Mark plays with his Elf...

Link's got a lot on his shoulders. Striking green tunic aside, he's defending the hopes of Nintendo fans by starring in the Wii's first proper adventure, while his latest outing, Twilight Princess, also needs to satisfy those who ignored the cartoony Wind Waker. At the same time, it will beget comparisons to seminal N64 Zelda Ocarina of Time - arguably the best game ever made. No pressure.

But Link is a natural born hero, and doesn't have to try too hard. That's something you, the player will be doing instead; waving the Wii remote about to make him slash his sword, aiming arrows and such with the pointer function, guiding him with the Nunchuk and shaking it to produce his famous spin attack.

Of course, "standard" pad control is the order of the day with the near-identical GameCube version (the other main difference being that the gameworld is completely mirrored from the Wii version, with left being right and vice versa!).

Wii-mote slicing action

The Wii-mote control isn't exactly motion-mimicking; however you swing, Link will invariably produce generic movements - though slicing your sword whilst running is welcome, and the Z-Trigger lock-on is as accomplished as ever. Thankfully the controls never make it tiring to play, and the lack of a controllable camera is never really missed. You won't have to try to hard to love Twilight Princess.

Likewise, Twilight Princess never feels like it's trying to reinvent the series. Sure, the gameworld's size far exceeds previous Zeldas, and the overall adventure weighs in between 35 and a monstrous 60 hours, but it also stays true to Zelda conventions. This is the most well-polished, puzzle-packed, dungeon-led magnum opus we've ever seen - and it always feels fresh and formidably epic, despite so much comforting familiarity.

Where Twilight Princess does take strides forward is in its story. Link is still a blank, dialogue-less canvas, but his silent interactions with Hyrule's inhabitants are buoyed by some exceptionally strong characterisation. The residents of his home, Ordon Village, are instantly endearing. His bonds with Llia, Colin and co (plus the Postman, who's just brilliant. 'Onward to mail!' ahem), as well as your own affection for them, only solidify as the game progresses.

Demeanour masks importance

No one character, however, stands out like Midna. Link's new pint-sized shadow companion gives hints, helps solve puzzles, and can be called upon throughout. Playfully malevolent and misleadingly miniscule, her demeanour nonetheless masks her importance to the overall plot, which sees the two striving to save Hyrule from invasion by the evil Twilight Realm, and she really comes into her own in the final third of the story, proving to be one of the best things to happen to the series in years.

Midna's also essential to using Twilight Princess's new hook; Link's wolf form. Wolf Link replaces the previous time travel and weather manipulation aspects, while also presenting the game's most moving plot aspects. When in the Twilight Realm, Link can see and hear his friends, but not talk to or interact with them, making for a more melancholy tale than previous titles.

Even when you earn the ability to switch between forms at will the twin shadow/light world aspect is rarely used as divisively as Ocarina's time travelling, but when it does come into play, it usually mixes human and canine capabilities. You'll shift to four legs to follow a scent trail, scale otherwise insurmountable heights (with Midna's help), or dig your way into secreted areas, only to return to bipedal movement when you get where you're going. Handily, it controls largely the same as human Link, and so never strays from that authentic Zelda feel.

That same feel is embedded into the game's aesthetic qualities. It's a Tolkien-esque look with a distinct Zelda essence, and at times can look every bit as majestic in art style and direction as the 360's most impressive visual feats. Some muddy textures let it down slightly, and the synthesized soundtrack would have sounded much better as a full orchestral score, but the production values here are otherwise through the roof. Twilight Princess has clearly been a labour of love for Nintendo.

As it will be for all Zelda fans. Its flaws are slight; there's a slow start, one particularly frustrating learning spike early on, and it's not especially difficult, but there's just so much to see and do that it's hard not to get swallowed whole by its sheer ambition. With devious puzzles, jaw-dropping bosses, collectables galore, many a minigame, fantastic fishing, some genuinely ingenious new inventory items, and Link's ever-present steed Epona to steer across the Hylian plains, fans can feel satisfied this won't crumble under the weight of lofty expectations.

Indeed, Twilight Princess's defining drawback is also its biggest strength; it feels like a remixed Zelda Greatest Hits release. It's not at all original, but positively resonates a quality only found in works from the magic mind of Shigeru Myamoto. Fronting a modern masterpiece, a timeless classic, and the game to justify purchasing a Wii, Link shoulders his burden admirably.

GAME's Verdict

• Motion-sensing control works intuitively without proving tiring
• Ingeniously designed and stunning to behold
• A Zelda Greatest Hits: Polished, refined and more epic than ever

• Not especially difficult as adventure games go
• Slow start, with one particuarly annoying learning spike
• A Zelda Greatest Hits: Not highly original, feels very familiar

Review by: Mark Scott
Version Tested: Wii
Review Published: 18.01.07

GameCube's twilight title burns brightly on the horizon...

