Probably the best Zelda game since Ocarina of Time

Never mind the fact that Twilight Princess has been out for more than a year and I’ve finally gotten my chance to take a crack at it. I’m always behind when it comes to great games like this one, anyway. Yet, even after a few days, I’m really having fun.

First things first: This game is a complete turnaround from the bright, cartoony visuals of the previous GameCube Zelda, Wind Waker. Expect more realistic visuals and darker themes much like Majora’s Mask.

You control the main character, Link, a farm boy who herds weird little goats for a living with the help of his horse Epona in Ordon Village. Your adventure begins three of the village kids go off in pursuit of a monkey. Two of them stay behind, but the third kid, Talo, takes off into the woods. You rescue him, and then Ilia, who notices Epona’s wounded, scolds you and takes the horse to the spring. While Colin, another kid who really looks up to you, goes to explain things to her while you sneak in through another way. Not long after you get there, a bunch of monsters attack, knocking you unconscious and kidnapping Ilia and Colin. When you come to, you run off in search of them and end up in some dark realm. Some creature grabs you, something on your hand glows, and you end up transformed into a wolf and unconscious again. You come to again in a prison, where you meet a mysterious imp-like shadow creature. From there, the two of you bust out of prison trek through this twilight realm and meet Princess Zelda. After telling you what’s going on, you and the shadow creature, introduced as Midna, leave the castle and begin the real journey to save not only your friends, but all of Hyrule.

The graphics for Twilight Princess are probably some of the best I’ve seen in a GameCube game besides Wind Waker. I was amazed at the how the sunlight reflected off the water, and the sunrise and sunset as the days passed as you ran through Hyrule field on Epona. The twilight realm and all the shadow creatures look slightly spooky as well. I could go on and on about this all day.

Game play and controls are just the same as ever if you’ve played Ocarina of Time/Majora’s Mask/Wind Waker. Fighting has been modified a bit so that when you target with the L button, you also hold up your shield. Aside from normal attacking, you can also make use of hidden skills you learn by listening to howling stones you find as a wolf. Oh, did I mention you can also fight on horseback? There are only a few times during the game where you actually fight a mini-boss or something while riding on Epona, but I think there should have been more of it.

Where the whole game takes a U-turn is when you’re playing in your wolf form. As a quadruped, you can’t use any items you’ve collected. They’ve been replaced by dig and sense, which you’ll make plenty use of in your travels in the twilight realm. Some things are only seen to you when you use sense, such as shiny spots you can dig up for items or seeing the true forms of spirits. You can’t use a sword and shield, of course, so your only defense against enemies is your teeth. That’s right, biting and lunging. But what can you do? Climbing is out of the question, but it’s a good thing you’ve got Midna right on your back. When you get to a ledge, all you have to do is press Z, L-target Midna, and press A to jump. It’s pretty easy. I found it pretty interesting, but I’m sure others would think otherwise. On the upside, later on you’ll be able to transform back and forth at will, which will be required to solve certain puzzles and side quests.

The dungeons are well designed and are themed according to which location in Hyrule you’re exploring; for example, the Forest Temple in the Faron Woods, the Goron Mines on top of Death Mountain, etc. I found some parts of these dungeons challenging at first, though I got the hang of it in time. Some of the boss battles were a little too easy, though.

The music is superb and flows excellently. Even in the midst of unfamiliar tunes you can still hear all the classic themes mixed in and blend perfectly with the game. Sounds almost like an orchestra, if you ask me.

I may not have beaten it yet, but I still consider Twilight Princess to be one of my favorite games. Although it’s also out for Wii, I’ve waited patiently for my chance to play it on my GameCube, and it really has lived up to what I anticipated of it. I definitely recommend getting this game. If you don’t, well, you’re really missing out.