Amazon.com: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess: Nintendo Gamecube: Video Games

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85 of 88 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absorbed in Twilight (Review includes differences between the Wii and Gamecube Versions), December 15, 2006

By	Nite - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars

This is a review written by someone who has played both versions. In this review I'll not only touch on the aspects of Twilight Princess, but also tell you a few differences between the Wii and Gamecube versions, because some will most definitely be curious.

The Legend of Zelda is one of the most popular games of all time. When a new Zelda game marches forth, the fans are always there. Now, after spending years in development, with delay after delay and ultimately being pushed onto the Nintendo Wii, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is finally here. It's pretty generous of Nintendo to keep the game on the Gamecube as well as pushing it to the Wii. It's great that even those without the Wii can experience this amazing game.

Twilight Princess is by far one of the most instantly absorbing in the series. The game begins with you as Link in the village of Ordan. Things are going well for Link and his friends until a band of monsters riding a boar come and kidnap two of his friends. When Link awakens, he's suddenly thrust into a twilight realm where he meets a creature named Midna, who decides to aid Link on his quest. From the get go, The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess is instantly absorbing. The storyline is by far one of the best in the series and is very engrossing and absorbing.

The first major difference between the Gamecube and Wii versions are the controls. On the Wii you swing the remote and Link swings his sword. Here, it's just the press of a button. For anyone who played the Wii version, it's surprising how much time it takes to get used to the control scheme. When using the slingshot or hero's bow, aiming also feels strange. It's far easier on the Wii. The controls for the Gamecube version are good, though. It's just that if you played the Wii version you have to adjust to it. However, it actually is an entirely different experienece all together. This doesn't mean if you have the Wii version you should go out and buy the Gamecube version. They are, after all, the same game.

The heart of the challenge from the game mainly comes from the puzzles rather than the actual dungeon crawl itself. Most enemies are easily taken down by a couple of sword swings. Some of the puzzles, however, can really throw you for a loop. This also brings about another key difference between the Wii and Gamecube versions. The environments are completely mirrored. In other words, Link holds his sword in his left hand instead of his right. A path that was on the left in the Wii version will be on the right in the Gamecube version. Anyone who played the Wii version first will no doubt find this to be rather confusing. However, most of you are probably getting the Gamecube version because you don't have a Wii. So this is really no problem at all.

A unique twist to the gameplay of Zelda is that Link not only goes around in his normal form, but can become a wolf as well. As a wolf the controls are virtually the same with the exception of Link being able to use senses and dig. You'll also be forced to solve puzzles in wolf form as well, and it does indeed add some variety to the game. As you progress in wolf form, Midna sits on your back and is there to offer advice for you. Gameplay wise, Twilight Princess knows how to keep you immersed in the game.

Visually a Gamecube game has never looked better than this. It's fairly lifelike. It also looks very identical to the Wii version. However, the Gamecube version doesn't play out in widescreen so there's letterboxes whenever you view one of the cutscenes. The game sports some amazing detail, though. Link has never looked better. The land of Hyrule has never looked better. Your enemies and some of the cinematics also sport some awesome detail.

The music still sounds pretty good. A lot of tunes you'll recognize from previous Zelda adventures, but the new stuff sounds pretty good too. There's no voice acting, though, and that still bothers me about Zelda to this day. The Windwaker could've used voice acting and so could Twilight Princess. The story is so absorbing, and it probably would've been better had they added voices to it. Link grunts and such and from time to time one of the NPC characters might yell something, but there's really no spoken dialogue throughout the game. It would've been really exciting to see some of the cinematics brought to life through fantastic voice acting. In the long run this probably won't bother anyone, and its a small price to pay for a game that's as fantastic as this.

For what its worth, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is very good. Its by far the most absorbing story in the entire series, and its gameplay is unmatched. Fans who have followed Zelda since its days on the NES will be pleased at just how far the series has come with Twilight Princess. Its one of the best in the series.

On a final note, the Wii version is superior to the Gamecube version. While they are virtually the same game, the controls of the Wii version are better, and some of the environments look smoother. The control scheme and mirroring of the environments alone makes playing both versions a different experience. However, if you own the Wii version, this different experience isn't so different as to warrant the Gamecube version a buy. The reverse is also true. If you invest in the Gamecube version, it's hard to say, "Get the Wii version too."

Whichever version you get, however, you'll be satisfied either way.

The Good

+Absorbing story
+Fantastic Gameplay
+There's a lot of great detail given to the game
+The puzzles are quite challenging
+The game still sounds good

The Bad

-All this time and the series still lacks voice acting

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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Zelda goes twilight (spoiler-free), December 22, 2006

By	Stacy C. Burns (Spring Hill, Fl. United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars

First of all, I'm not a gamer, at least not in the true sense. There is only one game I play, The Legend of Zelda. At this point, my review will be about Twilight Princess. I will not compare this game to anything other then the other Zelda titles I have played because as I said I haven't played anything else.

Like most Ocarina of Time fans, I have waited for 3+ years for this title. Like most fans when I saw that it was going to be delayed my first reaction was anger and alot of it! After assurances from Nintendo that they just wanted to make the game bigger and better, I saw sense. I was willing to wait if it meant this game would be BEYOND my wildest dreams.

Nintendo has succeeded.

The landscapes in this game are tremendous. However this is not to be compared to Wind Waker. Remember the hours of sailing? I remember saying to my son "Here honey, sail for me while I make a sandwich, OK?"

