Gaming The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][QUOTE=James][font=arial]So far I'm loving the game, although I think I've gone to the third temple a little prematurely - I still only have one special move and I haven't learned any more. My sister was telling me that she had learned one or two more by that stage, so I'm behind her I think, lol.

[I]//snip//[/I]

Oh and...I have to say, now that I'm used to the Wii version, I don't think I'd want to play this game on GameCube. The manual camera just isn't worth what you'd sacrifice in play control. If you have no choice then sure, the GameCube version is going to be great. But if you own a Wii...I think the choice is a no-brainer.[/font][/QUOTE]You?ve definitely missed out on two special moves as I had three when I entered the third dungeon as well. And now that I?ve started the fourth dungeon I?ve picked up another two moves for a total of five. Which now that things have changed, are really handy to have.

I?m with indifference on the GameCube aspect. ^_~ As much as I love Zelda, Nintendo?s been a disappointment since the 64 came out as most of the RPG type of games I like to play went to Playstation instead. I didn?t even bother to get the GameCube until The Wind Waker came out. And still, I own less than ten games for it as there just isn?t that many games that I like.

So even though I?m tempted to see the differences on the Wii, it?s not going to happen anytime soon. I miss the RPG?s like Secret of Mana, Illusion of Gaia and Secret of Evermore. Other than Zelda and a handful of other games, Nintendo hasn?t put out very many good RPG?s for their main console. The graphics on the DS Lite are better than the old GBA, but I just hate that so many potentially good RPG?s went to a tiny screen instead of being put on the 64 or the GameCube.

As for Twilight Princess, since I haven?t played the other for comparison, I can tell you that people who don?t have the Wii and are Zelda fans, well they are simply going to love it. It?s got a lot of new and fresh takes on how you approach battle and solve things, the equipment has been re-vamped and all the additional details to everything is beautifully done.

And the depth and scope of the actual world is really amazing. I really loved how they did the lake. And all the different things with the in-between storylines and interactions, well it?s definitely going to end up being my favorite out of all the Zelda games. :catgirl: [/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

Hmmm? well as one of the GameCube players, I can definitely echo others sentiments that if you haven?t played the Wii version, it won?t make a bit of difference. You can?t miss what you haven?t played right? Anyway, I?ve only made it to the second dungeon since I got it and so far the whole experience is downright amazing. Even though the first boss battle was fairly easy, it still was entertaining and the way the dungeon was done is foreshadowing a far more rich and interactive Zelda experience this time around. I?m eagerly awaiting the new experiences that they have in mind with this game. And playing as a wolf is just pure enjoyment.

The storyline and how they?ve drawn you in with more interaction between the characters is poignant and beautifully done. And Midna is a hundred times more fun than some of the fairies have been in the past games.

I think Charles really summed up the aspects of the game really well as I agree completely. I can see why others might want a more difficult level, and yet at the same time, I?m not at all disappointed in how the game looks and feels. If I ever do get a Wii, Twilight Princess will be on the top of my list just so I can play it again with the differences.

[Semjaza]

At this stage I've not found much to complain about in terms of difficulty. The game isn't especially challenging, but it's definitely more difficult than the Wind Waker. There's a difference between a light difficulty level and pure child's play. As it stands, I've died a few times in this one already, so I think that's good lol. I was surprised that falling into lava takes away two hearts this time around.

Personally, I'm really enjoying the game. I've only just finished the third temple.

[Guest xshihinx]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]I think it looks pretty good! I'm getting it for Gamecube, but I'm wondering if the graphics are the same quality! It seems harder than the other Zelda games.....

I just wish I can get far in it. I beat some of the other games. I like the idea that Link transforms into a wolf.I wonder if they're going to be better than the other animals/magical creatures that Link transforms into on Majora's Mask.[/COLOR]

[Treble]

