The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Developer(s) | Nintendo EAD [lower-alpha 1] |
Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
Director(s) | Eiji Aonuma |
Producer(s) | Shigeru Miyamoto |
Artist(s) |
|
Writer(s) |
|
Composer(s) |
|
Series | The Legend of Zelda |
Platform(s) | |
Release | WiiGameCubeNvidia Shield TV
|
Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess [lower-alpha 2] is a 2006 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube and Wii. Originally planned for release exclusively on the GameCube in November 2005, Twilight Princess was delayed by Nintendo to allow its developers to refine the game, add more content, and port it to the Wii. [4] The Wii version was a launch game in North America in November 2006, and in Japan, Europe, and Australia the following month. The GameCube version was released in December 2006 as the final first-party game for the console. [5] [lower-alpha 3]
The story focuses on series protagonist Link, who tries to prevent Hyrule from being engulfed by a corrupted parallel dimension known as the Twilight Realm. To do so, he takes the form of both a Hylian and a wolf, and he is assisted by a mysterious imp named Midna. The game takes place over a century after Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask , in an alternate timeline from The Wind Waker . [6]
Twilight Princess was critically acclaimed upon its release, received numerous game of the year awards, and has been called one of the greatest video games ever made. By 2015, it had sold 8.85 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling Zelda game until being overtaken by Breath of the Wild in April 2018. [7] In 2011, the Wii version was rereleased under the Nintendo Selects label. A high-definition remaster based on the GameCube version, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD, developed by Tantalus Media, was released for the Wii U in March 2016. [8]
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is an action-adventure game focused on combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving. It uses the basic control scheme introduced in Ocarina of Time , including context-sensitive action buttons and L-targeting (Z-targeting on the Wii), [9] a system that allows the player to keep Link's view focused on an enemy or important object while moving and attacking. Link can walk, run, and attack, and he will automatically jump when running off of or reaching for a ledge. [lower-alpha 4] Link uses a sword and shield in combat, complemented with secondary weapons and items, including a bow and arrows, a boomerang, and bombs. [lower-alpha 5] While L-targeting, projectile-based weapons can be fired at a target without the need for manual aiming. [lower-alpha 4]
The context-sensitive button mechanic allows one button to serve a variety of functions, such as talking, opening doors, and pushing, pulling, and throwing objects. [lower-alpha 6] The on-screen display shows what action, if any, the button will trigger, determined by the situation. For example, if Link is holding a rock, the context-sensitive button will cause Link to throw the rock if he is moving or targeting an object or enemy or place the rock on the ground if he is standing still. [lower-alpha 7]
The GameCube and Wii versions feature several minor differences in their controls and gameplay. The Wii version of the game makes use of the motion sensors and built-in speaker of the Wii Remote. The speaker emits the sounds of a bowstring when shooting an arrow, Midna's laugh when she gives advice to Link, and the series' trademark "chime" when discovering secrets. The player controls Link's sword by swinging the Wii Remote. Other attacks are triggered using similar gestures with the Nunchuk. In the GameCube version, players can control the camera freely, without entering a special "lookaround" mode required on the Wii; however, in the GameCube version, only two of Link's secondary weapons can be equipped at a time, as opposed to four in the Wii version. [lower-alpha 8]
The game features nine dungeons—large, contained areas where Link battles enemies, collects items, and solves puzzles. Link navigates these dungeons and fights a boss at the end in order to obtain an item or otherwise advance the plot. The dungeons are connected by a large overworld, across which Link can travel on foot; on his horse, Epona; or by teleporting with Midna's assistance. [10]
When Link enters the Twilight Realm, the void that corrupts parts of Hyrule, he transforms into a wolf. [lower-alpha 9] He is eventually able to transform between his Hylian and wolf forms at will. As a wolf, Link loses the ability to use his sword, shield, or any secondary items; he instead attacks by biting and defends primarily by dodging attacks. "Wolf Link" gains several key advantages in return—he moves faster than he does on foot as a human, digs holes to create new passages, and uncover buried items, and has improved senses, including the ability to follow scent trails. [lower-alpha 10] On his back, he also carries Midna, a small imp-like creature who gives him hints, uses an energy field to attack enemies, helps him jump long distances, and eventually allows him to "warp" to any of several preset locations throughout the overworld. [lower-alpha 11] Using Link's wolf senses, the player can see and listen to the wandering spirits of those affected by the Twilight, as well as hunt for enemy ghosts named Poes. [lower-alpha 12]
The artificial intelligence (AI) of enemies in Twilight Princess is more advanced than that of enemies in The Wind Waker . Enemies react to defeated companions and to arrows or slingshot pellets that pass by, and they can detect Link from a greater distance than was possible in previous games. [11]
Princess Zelda is forced to surrender when Zant, the usurper king of the Twili, invades the castle and begins to engulf Hyrule into Twilight. In Ordon Village, ranch hand Link pursues Bulbins who have kidnapped the village's children, and encounters a wall of Twilight. Pulled beyond the wall, Link transforms into a wolf and meets Midna afterwards. After accepting to help her, Midna guides Link to Zelda, who instructs the pair to revive the Light Spirits in the engulfed regions. [12] After reviving a nearby Light Spirit, Link returns to his human form and is chosen as the hero of the gods. The pair travels through Hyrule and revive the Spirits. Each Spirit reveals information about the Fused Shadows, a relic holding powers as strong as Zant's. On their way, Link also finds the children in Kakariko Village.
