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The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
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North American Wii version box art |
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| Developer(s) | Nintendo EAD |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Designer(s) | Eiji Aonuma Shigeru Miyamoto |
| Composer(s) | Toru Minegishi Asuka Ohta Kōji Kondō |
| Series | The Legend of Zelda |
| Engine | Modified version of the The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker[1] |
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 (GameCube, Wii), 16:9 (Wii) |
| Native resolution | 480p (EDTV) 480i (SDTV) |
| Platform(s) | Wii, Nintendo GameCube |
| Release date(s) |
November 19, 2006
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| Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | CERO: B ESRB: T OFLC: M PEGI: 12+ |
| Media | 1 GameCube optical disc 1 Wii optical disc |
| Input methods | Wii Remote and Nunchuk, GameCube controller |
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (ゼルダの伝説 トワイライトプリンセス Zeruda no Densetsu Towairaito Purinsesu?) is an action-adventure game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii and GameCube video game consoles. It is the thirteenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series.
Originally planned for release in November 2005, Twilight Princess was delayed by Nintendo so the developers could add more content and refine the game.[2] The Wii version was released on the dates of the Wii launch, November 19, 2006, (North America) and across December 2006 (Japan, Europe, and Australia), making Twilight Princess the first Zelda game to debut at the launch of a Nintendo console. The GameCube version was released in December 2006, and was the last Nintendo-published game for the console.[3] Twilight Princess was called The Wind Waker 2 and Zelda 128 during its early internal development, but was changed as development progressed, with the title officially announced at E3 2005.[4]
Twilight Princess is the first game in The Legend of Zelda series to be rated T by the ESRB for fantasy violence and animated blood.[5] The story focuses on the hero Link trying to prevent Hyrule from being engulfed by a corrupted parallel dimension, the Twilight Realm. To do this, he takes the forms of both a human and a wolf and has the help of a mysterious creature named Midna. The game takes place hundreds of years after Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask.[6]
Twilight Princess met with universal critical acclaim and commercial success. The game was hailed by major publications such as 1UP.com, CVG, EGM, Game Informer, GamesRadar, IGN, The Washington Post, and many other websites as the greatest Zelda game ever made,[7][8][9][10][11][12][13] and has won numerous "Game of the Year" awards. The title is widely considered to be among the greatest games ever.[14][15][16][17]
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Twilight Princess is an action-adventure game that focuses on exploration and item collection. The basic control introduced in Ocarina of Time, including Z-targeting and context-sensitive buttons, is used. Link can walk, run and attack, and will automatically jump when reaching a ledge.[18] Link uses a sword and shield in combat complemented with secondary weapons and items, including a bow and arrow, boomerang, bombs, and clawshot (similar to a previous item in the series, the hookshot).[19] Z-targeting allows Link to lock on to an enemy and automatically defend. Projectile weapons will be fired at such a target without the need for manual aiming.[18] The context-sensitive button mechanic allows one button to cover a variety of actions, such as talking, opening, pushing, pulling, and throwing.[20] The on-screen display shows what action, if any, will be executed and is determined by the situation. For example, if Link is holding a rock, the same button that will make Link set the rock down when standing still will cause him to throw it instead if he is moving.[21]
The game features nine dungeons—large, contained areas where Link battles enemies, collects items, and solves puzzles. Link navigates the dungeons and fights a boss at the end in order to obtain an item or otherwise advance the plot. The dungeons are connected by a large overworld, which Link can travel on foot, on his horse Epona, or by teleporting to one of several specified warp points.
When entering the Twilight Realm, a void which corrupts parts of Hyrule, Link transforms into a wolf.[22] As a wolf, Link moves quickly, attacks by biting, and digs holes to create new passages and uncover buried items.[23] He also carries Midna, a small imp-like creature who gives hints, uses an energy field to attack enemies, and helps Link jump long distances.[24] As a wolf, Link has improved senses and can follow scent trails.[25] Link's wolf sense is the only way players can see wandering spirits and hunt for ghosts named Poes.[26]
The Wii version of the game makes use of the motion sensors and built-in speaker of the Wii Remote. The speaker emits the sounds of a bowstring when shooting an arrow, Midna's laugh when she helps Link jump, and the "Zelda chime" when discovering secrets. In the GameCube version, the camera can be controlled freely and there are only two available item slots.[27]
The enemy's artificial intelligence (AI) in Twilight Princess is more advanced than in The Wind Waker. Enemies react to defeated companions and to arrows or slingshot pellets that pass by. The AI can also detect Link from further distance than in Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and The Wind Waker.[28]
There is little voice acting in the game. Link remains silent in conversation, but makes grunts when attacking and being hit and gasps when surprised. His responses are largely indicated by nods and facial expressions.[29]
Set more than a century after the events of Ocarina of Time,[6] the game begins with Link living and working as a ranch hand in Ordon Village. When monsters suddenly attack the village and kidnap the village children along with his close friend Ilia, Link pursues the attackers. When Link approaches the twilight entrance he is pulled into the Twilight Realm, where the powers of Twilight transform him into a wolf. A monster drags him off before he wakes up and imprisons him in Hyrule Castle. An imp-like creature named Midna appears and after helping Link escape his cell, guides him to Princess Zelda, who is locked away in a tower.