[size=2][quote name='xshihinx][color=royalblue']I think it looks pretty good! I'm getting it for Gamecube, but I'm wondering if the graphics are the same quality! It seems harder than the other Zelda games..... [/color][/quote][/size]
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[size=2]From what I've read, the graphics between the GCN and the Wii are identical. However, I did found out that the GCN version of the game is mirrored from the Wii version, meaning that what is left in the Wii version is right on the GCN version.[/size]
[size=2][/size]
[size=2]Well I picked up the GCN version this past Saturday and just beated the first dungeon today. As mentioned earlier, the game started off slow, but the setting and the interaction in Ordona Village is a nice way to start things off before the big twilight twist. [/size]
[size=2][/size]
[size=2]You guys are right, the first boss wasn't that challenging at all. However, I did died a few times by the twilight enemies. Once by those little sewer creatures that just come out of nowhere and twice by the three bigger guards. [/size]
[size=2][/size]
[size=2]As for the wolf segments, the sense system and the digging are fun to mess around with, but I'm hoping that there will be more to it than just collecting those lights for each village.[/size]
[size=2] [/size]
[size=2]Overall, I'm impressed so far with the huge landscapes, beautiful environments, and the solid combat system. I love how Zelda games make me feel like a complete idiot when I take a long time to complete a simple puzzle. Also, I love the unique lighting used in the Twilight areas, it's captivating to look at.[/size]

[Semjaza]

The Wii version is also the only version that displays in 16:9... but that only matters for widescreen capable TVs.

[Desbreko]

[quote name='Desbreko][QUOTE=Papa Smurf]Don't read into the awful translation and misplaced grammar.[/QUOTE][color=#4B0082]I'm going to laugh so hard if, when TP is released, it turns out I was right.[/color][/quote][QUOTE=Treble][size=2']From what I've read, the graphics between the GCN and the Wii are identical. However, I did found out that the GCN version of the game is mirrored from the Wii version, meaning that what is left in the Wii version is right on the GCN version.[/size][/quote][color=#4B0082]Excuse me for a moment. . . . *laughs so hard*[/color]

[Meggido]

Well I finished my first play through 2 days ago and in my opinion TP is the best Zelda game since A Link to the Past. The story is just so much more involving then some of the other games and I must say I absolutely love Midna. Anyway It only took me about 27 hours to complete though I kinda tried a fast run through taking minimal notice of sidequests. Also it's probably slightly easier on the Gamecube since you're using the old fashioned game pad rather then the wii-mote and nunchuku.

My only problem overall is probably that the bosses were too easy, and that there is no hard mode. ANother problem that people seem to have had that I didn't is that Zelda and Ganondorf only really get loose fitting mentions and seem to have been added as last minute thoughts. I tend to disagree on this point as having played the oracles games, they are more so in this direction when you link them together in comparison to TP.

Now to play through a second time trying to get all the sidequests done.

Totals for those interested were:
27 hours played
16 hearts
26 poe souls
8 bugs (only 3 pairs)
All hidden skills found
Magic armor obtained

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][quote name='Desbreko][color=#4B0082']Oh! One thing I should mention, though: Twilight Princess does have at least one hard area. It's the Cave of Ordeals and it consists of room after room of enemies with almost zero heart drops. It's a lot like the cave on Outset Island in TWW only it puts that cave's difficulty to shame. Some of the later rooms can easily bring you down from full life and kill you if you're not really, really careful. I haven't managed to beat it yet; right now I'm going around collecting all the pieces of heart that I missed and I'm going to give it another try after I'm all stocked up.[/color][/quote]I found that area, but I only went down so far and came back out. The one in the Wind Waker would have been better if you couldn?t use one of your [spoiler]weapons to steal things from the enemies.[/spoiler] I took extra stuff for that set of caves and ended up not even needing it.

As for boss fights I just finished the fourth dungeon and though I was able to figure it out just fine, it was an absolute riot to do. So far it?s been the most entertaining of all the boss fights. :catgirl: Now I?m just doing some exploring before I go to the next area of the game. I?ve found a number of other caves that are rather fun to solve just to get a heart piece.

And I'm loving the special moves; right now my favorites are the backslash now that I?ve gotten better at using it, and the mortal draw. (If I remember correctly) That one is downright fun to use. [/COLOR]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR=DarkRed]Well I just started the fourth dungeon and like you SunfallE I have five of the special moves as well. I even found the cave of ordeals Des mentioned but for now I?m steering clear of it.

I haven?t finished the fourth dungeon, but I?m really liking the setup and how you figure things out. Also am I the only one who thinks it?s got a bit of a tomb raider and Indiana Jones feel to it? Not that I mind, it just seems so different with how it?s been done. It?s making it the most entertaining of the dungeons so far.

I loved the part where you picked off the monsters with your bow and the item to make it where you can zoom in on them. I rather enjoyed that part.

I also enjoyed the third dungeon, and though the boss was easy to figure out, I was rather impressed by the sheer size of the playing field so to speak. At first the fight seemed rather boring, but then it picked up in pace and was more interesting.

