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GameCube | Adventure | The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Boxart for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess 37 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 4.00
  • SOUND: 4.75
  • CONTROL: 4.00
  • FUN FACTOR 5.00
  • AVG USER SCORE 4.8
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 4.9
Winner of the GamePro Editor's Choice Award

Preview: The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess

Preview by Bro Buzz | 07/15/2005 | 18:35:15 PM PST

The grown up Link has matured in more ways than one.

Life can lead all of us down dark and dangerous pathways, and why should it be any different for Link? In The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess the land of Hyrule is being gradually overrun by a creeping darkness called the "Twilight," and that means it's time for another legendary hero to step forward.

Poor Princess
Since this is possibly Zelda's last hurrah for the GameCube before it joins the Revolution, it's going to leave the system with a bang. The hero (named "Link" of course) is a teenager. The graphic style is darker and more realistic to reflect the fact that Link is older and much more mature than the kid who starred in Wind Waker, which featured bright colors and cartoon/anime visual flair. In fact, this tale is actually taking place a few decades after Ocarina of Time and before Wind Waker.

Welcome to the Twilight Zone
The Twilight is an evil magic power and as it gradually envelops the countryside, evil beings and monsters begin to appear to terrorize the population. Princess Zelda herself will make a guest appearance early in the game to convey a sense of urgency to Link about the disastrous times they are facing.

When a band of goblins riding massive warthogs kidnaps one of Link's friends, he's spurred into action. This installment is based on the Wind Waker game engine, so gamers will find the basic mechanics and inventory system familiar. Link will engage in mounted combat, with horseback riding being a major portion of the gameplay. There's a boomerang, of course, but this one called the Gale Boomerang flies with the force of a mini-tornado.

Link gives chase by using the Twilight itself. Each area of land that has been consumed by the dark power becomes a sort of portal into a netherworld, much like the light and dark worlds in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (for the SNES). Gamers will learn to use the portals to zap Link into the heart of the action in the Twilight world. However, there's a catch: Link cannot exist in human form in the Twilight. Whenever he steps into the dark world, he will transform into a wolf!

The Legend Lives
Even at this early stage, Twilight Princess promises to be yet another epic adventure. Maybe the Revolution looms in The Legend of Zelda's future, but for now all thoughts are again solely focused on the fate of Hyrule.


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