| The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Nintendo |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Designer(s) | Eiji Aonuma (director) Shigeru Miyamoto (producer) |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo GameCube |
| Release | Q2 2006 |
| Genre(s) | Action Adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is an upcoming video game in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series for the Nintendo GameCube. Originally planned for release in November, Nintendo delayed it to 2006 so that the developers could add more content and fine-tune the game[1].
Footage from the game was originally shown at E³ 2004 in the form of a short trailer, and a second trailer was later shown at the 2005 Game Developers Conference. It features a realistic art style (similar to but more advanced than that found in Ocarina of Time), rather than the cartoon look that The Wind Waker exhibited, although it will still make use of the cel-shading lighting effects and a modified version of The Wind Waker's engine. In a further departure from The Wind Waker, Link is once again a young man, as in the second half of Ocarina of Time. It is also believed that the game takes on a much darker tone than its predecessor, judging from the trailers.
A number of former rumors about the game were confirmed at E³ 2005. The official title, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was announced, and it was explained that Link would transform into a wolf. It was confirmed that it falls chronologically "decades after Ocarina of Time", but before The Wind Waker, and that "the hero in the adventure is an all-new Link"[2]. Interviews and a playable demo exposed many new details, such as Link beginning the game as a sort of shepherd or cowboy, Link battling on horseback, changes in the horse controls from Ocarina, thematic differences between dungeons, and so on[3]. Live feeds of this demo have also been published.
In recent interviews in Nintendo Power, Electronic Gaming Monthly, and the Spanish magazine Hobby Consolas, director Eiji Aonuma revealed that Princess Zelda and Ganondorf will be returning. What their roles are is unknown, but the new character art shows Princess Zelda with a thin and somewhat effeminate sword, leading many fans to theorise that she will fight at some point, or at the very least defend herself. Nintendo is unclear on whether the Master Sword will be featured in the game.
Aonuma has also stated that the game will be much larger in size than Ocarina of Time, and will have many more dungeons. He stated that Link can communicate with animals, but did not elaborate on this. He also confirmed that voice acting will not be in the game. However, characters will still grunt, laugh, scream, and make other such noises, just as they have in all 3D LoZ outings.
There have been claims that celebrities will provide voices for characters in the game, including that rapper 50 Cent will play the horse and that Richard Simmons will play Tingle. This is obviously a hoax, stemming from joke entries on the game's IMDb page[4]. The article also states that the game's name will be changed to The Legend of Zelda: Tingle's Revenge, which furthermore proves it to be a prank. Nintendo has confirmed that the game will not contain any extensive voice acting.
Project History
Speculation regarding a realistic Zelda game on the Nintendo GameCube goes back as far as Summer 2000. During its 2000 Spaceworld convention, Nintendo unveiled the GameCube along with some demos for Luigi's Mansion, an unnamed Metroid game, Super Mario 128, an unnamed Pokémon game, and a Zelda demo where characters Link and Ganondorf fight. While Nintendo mentioned that the demos did not necessarily represent upcoming Nintendo projects accurately, the Zelda demo left a permanent impression on many fans.
When Nintendo unveiled a trailer for what would become The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker during the 2001 Electronic Entertainment Expo, many fans were surprised by the change in direction the Zelda series was taking on consoles. After the game was released in 2003, most of the criticism of the new style disappeared, as both reviews and word-of-mouth ratings for the game were generally positive. Many thought this acceptance (and the news that a "sequel", tentatively dubbed Wind Waker 2, was being built on the same engine) signalled that the next Zelda console game, (not counting Four Swords Adventures) would continue in that style.
At E³ 2004, this misconception ended, when a surprise announcement was made near the end of a Nintendo press conference. In an explanation for the stylistic departure from Wind Waker, game director Eiji Aonuma described the title as being more specifically targeted to the franchise's North American audience.
The game was believed to be scheduled for release in November 2005, until August 16th, 2005, when Nintendo announced it would be released some time after March 31st 2006, because the development team needed more time to work on the game. A precise date has yet to be announced.
This delay of Twilight Princess caused a large number of fans to speculate that Nintendo was actually planning to release the game for the company's next-gen console, the Nintendo Revolution. However, Perrin Kaplan, Nintendo's vice president for corporate affairs, has confirmed that it will indeed be released on the GameCube: "...we feel a commitment to the GameCube owners who've been patiently awaiting this new Zelda title, and don't want to force them to wait and buy a brand new system in order to play the game."
