Mark’s game for some Zelda Zapper action...

There’s no denying that the Wii has been a runaway success for Nintendo, with the very novelty of convolution-free movement-based gameplay selling the console to everyone from hardcore players to absolute gaming beginners the world over.

It’s that same novelty value which will make the Zapper appeal to Wii owners – and with it, Link's Crossbow Training. It makes sense really; Twilight Princess was the title which Nintendo first used to pioneer the Wiimote's pointer aiming, so Link's Crossbow Training, based entirely on this point-and-shoot premise, is a bit of a no-brainer; and also extends the value-for-money of the chunky Wii Zapper package.

A nifty nine

Link's Crossbow Training sees players taking on the role of the titular elf with a host of shooting challenges based in the world of the Wii’s first Zelda. In Link's Crossbow Training, players wield the Zapper like a lightgun to make short work of a variety of familiar Zelda enemies across three different modes. It's not the Wii's best lightgun game, but nontheless a rather nifty way to get to grips with the hardware.

Link's Crossbow Training offers nine different stages, each with three different difficulty levels – and medals, from bronze to platinum, to be earned for getting specific scores. Stages mix the aforementioned three modes of play, so Link's Crossbow Training offers a relatively diverse gameplay proposition for a lightgun shooter.

From simply aiming at targets in front of you whilst stood still, to rotating on the spot and fighting foes from all sides, to the most complex and compelling; moving Link with the Nunchuk analogue and shooting with the Zapper, Link's Crossbow Training is, when you get right down to it, a darn lot of fun.

The main drawback is that Link’s Crossbow Training doesn't really feel as suited to the Zapper as some of the other lightgun games on Wii. Ironically you're more guiding a pointer around the screen than you are aiming it accurately like a crossbow, though the feel of the hardware in your hand does somehow make playing Link's Crossbow Training a more authentic, arcadey experience.

The other big drawback is that Link's Crossbow Training is simply not all that long. Nine stages and three difficulty settings means a mere 27 levels of short-burst shooting, so after a while the medals will be your sole reason for returning to Link's Crossbow Training's singleplayer game.

Not a normal lightgun game

Multiplayer is also not your usual lightgun fare, with Link’s Crossbow Training offering a pass-the-pad (well, gun!) experience rather than simultaneous shooting. However, given the brevity of the singleplayer mode, that may have been a wise decision. It makes playing Link's Crossbow Training with friends a far more immediately competitive experience – and the fact that Link's Crossbow Training is surprisingly one of the Wii's better looking titles makes the decision to put it on all the easier.

There are better lightgun games on the Wii than Link's Crossbow Training, and certainly ones that make the Zapper feel like a real firearm instead of a 3D mouse. That said, Link's Crossbow Training was only ever a designed as a taster, and with Ghost Squad, Umbrella Chronicles and the upcoming House of the Dead to the Wii's name, it remains a novel interactive aperitif worth enjoying before a sizeable shooting main course.

GAME's Verdict

• A fun, convolution-free introduction to pointer-based Wii shooting.
• Multiplayer mode can be a competitive laugh.
• Great looking with a real Zelda feel; especially surprising for a buget-price bundle release.

• Too short to be considered a fully-fledged release.
• Feels less like a 'proper' lightgun game than the likes of Ghost Squad.
• Take-turns multiplayer on the singleplayer levels, with no Resi Umbrella style dual-reticule action or added multiplayer environments.

Review by: Mark 'SMG' Scott
Version Tested: Wii
Review Published: 22.02.08