The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is the thirteenth game in Nintendo's critically acclaimed The Legend of Zelda video game series. It is an action-adventure game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii and GameCube video game consoles.

Originally planned for release in November 2005, Twilight Princess was delayed by Nintendo so the developers could add more content and refine the game. 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. Twilight Princess was called The Wind Waker 2 during its early internal development, but was changed as development progressed, with the title officially announced in E3 2005.

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. 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 many decades after Majora's Mask, on the timeline created after the events of Ocarina of Time.

The game met with both commercial and critical success. It has sold 4.52 million copies on the Wii as of March 31, 2008, and 1.32 million on the GameCube as of March 31, 2007, and received much praise from reviewers, with some considering Twilight Princess the greatest Zelda game ever released.

Twilight Princess is an action-adventure game that focuses on exploring regions and collecting items to advance the storyline. The basic gameplay from the 3D Zelda games is retained, including actions such as walking, running, attacking, defending, and automatic jumping at ledges. The game features several dungeons, which are large enclosed areas where the protagonist Link battles enemies, collects items, and solves puzzles to progress to the boss.

Link primarily uses a sword and shield in combat. Other weapons commonly used by Link include a bow and arrow, a boomerang, bombs, and a grappling hook. As with the other 3D Zelda games, a "lock-on" mechanism allows Link to stay aimed on an enemy while strafing around them. To traverse the map, Link can teleport to pre-specified points on the map or ride a horse, whose name is Epona by default.
Link's wolf form can pick up unique smells; a horizontal scent trail is shown here, leading Link to his objective.
Link's wolf form can pick up unique smells; a horizontal scent trail is shown here, leading Link to his objective.

Link can transform into an alternate form, a wolf, when entering the Twilight Realm, a void which corrupted parts of Hyrule.[15] As a wolf, Link moves quickly, attacks with his fangs, and finds and digs holes to create new passages and uncover buried items. He also carries Midna, a small imp-like creature who gives hints, uses an energy field to attack enemies, and helps Link jump longer distances. Link can also communicate with animals as a wolf, aiding him in gathering useful information, and has an improved sense of smell, allowing him to follow trails left by certain characters in the game or to obtain the scent of objects such as medicine or fish. His sense of smell is also the only way players are able to see wandering spirits and hunt for ghosts named Poes, which can neither be seen (except for the lanterns they carry) or attacked without the wolf form's ability of smell.

The Wii version of the game has a control system based on the Wii Remote and the Wii Nunchuk's motion sensors. The built-in speaker on the remote emits sounds such as the bowstring of the Hero's Bow being drawn and released, Midna's laugh when using Wolf Link to jump from platforms with Midna's help, and the "Zelda chime" when discovering secrets. If the Wii Remote's volume is decreased to zero, these sounds are emitted from the television's speakers instead. The GameCube versions have two major control scheme differences, free camera control and being able to equip only two items because one button is used to call Midna if the player is in need of help.

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.

There is no extensive voice acting in the game. The only character with spoken dialogue is Midna, who employs an unintelligible fictional language. Other characters laugh, scream, and make other noises. In conversations, Link remains silent — except for grunts when attacking and being hit and gasping slightly at a surprising sight — and his responses are implied by nods and facial expressions similar to previous installments in the series.

Computers and Technology