Zelda Twilight Princess GAMECUBE review

thehylia.com - http://tinyurl.com/yxd9wd

Twilight Princess is truly a unique Legend of Zelda title. It is the
only Legend of Zelda title to be a "launch" title for a new system. It
is the only Legend of Zelda title to ever release on more than one
system in its original run (not re-releases). It's also the first Zelda
to have two pretty unique versions with different mechanics, albeit
nothing major. The Wind Waker had its controversy over graphics.
Twilight Princess will be known for its controversy over which
"version" was superior.


Sure, the "politically correct" thing to say is "both versions are
great, get both or get whatever you want". I've never really been a fan
of saying what is "right" over what is "true". Mask it all you want, or
believe all the PR nonsense from Nintendo, but in reality, there is a
divide with Zelda fans right now, and unlike The Wind Waker which could
"win over doubters" because there was only one version to convince
people with, Twilight Princess has two versions, and you are going to
favor one over the other.

I gave Twilight Princess on Wii a 9.6. To sum up, it was a great game
that worked on Wii, but due to some control issues and some minor flaws
in visuals and audio, I felt it was not perfect like a lot of the press
and fans proclaim. Twilight Princess on GCN, in a nutshell, remedies
the control issues I had on Wii, with my only complaint being the
"theoretical" better aiming was replaced with the traditional aiming.
Also, because this is a GCN title, the visuals are superb, with I think
only Resident Evil 4 being a better looking title, and because it is no
longer a next-gen system, the audio issues are more forgivable. Rather
than go through the same process of our standard review formula, this
will be more of a comparison. Don't worry; there will still be a final
score for you score freaks.


The game controls are basically the same as the Wii version, though how
you control the game is drastically different. Instead of swinging the
Wii Remote, you simply push the B-button to swing your sword. While
this may take away from the "unique" experience of the Wii, it allows
the player to have superior control. Whether this matters or not is up
to you, but there is no delay between pushing B and Link swinging his
sword. The spin attack is also done by simply holding down the B
button, which is technically easier than shaking the nunchuck, but it
takes longer to do. There is no "recharge", however, so you can do spin
attacks as frequently as possible. Additionally, the quick spin
returns, which has been a staple of Zelda titles since Ocarina of Time.

Camera control is also a welcomed addition to the GCN version. Unlike
the Wii version, which the player had to rely on Z-targeting or going
into first person, the GCN version allows the player to rotate the
camera angle with the C-stick, or zoom out for a wider depth of view.
There were several times in the Wii version I tried to use Z-targeting
to align my camera, and it would lock onto an enemy or object, which
became annoying at points. This is remedied in the GCN version.
Additionally, platforming is made much simpler by the ability to
on-the-fly adjust your angle so you can have a straight line-of-sight
for your next move.


One noticeable disadvantage to some is the lack of the pointer aim
system found in the Wii Remote. Not only do you need to use the analog
stick to aim (which is also possible in the Wii version if you toggle
the options), but you are forced to start your aim in a neutral
position, rather than have your cursor pointing at a spot on screen to
begin your aim. There is also no pointer for weapons like the bow and
slingshot, though the hookshot and using the hawk feature an aiming
reticule. Depending on your setup, one version will have better aiming.
If you don't own a big screen TV or don't have much space to stand
back, the GCN version will be easier because you will experience
accuracy issues with the Wii Remote and sensorbar. If you have a nice
HDTV and a huge space to play your Wii, the Wii version will be a bit
easier. The only trump card is that even after adjusting the aiming
sensitivity of the Wii Remote, there may still be noticeable latency
between your aim and the on-screen cursor. This is not present at all
in the GCN version.

