The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess: Information from Answers.com Mobile

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Release Date: December 12, 2006
Genre: Role-Playing
Style: Third-Person 3D Action RPG
Similar Games: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (Nintendo GameCube), Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles (Nintendo GameCube), The Legend of Zelda Collector's Edition (Nintendo GameCube)

Game Description

Eschewing the whimsical, cartoon-like design found in 2003's The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, the GameCube development team behind Nintendo's flagship fantasy series has opted for a mature approach toward the storyline and characters for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Players once again control the elfin Link as he fights to save Hyrule from a shadowy new threat, one that has cast a crippling darkness over the once vibrant land and its surrounding areas. Link has a few new powers up his tunic's sleeve, however, as he can transform into a wolf with the help of a mysterious animal friend named Midna.

Familiar elements from previous Zelda games have made the transition to Twilight Princess as well. Link will be able to slash at his enemies with a sword, fling a boomerang, block attacks with a shield, and fire arrows with a bow. Link can continue battles while on his trusted steed, Epona, running at full gallop into packs of mounted enemies such as goblins. Players must explore new puzzle-filled dungeons that culminate in epic boss fights as they figure out a way to return Hyrule to its pastoral state. Twilight Princess also offers a mix of optional mini-games, including canoeing, herding, fishing, and several other surprises.

~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Review: Overall

Unlike the cel-shaded The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess delivers what many Zelda fans were pining for since 1998's The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Finally, the series makes its return to Hyrule in this beautifully rendered game for the Nintendo GameCube. Despite the lackluster storyline, this newest installment to the Zelda series features an immense environment, new weapons and gadgets, addictive mini-games, and an adult version of Link.

The game starts with Link as he interacts with the people in his village. After a lengthy introductory segment that would make the developers of Kingdom Hearts II proud, the action finally kicks in with the evil forces of Twilight taking over the kingdom of Hyrule and transforming Link into a wolf. It is in this form that Link encounters spirits in all shapes and forms and meets his appointed "helper" for the game -- a being of Twilight called Midna. Link finally learns that he must rid the world of the Twilight if he hopes to rescue his friends. With that, Link puts his "nose" to the task and begins his one wolf battle against the army of shadows.

Twilight Princess delivers a powerful punch with beautiful environments and colorful characters and enemies that are just as detailed. The controls are simple and easy to use and the camera angles offer stunning panoramic views of Hyrule. But what makes this game most satisfying are the variety of things to do. Link can run, swim, ride, climb, fish, and even sumo wrestle a Goron. A new and welcome feature to the game is the option to customize your arrows. Once equipped with a bow, Link can combine it with bombs for explosive results or equip it with the hawkeye to improve his aim. Over the course of the game, Link can transform to and from wolf form, which can also have its advantages such as scaring the local population. The game moves at a fast pace with little backtracking. Midna proves her worth by offering suggestions as to what to do next, as well as how to defeat certain enemies

The only thing that drags the game down is the story itself. The situations and dialogue are terribly cliché, thus making many sequences of the game very predictable in their outcomes. Overall, Twilight Princess is a high end GameCube game that does well to satisfy fans of the series, however, do not look for this game to become a classic anytime soon.

Review: Enjoyment

The game provides numerous activities and quests for Link to take part in, however certain characters and situations come close to being either annoying and/or inane.

Review: Graphics

Graphics are smooth and very detailed. The environments appear natural and the characters interact well with it as well as each other.

Review: Sound

The music complements the overall mood of the game. Fans of the series will recognize several tunes from previous Zelda installments as well as variations of old ones.

Review: Replay Value

While the game remains the top of its class in regards to the latest in gaming technology, the lack of effective story-telling may scare away gamers who favor quality over quantity.

Review: Documentation

The explanation on game mechanics is very thorough and easy to understand for both rookie and veteran players.