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Ocarina of Time Redux

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: January 15, 2007
Author: Amazon User

When the last major console Legend of Zelda came out, 2003's Wind Waker (a good but flawed game in its own right), many fans complained about the "cartoony" graphics of the game. Shigeru Miyamoto, the man behind Zelda, defended this stylistic choice by stating that he didn't simply want to make another Ocarina of Time. It's a statement that's humorously ironic in hindsight, since that's exactly what Twilight Princess feels like it REALLY, REALLY wants to be.

Sure, there are things about the game that instantly feel different, the most obvious being that the Wiimote controls are different than traditional controls (assuming you're playing the Wii version). Of course, after a while, it becomes quite obvious that there's very little difference between shaking a Wiimote and mashing a button. Both require very little skill or finesse (which begs the question of why they bothered to flip the game so that the historically sinstral/occasionally ambidextrous Link is now right-handed, but that's a quibble I'm sure most people care about less than I do, and that's less because it's tradition and more because I'm left handed and there are just too few protagonists to whom I can relate... but that's beside the point).

The other way the game feels different is Link's wolf form, which the player gains the ability to control at will about a third of the way through. This isn't really all that novel for a Zelda game, as most of them have two forms or worlds (or more than two, as in Majora's Mask, where you had something like five different forms of Link to control, each with its own unique set of abilities), but, well, he hasn't been a wolf yet, so there you are. I'm not complaining about this formula, because I like it and it works; it's just not new.

That statement can be said about pretty much the whole game. I'm pretty much a Zelda fangirl, and I enjoyed the game immensely, and it's a good game... it's just not new. I think the thing that gets me the most is how long the release date was delayed. It was supposed be out sometime in mid-2005, and then sometime in late 2005, and then sometime in mid-2006, and then suddenly it was going to be a Wii launch title. It wasn't worth the wait. Like I said, it's a good game (I gave it an appropriately high rating), it just left me with a funny taste in my mouth. Perhaps I was expecting too much, but when a game's release is delayed and delayed and delayed again (especially one with as rabid of a fanbase as Zelda), players are certainly entitled to have high expectations. Twilight Princess just didn't meet them. The Wii controls really weren't enough to justify the wait. I would have rather it had just been a GameCube game released in 2005. I understand that Nintendo needed a solid Wii launch title (and their best bets generally lie in Zelda, Mario, and Pokémon), and Zelda has delivered for them in that respect, but I feel gypped if that was their overarching concern, and you should too.

Ocarina of Time was special because of what it was at the time; its uniqueness relies largely on context. The same should be said of the original Legend of Zelda, which was a game ahead of its time that people hardly give a second look now, twenty years later, where flashy graphics are increasingly important to players (for some reason). Twilight Princess wants so badly to recapture that "epic" feeling that Ocarina of Time gave players when it first came out almost a decade ago, but instead of trying to be Ocarina of Time redux, I wish that it would try to be its own game. It unfortunately doesn't. Link's new toys are fun, and there are some rather unorthodox, if not terrifically challenging (but then, I'm not that into challenges, so this matters to me a lot less than it would matter to a lot of other players), boss fights, but these aren't really enough to lift it into truly "special" territory, since... well, the same can be said, more or less, of most other Zelda games, especially more recent titles.

I don't think every game has to be revolutionary to be worthwhile (people wouldn't still be making platformers if that were the case), but I know what the Zelda developers are capable of and it just doesn't feel like this game is anything all that special other than offering more of the same engaging gameplay of their previous titles. That's enough to get me to buy the games, but I'm an easy sell when it comes to Zelda (everybody's got their weaknesses). It wasn't good enough to justify the extended wait and instead of being the game I was dying to play over a year ago, it's now just a game that I waited almost a month to play after its release (it was a Christmas gift... that I didn't even specifically ask/beg for) and didn't really care too much about until I remembered how much I like Zelda. As I've stated before, it's still a good game and I still liked playing it a lot and I do think it deserves at least some of the praise that it gets (certainly not all, but overratedness comes with the territory when you're a much-beloved flagship series), but at the end of the day it just feels more like a broken promise than anything else.

BEST ZELDA GAME EVER!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: April 10, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I played The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the N64 and thought it was the best Zelda game ever. But then I played Twilight Princess for the Wii and LOVED IT!!!! It has classic Zelda action and puzzles and Link looks much better. The graphics are AMAZING, even though the Wii doesn't support high quality HD graphics like a PS3 or 360, but they are still great. The story is also a great one, better than Ocarina of Time. So basically what I am saying is... BUY THIS GAME NOW!!!!

Polished Gameplay Design

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: July 26, 2007
Author: Amazon User

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess keeps all the elements of traditional Zelda games in place. Where the game shines is the extraordinary attention to detail in gameplay. The play mechanics, even with the Wiimote are very tight and easy to use but it is the game pacing that is special.

