The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Description official descriptions
Twilight Princess is the first Legend of Zelda game for the Wii and also the last for GameCube. At first, Link is a simple farm boy, whose tasks consist of herding goats to watching children in Ordon village, Link's hometown. One day, Link is asked by the mayor to run an errand in Castle Town, but things suddenly go wrong…
The land becomes dark, and strange creatures appear from another world called the Twilight Realm, which turns most into ghosts. Link, however, becomes a wolf. After becoming a wolf, Link is aided by Midna, a resident of the Twilight Realm. Midna helps Link find a way to turn human again along with other tasks.
The wolf cannot use a sword or other items. Instead, as a wolf Link must use his senses to solve puzzles and get past obstacles. The beast can also dig holes to find hearts and rupees and to get in places. It can push blocks with its head to climb higher or reveal hidden passageways. Additionally, it can attack enemies by biting or pouncing on them.
As a human, Link can move around quickly, aim his bow, swing his sword, and even fish. Link also collects many different items, which allow him to perform varied attacks and reach places he couldn't before. Link performs many attacks with his sword and can even learn other sword moves.
The game's art is similar to the naturalistic style of Ocarina of Time, rather than the cel-shaded look of The Wind Waker. Chronologically, the game takes place between the two aforementioned titles, and quite a few locations from Ocarina of Time can be visited. The main adventure takes place in several provinces with dungeons and temples. With the help of Midna, you can easily travel around quickly later in the game.
The Wii U remaster of the game includes:
- Enhanced graphics
- Wii U GamePad support (allowing for a mini-map to be displayed on the touchscreen, or items to be changed using the touchscreen)
- Miiverse support
- Some areas of gameplay have had minor adjustments
- A new difficulty mode
- A new dungeon, the Cave of Shadows, which is accessed using the Wolf Link amiibo
- Additional amiibo support for health refills or arrow refills
Spellings
- ゼルダの伝説 トワイライトプリンセス HD - Japanese Wii U spelling
- ゼルダの伝説 トワイライトプリンセス - Japanese spelling
- 젤다의 전설 황혼의 공주 - Korean spelling
Groups +
- Console Generation Exclusives: GameCube
- Console Generation Exclusives: Wii
- Gameplay feature: Arena fighting
- Gameplay feature: Auto-mapping
- Gameplay feature: Beast riding & beast attacking
- Gameplay feature: Day / Night cycle
- Gameplay feature: Drowning
- Gameplay feature: Fishing
- Gameplay feature: Herding
- Gameplay feature: Horse riding
- Gameplay feature: Pettable animals
- Gameplay feature: Transformation
- Legend of Zelda series
- Nintendo Selects releases
- Protagonist: Elf
- Theme: Werewolves
Screenshots
Promos
Videos
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Credits (Wii version)
227 People (188 developers, 39 thanks) · View all
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[ full credits ] |
Reviews
Critics
Average score: 94% (based on 172 ratings)
Players
Average score: 4.1 out of 5 (based on 221 ratings with 15 reviews)
The Good
This game is my favourite, of all time. The graphics and soundtrack are astounding (considering this game is nearly 10 years old and ported from the GameCube) and I have never played anything else with a storyline that is so enchanting and personal. If you don't cry at the end, you're heartless.
The Bad
There is nothing I didn't enjoy, some of the mini-games are fairly difficult.
The Bottom Line
The ultimate Zelda game.
Wii · by Brandon Armstrong-Dance (2) · 2015
The Good
A fairly clean adventure game that reminds me of games made back in the 80's. The player is handed multiple puzzles to work through in a linear manner. For the most part this game is very good for the younger crowd. It would be a great introduction to a genre rarely seen today.
The Bad
Well, this game doesn't bring anything new to the table. If you have played adventure games before this one is just the same formula with new graphics (albeit done very well). It's also kind of annoying that while this game is a rail game, players are forced to repeat, or back track, sections of the map in order to emulate an open form game.
The Bottom Line
This game hearkens back to the age of adventure games where players were shoved down a rail by the developers and were forced to solve puzzles. In this game the puzzles can be logical, but sometimes they make no sense at all. And then players are forced to back track in order to complete the quests they are given, which can be quite annoying at times.
But this is also a very clean game that is done very well for what it is. For new players this would be a great first adventure game.
Wii · by Sean Johanson (12) · 2010
This was my first hands-on experience with any Zelda game.
The Good
The graphics are beautiful and detailed like few Wii games are. It's a myriad of wonders and fantasy world-building in one single package. It's Zelda, it's open world and it's the darkest chapter in the Zelda mythology (at least it's trying to stay that way).
The Bad
The Wii version doesn't have an option of making Link left-handed as he's always been in prior games. With that said, it's since become a varying trait in the recent Zelda games. The sword-play could also benefit from optional button-mashing as opposed to the mandatory Wii-remote swinging.
The Bottom Line
Want a game that's on a condensed console that shows its true potential with high-concept fantasy games? Look no further. It's everything you loved about Ocarina of Time and refined for 2006.
Wii · by John H. (52) · 2019
Discussion
Subject | By | Date |
---|---|---|
Android version? | Deleted (13359) | May 18th, 2019 |
Genre Correction | Mark Picard | Jul 9th, 2013 |
Mirrored? | beetle120 (2414) | Nov 25th, 2007 |
Trivia
1001 Video Games
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.