The real disadvantage comes with the item button setup on the GCN
version. The Wii utilizes three d-pad slots for items, whereas the GCN
only utilizes the X and Y buttons for item slots. Thus, you may only
equip two items at anytime on GCN, whereas you can have up to three on
the Wii. This is not an issue, and only hardcore gamers will have any
complaints. Zelda has limited players to two items before, and even one
item in some installments. The Minish Cap was a great title, and you
only had two item slots. Was Link's Awakening penalized for only having
two item slots? Maybe some have forgotten that probably the greatest
Zelda title of all time, A Link to the Past, only feature one item
slot, as did the original installment in the series. Sure, having the
ability to use more than one item at a time is the way the series has
evolved, but it is not always necessary. Still, it is a difference
between the two versions.


Lastly, the fishing is vastly different on the GCN version. Rather than
reeling in by rotating the nunchuck and pulling back on the Wii Remote,
you use the C-stick and a button to fish on the GCN. The Wii version
may be more fun as it attempts to replicate real-life fishing, but that
chord that connects the nunchuk to the Wii remote really does become an
annoyance at points. Fishing on the GCN is easier, though it may not be
as involving as the Wii. The Wii version definitely is more
entertaining to fish on, though.

Other than what was mentioned, the two games are identical. Except for
one trivial issue. Twilight Princess on GCN is a "mirrored" version of
the Wii. or vice versa, depending on which fanboy you're speaking with.
The only people that this really matters to are people like me who
played the Wii version first, and are now attempting to play the GCN
version. You will be disoriented for most of the game unless you have
the ability to flip everything in your head easily. Of course, if you
play the GCN version first, and then go to Wii, you'll experience the
same dilemma. For those who do not play both versions, this is a
non-factor. Some fanboys will lead you to believe one version is the
"true" version because of which hand Link uses, or which way the
artists intended the game to be played. I concede that, by their own
admission, the creators have said it doesn't matter which hand you use
on the Wii version due to the nature of the sword mechanics and they
only "flipped" the game to help the marketing, and as such, mirroring
the game was pointless. Still, the argument is utter nonsense, but if
you do intend on playing both versions, prepare to "unlearn what you
have learned", or you will find yourself running into walls at points.


Graphically, the game was pretty amazing on the Wii, but seeing this
level of graphic quality on one GCN disc is even more impressive. I
seriously now ponder just how good a Wii game can look if Nintendo
utilizes more of that Wii disc capacity, or how much bigger the game
could have been. Except for Resident Evil 4, I've not seen a game as
good looking as Twilight Princess on the GameCube. Still, at points, it
seems like textures or areas are too much like Ocarina of Time's. The
Wind Waker nicely masked these shortcomings with Cel-shading, now
they're more visible. But these low points are not too often, and the
majority of the game is rendered very well. I still had thoughts that
some scenes were pre-rendered (sometimes cinematics are cued by a pause
and a few seconds of black screen), but nothing on the level of FMV so
it's probably all in-game graphics. Seeing some of the characters faces
up close is awesome, like Princess Zelda or Ganondorf. Many of the
bosses are also very epic in scale and size, truly showcasing some the
visual capabilities of the GCN.

There is a debate going on as to whether or not Nintendo should ditch
"MIDI" in favor of digitally recorded live audio, or basically, "why
doesn't Zelda's music sound like Metal Gear Solid's or Final
Fantasy's?" I believe the Wii's storage capacity makes it more capable
of delivering superior sounding audio, but the GCN version of Twilight
Princess is really awesome in terms of the sounds. Only a few tracks
really sound last-gen, but the vast majority of the music does not
sound like a MIDI. Princess Zelda's theme, the final music when you
battle Ganondorf, Midna's theme, even Hyrule Field all sound really
awesome. At points, some of the music was very Square-Enix-esque, like
when you have to race back to Princess Zelda when Midna is near death.
An added bonus is the lack of the Wii Remote speaker. I understand
Nintendo was trying to be innovative with that speaker, and at points,
it does aid in the gameplay with Midna's laugh letting you know
something is up, but overall, it got rather bothersome and the sound
quality is very poor on the Wii Remote speaker. These are not present
on the GCN.



