button for easier use. The built-in speaker on the remote is used for sounds like the bowstring of the Hero's Bow being drawn and released, Midna's laugh, and the ever present “Zelda chime” when discovering secrets.[10]
By comparison, the GameCube version uses a control scheme similar to The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, with the B button used for sword attacks, other items mapped to the X, and Y (but not Z like in The Wind Waker, which is now always assigned to interaction with the character Midna), the L button for lock-on to enemies and NPCs, and the C-stick used for manual camera control.[11]
In Twilight Princess, Link learns more moves than in any other Legend of Zelda game to date. Link also shares similar moves between human and wolf, for example when an enemy is on the ground, Link has the option to finish them off by plunging his sword into their chest or in wolf form (on poes, to rip out their souls). Link can communicate with animals in wolf form as if they were people. When transformed into a wolf, Link’s sense of smell is greatly improved allowing him to follow trails left by certain characters in the game. With these abilities come some disadvantages. While he is a wolf, Link cannot utilize any of his items, or open any doors with handles until he transforms back into a human.
There is no extensive voice acting in the game. The characters laugh, scream, and make other such noises, as they have in previous installments on the Nintendo 64 and Nintendo GameCube. In conversations, Link remains silent, and his responses are implied by nods and facial expressions, much like other The Legend of Zelda games. The only character who is completely "voiced" is Midna. However, she says no clear words, instead speaking in an unintelligible language (similarly to E. Gadd in Luigi's Mansion).
Returning from Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, a horse can again be ridden in Twilight Princess. The default name for the horse is Epona (the set name of the horse from the two aforementioned games) and is used as the main form of transport whilst Link is in human form and until various warp points are opened around Hyrule.
The enemy's AI of Twilight Princess is more advanced than in The Wind Waker.[12]
[edit] Basic quest items
Link first acquires a wooden sword, but later upgrades to the Ordon Sword (a standard metal sword created by his village's blacksmith) and then the Master Sword. In the Palace of Twilight, the Master Sword is further upgraded to the Light Sword when Link manages to secure both Sols. The first shield Link acquires is the thick, wooden Ordon Shield, which unfortunately, can catch fire (similar to the Deku Shield in Ocarina of Time). If the shield does catch fire and burns up, it can be replaced with another Wooden Shield, different from the Ordon Shield (The style of the shield will depend on where it is purchased). The metal Hylian Shield is the last shield in the game and can be purchased along side the Wooden Shield once enough of the game is completed. It is incredibly durable and will not catch fire and burn up.
The Slingshot also returns from previous installments of the series. Link obtains this item early on in the game before entering any dungeons. Though Link keeps the slingshot, it is essentially replaced later in the game by the Hero's Bow, which has similar controls but is more powerful and has a longer range (sometimes the Slingshot doesn't even damage enemies, and it also has a severely limited projectile range). Another returning item is the lantern, which is used for lighting dark areas, burning spiderweb obstacles, and igniting torches to trigger "hidden" events. The lantern is fueled by oil instead of magic power like in A Link to the Past, and Link must refuel it before the oil meter runs dry and the flame goes out. The game features many classic Zelda armaments, some with new twists, such as the Gale Boomerang which can create a small whirlwind capable of picking up items and sucking certain enemies out of the ground. The Iron Boots also return, which can now be used in conjunction with magnetic surfaces to attach Link to ceilings and walls.
Link has three types of bombs available: Standard Bombs, Water Bombs (bombs that can be used under water, which are created from a specific breed of exploding fish only found in the Lakebed Temple), and Bomblings (portable versions of the exploding insects found in the Forest Temple, which function similarly to the Bombchus in the N64 Zelda games, except that Bomblings can't crawl up walls). Link can combine items such as the bombs and arrows to create Bomb Arrows (the first time since The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening introduced the concept), among other items. Twilight Princess also introduces a new version of the Hookshot called the Clawshot. This item functions similarly to the Hookshot, except that Link can hang from the claw, and when hanging from a ceiling he can extend or retract the chain to move up or down. Another Clawshot is found later in the game and the two combined form the Double Clawshots, enabling movement without touching the ground in certain areas by firing one whilst remaining aloft with the other.