After restoring the regions to their glory and gaining the Fused Shadows, the pair is ambushed by Zant, who steals the relic and curses Link into his wolf form. Midna calls him out for his abuse of power, but Zant reveals his power to be from another source, and exposes Midna to the Light. Link brings a dying Midna to Zelda, who uses her sacred power to heal her; before mysteriously vanishing, Zelda informs Link to use the Master Sword to break Zant's curse. [13] Successful, Link is able to transform into a wolf at will. Hyrule Castle becomes surrounded by a barrier. The pair reaches the depths of Gerudo Desert to use the Mirror of Twilight, the only known way that connects Hyrule amd the Twili's realm, only to discover Zant has destroyed it into fragments; only the true ruler of the Twili can permanently destroy it. [14] [15] Ancient beings known as Sages appear and reveals the fragments' locations. [16] Before Link leaves, the Sages reveal that the Mirror was used in extremis to banish Ganondorf, leader of the Gerudo, after his execution for stealing the Triforce failed.
The pair travels through Hyrule once more and retrieves the fragments of the Mirror, also discovering his extreme powers. Link also encounters Ilya, her close friend who suffered amnesia after the Bulbin's attack, and helps to restore her memory. The Mirror retrieved, the pair crosses the Twili Realm and confronts Zant, who informs of Ganondorf's return from an oath they created. An angered Midna inadvertently kills Zant with a portion of the Fused Shadow they successfully retrieve. Returning into Hyrule, Midna uses the Fused Shadow to break the barrier, and they assault the castle, finding a returned Ganondorf, and a lifeless Zelda. With the power of the Twili, Ganondorf combats Link. Midna teleports Link and a returned Zelda outside of the castle, apparently killing her. During a duel, Link finishes Ganondorf off with the Master Sword. Before dying, Ganondorf witnesses Zant breaking their oath. Midna returns into her real form, and after an heartfelt goodbye, uses her renowned powers to permanently destroy the Mirror of Twilight. [17] Some time later, Hyrule Castle is being rebuilt, and Link returns the children to Ordon before leaving on his own ways.
In 2003, Nintendo announced a new The Legend of Zelda game for the GameCube [18] by the same team that had created the cel-shaded The Wind Waker. [19] At the following year's Game Developers Conference, director Eiji Aonuma unintentionally revealed that the game's sequel was in development under the working title The Wind Waker 2; [20] it was set to use a similar graphical style to that of its predecessor. [21] Nintendo of America told Aonuma that North American sales of The Wind Waker were sluggish because its cartoon appearance created the impression that the game was designed for a young audience. Concerned that the sequel would have the same problem, Aonuma expressed to producer Shigeru Miyamoto that he wanted to create a realistic Zelda game that would appeal to the North American market and meet Miyamoto's original vision of realism for the series. [22] Miyamoto, hesitant about solely changing the game's presentation, suggested the team's focus should instead be on coming up with gameplay innovations. He advised that Aonuma should start by doing what could not be done in Ocarina of Time, particularly horseback combat. [lower-alpha 13] Early development of what would become Twilight Princess began and special care was taken to improve the realism of the horseriding, with lead character designer Keisuke Nishimori riding a horse for himself to feel what it was like. [23]
Just as the original Legend of Zelda game was inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings novels, [24] [25] the aesthetic of Twilight Princess was inspired by the Lord of the Rings films, as they had just come out and were very popular at the time. [26] The game was developed with having a large convincing world in mind, one with a vast scale to meet the expectation for fantasy worlds that audiences had become accustomed to with The Lord of the Rings. [27]
In four months, Aonuma's team managed to present realistic horseback riding, [lower-alpha 13] which Nintendo later revealed to the public with a trailer at E3 2004 that was met with enormous praise. The game was scheduled to be released the next year and was no longer a follow-up to The Wind Waker; [28] a true sequel to it was released for the Nintendo DS in 2007, in the form of Phantom Hourglass . Miyamoto explained in interviews that the graphical style was chosen to satisfy demand and that it better fit the theme of an older incarnation of Link. [29] The game runs on a modified The Wind Waker engine. [30]