Much has been said about the story now that many have finished the
game. While I share many of the sentiments, I acknowledge most are
petty fanboy complaints in the grand scheme of things. Yeah, the game
didn't end with a huge tragedy (there's no flood, get over it). Zelda
and Ganondorf do not have really well-developed characters, and are
rendered mainly absent for most of the game. Yes, the game really
confuses...if you look at it in regards to the entire Zelda storyline.
That's not how you should judge the game's story, and one should look
at it in terms of just the game itself, as a stand-alone story. In that
regard, Twilight Princess has the best overall story of any Zelda game,
and it is noticeably darker and more mature. Only Majora's Mask comes
close to the level of characterization given to some of the NPCs in
Twilight Princess (some players need to take more time checking in with
NPCs to get this - if you breeze through the game, of course you're
going to think the NPCs were horrible). The game also has and ending
that is very ambiguous and lends itself perfectly to a direct sequel.
And as most fans should know by now, Zelda titles come in pairs (The
Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link, A Link to the Past and
Link's Awakening, Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, Oracle of Ages and
Oracle of Seasons, The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass, and The Minish
Cap and Four Swords/Four Swords Adventures). Direct sequel? Count on
it.

You're going to be playing this game for a long, long time. When
Miyamoto and Aonuma said the game would be 70+ hours, or even have up
to 100 hours of gameplay, I misunderstood what they meant - as did most
of us. Just by looking around message boards and sites, the average
completion time for Twilight Princess is around 50 hours, with better
players taking around 30-40 and those who take their time (or, sorry,
aren't that good) taking 50-60. This is the "internets", and the
"internets" is full of nerds. Think about average players or
non-gamers. They will take 70+ hours, easily. If you go back and do
everything, even the most skilled gamer is going to take over 40 hours
their first time through, at least. For those who truly love Zelda and
great gaming experiences, you will spend a 100+ hours, minimum, on
Twilight Princess. It is a massive game, and those complaining it is
too short are just playing it through once to get to the end and not
really appreciating everything else the game has to offer.



Another big gripe from the Wii version was how easy the game was. The
Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link were hard games, yes. But I
was 6 and 9 when I first played each, and to any 6 or 9 year old, those
games would be very hard. Most of us have grown up, and we know Zelda,
and we know games. Perhaps if you are playing Twilight Princess as your
first ever Zelda game, it will be damn near impossible to beat without
a guide. For seasoned veterans, it is not a hard game. It's harder than
most Zelda games, and except for Majora's Mask, it's probably the
hardest 3D Zelda game. Some of the difficulty is also gone as a result
of better game design. Most of the older Zelda games were more
difficult due to limited gameplay mechanics and the constraints of a 2D
environment. Sure, some of the boss battles in Twilight Princess were
very easy, but they delivered on entertainment and they gave an epic
feel. So many fans have said how awesome the Stallord battle was,
skating along side the grooves on the Spinner...that has to be one of
the best Zelda boss battles ever. Fans also finally got to face a
massive, fire-breathing dragon in the form of Argorok...and all of this
battle took place in the sky. Enemies put up more of a fight, and
bosses were more fun rather than tedious. Sure, a difficulty option
would have been nice for more hardcore gamers, but for the general
populous, Twilight Princess was superbly designed and extremely fun to
play.

So now you want to know which version to get. The honest answer is it
comes down to two factors: economics and preference. If you had the
means to get a Wii and TP, you should have done so because any Zelda
fan would want to play a new Zelda as soon as possible and not hold out
for a later version. If you couldn't get a Wii, or couldn't afford one,
then the GCN version was a nice consolation. Because both versions work
so well, you're going to enjoy Twilight Princess no matter which
version you play. If you have the means, I would suggest getting both
just to experience the game in two different ways, to let yourself
truly know which version you prefer. Still, for those who have the
means to only buy one or the other, but need to make a choice now on
which to get, it boils down to tradition versus innovation. If you have
loved every past Zelda title, and are hesitant about a new controller
interface, than the GCN version is for you. If you've become tired of
the controls Zelda has had for the past 20 years, get the Wii version.