And of course now that I?ve found out more about the storyline, well the game is picking up nicely.
[/COLOR]

[Desbreko]

[color=#4B0082]About the Cave of Ordeals, I'd recommend going through the first level when you find it, since that lets you [spoiler]get fairies anytime you want at the Ordon spring.[/spoiler] But don't bother going farther until you've beaten the seventh dungeon. Since each level past the first requires another dungeon item to progress, you can't actually complete it until you've beaten the seventh dungeon, and leaving part way through just makes you start over from the beginning.[/color]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][quote name='indifference][COLOR=DarkRed]Also am I the only one who thinks it?s got a bit of a tomb raider and Indiana Jones feel to it? Not that I mind, it just seems so different with how it?s been done. It?s making it the most entertaining of the dungeons so far. [/COLOR][/QUOTE]Nope. ^_~ I thought the same thing too when I was figuring out the dungeon. Especially the sections where you had to use your [spoiler]lamp to protect yourself. [/spoiler] I?m about halfway through the fifth dungeon, but so far the fourth is still my favorite out of what I?ve done so far.[QUOTE=Desbreko][color=#4B0082]About the Cave of Ordeals, I'd recommend going through the first level when you find it, since that lets you [spoiler]get fairies anytime you want at the Ordon spring.[/spoiler'] But don't bother going farther until you've beaten the seventh dungeon. Since each level past the first requires another dungeon item to progress, you can't actually complete it until you've beaten the seventh dungeon, and leaving part way through just makes you start over from the beginning.[/color][/quote]That?s exactly what I did, and when I looked in the next room and saw that you needed an item you got from one of the dungeons I figured that I?d end up reaching the point where I would have to leave anyway. It was definitely worth doing the first part since it [spoiler]lets you get fairies at the spring.[/spoiler] Like you mentioned. And since I'm not even done with the fifth dungeon, I'll take your advise and wait until after I beat the seventh. ^_~[/COLOR]

[Shinmaru]

Haha, I was going to start commenting on the game a lot sooner, but I got a bit lazy and put it off for a long while. Right now I'm in the middle of the seventh dungeon; I got the [spoiler]double clawshot[/spoiler] (which is totally ****ing badass, by the way), and I am also quite lost lol. I have a decent idea of where I need to go... however, the actual act of [i]getting there[/i] has proven to be a bit of a toughie. Oh well. I'll figure things out eventually. If my experience with the game (and Zelda in general) is anything to go by, then there's probably something incredibly obvious that I'm overlooking, and I'm just being dumb.

Anyway, some general thoughts... just to get the bad out of the way first, like most others here, I'm once again disappointed with the overall ease of the game's combat sections. The game's enemies are a cakewalk for the most part, and the minibosses and bosses aren't much tougher. However, they are fun as hell to fight at least. Especially the bosses. Like Charles posted, the boss battles feel like epic fights; that's one thing TP nails in spades. The first couple of bosses are fun to fight, and, in my opinion, the third fight is where they start to take on a larger-than-life scale. I really enjoyed the second part of that fight where [spoiler]you latch on to the boss's back and stab its eye with Link's sword; I probably looked like a complete fool doing it, but I'll be damned if I didn't enjoy the hell out of it.[/spoiler]

Actually, that's probably my only real big complaint about the game. The issues with the graphics and the MIDIs are somewhat annoying but are overshadowed by everything else, for me. The graphics are solid enough for the Wii right now (and downright spectacular in some areas) and the music is still good, though I would like to see how great it would be fully orchestrated. A man can dream, though. A man can dream.

Back to the combat, though... in the beginning, the controls took a bit of time to get used to, but now I'm beating the crap out of everything that moves with ease. At this point it's probably turning into a cliche to say this, but I can't imagine playing Zelda any other way now. The spin attack is [i]so[/i] useful now lol. This morning I was playing A Link to the Past yet again, and I was so annoyed at how long it took to charge up the spin attack, haha. The new moves you learn are fun, too, though I don't use all of them all the time (the shield attack/helmet slash combo, back slash, and souped-up spin attack are the only ones I use with any frequency). Again, I wish the enemies were tougher; it'd be nice to be forced to use all of your skills to beat up on everyone.