Prior Zelda games have employed a theme of two separate, yet connected, worlds. In A Link to the Past , Link travels between a "Light World" and a "Dark World"; in Ocarina of Time, as well as in Oracle of Ages , Link travels between two different time periods. The Zelda team sought to reuse this motif in the series' latest installment. It was suggested that Link transform into a wolf, much like he metamorphoses into a rabbit in the Dark World of A Link to the Past. [lower-alpha 14] The concept for Link to transform into a wolf and its surrounding narrative elements came from a dream that Aonuma had while overseas on a business trip. He dreamt that he was a wolf, locked inside a cage, and, after he woke up, he was confused and disoriented and it took a while for him to remember where he was. [23] The story of the game was created by Aonuma, and it later underwent several changes by scenario writers Mitsuhiro Takano and Aya Kyogoku. [1] [2] Takano created the script for the story scenes, [1] while Kyogoku and Takayuki Ikkaku handled the actual in-game script. [31] Originally, Link was planned to be a wolf from the game's start to bluntly contrast the Ocarina of Time formula, but this was changed so that new players could be eased into the Zelda series' traditional gameplay and narrative formula. The narrative premise in the story regarding the children of Ordon village getting kidnapped was an example of the game featuring darker story elements than any past iteration. [23]
From a gameplay perspective, the Twilight Realm portions of the game were vaguely inspired by the fact that prior Zelda games had always distinctively separated dungeons from the overworld. The team wondered what the result would be if a traditional Zelda dungeon was placed inside the open world instead. This resulted in the hunt for Tears of Light the player partakes in when in the Twilight-covered world. The atmosphere of the Twilight-covered Hyrule, as well as the Twilight Realm dungeon later in the game, were intended to make players feel uncomfortable. Special care was taken, however, to ensure that this was balanced right, so that it did not make the player so uncomfortable that they did not want to progress further or could not enjoy the experience. [23]
Aonuma left his team working on the new idea while he produced The Minish Cap for the Game Boy Advance. When he returned, he found the Twilight Princess team struggling. Emphasis on the parallel worlds and the wolf transformation had made Link's character unbelievable. Aonuma also felt the gameplay lacked the caliber of innovation found in Phantom Hourglass, which was being developed with touch controls for the Nintendo DS. At the same time, the Wii was under development with the code name "Revolution". Miyamoto thought that the Revolution's pointing device, the Wii Remote, was well suited for aiming arrows in Zelda, and he suggested that Aonuma consider using it. [lower-alpha 15]
Aonuma had anticipated creating a Zelda game for what would later become the Wii, but had assumed that he would need to complete Twilight Princess first. His team began work developing a pointing-based interface for the bow and arrow, and Aonuma found that aiming directly at the screen gave the game a new feel, just like the DS control scheme for Phantom Hourglass. Aonuma felt confident this was the only way to proceed, but worried about consumers who had been anticipating a GameCube release. Developing two versions would mean delaying the previously announced 2005 release, still disappointing the consumer. Nintendo President Satoru Iwata felt that having both versions would satisfy users in the end, even though they would have to wait for the finished product. Aonuma then started working on both versions in parallel. [lower-alpha 16]
Transferring GameCube development to the Wii was relatively simple, since the Wii was being created to be compatible with GameCube software. [lower-alpha 16] At E3 2005, Nintendo released a small number of Nintendo DS game cards containing a preview trailer for Twilight Princess. [32] They also announced that a Zelda title would appear on the Wii (then codenamed "Revolution"), [33] but were not clear to the media if this meant Twilight Princess or a different game. [34]
The team worked on a Wii control scheme, adapting camera control and the fighting mechanics to the new interface. A prototype was created that used a swinging gesture to control the sword from a first-person viewpoint but was unable to show the variety of Link's movements. When the third-person view was restored, Aonuma thought it felt strange to swing the Wii Remote with the right hand to control the sword in Link's left hand, so the entire world map was mirrored for the Wii version. [lower-alpha 17] Details about Wii controls began to surface in December 2005 when British publication NGC Magazine claimed that when a GameCube copy of Twilight Princess was played on the Revolution, it would give the player the option of using the Revolution controller. [35] Miyamoto confirmed the Revolution controller-functionality in an interview with Nintendo of Europe [36] and Time reported this soon after. [37] [38] However, support for the Wii controller did not make it into the GameCube release. At E3 2006, Nintendo confirmed that both versions would be available at the Wii launch, [39] and had a playable version of Twilight Princess for the Wii. [lower-alpha 17] Later, the GameCube release was pushed back to a month after the launch of the Wii. [40]
