in formation on zelda twilight

Get Enough Zelda?
Aside from some hands-on time with the new Zelda game, GameSpot editors also got to witness an hour-long demonstration of the game. Here's a clip from our summary: "Although Link is hesitant to head into the cave, the twilight happens to reach out and grab him, pulling him into the cave. The resolution of this episode isn't shown, but Aonuma says this is the beginning of the storyline that ends up with Link becoming a lycanthrope, as was revealed in the Nintendo press conference footage. He further elaborated on the other animals in the game by saying that when Link becomes a wolf, he'll be able to communicate more easily with other animals, which will act as both a big theme in the game and serve to advance gameplay." To read the rest of our five-page summary of the demonstration, check out our preview.


A Whole Lot of Monkeys

The next two levels of the demo were focused on interior adventuring, with Link sent to explore the inside of an temple, where he would face off against a monstrous plant boss. The first interior level of the demo found Link exploring a vegetation-filled forest temple that was populated by both familiar and all-new enemies. The first part of the temple was a small space peppered with some grass that led to a sealed door. Moving toward a set of stairs leading to the door triggered the appearance of deadly fauna, eager to chomp on Link. Thankfully, Link was armed with his trusty sword, which kept the killer plants from being too much of a pain.



The gale boomerang can be charged with the power of a small tornado.
A bit of exploration through the area yielded a boomerang imbued with elemental power, called the gale boomerang. The weapon features the same lock-on functionality as its predecessors, including acquiring multiple targets. The level showcased a new facet of the boomerang's capabilities, an elemental infusion of wind that manifested itself in several ways. If you throw the boomerang normally, after targeting an object, it will find its mark. However, if you hold down the button you've assigned it to, you'll charge the weapon. When you let it fly at your target, it will fly with the force of a small tornado. Besides looking exceptionally cool, the powered-up boomerang can interact with objects in a variety of ways. In some cases, you'll be able to solve puzzles by turning door locks with it; in others, you'll have to rely on the boomerang to retrieve faraway objects or have it carry objects toward a target...if you've locked on to them in the right order. Another significant addition to Link's arsenal is the lantern, a light-giving accessory you'll have to fuel with oil to make functional. The light-giving vessel comes in handy for the caves you'll find that are devoid of light sources.


Good Monkey!

Exploring the temple some reveals that although the structure has been abandoned, it is hardly unoccupied, thanks to the presence of a gaggle of monkeys. Yes, monkeys. We're proud to say that Twilight Princess promises to be the most simian-infested entry in the Zelda saga to date. You'll first meet up with the little scamps when you enter one of the rooms that you'll access off one side of the main room. He offers the universal pantomime for "Yes, I see. You require help. I do as well. Come. Let us work together!" He then beckons you to follow him out to the main area, where he becomes a living swing and helps Link get across a previously impassable gap so he can access another side room.



Monkeys can help you swing across wide chasms.
Once you get to the next room, you'll realize that one of the homies is indeed in trouble. However, before you can do the Good Samaritan thing, you'll have to deal with some lizafols, familiar faces for those who played through Link's Nintendo 64 adventures. The eellike enemies didn't prove to be much of a threat, thanks to Link's familiar array of moves. Once you've mopped the floor with the lizafols and have freed your second monkey, you'll be able to access more of the temple until you find the all-important area map, which kicks you out of the demo. Your monkey friends are a helpful bunch of folk who don’t think twice about helping you across wide gaps.


Bad Monkey!



Other monkeys, like this one, aren't nearly as friendly.
During your exploring, you'll discover one of the temple's dark secrets, namely a foul-tempered monkey who's different from the others and has a predisposition for taunting you and smacking his butt while doing so. (Thankfully, we weren't witness to feces flinging, so it's all good). In talking with Nintendo reps, who remained cagey on the game's plot, the history behind the temple story is that as the land has grown corrupted, people haven't ventured too far from home. This has resulted in the temple being abandoned, presenting a nice squatting opportunity for the local monkey population. Unfortunately, the same evil that spooked off the people has affected the monkeys, even causing one of them, the foul-tempered burly one you encounter, to be overcome and changed. How much the schism between the good and bad monkeys will affect your time in the temple remains to be seen, but we're already looking forward to seeing just how many helper monkeys we can amass.



Dealing with the evil monkey and a hungry plant monster can be quite a challenge.
The second demo, still set in an the interior of the temple, saw Link facing off against a massive plant that was surrounded by two minions on either side. While this sounds like your standard boss fight, there's a surprising monkey-fueled twist to it. As if dodging the assorted heads and projectiles that come your way isn't bad enough, you'll have to contend with the evil monkey turning up to cause trouble for you. How you manage three evil plant heads and one surly monkey armed with only a sword, shield, and an elemental boomerang is up to you...and it forms the basis for a puzzle to solve.

Throughout all the above, Link's handling feels very comfortable, for the most part. The classic Zelda mechanics are all here and now include a few new tricks, courtesy of some context-sensitive actions. Combat feels mostly good, and it has a better overall feel than the last game.

Visually, the game is already looking very sharp, despite its work-in-progress state, so it will likely offer just what the doctor ordered for fans jonesing for an epic fix. The panoramas and sense of scope on display as you make your way around are great. Although the textures aren't as sharp as we'd like to see, the graphics are still among the best we've seen on the GameCube.

Overall, the four demo levels provided a solid primer on the basics in Twilight Princess. The adventure has all the proper ingredients for an outstanding Zelda game, and that's before you factor in the wolf craziness shown in the latest trailer. If you factor it all together, you have the makings of an outstanding game that should please longtime fans of the series.

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By Staff
Posted nov 12, 2005 11:03 am PT
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
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Notice the date at the bottom: May 18, 2005

Most have seen this by now.

Originally Posted by AndyZX

Notice the date at the bottom: May 18, 2005

Most have seen this by now.

Exactly.

*x-terminated!!!*