The 'graphics junkies' might not be too happy with the backgrounds, and if graphics are a priority over gameplay then don't bother with this game. Sorry, but I still love Ocarina of Time with it's 1998 graphics! While it's true that some of the backgrounds are muddy and the twilight realm can be overly blurred, it's still the best looking Zelda game ever. I would have liked to see some of the bright flashy colors of Majoras Mask, but in the long run it probably would have been too 'cartoony' for this dark title.

The gameplay is comfortable and familar. Link has all of his classic moves although some have said that they wish the spin attack would have been more like that of the Wii. On the Wii version of this game, the spin is done with the nunchuck and has to 'charge' for each use, ie. you hear a 'shwing' of a sword so you know the spin attack is recharged. However, on this version, the spin attack can be used over and over as in OOT. The complaint is that enemies will be too easy to kill just like in OOT. My simple suggestion is: don't use it that way then!

There are many new twists on Links arsonal of weapons, I won't give anything away here, but some of these are so foolishly fun you will catch yourself using up all your amumition just for the heck of it.

Links fighting moves are a little slower then OOT or MM. This title is more realistic so that goes with the territory. However it doesn't effect gameplay in my estimation, not like in Wind Waker. The Link of Wind Waker had an annoying habit of bumping his head on the stairs if he was rolling or if you were fleeing an enemy he would pause to jump up on a ledge. Well, I suppose he was a child in that game so I should give him a little slack!
You learn several new moves thoughout Twilight Princess that make battle that much more fun, however, nothing is too difficult to execute. In other words, you don't have to hit 3 or 4 different buttons to do a particular move. Watching my son play 'Lord of the Rings' on the PS2 makes me cringe. I just don't have time for all that! Ahhh, Zelda simplicity!

We have all come to expect side quests and puzzles from any Zelda title, and this game will not leave you dissapointed. However, I will say that one game in particular is alot more fun on the Wii because of it's motion sensing ability, but not to worry there are so many other things to do!

Some have complained about the cutscenes. Remember the cutscenes in OOT?
I always take a bathroom break when the 'goddess cutscenes' come on. How about that annoying owl?
However in Twilight Princess the game will prompt you to 'skip' so if you wish to jump that part, simply hit 'start' and voila, you go on to the next scene.

The characters have depth and back stories. MM really started the whole 'back story with emotion'idea and Twilight Princess takes this to a whole new level. However some of these stories are darker, and it's to be expected.
There is a sadness in Twilight Princess that is absent in the other titles. Some may not like this, but I think it gives Link and the rest of the characters a bittersweet quality, again, adding to the realism. Watch Links expressions in some of the cutscenes, and you'll see what I mean.
There is plenty of comic relief, however, and I caught myself giggling at some of the places Link visits.

It has been said that Twilight Princess is the spiritual successor to Ocarina of Time. How true that stamement is! So which game is better? Twilight Princess or Ocarina of Time? This argument will go on forever probably. However, in my mind the two can't be compared, and I feel it's unfair to do so. OOT was released in 1998, MM in 2000, after all.
For me, they are two very different games both in scope, feelings and character development.

To those who have never played a Zelda title and are thinking about this game, a warning, this title may just hook you. Graphics are nice, but remember, you can dress up a corpse, but it's still dead and has no heart. This game may be a little 'plain Jane' but it's full of life. Ocarina of Time is even more of a 'plain Jane' but is just as lively.

To those who have enjoyed other Zelda titles, let the storyline unfold and let the game stand on it's own. Twilight Princess is a game with heart and soul and depth. It's always darker before the dawn, but that makes fighting evil so much sweeter!

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Zelda: Twilight Princess = Greatness, January 7, 2007

By	R. J. Thomas (Layton, UT USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars

The Twilight Princess, will forever reign as one of the Greatest.

That is no small thing to say, and cannot be said for most games ever released. I read an interview with one of the members of the Zelda team; and in that interview, he mentioned they tried to make Twilight Princess a better game then Ocarina of Time. Now, many people who have played Ocarina will tell you how great that game is. Ocarina is considered by many to be one of the best games ever made. The Twilight Princess meets, and even surpasses its predecessor in many ways.

I finished the game today, and all I feel is stunned. Stunned by its design, the story, the characters, and the deep level of gameplay. Challenging in many ways, yet not so much it is tedious, I enjoyed every minute of the game. I took about 55 hours to complete the game, even after I found every last Heartpiece. Of course, I played through Ocarina so many times that Twilight's similar gameplay and puzzles made it easier to complete. Yes it's true; it is very similar to Ocarina in many ways, in controls, and gameplay style mostly. But different enough to be on its own , and you can play it without playing Ocarina. Although I would recommend playing Ocarina before you finish this one.

My new favorite character is Midna! Midna added so much to the game, way more then Navi. Midna is as unique as fictional characters come, and cute to boot. HA! No truly, I do not want to give out any spoilers, you'll know what I mean when you finish the game. I was yelling at Midna near the end of the game, not because something bad happens but more out of grief. Yelling, "No you can't do it!" I was so involved in the story, that at the end I almost cried.... Only to realize I can play again! Hurray!

Suitable for youngsters (8+) yet deep enough for adults, Twilight Princess is now #1 on my all time favorite games list. I wouldn't say it is the greatest game ever made, just in my humble opinion, one of the best ever.

Ocarina was not my favoirte game before Twilight, just so you know I'm not a total Zelda fanboy. In fact, I have only beat around 10 games on the Gamecube. I mostly play PC games on my beast of a computer.

Please go out and buy this great adventure, either on Game cube or the Wii. You will not be disappointed.

A special thanks to all who made Twilight Princess possible. Thank you for all of your efforts.

Now off to play again!