Nintendo staff members reported that demo users complained about the difficulty of the control scheme. Aonuma realized that his team had implemented Wii controls under the mindset of "forcing" users to adapt, instead of making the system intuitive and easy to use. He began rethinking the controls with Miyamoto to focus on comfort and ease. [lower-alpha 18] The camera movement was reworked and item controls were changed to avoid accidental button presses. [lower-alpha 19] In addition, the new item system required use of the button that had previously been used for the sword. To solve this, sword controls were transferred back to gestures—something E3 attendees had commented they would like to see. This reintroduced the problem of using a right-handed swing to control a left-handed sword attack. The team did not have enough time before release to rework Link's character model, so they instead flipped the entire game—everything was made a mirror image. [lower-alpha 20] Link was now right-handed, and references to "east" and "west" were reversed. The GameCube version, however, was left with the original orientation. The Twilight Princess player's guide focuses on the Wii version, but has a section in the back with mirror-image maps for GameCube users. [lower-alpha 21]
The game's score was composed by Toru Minegishi and Asuka Ohta, with series regular Koji Kondo serving as the sound supervisor. [41] Minegishi took charge of composition and sound design in Twilight Princess, providing all field and dungeon music. [42] For the trailers, three pieces were written by different composers, [43] two of which were created by Mahito Yokota and Kondo. [44] Michiru Ōshima created orchestral arrangements for the three compositions, later to be performed by an ensemble conducted by Taizo Takemoto. [43] Kondo's piece was chosen as music for the E3 2005 trailer and for the demo movie after the title screen. [44] Midna has the most voice acting—her on-screen dialogue is often accompanied by a babble of pseudo-speech, which was produced by scrambling English phrases sampled by Japanese voice actress Akiko Kōmoto. [45]
Media requests at the trade show prompted Kondo to consider using orchestral music for the other tracks in the game as well, a notion reinforced by his preference for live instruments. [43] He originally envisioned a full 50-person orchestra for action sequences and a string quartet for more "lyrical moments", [43] though the final product used sequenced music instead. [10] Kondo later cited the lack of interactivity that comes with orchestral music as one of the main reasons for the decision. [44] Both six- and seven-track versions of the game's soundtrack were released on November 19, 2006, as part of a Nintendo Power promotion and bundled with replicas of the Master Sword and the Hylian Shield. [46]
Following the discovery of a buffer overflow vulnerability in the Wii version of Twilight Princess, an exploit known as the "Twilight Hack" was developed, allowing the execution of custom code from a Secure Digital (SD) card on the console. A specifically designed save file would cause the game to load unsigned code, which could include Executable and Linkable Format (ELF) programs and homebrew Wii applications. [47] Versions 3.3 and 3.4 of the Wii Menu prevented copying exploited save files onto the console until circumvention methods were discovered, [48] [49] and version 4.0 of the Wii Menu patched the vulnerability. [50]
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | |
Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
Director(s) | Tomomi Sano |
Producer(s) | Eiji Aonuma |
Programmer(s) | Sean O'Sullivan |
Artist(s) | Paul Court |
Composer(s) |
|
Platform(s) | Wii U |
Release | |
Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
A high-definition remaster of the game, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD, was developed by Tantalus Media for the Wii U. Announced during a Nintendo Direct presentation on November 13, 2015, it features enhanced graphics and Amiibo functionality. [8] The game was released worldwide in March 2016. [51] [52]
The idea for a high-definition version of Twilight Princess first originated during the production of Breath of the Wild . Nintendo experimented with an HD version of Twilight Princess running on Wii U development kits when trying to settle on a graphical style for the new game. [53] This ultimately led to the production of The Wind Waker HD , whose success encouraged the Zelda team to pursue other high-definition remasters. After its release, which was developed internally at Nintendo in only six months, the Zelda team settled on an HD remaster of Twilight Princess. At the time, most of the Zelda team was preoccupied with Breath of the Wild, so Nintendo sought a partnership with an external development studio, the Australia-based Tantalus Media, to work on Twilight Princess HD. [54]
According to Eiji Aonuma, who directed the original release and produced Twilight Princess HD, ensuring the remaster would take advantage of the Wii U GamePad was a point of focus early in the title's development. The control scheme used in the GameCube version was adapted for the remaster due to similarities between the button layouts of the two consoles' controllers. [54] Aonuma considered underwater gameplay in the remaster to be significantly improved. Other enhancements include speeding up a handful of cutscenes that seemed overly long by modern standards [54] and reducing repetitive gameplay elements, such as collecting Tears of Light while in the Twilight Realm. [55] A commitment to "preserving the feel of the original" inspired several design decisions, such as keeping the frame rate at 30 frames per second. [54] Tomomi Sano, the assistant director of the Wii U version, noted the degree of refinement the graphics would receive required much consideration: "When we created more precise models of objects to go with the higher resolution, we found that everything was too clear and we lost that soft and delicate atmosphere that you get in particular at twilight or with the light in a forest". [54]