Aiming with the Wiimote is easy once you get used to it as well. My hand was shaky as hell in the beginning, but now I'm sharpshooting flying enemies with arrows at some pretty decent distances. I don't even need the Hawkeye! ([spoiler]Somehow I got the piece of heart in Kakariko where you show the kids how to use the bow without using the Hawkeye.[/spoiler]) Pretty much any excuse to use the arrows in this game is fine with me. I loved taking on the big groups of spider creatures in the sixth temple, for example. Rapid-fire bow and arrow ftw!

New items are pretty cool too. [spoiler]The aforementioned double clawshot is great, and I adore the spinner. I wish there were more areas that took advantage of that thing. Jumping around in that one room in the fourth temple (and the subsequent boss fight) were fun, but not nearly enough to satiate my thirst for spinning. There had better be more coming up, is all I can say. The ball and chain is okay; bashing the crap out of things is fun, but eh. The rod is okay too.[/spoiler]

I'll cut this post short right now. I've got some more thoughts (Wolf Link = cool; Midna = best Zelda sidekick ever by light years; wish the dungeons made more of an effort to incorporate all of your available items; etc.), but maybe I'll save those for another time, when I'm actually finished with the game. :P

[Ellerby]

[quote name='Shinmaru]I don't even need the Hawkeye! ([spoiler]Somehow I got the piece of heart in Kakariko where you show the kids how to use the bow without using the Hawkeye.[/spoiler']) [/quote]
[FONT=Tahoma][spoiler]Actually that's what you're supposed to do. Once you do that, the Hawkeye becomes available in the Malo Mart. :p

The Hawkeye, I should mention, is almost useless. I used it once and I could have just used my normal pointer if I wanted. It's slow and, while accurate, annoying.[/spoiler][/FONT]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][quote name='White][FONT=Tahoma][spoiler]The Hawkeye, I should mention, is almost useless. I used it once and I could have just used my normal pointer if I wanted. It's slow and, while accurate, annoying.[/spoiler'][/FONT][/quote]And here I was really enjoying that aspect. I just love [spoiler]picking off enemies from a distance. Especially since they never saw it coming. [/spoiler] I think it's a pity that you don't have the option as often as I would like.

And I agree with you Shinmaru the [spoiler]spinner is wicked fun to use. The boss fight in the fourth dungeon was over far too quick. I was really enjoying the spinner aspect of that fight. [/spoiler] I've run into a few other areas that you use it, but not nearly enough to satisfy my desire to play with it. ^_^

I also agree about the third boss fight. The sheer epic size of the whole fight was fun![/COLOR]

[Shinmaru]

[quote name='White][FONT=Tahoma][spoiler]Actually that's what you're supposed to do. Once you do that, the Hawkeye becomes available in the Malo Mart. :p[/spoiler'][/FONT][/quote]

Actually, no. [spoiler]My brother skipped over that heart piece the first time the opportunity was offered to him, and he didn't attempt it until later in the game (after he had completed the seventh dungeon, I believe). By that time he had already bought the Hawkeye. He used it in the challenge, but apparently Malo only gives you rupees if you use the Hawkeye, because it's "cheating."[/spoiler] So there. :p

[Ellerby]

[quote name='Shinmaru]Actually, no. [spoiler]My brother skipped over that heart piece the first time the opportunity was offered to him, and he didn't attempt it until later in the game (after he had completed the seventh dungeon, I believe). By that time he had already bought the Hawkeye. He used it in the challenge, but apparently Malo only gives you rupees if you use the Hawkeye, because it's "cheating."[/spoiler'] So there. :p[/quote]
[COLOR=DimGray][FONT=Tahoma]Really? I feel special now.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Desbreko]

[color=#4B0082]In places where most people would use the Hawkeye, I shoot without it. And still hit. :p Picking off the Bokoblins on top of those towers in the desert when they were still too far away to even start shooting at me was fun. I just wish they respawned so I could go back and practice my horseback archery on them.

For me, the only place the Hawkeye has really been useful in combination with the bow has been that little western sequence. If you stand under the archway at the start you can pick off about half of the Bokoblins without them noticing you. But, when I did it again ([spoiler]'cause I got the last sword technique in the middle of doing it[/spoiler] and that made me start over), I found it a lot more fun to just rampage through town with my sword and standard bow. I pulled some sweet moves, darting into buildings to take out Bokoblins while others shot at me from the balconies.