Midna explains (after two Fused Shadows are found) that the Twilight King Zant is trying to change the Twilight Realm and Hyrule into a land of darkness using an evil power. Zant is a member of the Twili, a race of beings descended from magicians banished to the Twilight Realm by the great Light Spirits of Hyrule. Midna is a Twili who is searching for a weapon called the Fused Shadows to defeat Zant, who is evil, and save the Twilight Realm. Restoring the four Light Spirits of Hyrule, Link and Midna reassemble the Fused Shadows that had been broken up and hidden in the Forest Temple, Goron Mines, and Lakebed Temple, while finding Ilia and the children along the way. However, Zant then appears and takes the Fused Shadows, embeds a black crystal in Link's forehead (trapping him in his wolf form), and exposes Midna to the light of the Light Spirit Lanayru, critically injuring her. Link rushes Midna to Princess Zelda, who reveals that the only way Link can return to his normal form is to find the Master Sword. Zelda combines her heart with Midna's to heal her, allowing Midna to exist outside of the Twilight but causing Zelda to mysteriously disappear. After Link reaches the Master Sword, Zant's black crystal is forced out of him. Midna keeps the crystal, allowing Link to assume his wolf form at will.[29]
Link and Midna travel through Gerudo Desert and conquer the Arbiter's Grounds dungeon to reach the Mirror of Twilight—the only way to enter the Twilight Realm and stop Zant—only to discover that Zant has broken it. The ancient sages who guard the mirror reveal that they banished Ganondorf to the Twilight Realm using the Mirror, and that he may be the source of Zant's newfound powers. They also state that Zant tried but failed to destroy the Mirror completely. His failure was because his powers are false, and only the true ruler of the Twili has the power to destroy the Mirror. He could only break it into four fragments, and three are missing. After journeying through the Snowpeak Ruins, the Temple of Time, and the Oocca's City in the Sky, they obtain the missing Mirror shards. After Link and Midna restore the Mirror, the sages reveal that Midna is the true ruler of the Twili, the Twilight Princess, and that Zant's curse turned her into an imp. When Link and Midna confront Zant in the Twilight Realm, he explains that he encountered Ganondorf while in a rage about being passed over as the king of the Twili. Ganondorf offered to make Zant's wishes come true, and made Zant a vessel for his power. A now furious Midna regains the Fused Shadows, and uses a fraction of her ancestor's magic to kill Zant.[29]
Link and Midna return to Hyrule Castle, which is surrounded by a seemingly impenetrable magical barrier in the form of an octahedron, but Midna breaks through it with the Fused Shadows. They then encounter Ganondorf, who possesses Zelda, and Link is forced to fight Zelda. After Link defeats her, Midna purges Zelda of Ganondorf's spirit. He then transforms into the form of a giant boar (his "Ganon" form). After Link defeats Ganon, Zelda's spirit is released from Midna's body, bringing Zelda back to life. Ganondorf then reappears in the form of a floating, flaming apparition that looks like his head (his "god" form). Midna teleports Link and Zelda to safety, and tries to destroy him with the Fused Shadows. However, after Link and Zelda are safely transported to Hyrule Field, Hyrule Castle is destroyed. Ganondorf defeats Midna, and appears on horseback holding the Fused Shadow that Midna wore on her head and crushes it in his hand. Zelda prays to the Light Spirits, who grant her the Light Arrows, and she and Link battle Ganondorf on horseback. Ganondorf falls from his horse in battle, and challenges Link to a sword-fight. After battling, Link drives the Master Sword into Ganondorf's glowing wound. Ganondorf stands, impaled, believing the Triforce of Power will save him. However, the image of the Triforce fades from his hand, leaving a dying Ganondorf. Because Zant's life force had been tied to Ganondorf, Zant dies as a result of Ganondorf's death.[29]
With Ganondorf defeated, the curse that Zant put on Midna, who survived her defeat at his hands, is broken, and she regains her true form. Link, Zelda, and Midna travel to the Mirror of Twilight, where Midna returns home. Before she leaves, Midna bids Link and Zelda farewell, and then cracks the Mirror of Twilight with one of her tears. Link is startled by this, realising that he can never see Midna again. After Midna enters the portal the Mirror shatters, severing the only known link between Hyrule and the Twilight Realm forever.[29]
In 2003, Nintendo announced that a new Zelda game was underway for the GameCube,[30] developed by the same team that created the cel-shaded The Wind Waker.[31] A presentation by director Eiji Aonuma contained a reference to the working title The Wind Waker 2,[32] and it was said to use a similar graphical style.[33] Nintendo of America told Aonuma that North American sales of The Wind Waker were sluggish because the cartoon appearance created the image that the game was designed for a young audience. Concerned that the sequel would have the same problem, Aonuma told Miyamoto he wanted to create a realistic Zelda game that would appeal to the North American market. Miyamoto was concerned about merely changing the presentation instead of coming up with new gameplay ideas. He told Aonuma that he should start by doing what could not be done in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, particularly horseback combat.[34] In four months, Aonuma's team had created the horseback mechanic with a realistic presentation;[34] Nintendo showed the new look with a trailer at E3 2004. The game was scheduled to be released in 2005 and was no longer a sequel to The Wind Waker.[35] Miyamoto explained in interviews that the graphical style was chosen to satisfy demand and because it better fit the theme of an older Link.[36]