Story & Gameplay
Template:Spoilers The game begins with Link residing in Toaru Village (this name has not been finalized), working as a wrangler. This changes, however, when he is asked by the village's mayor to visit the Hyrule Summit. In doing so, Link leaves behind Ilia, the mayor's daughter (who some believe to be Link's girlfriend, or at least an admirer). It is his journey beyond the village which leads him to first encounter the Twilight Realm.
Animals
Animals play a big part in the game. Although it is confirmed that Link will be able to talk to some animals, and maybe even his horse, the exact roles of most of them are unknown. Dungeons are animal-themed, as revealed on the show Xplay.
Link, the wolf
Link will also be able to enter the Twilight Realm and transform into a wolf, much like the transformation into a bunny when entering the Dark World in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Link will be unable to use any weapons or items in this form, but will team up with Midna, a small character who rides atop Link wearing an odd helmet. As the Twilight gets pushed back, Link will regain his human form, altering Link and Midna's partnership[5].
Link's horse
In this game, Link's horse is apparently not Epona, despite looking very similar. While the E³ footage shows the horse's name as Epona, this time around, gamers can choose their own name for the horse. Whether or not it has a default name (as with Link) is currently unknown. In the gameplay trailers, Link picks some "horse grass", and plays Epona's Song, which has been confirmed to summon the horse.
Confirmed new mechanics for riding include Link doing battle with his sword or bow while on horseback, and the possibility of being thrown from the saddle.
Link's hawk
The hawk can be used much like the Boomerang; Link can target objects, and send the hawk out to hit (and, probably, retrieve) things from afar. Whether the hawk can be used to attack enemies or is merely a puzzle-solving ally is unclear. It is called upon using "Hawk weed" found in patches.
Cuccos
As in the past games, Link can grab hold of cuccos to hover for short distances. This enables him to access secret or hard-to-reach places he could not normally get to. Unlike previous games in which they were always white, the cuccos in the E³ footage are brown, much like everyday chickens.
Goats
Aonuma mentioned that Link "takes care of the goats" in Toaru Village, so we can expect to see these creatures in the game.
Cats
The second trailer showed Link petting some cats, and later picking up one of them and running off with it (with the others chasing after). What their role will be is unknown, and they were only seen washing themselves in the expanded third trailer. A cat was also seen in some gameplay footage where Link had to get it off a roof and return it to its owner.
Dogs
In new gameplay footage Link could pick up a bone and toss it to a dog. This could become useful later in the game.
Monkeys
In the new dungeon shown in E³ footage and in the playable demo, it appears that the dungeon is monkey-themed. Link rescues monkeys from cages; in return they help him cross a bridge to the mini-boss's lair, where he battles the bewitched baboon who locked them up.
Enemies
Not much is currently known about the enemies in the game; while some enemies from previous Zelda games return, as seen in the third official trailer, there are also many new creatures. Enemy AI is more advanced than in The Wind Waker.
Skulltula?
The identity of this monster is unknown, but it is most likely a Skulltula. Its appearance is reminiscent of a Skulltula, although the skull is only a pattern on the abdomen, whereas the Skulltula in the N64 games had a skull-shaped armored carapace.
These spider-creatures are seen in the dungeon in the new gameplay footage. They hang from webs much like Skulltula, and they may also leave their webs and attack Link from the ground. This enemy appears to have the ability to encase Link in a web as seen in the second trailer.
Keese
These staple enemies return with a new look. Keese fly around to attack Link and are easily defeated, taking only one hit to subdue. They are seen in a forest in the third trailer and a dungeon from gameplay footage.
Stalfos
Another classic enemy in the Zelda series, Stalfos have appeared in numerous screenshots and trailers. A Stalfos is a walking skeleton, usually equipped with a shield and sword, and most cases they are easily defeated by blocking and counter-attacking. Like the Keese, they have been give a new, darker and more detailed look.
Possibly related to the Stalfos are the skeletal beasts which Link fights in a graveyard in the second trailer.
Lizalfos/Dinofols(?)
These reptilian foes, originally from Ocarina of Time, make appearances in a number of different places in the trailers. They appear to fight with swords and shields, and some wear a sort of skull helm.
Moblins and Bokoblins
These familiar creatures attack Link in various locations, including (a new addition to the series) from the backs of boars while he's on horseback, in what appears to be a new rendition of Hyrule Field.
???
Strange creatures, which bear a disturbing resemblance to something out of Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos or Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, have also been featured in the latest trailer. Apparently related to the incursion of the Twilight Realm into Hyrule, they are seen falling from an odd portal in the sky, and later being attacked by Midna and wolf-Link.