The final answer is: The GCN version is the definitive version of
Twilight Princess, but that does NOT mean the Wii version sucks or
anything. Both are SUPERB titles and both offer their respective
playing styles, it's just this reviewer prefers one over the other.
Still, I really do hope Nintendo does get "innovative" with more than
just how you play Zelda in the future, but rather, how Zelda plays.
Because if you just change up how you play Zelda via the controller, in
the end, it amounts to nothing more than a novelty. In the end, the
only really innovation with Wii Twilight Princess was the aiming. So,
here's hoping to a future of more innovation with Zelda.

Gameplay: 10 - It's honestly up to preference, but it appears the GCN
controls are more refined than the Wii, which suffered from latency
issues in aiming and registering sword swings. Free camera renders
platforming issues on the Wii version virtually painless. The aiming
features no "pointer", but only those who played the Wii version will
really feel a difference here. Lack of a third item button does reduce
you to more item switching, but this is a Zelda game, and item
switching is integral. Nobody complained about it with any of the other
Zelda titles, so why start now?

Visuals: 9 - The only drawback is the lack of a 16:9 option and there
are framerate issues at certain parts of the game. Other than that,
this is one of the best looking GCN titles ever made and really
showcases how powerful the GCN was. All of this crammed onto one GCN
disc sort of makes one wonder just how much better the Wii version
could have been had it not been a strict GCN port. Still, some textures
are blurry and some areas just don't look as good as the others.

Sound: 10 - After hearing the music over and over, I've become even
more impressed with it. Some of the tracks are simply beautiful and
will be classics for many years to come. Reused music is nicely redone,
with many of the new renditions much better than previous incarnations.
There is a lack of certain sound effects due to the GCN controller
having no speaker, but honestly, the Wii Remote's speaker wasn't
strength with the audio, but more a weakness. Some tracks, though,
sound noticeably worse than the others, which is the only main gripe.

Story: 10 - Fanboy complaints aside, taking Twilight Princess as a
stand-alone story is how this game must be judged. The cinematics are
unmatched compared to any previous Zelda title, and the story is
pleasantly much more mature and darker than other games, more akin to
Majora's Mask, though it focuses more on an overall story. Midna simply
has the best character development of any Zelda figure, and all other
characters have strong personalities (should you take the time to get
to know them). The ending lends itself very nicely to a sequel, while
resolving the plot of the current game.

Replay Value/Fun Factor/Challenge: 10 - Fans who played through the Wii
version and breezed through in 30-40 hours have been complaining about
the game not being 70+ hours like promised. If you actually take the
time to play the game at a decent pace and take everything in and enjoy
it, the game does take 40-50 hours for a skilled player. Most average
players will take 50+ hours. Doing everything will take longer, and the
game is just so engrossing that you will return and play over and over
again; whether it is to catch more fish, to finish Roll Goal, get a new
high score in the Zora's River game or collect every Poe's Soul or
Bug...there's a lot to do and a lot to come back and want to play more.
The game is not the hardest, but some people need to realize they're
not children anymore playing a Zelda game for the first time. Seasoned
vets will find the game easier than expected, though there are some
good battles that will take you near death and puzzles that will leave
you stumped. Bottom line is, the game is fun, and you will enjoy it.

Final Score: 9.8 out of 10
By: TSA

__________________________________________________ ______________________________


GameSpot's terrible review - don't base your decision on this review

http://tinyurl.com/y5n72z

IGN's review is now up

http://cube.ign.com/articles/751/751266p1.html

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Review

GameCube's swan song has arrived. How do the traditional controls feel
compared to the Wii version?
by Matt Casamassina


December 15, 2006 - Ocarina, your time is up. It took Nintendo almost a
decade to do it, but the publisher has finally created a new Zelda game
that is so well designed and so epic that it deserves to be crowned the
best in its class. Twilight Princess spent four years in development by
one of the most talented teams in the world. The game, helmed by Eiji
Aonuma (Majora's Mask, Wind Waker) is every bit the culmination of the
franchise and also a true spiritual sequel to the Big N's 1998 N64
classic. This is much larger, darker and more difficult adventure than
GameCube's Wind Waker, which is sure to please purists. It is also a
title that is available on two Nintendo systems - GameCube and Wii.
While the new generation version boasts a few extras that make it the
better of the two choices, the GameCube original is still no slouch.