The Dominion Rod is used to bring specific statues to life, which have large gaping holes through the center of their bodies. Only one statue can be controlled at a time but will follow the player's exact movements and some can even attack. The rod loses its power when first removed from the Temple of Time (although it is later recovered). The Spinner is a large device that looks like a combination between a spinning top and a machine cog. Link can actually ride the Spinner to move safely over quicksand and attack enemies. It is also used to ride along tracks in the Arbiter's Grounds and other locations. The speed at which the Spinner moves along these tracks varies from one to the other, but some are very fast-paced and require the player to jump from one track to another at often precarious heights. Another new item is the Ball and Chain, a heavy iron ball at the end of a strong metal chain used by the Ball and Chain Knights of past Zelda games. Link attacks with it by swinging the ball over his head and then heaving it forward with tremendous force. Few enemies can withstand this weapon even while Link is merely swinging it above his head, but its functionality also ranges from pushing blocks, crushing weak walls and floors, and shattering anything made of ice. The Hawkeye is a new addition in the series, which is purchased at the Malo Mart after the archery test in Kakariko is completed. It acts like the telescope from Wind Waker, but is a mask of a hawk head. It can be combined with the bow, which allows Link to zoom in on targets and shoot them like a sniper with arrows. A new Horse Call is added. This is given to Link by Ilia after a long item trading sequence is finished and allows Link to call Epona without using whistle grass.
Finally, Ooccoo is an item as well as a plot-integral character that behaves as a warp item in dungeons, much like Farore's Wind in Ocarina of Time. She can be used in all except the game's last two dungeons and is generally found stuck inside of a clay pot that the player must release her from before she will join Link. Ooccoo's son, Ooccoo Jr., has the actual warping ability and takes Link outside of a dungeon, afterwhich the player can roam freely about the overworld. Ooccoo Jr. can warp Link, at any time, back to the same room in the dungeon that they both left Ooccoo in. If the player enters the dungeon on their own after warping out with Ooccoo Jr., Ooccoo will meet them at the entrance. Once a boss is defeated, Ooccoo automatically leaves Link's inventory and moves on to the next dungeon. She will not return to a previously completed dungeon, forcing the player to navigate on their own if they wish to reenter an old one.
[edit] Collectibles
There are four different sets of clothing in the game: The farm outfit Link starts in (although this cannot be worn once the next outfit is obtained), the green "Hero" tunic (which replaces his farm outfit), the Zora Armor with flippers and diving mask that allows him to breathe and swim freely underwater but increases the damage taken from fire and ice hazards and the Magic Armor, which makes Link temporarily invincible at the cost of rupees. Without rupees movement is slowed and Link still sustains damage. Classic items such as Potions and Bottles also return.
Twelve species of golden bugs can be found around Hyrule. Catching these bugs and giving them to Agitha, a girl located in Castle Town, will give Link wallet upgrades, first to a capacity of 600 rupees, and then to 1000 after capturing all 24 bugs and returning them to her. Giving her one bug earns the player 50 rupees prize, then giving her the other gender of the same bug earns the player 100 rupees. There are twelve male and twelve female bugs; however, the male and female snails when looked at both say "it might actually be a male/female" on both genders as snails are hermaphrodites. An interesting note is that the male snail is found at the very same location as the female snail, just at different times (the female snail is obtained when traveling back in time in the Temple of Time dungeon).
A heart container now consists of five heart pieces instead of the traditional four.
60 Poe Souls can be found throughout Hyrule. The player can capture their souls while in wolf mode and return them to Jovani. Bringing him 20 Poes will net the player a bottle filled with Great Fairy Tears, while all 60 Poes will net the player 200 Rupees as well as restore Jovani's body. In addition, subsequent conversations with Jovani's cat will get Link an additional 200 rupees each time the player leaves Hyrule Castle Town, returns and talks with the cat again, providing an infinite source of Rupees.