Now that I think about it, I think adding Bokoblin archers is one of the best things that they did for enemies in TP. Baddies with projectile weapons were sorely lacking in previous 3D Zeldas compared to the 2D games. They actually give you a reason to pull out your bow other than to hit switches or to cheap a melee enemy (Bow > Iron Knuckle without armor) to death from long range.[/color]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR=DarkRed][quote name='Desbreko][color=#4B0082']In places where most people would use the Hawkeye, I shoot without it. And still hit. :p [/color][/quote]Being able to hit them isn't really the issue for me. I got the [spoiler]heart piece when showing the kids how to use the bow the first time through since even with the gamecube version it's pretty easy to hit your target. [/spoiler] What's fun is what SunfallE mentioned, nailing them long before they even know you are there and I rather like the little [spoiler]red cross lines making it feel like you have a powerful sniper weapon instead of just a little bow. [/spoiler][/COLOR]

[Desbreko]

[color=#4B0082]Even without the Hawkeye I suppose it's not terribly difficult to hit faraway targets. I mainly just prefer aiming manually with the pointer and having to keep a steady hand. Using the Hawkeye to zoom in with a crosshair while having your aim stay steady whenever you're not moving it with the control stick is a bit too cheap for me when enemies won't shoot back from that distance. I love sniping, but sniping a target who doesn't shoot back or even move isn't much fun. :sleep:[/color]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][quote name='Desbreko][color=#4B0082'] I love sniping, but sniping a target who doesn't shoot back or even move isn't much fun. :sleep:[/color][/quote]Meh! Just a matter of opinion I guess. I rather enjoy the death from a distance and watching them keel over. Mwahahahaha! :p

I do like the regular aspect of shooting while on horseback or while fighting. I just like having those quiet moments where you take them out before they even know it too. For what ever reason it just cracks me up. ^_~[/COLOR]

[Ellerby]

[COLOR=DimGray][FONT=Tahoma]Nyeh. If they aren't aware of my presence and/or I use the HawkEye I feel like I'm cheating. It just ruins the kill for me. :/[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

I like both, the dodging arrows and birds while on horseback while taking them down and the picking them off at a distance is fun too. It?s also fun to roll and dodge the arrows when you are up close. [quote name='White][COLOR=SlateGray][FONT=Tahoma]Nyeh. If they aren't aware of my presence and/or I use the HawkEye I feel like I'm cheating. It just ruins the kill for me. :/[/FONT'][/COLOR][/quote]It?s never a cheat to use your tools to your advantage. ;)

[Ellerby]

[quote name='Rachmaninoff']I like both, the dodging arrows and birds while on horseback while taking them down and the picking them off at a distance is fun too. It?s also fun to roll and dodge the arrows when you are up close. It?s never a cheat to use your tools to your advantage. ;)[/quote]
[COLOR=DimGray][FONT=Tahoma]Eh. It just ruins the mood since it feels unnatural compared to the rest of it's environment. I don't know.. it just ruins it for me. :p[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Kenso]

Well, I'm a little late posting reviews, but here goes.

I've only had the opportunity to play and beat the Wii version (I did not complete it, only beat it - still short a few Heart Pieces, bugs, and Poe Souls, though I do have all the bottles). I'm going to get through the bad here, first, simply because it's easier that way.

[b]The Nunchuk[/b] Yes, yes, it's an awesome concept, and it does make the spin attack far more useful. But it really needs decent direction-recognition, especially when combined with the shield attack. I really got tired of doing a spin attack when I wanted to smack someone in the face with a shield.

[b]The Wiimote Speaker[/b] By the gods, that thing sounds like crap. I can only hear that giggle so many times before I want to beat Midna over the head with something (although it's still not as annoying as Navi was in OoT).

[b]The Graphics[/b] I'm sorry, but I've played Starfox Adventures, Resident Evil Zero, and Twin Snakes for the GCN. There's just no reason for Zelda to look like that, especially for the Wii version. Numerous games designed solely for the GCN showcased what it was actually capable of graphically, and TP is a bit of a disappointment in that area.

[b]Non-Orchestrated Music[/b] Yes, it sounds good, I'll give it that. What Zelda doesn't? But it could sound way better, and it's about time Zelda caught up with other series in this area.

[b]Link is NOT Right-handed[/b] I understand that it was done to go along with the way the Wiimote worked, since the majority of players are right-handed, but darn it, Link's not, and yes, that bugged me through the entire game (a fact which my poor girlfriend can back up).


Having just glanced at the time, I have realized I need to hit the good points later, as I have important things to take care of.