We could easily write a 10-page review of Twilight Princess, exploring
every nook and cranny, detailing every character, every boss, and every
last temple, but we don't want to spoil the adventure that awaits you.
We realize that the last thing our viewers want with this review is to
stumble upon major spoilers, so we've done our best to keep significant
story developments and weapon and item upgrades from our critique. That
being true, we will be referencing some common themes, characters,
previously shown items, temples and more as examples to back up our
opinions.

When the game opens to a sweeping view of Link as he rides Epona across
a vast landscape, you can't help conjuring memories of Ocarina's epic
beginnings. And at least for the first half of the adventure, Twilight
Princess does indeed feel very much like Ocarina of Time for a new
generation of players. Not only does Link start his quest from a small
village on the outskirts of Hyrule proper, but he eventually makes his
way to cities and temples that have all been seen before - in less
detail, of course - almost a decade ago. Were these familiarities
representative of the adventure as a whole, the title might find itself
with an identity problem. A good identity problem, mind you - even a
full-blown remake of Ocarina would be destined for greatness - but an
identity problem nevertheless. Thankfully, though, the game also
sharply divides the old from the new by way of an engrossing storyline
that travels Nintendo's beloved hero into an alternate realm known
simply as the Twilight. It is from this beautiful bloom-filled,
particle-drowned Hyrulian wasteland that some very different changes
are introduced to the old gameplay formula.

For starters, Link changes into a wolf and takes on brand new beast
abilities. Via some uncharacteristically well-choreographed cut-scenes,
the aspiring warrior transforms into the four-legged animal and
eventually meets Zelda, who has been imprisoned in the Twilight. He's
also introduced to Midna, a pivotal character to the storyline and
quest to follow. This is a dark world and it's complemented by a
decidedly dark premise. There are no beheadings or, for that matter,
even genuine gore, but compared to the always colorful, cartoony affair
that was Wind Waker, this stuff may as well be Resident Evil. In one
particularly compelling cinematic halfway through the game, the
storyline even ponders what might happen if Link himself turned to
evil. Nintendo has utilized motion-capturing for characters and the
added fluidity is immediately noticeable, but that's hardly the primary
reason why these sequences are so welcomed. Rather, the tale has
matured and advanced well beyond the templated save-the-princess
routine and into something that holds interest not simply to support
some well-rounded gameplay mechanics, but as an attraction of its own.
As you play, you will generally want to know who Midna is and what here
motivation to help Link might be, just as you'll be itching to discover
what the true power of the Twilight King.



Nintendo's newfound attention to spinning a good yarn seems to clash
with its reluctance to join the new millennium and populate its
breathtaking worlds with characters whose words are voiced and not
bubbled. This, of course, remains a point of heated debate amongst
die-hards and we're willing to wager that fans will be copy-and-pasting
this very critique to message boards before the virtual ink has dried,
but we're not backing down in our assertion that it's time for real,
true voice-acting. We understand that Link is a heroic mute and that's
fine by us, but the remaining populace has something to say and we
don't want to read it. Although the bustling city of Castle Town is the
centerpiece of Hyrule, there is an air of claustrophobia surrounding it
because the characters never really speak.