[edit] Abilities
During the game Link gains a number of new sword techniques at various points. These techniques are learned by first finding "howling stones" in different areas of Hyrule whilst in wolf form and in the Twilight Realm, and howling a song (different for each stone). A golden wolf appears and tells Link to find him in certain places marked on the game map. Once at this marked point and in human form outside the Twilight Realm, the wolf can again be seen and Link is warped to a supernatural area which appears to be on top of clouds. Various Hylian landmarks can be seen jutting up from under the clouds. Here, the wolf transforms into a skeletal ghost form clad in Roman-like armor. The spirit teaches Link up to seven new techniques by allowing Link to try them out on him. After the final technique is learned, the skeletal being makes a claim to being a previous hero who could not pass on these techniques to anyone and that the sword maneuvers can only be taught to those of his bloodline. The first technique taught by the skeletal warrior must be learned, as the game cannot be completed without it, and Link must learn it to proceed; the other six are optional.
In wolf form, Link automatically has a "sense" ability. Using the sense ability, Link can track down certain characters by following their scents with his enhanced senses. As a wolf, he is also able to find and dig holes to find new passages and uncover buried items such as hearts, rupees, and even whole treasure chests. The only places where things can actually be dug up or burrowed into are marked by twinkling black areas on various parts of the ground, which can only be seen using "sense". The sense ability is also the only way Link is able to hunt for Poes- he can neither see them (except for their lanterns) nor attack them without the ability. The souls of these ghosts are collected for a side-quest. In addition to all of these new abilities, Link can also talk to animals in wolf form, aiding him in gathering useful information.
As a first in a 3D Zelda game, Link is not given the ability to use magic powers and, besides the Lantern Oil meter and the air meter underwater, has no depletable meter of any sort in the game.
[edit] Music
Music once again plays a role in Twilight Princess, as in previous Legend of Zelda games. While Link does not carry a musical instrument of any type until well into the game, he can pick grass from certain patches and whistle with it to call an animal, either a Hawk or Epona, Link's horse (later on, an instrument shaped similarly to the grass used to summon Epona is given to Link and has the same effect as the aforementioned grass. This item is called the Horse Call.). Also, while as a wolf Link can howl near the same patches, to the same effect. When Link is in his wolf form, there are six "howling stones" located around the world where, after Link howls a certain melody shown on screen a few times, a golden wolf appears and jumps somewhere else in the world. Link must then change back to his human form and find the wolf to learn a hidden sword technique. The songs howled by Wolf Link are taken from Majora's Mask, Ocarina of Time, and The Wind Waker, with the exception of two, of which one is the bass line of the game's Hyrule Field main theme.
In a first for the Zelda series, part of the soundtrack has been orchestrated as opposed to using MIDI.[13] The fact that Nintendo has decided to use mostly MIDI for the soundtrack, however, has been a point of criticism. MIDI allows the background music to be more dynamic, but the sound quality suffers. Koji Kondo, the lead composer for the game's soundtrack, originally stated that he "would really like to push for" the music to be orchestrated.[14] Part of the full soundtrack (featuring the songs "Orchestra Piece #2", "Hyrule Field Main Theme", "Ordon Village", "Kakariko Village", "Death Mountain", "Midna's Theme", and "Ilia's Theme") is received when a Nintendo Power subscription is purchased (the subscription also comes with a game guide for Twilight Princess). A soundtrack is also packaged with a scale model of the Master Sword and Hylian Shield in a Twilight Princess Collector Box, an exclusive item sold at Target stores. The soundtrack also features two bonus tracks. The first bonus track, known as "DS Trailer Pack", was the theme that was to be used instead of the present Hyrule Field Main Theme.