As a game player, you can pick up this game, complete a small task and save or you can play marathon sessions. Often, in previous adventure games, you could get "stuck" and have to set aside 3 hour blocks to figure out the next task for your character. Less experienced players of this genre can suffer from "progress fatigue" as tasks appear to be tedious or undefined.

In Twilight Princess, there are smaller nuggets of achievement to complete, even casual players can slowly move forward in the storyline. For example, Tears of Light are collected one-by-one to earn a larger piece of the adventure puzzle: access to a Spirit. The interface shows your tear container as you work toward this task, like a to-do list and is not present once the task list is completed.

A tour guide of sorts, Mydna, accompanies you on your journey and is available for a general direction if you seem unclear on your next step. Mydna is also hard-coded as an assistant. you can't climb to certain areas without her help or warp to different areas of a world that would otherwise take 15 minutes to "walk" to. While the world is the most vast of a Zelda game, areas of the map and mini-games within it, keep the story fluid and interesting. You can go through the game quickly, mastering required tasks and leaving the quest for extra bugs and some heart containers for later.

Experienced gamers can enjoy the additional challenge of collecting everything while more casual players can worry only about the defined storyline.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is a masterpiece of gameplay design. Combined with the Wiimote, a variety of puzzles, action and cinematic sequences it adds up to an all-time classic and the best game available currently on the Wii platform.

OMG

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: March 30, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Wow...so let me start by letting you know that I am your average almost 40 'soccer mom' and my favorite game series is Fatal Frame. (I also really like to watch my hubby play Final Fantasy X.)
Got the Wii and rented Zelda knowing I would hate it, but thought the kids would like it...I ended up running to Walmart and plunking down the crazy $50 for this game. I loved the graphics, the story, and the easy play. Wait...let me explain that...I am very easily discouraged from games that are too hard or frustrating. (Haunting Ground kind of kicked my butt) Zelda is not too hard without being too easy. Yay!
When hubby is playing Final Fantasy he is bombarded with my screaming "TREASURE!!!" and used to joke that someone could make millions off me if they made a game dedicated to just finding treasure....and Zelda is chalk full of 'em!! Blades of grass...chop it for treasure! Rocks? Pick 'em up for treasure! Trees? Yup...roll into them for treasure!! I am in heaven....EXCEPT, my stinking wallet will only hold a certain amount of $$. DRAT! Also, the ending is really lacking especially if you are a FFX fan.
Bottom line, I am recouping from a broken elbo and not very good at playing games, but I did ok on this one and only had to have my teen beat two bosses. (ok, and the walkthrough helped at times :-) )

Good Game!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: December 26, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I personally enjoyed this game. I am 25/F and fairly new to any gaming. I dont like 1st person shooters and I enjoy a little story with my action. Zelda provides me with the hours of entertainment that I was looking for.

I really enjoy the controller motions, it makes the game more interactive and keeps me from getting to bored with it (like I normally do with video games). I have read a lot of bad reviews and agree that this game is definatly not for the seasoned veteran. These people can find a billion and one reasons that you shouldnt play it, like the graphics, but I personally arent expecting my weekend entertainment to be in HD! Gimme a break, who cares if its fun. Anyway, if you like an RPG game and want something to make the extra hours melt away, this may be the game for you. Also, kids or novice gamers should really enjoyable without being too difficult!

You will not be disappointed!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 10
Date: November 20, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game is simply amazing. The graphics may not be top notch, but the gameplay is excellent and the controller puts you right in the game.

Great Game! Get the gamecube version

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 10
Date: December 09, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game is fantastic, all I can say. The graphics are the latest and most detailed (especially for the Gamecube), it's fun to play, and has an excellent combination of classic elements all us Zelda fans love, and a few new things (I won't go into specifics to give anything away). I recommend this game for anyone, whether you're a veteran Zelda player, or a newcomer. The other thing I want to say is this. If you are planning on buying the Nintendo Wii specifically for this game, don't bother. Yes, the graphics are better and you have a fancy remote, but why pay 250 dollars more just for more graphics (the gamecube's are great) and to be able to swing a sword and aim with the Wii remote? Anyways, the swinging is not so in depth as everyone (including me) had hoped. No matter HOW you swing, Link always does his normal slash/combos. Slice right. Normal slash and combos. Slice left. Normal slash and combos. Slice diagonally. Same thing! I agree, aiming with the bow and arrow and sorts is probably easier with the Wii remote, but please people. $250 more? I'm happy with my little cube (okay so I might get the Wii next year once more games come out for it).

Legend of Zelda all the way!!

Great, but Ocarina was better

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: February 18, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Frankly, I was expecting more. Combine a revolutionary new interface and the first true successor to The Ocarina of Time, years of Nintendo develepmont and what you should get is nigh on perfection. But nothing in this game shines brighter than Ocarina except the graphics.