Some gamers have resisted the Wii version of Twilight Princess because
they feel that the new control scheme is unnecessary. The GameCube
build of the title provides a more conventional alternative that feels
very familiar to anybody who has played a Zelda entry before and
incidentally as polished as ever. There are even a couple advantages to
playing with a traditional controller over the Wii remote. For one,
players who enjoyed titles like Wind Waker will understand immediately
how to maneuver Link like a pro in Twilight Princess because the same
fundamental controls still apply. The character is moved swiftly with
the left analog stick and the right opens access to the camera - an
option missed in the Wii incarnation. Swordplay is assigned to a button
instead of gestures and is easily executed. Drawing and using Link's
blade maybe quicker, especially where the spin attack is concerned, but
that said the Wii build does facilitate a welcomed layer of immersion
made possible by acting out sword slashes with gestures, and that is
missed from the GCN build.

Where the GameCube build comes up short is the area of aiming, whether
it's for the Hero's Bow or the Gale Boomerang. Now that we've played
through the Wii version of Twilight Princess and experienced pinpoint
targeting accuracy via the console's unique remote, it's difficult to
go back to the archaic analog stick-based aiming mechanism that the GCN
utilizes. Don't get us wrong because it still works just fine. However,
in comparison to the Wii remote, it's slow-going and imprecise.

Early on in the game, Link becomes trapped in the Twilight and - in
wolf form - must fight to break free, at which point he returns to his
human shape. Later in the adventure, he can switch between the forms at
his whim and this mechanic is integrated into level designs and
puzzles. Controlling the wolf is similar to maneuvering Link, but the
beast form offers you greater speed, the ability to jump at will, a
spectacular energy field that encapsulates and destroys the Twilight's
enemies (known as Shadow Beings) and sensory equipment. The wolf can,
for example, use the sense of smell to find hidden items, see the
trapped spirits of Hyrule's inhabitants, and even follow a character's
scent. All of these animal powers are not only integral to progressing,
but quite a lot of fun in practice, too. Perhaps most importantly,
though, is that Midna herself becomes accessible in wolf form and she
is able to guide the beast to areas unattainable by Link. As you can
imagine, some clever puzzles are based around all the above
functionality. By mid-game, Link can also call upon Midna to warp all
over the map, cutting down on what could be tedious travel, especially
if you need to go back and forth between provinces, as you often must.

Twilight Princess is a gargantuan adventure filled with a dazzling
variety of places to see, people and creatures to meet and things to
do. The scope of the game is epic and you can play it however you
please. For the purposes of this review, we tore through the main
adventure and oftentimes overlooked the meaty selection of side quests.
We later came back to them and were amazed by their depth. In one
corner of the map there is a beautiful, lifelike pond whose primary
purpose is to house fish. You could conceivably spend hours upon hours
at this location doing nothing but casting your lure. A robust fishing
mechanic has been enhanced through the use of the Wii remote and
nunchuk and as a result the process of catching a big one is all the
more engrossing. In contrast, though, you could speed through the game
and never so much as bother with the fishing options. There are an
impressive number of other side quests and mini games that follow this
same, impressive structure.


When Link isn't riding Epona, transforming into wolves, speeding down
streams or snowboarding on an ice shard 1080-style over a powdery peak,
he's usually in a temple - there are almost 10 of them. Some of these
dungeons will seem familiar to Ocarina of Time fans. You will travel to
the obligatory lava-filled Goron Temple and you will see the Forest
Temple, too. That being noted, these locations are completely changed
from their predecessor's counterparts; they're packed with new and
clever puzzles, infested with fresh enemies, and just as you will use
recognizable items and weapons to traverse them, so will you gain
access to brand new ones - a few of them exceptionally awesome. We
don't want to go into too many details, of course, so let's just say
that Link actually rides one of these new items.

The complaint could be made that Twilight Princess is too similar to
Ocarina of Time because the basic play style is familiar and because
some faces and places return. However, we think such criticisms are
unfounded because they seem to suggest that Zelda's masterful control
mechanics should be changed simply for the sake of being different.
These criticisms also ignore everything about the game that is
completely new - there's a lot of it. Consider the Twilight Realm,
Link's new wolf mechanics, some of the incredible new weapons and items
he amasses, and a few of the several original locations and temples,
which are fascinating. The Temple of Time is hidden somewhere in this
enormous new game, but so is a dungeon in the sky. This is definitely
the Zelda universe and yet it is in many ways a compelling re-imagining
of that universe.

