Not all of us were lucky enough to score a Wii yet!
Last week I picked up a copy of Zelda Twilight Princess for the Nintendo GameCube at Circuit City for the fair price of $37.99. I’ve been waiting for this game to come out for at least three years now, actually six, but I guess they gave us Wind Waker . Anyway, I had pretty high expectations going in. Unfortunately, the game has not lived up to them so far.
I have only completed two dungeons so far, and I am almost to the third, but I already have thirteen hours of game play. As you can obviously see doing anything in this game tasks forever, and I thought it bad sailing all the way across the map in Wind Waker! However, the time issues don’t bother me, the stages are setup fairly large, and there is not a whole lot of grinding going on so it does not usually feel the long.
Those who have played Wind Waker will be very familiar with the controls, because practically nothing has changed, with the exception of a few additions you get later on. Now, these controls were fine in Wind Waker, since the visuals were cell shaded, so the simplified controls felt right. Now, however they have brought the visuals up to a level that the series deserves. The downside is that the fisher price controls feel constraining and clumsy. This is particularly evident while riding the horse. If someone knows how to slow down the horse without coming to a complete stop let me know ASAP! It is very frustrating when you over taking an enemy and you need to slow to match their speed. When you pull the stick back, even just a little, expecting the horse to slow, it rears up and comes to a complete stop.
Still, there is no jumping. Still, this frustrates me to no end. I know that in Wind Waker, I played for a few hours and got frustrated and bored, until I found an action replay code to allow jumping. Instantly the game became 1,000% more fun. So, naturally, I have been watching code junkies to see if they were going to release a jump code for Twilight Prince. Well, they released their codes, but there is no a jump code…the disappointment.
Now, don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of good in this game. However, not only do I not think that it is the best Zelda game, but it isn’t even the best for the GameCube. So far, I would have to put Wind Waker ahead of it, because the visuals in Wind Waker match the controls much more than than the “realistic” visuals of Twilight Princess. Still, A Link to the Past utterly dominants any other game in the series.
Now, I should admit that I have not defeated either of the N64 games. I have played both, but did not beat them for different reasons. I stopped in OoT because the game glitched inside the whale, and there was no way I was going to start over. However, I am considering playing it in the collector’s edition after I finish Twilight Princess. I did not beat Majora’s Mask because it was so frustrating to have everything that I did become undone after each day passed. I think I beat the first four dungeons in it, then called it quits.
Ugh…the wolf. I am not sure who thought this was a good idea, but they should be put out of my misery. I wonder what the meeting was like for it, did someone pose the question, “what can we do to piss fans of the series off, but still have them buy the game?” I could see that if it were something that you could control, and flip back and forth so that you did not have to use it if you did not want to, it would be ok. But, the lack of control over it is frustrating. Leading me into my next point: linearity.
I know that all of the games have been basically linear, but Twilight Princess is ridiculous. It seems as though every action you make is strictly scripted by the developers. In most of the other games, you are not necessarily required to do the dungeons any in particular order, the only linearity is enforced by what items are required to do whatever. In Twilight Princess you are basically up against the wall, you cannot even explore different areas, because they passages to them are blocked off.
Now, not everything about the game is bad, but those are really just the glaring things that I have been wanting to get off my chest. I’m sure that when I do my more finalized post about the game, I will spend more time talking about the stuff that I like about the game.
P.S. Do not waste your money on the blasted STAR game in Castle Town. I wasted 100 rupees playing that damn game.
28 Comments
I was going to make a post on this topic and you always beat me and the items of my post will go here.
To start I can tell you the jumping issue you have with games doesn’t bother me at all. You can roll and that is more then enough to pass the dull times IMHO. Link is quicker and more nimble then he ever has and you can almost call the horse at will it seems. And being able to run and swing at grass and stuff for powerups is a great addition and a timesaver.
I have no problems directing the horse either. We have always had different opinions on controls though so I can understand. Slowing down is hard but again hasn’t bothered me too much.
I can tell you all the recent zelda games have given you a “you need to go here next” type of thing. Even zelda 3 just placed points on your map to where to go. I like in TP that it’s not as direct as OoT was. OoT you could ask Navi and she would tell you exactly where to go and exactly how to kill monsters. In TP there is more to figure out. TP to a point in linear but you DON’T have to go to the next part if you want you can go back almost anywhere you want and check things out. I think after a point the game will open up a bit more.