Delay
The game was originally announced for release for the GameCube in November 2005. This was delayed to November 2006 so that the developers could add more content to the game and release it on the Wii as well as the GameCube.
Development
- During development, Midna's hair was red and green, while in the final version it's red but ends in blonde-yellow.
- Although Sheik, Zelda's ninja-like alter-ego from
Ocarina of Time , does not appear in Twilight Princess, an updated design of the character was drafted up in its development. He is however available as a playable character in the Wii gameSuper Smash Bros.: Brawl .
Characters
Throughout the game you'll encounter the strange Shadow Beasts (the dark blue/black coloured humanoids with the bizarrely shaped disc-heads and tentacle hair). However, in two cut-scenes, you can see two big Shadow Beasts with differently designed disc-heads flanking Zant like bodyguards.They don't appear in-game as enemies.
Glitch
There is a bug in a room with a big cannon Link can use to warp. If you save in that room, an invisible character won't let you leave, but he can't be spoken too. Link can't transform into a wolf either. Customers could return the disc to Nintendo to have it replaced. A video of the glitch is available in the related links section.
Inside Zelda
Nintendo of America's official magazine, Nintendo Power, published a monthly series of articles called Inside Zelda, which revealed how the game was developed. The series can be read in its entirety here.
Inspiration
- The Oocca race appears to be inspired by M.C. Escher's painting Another World.
- The masks worn by the Ancient Sages resemble those worn by chorus members in Ancient Greek dramas.
Midna
The character Midna, who speaks gibberish, is actually speaking English that has been scrambled beyond comprehension. Some of her unscrambled voice lines are related to the game's story whilst others are related to key gameplay elements (such as "I'll take you there with my power", which is used when warping to other areas. This is especially interesting as Midna's voice actress, Akiko Kōmoto is Japanese.
References
- if you look around the fishing hut, the owner, you'll see an old black and white photograph of the Fishing Guy from the Lake Hylia fishing pond from Ocarina of Time. The hut's owner and operator Hena refers to him as the "legendary fisherman" and comments that she may be a descendant of his.
- In Hyrule Castle Town you meet a character named Thelma, who owns a bar in the city and is a fairly important NPC to the storyline. She also owns a cat named Louise, who helps you as well. The two characters are a reference to the movie Thelma & Louise.
- The characters Malo and Talo, children living in Link's hometown Ordon Village, are named references to Malon and Talon from
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time , who are references to Marin and Tarin fromThe Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening . - The symbols that represent each Sage are the Six Medallions from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Version differences
Unlike every other Legend of Zelda game, Link is right handed in Twilight Princess. This is so most people (right handers make up 85% of the population) can make use of the Wii controls in the same hand as Link. Sword in the right, shield in the left. The GameCube version has Link using his left hand as usual. To make the game work for the right handed Link of the Wii, the Wii and GameCube versions of this game have the world map and everything in it mirrored So everything stays the same relative to him.
Awards
- GamePro (Germany)
- February 01, 2007 - Best Console Game in 2006 (Wii version) (Readers' Vote)
- February 01, 2007 - Best Console Action-Adventure in 2006 (Wii version) (Readers' Vote)
- GameSpy
- 2006 – Game of the Year
- 2006 – Console Game of the Year
- 2006 – GameCube Game of the Year
- 2006 – Wii Game of the Year
- 2006 – GameCube Game of the Year (Gamers' Vote)
- 2006 – Wii Game of the Year (Gamers' Vote)
- 2006 – Wii Adventure Game of the Year
- 2006 – Wii RPG of the Year
Information also contributed by Keeper Garrett, Mark Ennis, Sciere and Thomas Dowding
Related Sites +
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Iwata Asks - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
<moby company="Nintendo Co., Ltd.">NCL</moby> president <moby developer="Satoru Iwata">Satoru Iwata</moby> interviews <moby developer="Yoshiyuki Oyama">Yoshiyuki Oyama</moby>, <moby developer="Keisuke Nishimori">Keisuke Nishimori</moby>, <moby developer="Koji Kitagawa">Koji Kitagawa</moby>, <moby developer="Atsushi Miyagi">Atsushi Miyagi</moby>, <moby developer="Kentaro Tominaga">Kentaro Tominaga</moby> & <moby developer="Aya Kyogoku">Aya Kyogoku</moby> of <moby company="Nintendo EAD">Nintendo EAD's</moby> Software Development Department. -
Official Website
website -
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Official game website -
Twilight Princess Cannon Room glitch
A video demonstration of the glitch in the cannon room, see the trivia item for more information -
Wikipedia
The article on The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess at Wikipedia
Identifiers +
- MobyGames ID: 25103
- Wikipedia (en)
Contribute
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Contributors to this Entry
Game added by Keeper Garrett.
Wii U added by Kam1Kaz3NL77. Android added by firefang9212. GameCube added by Kabushi.
Additional contributors: Sciere, Freeman, gamewarrior, samsam12, —-, Patrick Bregger, Grandy02, Rik Hideto, Kam1Kaz3NL77, FatherJack, Deleted.
Game added November 20th, 2006. Last modified December 6th, 2023.