[edit] Development
A number of rumors about the game were confirmed at E3 2005. The official title, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was announced. (The title was actually first revealed in a pre-E3 scan from Game Informer.)[15][16]
The game falls chronologically anywhere from 100 years to multiple centuries after Ocarina of Time,[17] though the reference to being before The Wind Waker has been omitted in recent interviews with the developers.[18] Interviews and a playable demo exposed many new details, such as Link beginning the game as a ranch-hand, Link battling on horseback, changes in the horse controls from Ocarina of Time, thematic differences between dungeons, and so on.[19]
The game received Game Critics Awards at E3 2005 for Best Console Game and Best Action/Adventure Game,[20] and the award of Best Playable Game at E3 2005 by G4 TV's X-Play. Twilight Princess received the same awards, except for Best Console Game, at E3 2006 as well.
The game was delayed extensively; Its original release date was somewhere in November 2005, until August 16, 2005, when Nintendo announced it would be released some time after March 31, 2006, because the development team needed more time to work on the game.[2] In February, Reggie Fils-Aime (then Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Nintendo of America) stated in an interview on Spike TV that Twilight Princess would be released in the Fall of 2006,[21] well past the expected spring or early summer release but still in time for the holiday shopping season. At Nintendo’s pre-E3 2006 press conference, Reggie Fils-Aime announced that two versions would be released simultaneously in the Americas: one for GCN, and one for Wii.
On September 15, 2006, Nintendo officially announced the release dates of Twilight Princess. The Wii, along with the Wii version of Twilight Princess, was released first on November 19, 2006 in North America, with the GameCube version coming on December 12, 2006. Both the GameCube and the Wii version launched simultaneously in Japan on December 2, 2006. Europe and Australia saw the Wii version launched on December 8, 2006 and December 7, 2006 respectively, while the GameCube version was launched on December 15, 2006 and December 14, 2006 respectively.
The cloaked figure, first revealed in the opening of the third official trailer released by Nintendo at E3 in 2005, is Zelda, wearing traditional funeral robes and bearing a rapier at her side. On this cloak there is also shown a Sheikah symbol.
According to statements from Nintendo, such as from translator and localization manager Bill Trinen, it took the Twilight Princess game testers an average of 70 hours to beat the game on the first run-through. He stated that he was working on his second play-through of the game and even knowing what to do, where to go, and skipping cut-scenes, he had logged about 27 hours to make it about two thirds of the way through the temples themselves - and that didn't account for any of the side quests or time sinks like fishing.[22]
[edit] Twilight Princess on Wii
British publication NGC Magazine claimed, in December 2005, that when the GameCube version is played on Wii, the player will be given the option of using Wii’s unique controller;[23] and it was not suspected that two versions of the game would be released. Reggie Fils-Aime denied these claims, stating that across the board, GCN games played on Wii would not be compatible with Wii's controller.[24] Nintendo of France Director of Marketing Mathieu Minel stated in a subsequent interview with Jeux-France that Twilight Princess would include Wii controller functionality one way or another, but Nintendo quickly requested that this be removed from the interview.[25] In the end, however, Shigeru Miyamoto himself confirmed the Wii controller functionality in an interview with Nintendo of Europe.[26] Time reported this also soon after.[27][28] Finally, at E3 2006, Nintendo announced that there would be two versions of Twilight Princess: one for GameCube (released on December 12, 2006), and one for Wii (released on the console's launch date, November 19, 2006).
Shigeru Miyamoto had said in an interview that the only differences between the GameCube and Wii versions of the Twilight Princess are technical[29] (as described above). The Wii version also displays in a 16:9 (wide screen) format in 480p, where the GameCube version plays only in 4:3.[30] 480p is possible on early DOL-001 models of the GameCube using the component cable.