The wolf doesn’t piss me off that much. I dislike how the fighting is but his parts I think are made to go though fast and not investigate. As a zelda player you WANT to search and find things but you never do as the wolf everything is mostly pretty quick and you won’t find any goodies as I have found.
To end this super duper comment I have to say TP I believe was created both as a response to the reaction Soul Calibur 2 adult link had and as well as a playable replacement for OoT. The art direction really is amazing regardless if the graphics aren’t xb360 powered. I can say there has never been a game made that really embodied being a fantasy style hero as TP had done so far.
i read the first paragraph of your post and skipped to the comments…. to tell you that i didnt read your whole post.
then i saw van’s comment, read the first sentence…. and skipped the rest of it.
Rusty, just be thankful that I at least have posts for you to skip.
Ben Roethlisberger’s dive play in the super bowl last year was a touchdown.
lmfao I have to agree again with fulljeff…..you really need to pick it up rusty you should recreate the “halo” and blog your heart out
who are you vanberge4
Get some patience. Play a game to the end – and don’t get so darn biased near the beggining.
Awkin, no.
I was a little annoyed about it at first, but when I got further the game got much better. One thing I didn’t like is that every area in the game you saw, was in twilight at first, so you got used to the landscape, and when you beat the twilight, you saw the land beautifully. I wanted to see the area beautifully at first…
it sounds stupid, I know…
Another thing is they took out that forest.(the second scene in the first trailer)…
That was my most anticipated area in the game…………………!!!
But keep playing it. The game is the best one yet. I still say OoT was a better first playthrough…
but this game is probably 2nd…
Twilight Princess has the most lengthy intro I’ve ever encountered in a Zelda game. Hours of tutorially inclined gameplay are tiresome at times but bearable. After the goron mines the game really opens up, becoming less linear as you can search for items or go on side quests. Also, I’d like to note that the game DOES get better later on, notably after the goron mines, as previously stated. So don’t judge the game as a whole until you’ve played it as a whole, eh?
PS– The STAR game is the only way to upgrade your quiver, noob.
lol at linkmasterer you really put “jja” in his place
lmao :-[!!!!!!!!!!!
Linkmaster, the name of the post is “first impressions” I am in NO WAY passing final judgement on the game. Also, when I wrote it, I did not yet have clawshot. Without it, that STAR game is basically impossible. Had I had it, I would have written not to attempt the game until after you got it.
I played through almost the whole game and to sum it up, it sucks. Never have I heard of such a bad Zelda game. I would rather play the old CDi games, and those where some of the worst games ever. I don’t think that the developers thought right when they made this game long. Length will not make up for this disaster. In fact I think the game is so long that it even hurts the games score. Wind Waker was way better than this game ever will be. I never saw anything wrong with Wind Wakers art style. If it was done in Oot’s art sceme no one would have complained. TP is my least favorite of the Zelda game going all the way back to The Legend Of Zelda on the NES. The dog thing is useless. They force you to use it even if you don’t want to. This game has way too many constrictions in the beginning. I felt like I was playing a game where I had to walk down a very narrow hall. I wish Nintendo would get someone who has some good ideas for the Zelda series cause if they keep making games like this Zelda will loose all of its credit that it has built up over the years. I hope the next game will have a lot of improvements. Until they do ill stick with playing Oot on my Gamecube and N64.
IF YOU DON’T OPEN THE PORTAL IN LAKE HYLIA THERE’S NO WAY TO GET BACK THERE AS A WOLF.IS THIS
A GLITCH???IT SUCKS
You sir, are an idiot.
I liked the hero’s shield.
I think I’ve seen the reason it’s not lived up to your expectations. Thirteen hours of gameplay to complete two dungeons… well, put simply, you’re not very good. If it took most people that long to get that far they’d be bored too. By thirteen hours you should be working on the third shadow piece.
Regarding the control issue, try playing it on the Wii – no control system has ever worked so well.
By the way, you can’t actually complete the STAR game until you have the hookshot. Way to waste rupees.
Hmmm what to say about the game just beat it, I liked it over all. A few down sides. Now I know that in the past of beating the zelda games you get little perks at the end. Anyone find any because I have not. Thanks for any info.