Certain bundles of the game contain a Wolf Link Amiibo figurine, which unlocks a Wii U-exclusive dungeon called the "Cave of Shadows" [56] and can carry data over to Breath of the Wild . [57] In the Cave of Shadows, Link fights waves of enemies while restricted to his wolf form. [56] Comparable to the optional "Cave of Ordeals" present in the original release, opportunities to recover health during the trial are sparse. [58] Other Zelda-related Amiibo figurines have distinct functions: Link and Toon Link replenish arrows, Zelda and Sheik restore Link's health, and Ganondorf causes Link to take twice as much damage. [56] A CD containing 20 musical selections from the game was available as a GameStop preorder bonus in North America; it is included with the limited-edition bundle in other regions. [59] A three-disc original soundtrack consisting of 108 pieces from the game was released in Japan in July 2016. [60]
Aggregator | Score | ||
---|---|---|---|
GC | Wii | Wii U | |
Metacritic | 96/100 [lower-alpha 22] [61] | 95/100 [lower-alpha 23] [62] | 86/100 [lower-alpha 24] [63] |
Publication | Score | ||
---|---|---|---|
GC | Wii | Wii U | |
1Up.com | A+ [64] | A+ [65] | |
AllGame | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||
Computer Games Magazine | 8.5/10 [67] | ||
Computer and Video Games | 10/10 [68] | ||
Destructoid | 8/10 [69] | ||
Edge | 9/10 [70] | ||
Electronic Gaming Monthly | 30/30 [71] | ||
Famitsu | 38/40 [72] | ||
GamePro | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||
GameRevolution | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||
GameSpot | 8.9/10 [75] | 8.8/10 [76] | 9/10 [77] |
GameSpy | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||
GamesRadar+ | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
IGN | 9.5/10 [81] | 9.5/10 [10] | 8.6/10 [82] |
Nintendo Life | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||
Nintendo Power | 9.5/10 [84] | 9.5/10 [85] | |
Nintendo World Report | 10/10 [86] | 9/10 [87] | |
Official Nintendo Magazine | 97% [88] | ||
Polygon | 8/10 [55] | ||
Shacknews | 7/10 [89] | ||
USgamer | 4/5 [90] | ||
VentureBeat | 90/100 [91] | ||
X-Play | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Publication | Award |
---|---|
GameTrailers | Game of the Year (2006) |
1UP.com | Game of the Year (2006) |
Electronic Gaming Monthly | Game of the Year (2006) |
Game Informer | Game of the Year (2006) |
GamesRadar | Game of the Year (2006) |
GameSpy | Game of the Year (2006) |
Spacey Awards | Game of the Year (2006) |
X-Play | Game of the Year (2006) |
Nintendo Power | Game of the Year (2006) |
Golden Joystick Award | Nintendo Game of the Year (2016) |
Twilight Princess was released to critical acclaim and commercial success. It received perfect scores from major publications such as 1UP.com , [65] Computer and Video Games , [68] Electronic Gaming Monthly , [71] Game Informer , [93] GamesRadar [79] and GameSpy . [78] On the review aggregator Metacritic, Twilight Princess holds scores of 95/100 for the Wii version and 96/100 for the GameCube version, indicating "universal acclaim". [61] [62] It is the highest-rated game of 2006 on Metacritic. [94] GameTrailers in their review called it one of the greatest games ever created. [95]
On release, Twilight Princess was considered to be the greatest Zelda game ever made by many critics including writers for 1UP.com, [65] Computer and Video Games, [68] Electronic Gaming Monthly, [71] Game Informer, [93] GamesRadar, [79] IGN [10] and The Washington Post . [96] Game Informer called it "so creative that it rivals the best that Hollywood has to offer". [93] GamesRadar praised Twilight Princess as "a game that deserves nothing but the absolute highest recommendation". [79] Cubed3 hailed Twilight Princess as "the single greatest videogame experience". [97] Twilight Princess' graphics were praised for the art style and animation, although the game was designed for the GameCube, which is technically lacking compared to the next generation consoles. Both IGN and GameSpy pointed out the existence of blurry textures and low-resolution characters. [10] [78] Despite these complaints, Computer and Video Games felt the game's atmosphere was superior to that of any previous Zelda game and regarded Twilight Princess' Hyrule as the best version ever created. [68] PALGN praised the game's cinematics, noting that "the cutscenes are the best ever in Zelda games". [98] Regarding the Wii version, GameSpot 's Jeff Gerstmann said the Wii controls felt "tacked-on", [76] although 1UP.com said the remote-swinging sword attacks were "the most impressive in the entire series". [65] Gaming Nexus considered Twilight Princess' soundtrack to be the best of this generation, [99] though IGN criticized its MIDI-formatted songs for lacking "the punch and crispness" of their orchestrated counterparts. [10]