In the Wii version of Twilight Princess, Link is right-handed, despite his famous left-hand preference. Miyamoto noticed that players preferred wielding their "swords" right-handed, but by that point, all the maps, bosses and models had already been designed with a left-handed stance in mind. The "simplest" solution was to invert the entire game horizontally. In the GameCube version, Link remains left-handed, and the maps and player guides for the two versions are mirror versions of each other.[31] Anything in the game referring to east/west or left/right is changed accordingly between the two versions.
[edit] Reception
Compilations of multiple reviews | ||
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Game Rankings | Wii: 94.8% (based on 75 reviews)[32] GCN: 95.9% (based on 16 reviews)[33] |
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Metacritic | Wii: 95% (based on 69 reviews)[34] GCN: 96% (based on 15 reviews)[35] |
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Publication | Response | Comment |
1up | Wii: 10 of 10[36] | "Just how good is it? Truly fantastic."
Best Adventure Game of 2006 |
CVG | Wii: 10 of 10[37] | "The greatest Zelda game ever? Yes" |
Famitsu | Wii: 38 of 40[38] | |
GamePro | Wii and GCN: 5 of 5[39] | "Undeniably an epic adventure" |
GameSpot | Wii: 8.8 out of 10[40]
GCN: 8.9 out of 10[41] |
2006 Award for Best Wii Game
2006 Award for Best GameCube Game |
GameSpy | Wii: 5 of 5[42] | Editor's Choice 2006 Game of the Year |
Game Informer | Wii: 10 of 10[43] | Game of the Year Game of the Month: January 2007[44] |
IGN | Wii: 9.5 of 10[45]
GCN: 9.5 of 10[46] |
"Ocarina, your time is up"
Both versions: Editors Choice |
Nintendo Power | Wii: 9.5 of 10
GCN: 9.5 of 10 |
Best Wii Game of 2006 Best GameCube Game of 2006 |
EGM | Wii: 10 of 10[citation needed] | Platinum Award- straight 10s
Game of the Year 2006 |
Official Nintendo Magazine | Wii: 97% | Gold Award |
X-Play | Wii: 5 out of 5[47] | Game of the Year Best Action/Adventure Game |
The game has received mostly positive reviews focusing on its art direction and gameplay. IGN proclaimed it the "best Zelda game ever", the second best launch game ever, behind Super Mario 64 as well as "one of the finest games I have ever played".[45] GameSpot called Twilight Princess the best GameCube game of 2006 as well as the best Wii game. It was also one of the ten nominees for GameSpot's "Game of the Year" award.
Some aspects of the game's design have been criticized by a small amount of reviewers, such as the director of Ōkami speaking of his disappointment in the feel of the game's visuals.[48] Reviewing the Wii version, GameSpot's reviewer criticized the feeling of "tacked-on" Wii controls and out-dated graphics, a consequence of the game being designed primarily for the older GameCube platform.
At Game Rankings, a web site that compiles game reviews and averages reviewers' scores, the Wii version of Twilight Princess has achieved an average of 94.8%. The GameCube version has an average of 95.9%, making it the highest rated game of 2006.
At Metacritic, another review aggregate site, Twilight Princess has received an overall average of 95 out of 100, 4 points fewer than Ocarina of Time.
The game received Spike TV's Critic's Choice Video Game Award[49] and also won Game of the Year along with Best Action Adventure Game on X-Play.[50] It was the game of the year of 2006 according to Game Trailers and also won the awards of Best Adventure Game, and Game of the year 2006 according to 1UP. Twilight Princess won the awards of Best Level Design, Best Battle System and Game of the Year 2006 in Electronic Gaming Monthly.
At the 2007 IEAA Awards, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess won two awards: "IEAA Nintendo Game of the Year" and "Best Selling Role Playing Game".[51]
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess won the "Best Writing" award at the 2007 Game Developers Choice Awards, and was nominated for "Best game".[52]
[edit] Sales
The Wii version of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess sold over 1 million copies in the United States,[53] 139,011 during its first two days in Japan,[54] and 240,000 during its first weekend across Europe.[55] During its first week the game was being sold alongside three of every four Wii purchases[56] and passing one million Wii units sold in North America alone within three months.[53] In its first month of avaibility, the GameCube version sold 532,900 copies and outsold the Wii version for a short time.[57]
[edit] See also
- Characters in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- Races of The Legend of Zelda series
- Weapons and items from The Legend of Zelda series
- Places in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- Enemies in The Legend of Zelda series
[edit] References
- ^ a b E3 2004: New Legend of Zelda Details. IGN Cube (2004-05-12). Retrieved on 2006-12-05.