Past Zelda games have used a theme of two separate, yet connected worlds. In A Link to the Past, Link travels between a "Light World" and a "Dark World"; in Ocarina of Time and Oracle of Ages, Link travels between two different time periods. The Zelda team sought to use this same concept. It was suggested that Link turn into a wolf, much like he turned into a rabbit in the Dark World of A Link to the Past.[37] Aonuma left his team to continue work on the new idea while he directed The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap for the Game Boy Advance. When he returned, he found his team struggling. By emphasising the two worlds and wolf transformation, the realistic Link was lacking. Aonuma also felt that the gameplay lacked the innovation of Phantom Hourglass, which was being developed with a touch-controlled interface for the Nintendo DS. At that time, the Wii was under development with the code name Revolution. Miyamoto thought that the Revolution's pointing interface was well suited for arrow aiming in Zelda and suggested that Aonuma consider using it.[38]
Aonuma had anticipated creating a Zelda game for what would later be called the Wii, but had assumed that he would need to complete Twilight Princess first. His team began work developing a pointing-based interface for the bow and arrow, and Aonuma found that aiming directly at the screen gave the game a new feel, just like the DS control scheme for Phantom Hourglass. Aonuma felt confident this was the only way to proceed, but worried about consumers who had been anticipating a GameCube release. Developing two versions would mean delaying the previously announced 2005 release, still disappointing the consumer. Satoru Iwata felt that having both versions would satisfy users in the end, even though they would have to wait for the finished product; Aonuma started working on both versions in parallel. Transferring GameCube development to the Wii was relatively simple since the Wii is compatible with the GameCube.[39] At E3 2005, Nintendo announced that Zelda would appear on the Wii (then codenamed "Revolution"),[40] but it was not clear to the media if this meant Twilight Princess or a different game.[41]
The team worked on a Wii control scheme, adapting camera control and the fighting mechanics to the new interface. A prototype was created that used a swinging gesture to control the sword from a first-person viewpoint, but was unable to show the variety of Link's movements. When the third-person view was restored, Aonuma thought it felt strange to swing the Wii Remote with the right hand to control the sword in Link's left hand, so the sword control was relegated to a button.[42] Details about Wii controls began to surface in December 2005, when British publication NGC Magazine claimed that when a GameCube copy of Twilight Princess when played on the Revolution would give the player the option of using the Revolution controller.[43] Miyamoto confirmed the Revolution controller-functionality in an interview with Nintendo of Europe[44] and Time reported this soon after.[45][46] At E3 2006, Nintendo announced that both versions would be available at the Wii launch[47] and had a playable version of Twilight Princess for the Wii.[42] Later, the GameCube release was pushed back to a month after the launch of the Wii.[48]
Nintendo staff members reported that demo users complained about the difficulty of the control scheme. Aonuma realized that his team had implemented Wii controls under the mindset of "forcing" users to adapt instead of making the system intuitive and easy to use. He began rethinking the controls with Miyamoto to focus on comfort and ease.[49] The camera movement was reworked and item controls were changed to avoid accidental button presses;[50] however, the new item system required use of the button that had previously been used for the sword. To solve this, sword controls were transferred back to gestures—something E3 attendees had commented they would like to see. This reintroduced the problem of using a right-handed swing to control a left-handed sword attack. The team did not have enough time before release to rework Link's character model, so they instead flipped the entire game[51]—everything was made a mirror image[52] so that Link was now right-handed, and references to "east" and "west" were changed. The GameCube version was left with the original orientation. The Twilight Princess player's guide focuses on the Wii version, but has a section in the back with mirror-image maps for GameCube users.[53]
The score of Twilight Princess was composed by Toru Minegishi, Asuka Ohta and Kōji Kondō.[54] Minegishi headed music composition and sound design in Twilight Princess, providing all field and dungeon music under the supervision of Kondo.[55] The official soundtrack, published by Nintendo Power in 2006, contains seven tracks.