Twilight Princess HD holds a score of 86/100 at the review aggregator Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [100] The title received the Nintendo Game of the Year award at the Golden Joystick Awards in November 2016. [101]
Twilight Princess received the awards for Best Artistic Design, [102] Best Original Score, [103] and Best Use of Sound [104] from IGN for its GameCube version. Both IGN and Nintendo Power gave Twilight Princess the awards for Best Graphics [105] [106] [107] and Best Story. [107] [108] [109] Twilight Princess received Game of the Year awards from GameTrailers, [110] 1UP.com, [111] Electronic Gaming Monthly, [112] Game Informer, [113] GamesRadar, [114] GameSpy, [115] Spacey Awards, [116] X-Play [117] and Nintendo Power. [107] It was also given awards for Best Adventure Game from the Game Critics Awards, [118] X-Play, [117] IGN, [119] [120] GameTrailers, [121] 1UP.com, [111] and Nintendo Power. [107] The game was considered the Best Console Game by the Game Critics Awards [118] and GameSpy. [115] During the 10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, Twilight Princess was awarded with "Outstanding Achievement in Story and Character Development" by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, [122] while also receiving nominations for "Overall Game of the Year", "Console Game of the Year", "Action/Adventure Game of the Year", "Outstanding Achievement in Game Design", and "Outstanding Achievement in Gameplay Engineering". [123] The game placed 16th in Official Nintendo Magazine 's list of the 100 Greatest Nintendo Games of All Time. [124] IGN ranked the game as the 4th-best Wii game. [125] Nintendo Power ranked the game as the third-best game to be released on a Nintendo system in the 2000s decade. [126]
In North America, the game was sold with three of every four Wii purchases during its first week. [127] The Wii version sold 412,000 copies in the United States during November 2006, representing 87% of Wii launch sales that month, the highest attach rate for a launch game since Super Mario 64 launched with the Nintendo 64 in 1996. [128] It went on to become America's fifth-best-selling game of 2006 with 1.5 million copies sold for the Wii and GameCube in the US that year. [129] In the United Kingdom, the Wii version received a Platinum sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), [130] indicating sales of at least 300,000 copies in the UK. [131]
The game had sold 5.82 million copies on the Wii as of March 2011, [132] and 1.32 million on the GameCube as of March 2007. [133] As of September 2015, the game had sold 8.85 million copies worldwide across both platforms, [134] making it the best-selling single title in the series until it was surpassed by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in April 2018. [135]
The remaster sold 52,282 copies during its first week of release in Japan, which placed it at second place in the video-game sales charts. [136] The following week, it came in at number 9 on the charts, selling an additional 7,705 copies. [137] By comparison, 30,264 copies of The Wind Waker HD were sold in its first week in Japan. [138] In the first week of Twilight Princess HD's United Kingdom release, the remaster was the second-best-selling game and the best-selling game released for a single platform in the country. [139] Twilight Princess HD's sales dropped 84% in its second week in the UK, making it the ninth-best-selling game in the country. [140] In the United States, it was the third-best-selling game sold in brick-and-mortar retailers throughout March 2016, according to market-research firm The NPD Group. [141] As of December 2022, the game has sold 1.17 million copies worldwide. [142]
An eleven-volume manga series based on Twilight Princess, penned and illustrated by Akira Himekawa, was first released in Japan on February 8, 2016, and ran until January 30, 2022. The series was made available via physical copies, online bookstores, and publisher Shogakukan's MangaOne mobile application. While the manga adaptation began almost ten years after the initial release of the game on which it is based, it launched only a month before the release of the high-definition remake. [143] Viz Media began releasing an English localization of the series in 2017 [144] and was finished in March 2022.
To commemorate the launch of the My Nintendo loyalty program in March 2016, Nintendo released My Nintendo Picross: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess , a Picross puzzle game developed by Jupiter as a downloadable title for the Nintendo 3DS. [145] [146]
Midna, in both her imp and Twili forms, Zant, and NPC character Agitha, all appeared as playable warriors in the Zelda crossover title Hyrule Warriors and its various iterations. [147] Since the release of Hyrule Warriors, Agitha has been recognised as a "main character" of Twilight Princess. [148]
The Legend of Zelda is an action-adventure game franchise created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo, although some portable installments and re-releases have been outsourced to Flagship, Vanpool, and Grezzo. Its gameplay incorporates action-adventure and elements of action RPG games.