- ^ a b Casamassina, Matt (2005-08-16). Zelda Delayed to Next Year. IGN Cube. IGN. Retrieved on 2006-05-28.
- ^ Nintendo official Zelda Page. Nintendo.
- ^ GamePro Q&A: Nintendo's Harrison on Zelda. Gamepro. Retrieved on 2006-12-03.
- ^ GDC Live blog Keynote - Aonuma talks Zelda. GoNintendo. GoNintendo (2007-03-08). Retrieved on 2007-03-08.
- ^ Official North American Wii website. Nintendo.
- ^ Mr. Miyamoto and Mr. Aonuma Reveal the Identity of the Mystery Woman. Nintendo of America (May 18, 2005).
- ^ Bryne, Snorre (2006-06-22). Spill kan bli viktigere enn film og TV (no). dagbladet.no. Retrieved on 2006-09-20.
- ^ The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Nintendo of America. Retrieved on 2006-05-28.
- ^ Schneider, Peer (2006-05-10). E3 2006: Twilight Princess In-Depth 3. IGN. Retrieved on 2006-05-28.
- ^ Ricciardi, John (2006-12-05). The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess GameCube Preview 1. 1Up. Retrieved on 2006-12-08.
- ^ Inside Zelda Volume 201 – part 10: The Monsters in his head. Nintendo Power (January 2006). Retrieved on 2006-06-28.
- ^ Midi soundtrack. IGN. Retrieved on 2006-11-24.
- ^ Inside Zelda, Part 4. Nintendo Power (September 2005). Retrieved on 2006-12-02.
- ^ Game Informer (US) June 2005
- ^ ezzkmo (2005-05-14). E3 2005: More From Nintendo's '06 Lineup. N-Europe. Retrieved on 2006-05-28.
- ^ Nintendo Power
- ^ "Reflections on Zelda"; Nintendo Power, January 2007
- ^ Rorie, Matthew (2005-05-18). Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess E3 2005 Demo Walkthrough Impressions 5. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2006-05-28.
- ^ 2005 Winners. www.gamecriticsawards.com.
- ^ Thorsen, Tor (2006-02-20). Fils-Aime: Zelda now coming in "fall". GameSpot. Retrieved on 2006-05-28.
- ^ Casamassina, Matt (2006-11-03). Hands-on The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
- ^ Chou, Che. Play Zelda: Twilight Princess with the Revolution Controller. Retrieved on 2006-05-28.
- ^ Rojas, Peter (2006-02-20). The Engadget Interview: Reggie Fils-Aime, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Nintendo. Engadget. Retrieved on 2006-05-28.
- ^ Morcos, Antoine (2006-02-27). Interview Nintendo (French).
- ^ Miyamoto interview. Nintendo of Europe (2006-03-15). Retrieved on 2006-05-28.
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[edit] External links
- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess official North Amercian website
- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess official European website
- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess at Europe's Zelda.com
- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess at Nintendo.com
- Game page at Wii.Nintendo.com for Wii version
- IGN coverage
- GameSpot coverage
- Legend of Zelda Wiki
Characters · Enemies · Manga · Musical instruments |
The Legend of Zelda • The Adventure of Link • A Link to the Past • Link's Awakening • Ocarina of Time • Majora's Mask • Oracle of Seasons & Ages • Four Swords • The Wind Waker • Four Swords Adventures • The Minish Cap • Twilight Princess • Phantom Hourglass |