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For the E3 trailer, Michiru Ōshima created orchestral arrangements of three pieces written by different composers, although only the piece by Mahito Yokota was used. Working on the trailer prompted Kondō to consider using orchestral music for the game as well—he envisioned a full orchestra for action sequences and a string quartet for "lyrical moments".[56] Kondō always waits until he can observe the gameplay of a title before composing the score, to ensure that they mesh well.[56] When the trailer was created, gameplay development had not progressed enough for Kondō to decide if an orchestra would be feasible. The final product uses sequenced music instead; Kondō cited the lack of interactivity that comes with orchestral music as one of the main reasons for the decision.[57] Minegishi followed Kondō's example of matching the score to the gameplay and created music to elicit the feeling of melancholy he observed. As Link begins to save Hyrule from the effects of the Twilight Realm, the music takes on a more relaxed mood.[55]
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Twilight Princess met with universal critical acclaim and commercial success. It got perfect scores from major publications such as 1UP.com, CVG, EGM, Game Informer, GamesRadar, and GameSpy.[7][8][9][10][11][61] On TopTenReviews, it has received an average score of 3.86 out of 4, the highest among all games in the Zelda franchise.[66] On Game Rankings, it is ranked number 6 on the voting average list, the second highest among all Nintendo games, behind Super Mario World. On Japanese website mk2, it is one of the two games that got the highest score of "S" on Wii, along with Super Mario Galaxy.[70] In the PAL region, Twilight Princess is the best-selling Zelda game ever.
Many publications including 1UP.com, CVG, EGM, Game Informer, GamesRadar, IGN, and The Washington Post have hailed it as the greatest Zelda game ever made.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13] Game Informer called it "so creative that it rivals the best that Hollywood has to offer".[10] GamesRadar praised Twilight Princess as "a game that deserves nothing but the absolute highest recommendation".[71] Cubed³ hailed Twilight Princess as "the single greatest videogame experience".[14]
Twilight Princess's graphics were praised for the art style and animation, although the game was designed for the GameCube, which is technically lacking compared to the next generation consoles. Both IGN and GameSpy pointed out the existence of blurry textures and low-resolution characters.[12][61] Despite these complaints, CVG felt the game's atmosphere was superior to that of any previous Zelda game, and regarded Twilight Princess's Hyrule as the best version ever created.[8] PALGN praised the game's cinematics, noting that "the cutscenes are the best ever in Zelda games".[15]
Regarding the Wii version, GameSpot's Jeff Gerstmann said the Wii controls felt "tacked-on",[59] although 1UP.com said the remote-swinging sword attacks were "the most impressive in the entire series."[7]
Gaming Nexus considered Twilight Princess's soundtrack to be the best of this generation,[72] though IGN criticized its MIDI-formatted songs for lacking "the punch and crispness" of their orchestrated counterparts.[12]
During its first week, the game was sold with three of every four Wii purchases.[73] The game has sold 4.52 million copies on the Wii as of March 1, 2008,[74] and 1.32 million on the GameCube as of March 31, 2007.[75] The game has sold 6.45 million copies worldwide to date.[76][77]
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E3 2005's Game Critics Awards
Spike TV Video Game Awards
X-Play
GameTrailers 1UP
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Electronic Gaming Monthly
The 2007 Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia Awards
The 2007 Game Developers Choice Awards
Spacey Awards
Game Informer
GameSpy
Nintendo Power Awards 2006
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Game Freaks 365 Game of the Year Awards 2006
VGcore 2006 Game of the Year Awards
Fort Wayne Reader The 2006 Console Game of the Year
Rumor Reporter The games of the year
The 4cr Game of the Year Awards
Metacritic The Best Videogames of 2006
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