For the first time in the Zelda series, Hylian hero Link finds himself stuck in an allegory. You see, while the name Twilight Princess marks yet another promising passage in the tale of the Triforce, it's subtitle that's also remarkably representative of the current console climate. For so long Nintendo's big Christmas hope, news that Link's latest wouldn't be making store shelves before the new year disappointed many, but confirmed what gaming critics had long suspected. The next instalment in the Zelda saga now looks certain to be the sweetest of swansongs for GameCube, and potentially the best in the series to date.

Visually, it's undoubtedly the most iconic. If the N64 titles presented Zelda's natural progression into three dimensions, then Twilight Princess is an organic evolution on that form. Gone is Wind Waker's poster paint waterscape and rainbow-bright realm; the cel shading, wide eyes and stumpy features that defined its aesthetic and caused such controversy replaced by a more immediately mature approach that echoes the darker narrative values of Majora's Mask. For many, this will be the realistic next-gen Zelda they always wanted.

The epic adventure begins in the newest Link's home, Toaru Village. This Link is something of a cowboy, and instantly looks the part with his patchwork clothes and ruffled sandy brown hair. The village itself is warm and inviting, its bright blue sky, clumpy green grass, towering trees and thatch roof buildings lending a feeling familiar to anyone with previous Zelda experience. Villagers are more angular than Link himself and less detailed, but exude a charm that wasn't present in many of Wind Waker's comparatively flat characters, while the environment's draw distance is almost awe inspiring. It's a wonderful arena for the game's humble beginnings.

Toaru village also lays out the template for one of the game's foremost themes. Be it riding Epona (or, this time round, whatever you choose to name her) herding cattle or playing falconer, interacting with the gameworld's animals will be a prevalent feature of Twilight Princess. In one instance, whistling down a plucked piece of dried grass gains the attention of a bird which glides through the sky to perch on Link's arm. Making use of this mechanic means a simple act of launching the bird in a specific direction; in this case, at a nearby tree to topple a bothersome beehive and reap a rupee reward.

Like the smartest ideas of previous Zelda titles, the new interaction dynamic looks to really come into its own in the game's dungeons. The forest temple for example features a set of progressively trickier puzzles with the objective of freeing a set of hapless monkey prisoners. The first is fairly simple; rolling repeatedly into a stone pillar eventually topples the caged monkey sat atop it, who then joins your party. Enough free monkeys gives access to previously inaccessible areas of the Temple by way of trapeze artist-like agility; a first monkey hangs from an overhead rope and throws his primate pals further down the line, then each passes Link to the next monkey in turn, helping the hero clear gaps of unjumpable distance.

Of course, the most intriguing animal aspect is Link's much talked about transformation into a Werewolf. And, typically for Nintendo, it's also the one aspect shrowded in mystery. We do know that the story of Twilight Princess sees Hyrule being covered in a dark cloud, and that entering this Twilight Realm is what causes Link's much-speculated mutation. Most curious however is Link's miniature magical companion Midna who rides atop his wolf form to solve puzzles in the Twilight Realm. Is this mysterious figure somehow associated with Princess Zelda? It seems a popular theory, but until the game's release ebbs closer we won't know for sure.

What we do know is to expect some traditional Zelda action, with a noticeably Lord of the Rings inspired setting. The game's cinematic ambition is huge, going out of its way to offer gobsmacking set pieces that are a real treat to play through.

Two bosses have been unveiled so far, both with multiple phases and some extraordinary attention to detail. The first battle sees Link atop Epona, pursuing a Wild Boar rider as his henchmen give chase to slow our hero down. It moves between a vast, shadowy, lightning-drenched plain easily comparable to Ocarina's Hyrule field in size, and a perilous stone bridge where a deadly game of chicken takes place. The second boss ends the Forest Temple area: a huge, hulking monstrosity of vegetation with two piranha plant mouths and a towering central eye which requires ingenious use of one of the game's new weapons, the Gale Boomerang, to defeat.

This second boss battle is especially promising, as we'd wager that Twilight Princess will live or die on how Links armoury hangs together. By comparison to previous Zelda's, Wind Waker's weapon quota was light and the uses of many implements underdeveloped, which in turn affected the duration and depth of the adventure. The Gale Boomerang proved an innovative and enjoyable spin on a traditional Zelda weapon, and a few more tools of its ilk at Link's disposal could really open the game up to some vast possibilities.

As it stands, even months from release, Twilight Princess is clearly the best looking, darkest and most cinematic Zelda title yet. Its controls, design and sound distinctly resonate the series' sensibilities, and the gameworld itself is a captivating centre stage for an alluring tale of unmistakable charm. Though further details are veiled in promises, shadow and whispers, we've seen enough to affirm our faith in the series. It may well be the GameCube's final curtain call, but a parting gift the calibre of Twilight Princess should be every bit as anticipated as the series itself is celebrated.

Preview by: Mark Scott
Preview Published: 22.12.05