Bosses
One of the new mini-bosses is a giant baboon, who taunts Link and throws a boomerang. Simultaneously, Link is being attacked by an uprooted Deku Baba with three joined heads; it crawls on the ground and snaps at him. Link needs to deflect the baboon's boomerang back by hitting it, then roll into pillars to knock the baboon off. He then hits its red bottom several times until it is defeated. As demonstrated in the second trailer, enemies' attacks can hurt each other. The baboon is revealed to be good once it is defeated by Link and a red-and-black cap falls off its head.
Another boss or mini-boss battle is a sort of jousting match with a Moblin riding a huge boar. To up the stakes, the creature has abducted a village boy, Colin, and is dangling him from the end of a pole! The goal of this match is apparently to knock the other rider from his mount and off the bridge on which they are jousting.
Gohma is also back, with a larger eye than in Ocarina of Time. In the second trailer, Link is running headlong from it through a network of caves.
Other Playable Character(s)
Midna, a new character (who some speculate may be evil), is a resident of the Twilight Realm. At a certain point in the game she decides to team up with Link to fight a "greater evil" that she cannot overcome alone (fans assume this is Ganon). For these parts, the player controls her while she rides on wolf-Link's back.
There is also some speculation—mostly unfounded—that Princess Zelda herself may be playable in the game. The primary basis for this theory is a piece of official concept art (shown right) in which Zelda holds a sword. No official confirmation exists (indeed, there have been statements to the contrary), however, and the fan community is largely divided on the prospect and implications of such a move.
Twilight Princess
The origin of the game's title is currently unknown. It is believed to refer to a person, such as Midna or Zelda.
Weapons
The game will feature some as-yet-unrevealed new weapons/items, and many classic Zelda armaments - some with new twists, such as the Gale Boomerang. This novel version of a cherished tool can create a small whirlwind capable of picking up items, including lit bombs, and delivering them to other locations, such as to an enemy or back to Link.
It has also been confirmed that some weapons can now be combined, as with the bomb-arrows seen in one trailer. (This combo actually originated in the classic Game Boy adventure Link's Awakening, and fans have been clamoring for the feature's return ever since.)
Environment
Twilight Princess will feature many different types of environments. In the trailers, aside from the dungeons which are an important Zelda feature and the mysterious Twilight Realm, forest and open field settings were shown, along with the small village where Link lives. There are also mountain areas, where Link was seen apparently sparring with a Goron. In the most recently released pictures, a market scene was introduced (most likely Hyrule Market), and snowy area where wolf-Link was running.
Races
Gorons
These rock eating creatures from Ocarina of Time are back, as seen in one of the trailers, although it has been stated the these will not be the same Gorons seen in OoT. In the trailer, the Goron is standing opposite Link, fists up and bouncing around a bit, as though they were having a boxing match (though Link is using his shield). Link takes a hit and is knocked down.
Zoras
The Zoras may also be making a comeback. In an interview from EGM #195, Eiji Aonuma said "...Because it [Twilight Princess] is several decades after Ocarina, it's possible some of the characters from that game might still be alive in this world. We've already shown the Goron in an earlier trailer; I think people can look forward to seeing if we include Zoras as well..." Nothing else official has been said regarding the Zoras.
Other
Returning in Twilight Princess is the popular fishing minigame from Ocarina of Time, although its exact place and purpose in the game is not yet confirmed; i.e., a mini-game sidequest or part of the larger, main quest; it has been hinted that one of its final uses may be to fish up a boss which Link must then defeat.
Also worth noting is a rumored return of the Sheikah, a supposedly extinct tribe of ninja-like warriors loyal the Hyrulean throne, originally found in Ocarina of Time. This speculation is based on the presence of a Sheikah symbol on the back of Zelda's robes in the trailer. The symbol is a stylized eye with 3 spike-like lashes fanning out above it and a tear falling below. Originally seen on the chest of Impa, a survivor of the Sheikah people, in Ocarina of Time, it was also worn by Sheik (who was actually Princess Zelda in disguise). It is not yet known what role, if any, the Sheikah play in Twilight Princess. The symbol may just be a treat for fans, nothing has been officially said about it.
The character in the dark cloak with the Sheikah symbol on it in the previews appears to be Princess Zelda due to the similarities in the face and the headband Zelda is seen wearing in the artwork. (It has been confirmed that this person is, in fact, Princess Zelda.)