The Legend of Zelda is a video game franchise created by Japanese video game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka and mainly developed and published by Nintendo. The universe of the Legend of Zelda series consists of various lands, the most predominant being Hyrule. The franchise is set within a fantasy world reminiscent of medieval Europe which consists of several recurring locations, races and creatures. The most prominent race in the series are the Hylians, a humanoid race with elfin features identifiable by their long, pointed ears. The series' lore contains a creation myth, several fictional alphabets, the most prominent being Hylian, and a fictional universal currency, the rupee. Most games in The Legend of Zelda series follow a similar storyline, which involves the protagonist Link battling monsters to save Princess Zelda and defeat a villain, which is often the series' main antagonist, Ganon. Nintendo developed the series' lore into a timeline that spans thousands of years across its history.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a 1998 action-adventure game by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan and North America in November 1998 and in PAL regions the following month. The game is the first in The Legend of Zelda series with 3D graphics.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is a 2000 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was the second The Legend of Zelda game to use 3D graphics, following Ocarina of Time (1998). Designed by a creative team led by Eiji Aonuma, Yoshiaki Koizumi, and Shigeru Miyamoto, Majora's Mask was completed in less than two years. It features enhanced graphics and several gameplay changes, but reuses elements and character models from Ocarina of Time, which the game's creators called a creative decision made necessary by time constraints. Set some time after Ocarina of Time in the land of Termina, the game's story follows Link who must prevent a powerful artifact from destroying the world with the moon's collision in three days.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. An installment in The Legend of Zelda series, it was released in Japan on December 13, 2002, in North America on March 24, 2003, and in Europe on May 2, 2003.
Princess Zelda is a character in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda video game series. She was created by Shigeru Miyamoto for the original 1986 game The Legend of Zelda. As one of the central characters in the series, she has appeared in the majority of the games in various incarnations. Zelda is the elf-like Hylian princess of the kingdom of Hyrule, an associate of the series protagonist Link, and bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom.
Link is a character and the protagonist of Nintendo's video game franchise The Legend of Zelda. He was created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Link was introduced as the hero of the original The Legend of Zelda video game in 1986 and has appeared in a total of 21 entries in the series, as well as a number of spin-offs. Common elements in the series include Link travelling through Hyrule whilst exploring dungeons, battling creatures, and solving puzzles until he eventually defeats the series' primary antagonist, Ganon, and saves Princess Zelda.
Ganon is a character and the main antagonist of Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda video game series and franchise, as well as the final boss in many Zelda titles. In his humanoid Gerudo form, he is known as Ganondorf. A massive and malevolent porcine creature, Ganon first appeared in the original The Legend of Zelda game in 1986, while his alter ego, Ganondorf, was introduced in Ocarina of Time. He has since appeared in the majority of the games in the series in various forms. He is the archenemy of the protagonist Link and Princess Zelda of Hyrule and originally the leader of the Gerudo, a race of humanoid desert nomads before becoming the ruler of his demon army.
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the eleventh installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was released in 2004 in Japan on March 18, and in North America on June 7. In 2005, the game was released in Europe on January 7, and in Australia on April 7. The Game Boy Advance handheld game console can be used as a controller when using the GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable bundled with the game in North America and Europe.
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap is an action-adventure game and the twelfth entry in The Legend of Zelda series. Developed by Capcom and Flagship, with Nintendo overseeing the development process, The Minish Cap was released for the Game Boy Advance in Japan and Europe in 2004 and in North America and Australia the following year.
Tingle is a recurring character in The Legend of Zelda series, designed by Takaya Imamura. He first appeared in Majora's Mask, where he is a map salesman who wants to become a fairy. He has since appeared in several installments, including The Wind Waker, where he provides maps to help Link find pieces of the Triforce. He has gone on to be the star of Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, where his origin as Tingle is shown as him tasked with collecting as many Rupees as possible. He also appears in its sequel Irozuki Tingle no Koi no Balloon Trip, where he is transported into a storybook and has to enter into relationships with women in order to escape.
Midna is a fictional character in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series, introduced as one of the main protagonists in Twilight Princess. She is a member of the magic-wielding Twili who joins forces with Link to prevent the kingdom of Hyrule from being enveloped by a corrupted parallel dimension known as the Twilight Realm. While Midna appears as an imp-like creature in the majority of Twilight Princess, her actual form is humanoid. She was designed by Yusuke Nakano and voiced by Akiko Kōmoto. Midna also appears as a playable character in Hyrule Warriors, and makes minor appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series.
The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia is a collector's book about Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series, published in English by Dark Horse Comics. The 276-page book reveals the official timeline of the fictional events in the series, following years of speculation by fans. The book also includes artwork for the games, a short manga, and a foreword and afterword written by the series' producers. It is the first in an official trilogy of art books known as the "Goddess Collection" that was published by Dark Horse in partnership with Nintendo and was completed by the publication of The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts and The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia. Hyrule Historia topped Amazon.com's list of bestselling books in February 2013 and was Amazon's sixth best-selling print book of 2013.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a 2011 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. A high-definition remaster of the game, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, was co-developed by Tantalus Media and released for the Nintendo Switch in July 2021.
Link's Crossbow Training is a shooting video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It was bundled with the Wii Zapper peripheral and was the first title to use it. The game was released worldwide in 2007, and in Japan in May 2008. It uses several environments, enemies, and other assets from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess as stages for targets with various shootable background objects.
