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Looks aren't everything, but they do count! The next addition to the Legend of Zelda series, Twilight
Princess, is a quantum leap from the previous console game in the main
series, The Wind Waker. This can be characterized both as a step back,
because it steps away from the characteristic graphics of The Wind
Waker and back to the "roots" of 3D games in the series, Ocarina of
Time, as well as a step forward, advancing the sheer beauty of gaming
graphics.Many will argue that this is not true because it "only goes for the graphics of the game" and not the gameplay setup, which is certainly a valid argument, especially when it comes to the hardcore gamers, who usually put more value into the story, characters, gameplay and the overall feel of the game, but there is no denying that the average gamer will most likely fail to immediately draw any parallels between The Wind Waker and the upcoming game, even though the gameplay will, as stated by producer Eiji Aonuma, remain mostly the same. The visual change is generally welcomed with applause and open arms, something which was displayed at E3 in 2004, when Nintendo showed the very first trailer from the game - People completely lost it. They were cheering, clapping their hands, jumping with excitement, and some were even crying. This only goes to show how big of a deal the Zelda series really is, and how much it means for us fans. What caused this change? Well that can be debated, but ultimately it came down to a simple "supply and demand" scenario, as Eiji Aonuma admitted in an interview with a magazine. He said that it made him very sad to know that people missed out on a great game, because they couldn't come to terms with the graphics style they decided to use in the game, and while he didn't directly state that it was the main reason for the change, it was pretty obvious that it played a part. He also pointed out that in this game we meet a much more mature Link, and therefore the more "mature graphics" suit the game very well.  Storyline - Bits and PiecesWhile we don't know a whole lot about this game yet, Nintendo have spilled the beans on quite a few tidbits of the game, most likely in an approach to hype it up (and their plan went well, too). We know that the game starts out with Link living in a village called Toaru (a Japanese word for "unspecified", which means that they have yet to give it an English name), and not Hyrule as we have gotten used to throughout the previous games. While Hyrule exists, it is far away from Toaru, and the people of Toaru actually make their living by selling cows and other farm supplies to Hyrule. There are also many other villages throughout the land, and every year representatives of each village gather in the kingdom of Hyrule as part of a large festival which is held in honour of strengthening the bonds between the different villages. While normally the chief of Toaru would go himself, this year he has to send Link in his place, and it is then that Link stumbles across what will be the start of his adventure. We know that Princess Zelda will be making a return in this game, as confirmed by the artwork of her - And we also know, as stated by Aonuma himself, that the plot of the game will be about rescuing Princess Zelda, just like we've come to expect, and that it will also involve the king of evil himself, Ganon. Aonuma is however keen to point out that the story will be far from identical to that of the previous games, which is obviously a good thing!  One of the main aspects of the game is the “Twilight Realm,”
in which humans cannot exist in their true form. While in the
Twilight Realm, Link is a wolf, and accompanying him is the mysterious
Midna, who only exists as a complete being in the Twilight Realm.
Players will be able to control the two together, as Midna will ride on
Link’s back.Gameplay - Evolution not Revolution With what we know about the gameplay of the game to this day, it is safe to say that this game will continue the evolution of the gameplay in the 3D Zelda games by building on to the mechanics that we've gotten used to through titles such as Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask and The Wind Waker. The fighting system will be very similar to the one in The Wind Waker, with the return of such features as L-Targetting and the A-button Counter Attack, though with new elements that are supposed to "intensify" the combat experience.  What's interesting however, is the return of Link's trusted
steed, a horse, and this time, as opposed to in Ocarina of Time, we
will get to see a lot of action from the horseback. There will be
fights with normal enemies as well as bosses that take place from the
horseback, and you will have the ability to use several different
weapons while fighting on your horse, both the sword and the bow and
arrows which have already been confirmed.This game will also include an exceptionally large landscape, much bigger than anything ever seen before in a Zelda game. With what Aonuma had to say about this, it is be easy to draw the conclusion that Nintendo has discovered that bigger is in fact better, because he said that not only would the game feature large landscapes, but also other things such as buildings, towns and even enemies that are much larger than ever before. Mini Games!  In addition to this, it has been said that this game will be
full of different mini games, and possibly even feature more of them
than The Wind Waker did - This is of course great because it adds to
the replay value of the game. Among the minigames that will be
found within Twilight Princess, there will be the old favorite from
Ocarina of time, fishing.Are we there yet? And by "there" I of course mean the release date – It seems that the gaming industry always makes everyone wait for the best games for what seems like forever. This game, with all its beauty, promises of vast gameplay, and replayability, definitely will be worth the wait, even it does seem like half way until forever! |