I have played TP all the way through and my conclusion is that this is a good game but not zelda good
the game just didn’t have the amount of side quest if its predecessors and seemed to focus on graphics instead.
the dungeons werent as imaginitive as previous games have shown (ie:windwaker)
they were creative on the weapons but it just isn’t enuf.
it just wasnt the Oot killer i thought it would be…
yeah the wolf thing is very lamo but everything else is pretty polished
Dude, sounds to me like you should stick with Super Mario Bros and the like.
I thought Twilight Princess was the best Zelda yet. Took 6 days to complete and left me sitting there wishing for more.
I agree Majoras Mask was a pain. I didnt even try windwaker because of the cartoonish look it had. That is the only Zelda I have never played.
Just my two cents.
The original comment writer wrote:
“In TP there is more to figure out.”
Gee, you make it sound so laborsome? Gimme a break, if you don’t want to “figure stuff out” pick up a pong game and an atari 2600.
You guys need to take into consideration that this was a FIRST IMPRESSION. Had I written this after I beat the game, it would be quite a bit different.
The game basically sucks until after you beat the Underwater Temple. After which is becomes infinitely better. Furthermore, it is also significantly better on the Wii than it was on the GameCube.
OK…I actually like the Wolf thing. After you get all those Shadow Armor things out the way, you can be either Link or the Wolf…at virtually any time. And I like to scare people. HeeHee. So it kinda gives you some variation. I LOVE the graphics and the fact that the game world is huge. But I am at a loss in the Snowpeak Ruins place, because when I walk into the 2nd room, where the fireplace is (where Yeta is supposed to be)…no one is there, and 2 of the doors are locked and when I try to open the 3rd door…”someone” tells me “Uh…wait, I tell you something”. But there is no one in the room! WTF. I mean, REALLY?! Is it a glitch? ANNOYING.
So all I do now is ride around and around on Epona. ALl day. All night. Because the game is so linear, I can’t go to a different dungeon. I loved the game until now. But I belive that Ocarina of Time is the absolute best. Majora’s Mask would be awesome too if it weren’t for the 3 day thing going on. It kills me.
AND OMG …The Redeads in O.o.T. SCARES THE LIFE OUT OF ME. The first time I ever encountered one I started screaming and crying so bad that my daddy wouldn’t let me play that game for like a month. (I was like 10) UGH I HHHHAAATTEEE THEM WITH A STRONG PASSION. And by the way…you can hook shot them?! Yeah…weird…:-@
So, that’s my opinion.
Tucker, I have the same problem with Yeta not being there but it not letting me go forward..
Did you ever find a solution?
I think the game has been great so far I have it on the Wii and I think I’m just about at the end. I wont say where I am I don’t want to give away any spoilers and ruin someones experience, but I think the game has been very interesting and fun. This game is full of many of puzzles that are fun to figure out and the game also gives a mystery feel about what the twilight land is and who or where or what Minda(I’m sorry if that name is spelled incorrect)is and came from. I do agree with the game being in a linear can be annoying but it hasn’t been a big problem for me considering that it take a pretty long time to get into a dungeon in the first place so might as well go to the correct one. I also think they could have been a little more organized with there item setup, I thought the circle was unique but I always thought the item set up used in OoT and Majora’s Mask(I thought was one of the best Zelda games I have ever played) was the best. Some of the items in this game you gain have got the feeling you will only use in that dungeon and a little later so its a little sad when I get an item like that, but even those items can be a lot of fun and are all very unique. Transforming into a wolf in the beginning is annoying but when you do eventually get to control when you want to be a a human or wolf its not so bad. I thought this game was great give it time and it becomes a lot of fun.
I played Tp throught and I loved it.
Ganondorf was in mine opinion to easy.
The twilight was a bit boring in the beginning but later on after the master sword it was fun.
The best zelda game so far.
Okay let’s stat off with arrows:
Where the *insert your favorite swear word* is the fire and ice arrows?
Where is the Great Faries of Hyrule to grant you special powers to get into previously inaccesable areas?
Where are the inaccesable areas that you need special powers/items to get into?
Where is a history of The Triforce in the game? Not even a simple text scene?
Scenery:
So how come it wasn’t like the trailer where whatever you saw in the distance was actually a place to go to?
Where the *insert your favorite cuss word* is the freaking forest scene where you needed to use your lantern in or you would be screwed the *favorite cuss word here* up?
Where is that rope bridge scene that was shown in the beta pictures that went over a cliff with trees on one-side?
Somebody once said that the game would actually have destructable objects as part of gameplay but I guess that was a Fanboy being a smart ass.