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is a 2009 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. Set a century after The Wind Waker and its sequel Phantom Hourglass, the storyline follows the current incarnations of Link and Princess Zelda as they explore the land of New Hyrule to prevent the awakening of the Demon King Malladus. Players navigate New Hyrule, completing quests that advance the story and solving environmental and dungeon-based puzzles, many requiring use of the DS's touchscreen and other hardware features. Navigation between towns and dungeons is done using a train, which features its own set of mechanics and puzzles.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a 2017 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch and Wii U. Set at the end of the Zelda timeline, the player controls an amnesiac Link as he sets out to save Princess Zelda and prevent Calamity Ganon from destroying the world. Players explore the open world of Hyrule while they collect items and complete objectives such as puzzles or side quests. Breath of the Wild's world is unstructured and encourages exploration and experimentation; the story can be completed in a nonlinear fashion.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is a 2013 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. The game is the 17th in The Legend of Zelda series and is a sequel to the 1991 title The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Announced in April 2013, A Link Between Worlds was released in Australia, Europe, and North America in November, and in Japan a month later.
Hyrule Warriors is a 2014 hack and slash game developed by Omega Force and Team Ninja and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. The game is a collaboration between Koei Tecmo and Nintendo, mixing settings and characters from Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda with the gameplay of Koei's Dynasty Warriors series. Hyrule Warriors was released in Japan in August 2014, and worldwide the following month. It became one of the best-selling games on the Wii U. An updated port, Hyrule Warriors Legends, was released for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan in January 2016 and worldwide in March of the same year. A second enhanced port, Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2018. A successor, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, was released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch in November 2020.
Mitsuhiro Takano: My name is Takano. I was basically in charge of the story scripting for Twilight Princess, but I was also involved in the development of the cut-scenes and a few of the events in the game.
Eiji Aonuma: 僕が書いたストーリーをものすごく良いものに変えてくれたシナリオ担当の高野充浩さんと京極あやさん / Those responsible for the scenario, Mr. Mitsuhiro Takano and Mrs. Aya Kyogoku, made some really great changes to the story I wrote [...]
Midna: Poor thing, he has no idea where this is or what's happened... So, don't you think you should explain to him what you've managed to do? You owe him that much... ...Twilight Princess! Eee hee! [...] / Zelda: Listen carefully... This was once the land where the power of the gods was said to slumber. This was once the kingdom of Hyrule. But that blessed kingdom has been transformed by the king that rules the twilight... It has been turned into a world of shadows, ruled by creatures who shun the light. [...] Twilight covered Hyrule like a shroud, and without light, the people became as spirits. Within the twilight, they live on, unaware that they have passed into spirit forms... All the people know now is fear... Fear of a nameless evil... The kingdom succumbed to twilight, but I remain its princess... I am Zelda.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Midna: Princess... I have one last request... Can you tell him...where to find the Mirror of Twilight? [Zelda gasps] [...] / Zelda: Midna... I believe I understand now just who and what you are... Despite your mortal injuries, you act in our stead... These dark times are the result of our deeds, yet it is you who have reaped the penalty. Accept this now, Midna. I pass it to you... [...] / Midna: No! Link! STOP HER! [...] We go back, Link! Back to the Faron Woods! [...] [to herself] Zelda...I've taken all that you had to give...though I did not want it.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Midna: Hey, but listen, Link... I've got a little favor to ask... Would you mind coming with me to find something called the Mirror of Twilight? It's hidden somewhere in Hyrule... Yes, the Mirror of Twilight... Our last potential link to Zant!
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Sages: Only the true leader of the Twili can utterly destroy the Mirror of Twilight...so Zant could merely break it into pieces.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Sages: [to Midna] I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive our carelessness... O Twilight Princess.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Midna: Thank you... Well, the princess spoke truly: as long as that mirror's around, we could meet again... Link... I... See you later...
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)At some point he had to give a presentation against his will. That's when he said something like, 'You know, it's not too late to change course and make a realistic Zelda.'
[The two program designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka were responsible for the game, who set themselves the goal of developing a fairytale adventure game with action elements... ...Takashi Tezuka, a great lover of fantasy novels such as Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, wrote the script for the first two games in the Zelda series].
All ideas for The Legend of Zelda were mine and Takashi Tezukas... ...Books, movies and our own lives.
Takizawa: And that was about the time we heard that people were wanting a realistic looking Zelda game again. Also at that time, there was an epic fantasy movie which was very popular. So after reexamining the situation, we said to ourselves, 'Let's do this thing!'
Aonuma: It's undeniably big, but I believe all those fun elements which make up this world justify this size. Now that we have finished, I feel that with a generation accustomed to watching epic films like Lord of the Rings, when you want to design a convincing world, that sort of vast scale becomes necessary.
MUSIC / Toru Minegishi / Asuka Ohta / Koji Kondo
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)