The game will test you. When we first played it at length with a group
of journalists, we saw a lot of game over screens. We bit the dust a
couple times ourselves. Some of the environmental puzzles in the
temples are brain teasers, to be sure, as evidenced by the fact that we
still have bruises on our foreheads from banging them against a nearby
wall. Even so, all said and done we found ourselves hoping for just a
little more where challenge is concerned, particularly for boss
battles. Although the design and size of these grotesque, awe-inspiring
creatures are practically immeasurable, they can usually be bested
without ever endangering Link's life force, which is unfortunate. To be
fair, some enemies do inflict more damage on Link than others and it is
harder to amass hearts than in previous games.

Twilight Princess happens to be a very pretty GCN effort. Although
Nintendo's new console is roughly twice as powerful, the visual
differences between the two versions of the game are minimal. While
both incarnations support a progressive-scan mode, only the Wii build
also features a 16:9 widescreen option. Meanwhile, some gamers have
complained that the GCN title is riddled with more framerate slowdowns
than the steady running Wii game, but we have not encountered these
issues while playing.

The game world is vast and beautifully designed. Nintendo's artists
have worked overtime to model the characters and locations that make up
Hyrule and it shows. Link features more detail than ever before and
many of the enemies that looked quasi-silly in previous Zelda titles
are now genuinely spooky. Take, for instance, the Poes -- ghosts which
now feature designs that resemble the grim reaper.

There are definitely visual standouts. The shimmering, realistic water
in the game is gorgeous. The Twilight Realm's bloomy art style is
equally impressive. And the particle and lighting effects that
highlight everything from flowing lava to fights with enemies are
second to none.

Then again, this is a GCN title and let's face it, the system is five
years old. Some of the textures, particularly those skinning the
admittedly immense Hyrule Field, are blurry and even ugly. Nintendo
also has an unfortunate tendency to frame cinematics with blurry
structures and other objects in the background, which detracts from the
presentation. Beyond the low-resolution make-up of some characters and
locations, though, we honestly don't have too many complaints, which is
quite the feat given that we're self-proclaimed graphics junkies.

Nintendo missed a big opportunity where music is concerned, though. The
developer consistently creates some of the most memorable and beloved
musical compositions in the business and in no franchise are there more
memorable and catchy songs than Zelda. Twilight Princess features these
wonderful tracks, but the majority of them are MIDI-based and not
orchestrated. The MIDI tunes are passable, but they lack the punch and
crispness of their orchestrated counterparts. We honestly can't
understand Nintendo's decision not to invest more time and resources
into the music because Wii discs do not share the storage limitations
of GCN ones.

Closing Comments
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is, in my opinion, the greatest
Zelda game ever created and one of the best launch titles in the
history of launch titles - second only, perhaps, to the at-the-time
ground- breaking Super Mario 64. It is also one of the finest games I
have ever played.

As someone who has played both the GameCube and Wii versions of
Twilight Princess, I can confidently state that I prefer the latter for
its handful of extras, including what I consider to be enhanced
controls and an exclusive 16:9 widescreen mode. That being said,
though, I can certainly understand why purists might want to stick with
the more conventional controls of the GCN build and as far as a
traditional setup goes, Twilight Princess is definitely as good as it
gets.

While the game has just about everything going for it, including
improved controls, a long and engrossing quest, brain-teasing dungeons
and some beautiful graphics, it's not perfect. The difficulty has been
upped over Wind Waker, but I wish it were harder still - the boss
fights are oftentimes too easy, for example. Additionally, while the
visuals are generally impressive, some textures remain blurry to the
point they are noticeable. And finally, I still question why Nintendo
refuses to add either voice work to the side characters (especially
since Twilight Princess features such an improved storyline) or
orchestrated music to the soundtrack.

Everything said and done, this is still a major achievement for
Nintendo and it arrives as GameCube's swan song - an epic farewell to
what has been a great console.