Wii Review - the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

The Legend of Zelda is one of my favorite video game franchises of all time. So one should expect that I would be singing praises up and down for the latest entry to arrive on the Nintendo Wii system, right? Well... yeah, pretty much.

While every Zelda game to date has been a hit in my book, I haven't been truly blown away ever since Ocarina of Time first hit the Nintendo 64. I had high expectations for Wind Waker when it first arrived on Gamecube, and although it was an enjoyable game, it just didn't meet the high standards that were set by its previous entries. However, that all changed on November 19, 2006 when both the Nintendo Wii and the new Legend of Zelda released simultaneously. Like a kid on Christmas morning I hooked everything up the moment I got home and was launched into a role-playing haven to the likes of which I've never seen.

You start the game off slow in a small village that Link calls his home. Here you are introduced to the game, its characters, and everyone's favorite mode of Hyrule transportation: Epona. After spending a bit of time in the village, the game kicks into high gear and you are changed into a wolf with new abilities that completely turns the world of Zelda upside-down. From here on out, you realize that you are destined to save the world, animal form or not, and must do so by navigating a line-up of cleverly designed dungeons.

I had not played an X-box 360 or Playstation 3 prior to trying out this game, so to me, the graphics were outstanding. This is the first time in the history of the series that I felt like the game was alive, with well designed character models and astounding lighting effects. It should also be worth noting that this game has a much darker, more realistic feel to it, which is a sharp contrast to Wind Waker's cel-shading effects which came before it.

The soundtrack for this game is superb as well. All the tracks were wonderfully orchestrated and have that classic Zelda flavor that has been a staple for the series since the beginning. The only disappointment here is the lack of voice work that has been done for the game aside from the short voiceovers that play when talking to a character, but this is nothing new and does not retract from the enjoyment of the game.

Playing this game with the Wii remote is a major draw for this title. With the exception of playing with a plastic sword as a child, this is the first time I got to imitate Link's sword fighting skills without feeling like an idiot. Although you may look silly to your friends and family that happen to pass by as you are flailing your Wii remote in the air, you will be having far too much fun to care. I think having the controls done in this manner also helps reduce the amount of buttons required to control the game. All you need to do is wave the Wii remote to swing Link's swords, and waving the nunchuk gives you access to spin attacks and shield blocks. In addition, the remote makes sounds during combat that help reinforce the feeling that you are actual engaged in sword combat.

We are slowly entering the HD era of gaming, and with that in mind, it may seem like the Wii will lag far behind. But if a majority of Wii titles can maintain the sort of quality that is pouring out of this latest Zelda adventure, I think Nintendo's system can hang with the big dogs with the best of them. If you have a Wii, or are thinking about buying one, you should pick up Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. You won't regret it.