Story -- not as good, not as moving. I attribute that to a more Far Eastern style of storytelling. Anyone who's seen Japanese film or anime knows what I'm talking about. In retrospect, Ocarina seems like it was a bit more Americanized.

Dungeons -- LOTS more than Windwaker and more than Ocarina (I believe). Unfortunately, while there was some innovation, there was little I hadn't seen before. This is a lengthy, lengthy quest. By the final dungeon, I was ready for this to end.

Wii control -- Hmmm. Not as integrated as I would have liked. Having to re-focus the controller on the screen every time I need to use aimed gadgets/weapons got old. So did shaking the the controller to swing the sword. Was the game better for the Wii control inclusion? Yes. But not by nearly as much as I would have hoped. The fairy really got on my nerves at times.

Honestly, there were fewer things to do in this game than in previous games -- especially when compared to Ocarina. I can't go into specifics without spoiling things -- but there are several aspects of previous games which don't show up here and I found that more disappointing than I expected.

This game is too much like Ocarina to not have some of those missing elements. Had Nintendo tried (and succeeded) to differentiate this game from Ocarina more dramatically, it's possible the missing elements wouldn't have bothered me so much. Instead, the game felt a tad incomplete.

Some of the items/weapons Link receives on his quest feel like filler and aren't utilized in the game as much as they should be.

Positives -- graphics are nice... for a Gamecube game. Ultimately, though, Windwaker was more graphically impressive than this title. Blurry textures abound here. True, I'm a bit spoiled by Oblivion's hi def.

Link gets some fun fun items. My favorite item was found at Snowpeak.

Bottom line: This is a great, super-polished game, but it's not the giant step foreward we were all hoping for. Initially, I was disappointed when I read Gamespot's 8.8 score -- but as the game progressed I began to understand it more and more. This is an 8.8 game. What it does, it does really well. It misses, however, that special IT factor. I traded this game in when I finished. I've still got my original OoT 256 bit cartridge -- and from that I won't part.

Wii And Link

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: December 24, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Nintendo has had many franchises that have really delivered in the world of video games. Although the most popular one is Mario, there are ones who continued to be as surprising. The Legend Of Zelda is no acception. The epic game series featuring Link has redefined what epic games should be. Although that also could be said with new video game systems as well. For Nintendo, they wanted to break it wide open with their new console, the Wii. But, with a new system, can Link and his new quest deliver on the Wii, the same way Zelda games have thrived before like Ocarina Of Time delivered? Here is the review.

The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Nintendo Wii, is a wild and outrageous epic that shines brighter than any Nintendo game released in a long time. The objective of the game is simple, Link is back and he is learning his way through another quest, when during one split second, he is transformed into a wild wolf. Along the way, he has to battle shadow demons and reclaim the light that once thrived in Hyrule which was stolen by the vile Ganondorf. The graphics for the game are breathtaking, just like the edition for the Gamecube, and the feeling of the music thives with each portion of the game from the Forest Temple to the Baron Woods. The control is a bit tricky for new Wii gamers, but it is very simple to pick up, after a bit of practice, especially with the shooting with the slingshot, and the way you move the Wii controller.

All in all, I was very impressed with The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess. It is definitely one of the most outrageous games ever released in a long while, but for anybody who is a die hard fan of the series, it is definitely worth it. I definitely recommened this for anyone who has the Wii, or wants the new Nintendo system. It is worth the money, and the tri-force that is with you.

Graphics: A

Sound: A

Control: B

Fun & Enjoyment: B+

Overall: B+

Not the Zelda of the past- not for young kids!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: October 01, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I've read and agree with most of the 5 star reviews about this game and won't go in depth just to repeat what they already say. It is fun to play and the graphics are really good. The controls come pretty naturally and the game "tutors" you through the moves as you go. There's probably an hour or so learning curve to really be able to play the game. But truthfully, the story doesn't really begin until the game "tutors" you though most things.

As much fun as this game is, though some would probably disagree with me, THIS IS NOT A GAME FOR YOUNG CHILDREN - hence it's teen rating. I actually think this game is dark enough that it MIGHT NOT EVEN BE A GAME FOR YOUNG TEENS. It's definitely not the zelda games of the past. A character named Midna teams up with you for much of the game ~ and at points, it's almost like she possesses you. Her little "he he he" laughs are creepy and annoying. The other characters that you fight are also pretty scary - vicious wolves especially come to mind. It's not graphically violent, but it's definitely not something I would want my kids watching me play. Keep that in mind if you buy this game ~ it takes many hours to beat and it's not something you can "share with the family".

Also, don't bother buying the strategy guide unless you just want the tips to make sure you don't miss anything. There was never a point where I got stuck in this game. The storyline gives you great (and obvious) clues.

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