komodo
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Joined: 16 May 2006
Posts: 105
Sat Jun 17, 2006 3:34 pm |
 Post subject: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Preview |
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People have been begging for it. We're talking like the old days, back in the days of The Ocarina of Time. A follow-up in The Legend of Zelda series that was worthy of that N64 title, and not just some passerby game that tried to inject some originality into the formula, like the kiddie-transformed Link in The Wind Waker or the Expansion Pak-fueled Majora's Mask. No, we're talking about the need for a full-on Zelda adventure that makes us remember, no, cherish the brand the way we did back on the NES and on the SNES, and with Ocarina. And we waited and waited and waited some more upon the announced Twilight Princess for GameCube, and it's finally looking like it will surface this fall.
But the real shocker is, along with being what could be the last great title for the Nintendo GameCube, it will also be one of the more high-caliber titles for Nintendo's new system, the oddly named Wii. Yep, a version of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will be surfacing on Nintendo's next-gen machine, and it looks to have a full adventure in check that will please fans of the older games, while attracting new ones with its multi-layered story and its mixture of classic gameplay and the new twists that will keep adventurers invigorated in continuing on.
The game gives you control of Link, a young man who's raised up in a tiny village, as he is ordered by the mayor to attend a summit in Hyrule. He begins his journey to get there, unaware that dark forces have seemingly creeped up upon the land. As enters into a strange realm known only as the Twilight Realm, he finds himself transformed into a wolf, and during his confusion, he finds himself captured. A strange figure named Midna manages to come along and set him free, and, with Midna's help, Link sets off to make things right again before the land of Hyrule settles into darkness.
Catch that? Yes, there are some segments in the game where you won't be controlling Link in his human form, but rather as a wolf, trying to set things right in the Twilight Realm while using the assistance of Midna's magic. This puts an interesting twist on things, as Link will have to use the wolf's cunning ways for survival instead of the weapons in his usual arsenal, such as the sword and shield and arrows to fire at enemies.
But most of the time, Link will be in his human form, travelling from village to village throughout Hyrule to solve the darkness that has overocme it. He'll talk to townsfolk, find a few puzzles to solve, equip new items and use old ones on-the-fly, and, of course, scavenge through many dark areas where enemies are just waiting to gang up on him. The GameCube version will have all this, and should be an outstanding game in itself, but Wii owners will have a little more compatibility up their sleeve.
"If you perform a spin with the Nunchuk controller that's attached to the Wii-mote, you're able to perform a spin attack in the game..."
The Wii-mote allows users to pull off a number of motions throughout Link's quest to help him proceed ahead. The first main component that comes into play is with the general aiming system, which allows the user to point the Wii-mote at different targets to shoot at them with a bow and arrow, or set up a grappling hook to reach otherwise unobtainable areas. We checked this out in a preview build of the game and it plays rather well, although aiming takes a little getting used to since you have to point the Wii-mote at the system to aim and not directly at the TV. Small issue, really, as we found the rest to work very timely.
The Wii-mote also comes in handy for a mini game that involves catching fish. Like you may have seen some gamer doing in a Nintendo promo video, the Wii-mote basically acts as a fishing pole, and you have to perform different jerks and motions to avoid losing the fish. From there, you simply work to reel it in, and then pull it on into the boat to score bonus points and work up your food supply. This looks to be a lot of fun, certainly moreso than more of the fishing games on the market. Maybe it's because of the unique twists to the control, in which you actually feel like you're fishing and not just pressing buttons.
To top it all off, the Wii-mote also has compatibility for your typical fighting in the game. If you perform a spin with the Nunchuk controller that's attached to the Wii-mote, you're able to perform a spin attack in the game, which is rather crucial if you find yourself surrounded by a number of enemies. Link can also perform strong slashes and other moves, and although it again takes a little getting used to with precision, it's a pretty effective system that makes the gameplay feel like an original item all its own, even if it does follow in the traditional system of Zelda games.
This blends in with a great new addition we had checked out previously in the GameCube build- horseback battling. In some sequences, Link could ride atop a noble steed and manage to slash away at enemies who were also on horseback, without the action slowing down to on-foot combat. There's also a terrific face-off segment on a bridge involving a one-on-one battle that looks to be lots of fun, especially if you can time your slashes right and knock your foe off with your jousting style. This part of the game looks to be very promising as well.
As far as the game's looks, well, to be honest, the Wii version doesn't exactly look significantly better than the GameCube edition. I mean, it still looks like a mature Zelda title and that's a big leap ahead of the kiddie appearance that The Wind Waker gave, but you can't help but think that the Wii version would be just a little bit more touched up. Perhaps the final version will give us some added touches to make the game look more next-gen, like a boosted frame rate, extra details, and maybe even some bonus levels not present in the GameCube game. We'll have to see.
With the sound, Nintendo's sticking very closely to its old-school roots. The music sounds very good at this point, staying true to the Zelda theme, and the sound effects seem to borrow from Link's adventures in the past, complete with the "succession" tone that sounds after you've effectively solved a puzzle or unlocked a new item. I just hope that we get an Ocarina mini game complete with the ability to play along your own tunes. The Wii-mote would be pretty cool for that as well.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess looks to be a wonderful addition to the Nintendo Wii launch line-up, and should make an equally impressive send-off for the GameCube as well. We'll have some more hands-on reports for you in the weeks ahead and count the days to its late 2006 launch. All we can do until then is brush up on our fishing and Ocarina-playing skills...but not at the same time, of course. There's only so much talent we can show off here at the GameDaily offices, y'know.
http://wii.gamedaily.com/game/preview/?gameid=5333&id=674&rp=49 |
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