New TP info.

ALL TP INFO GOES HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!






******UPDATE ON PAGE 24: ONM's Impressions on Final Build of TP*********

I’m going to spend most of this post talking about the general feel of the game and the way the final controls work, because I think these are two of the most important aspects. I’ll also touch upon the music because, being a bit of a musician, it’s an aspect of gaming that I always take notice of. Also I should mention that this is going to be really informal and un-proofed so please forgive any grammatical errors.

Title Screen
So, first up is the title screen. I’m sure many OoT fans out there will be ecstatic to hear that, in a similar vein to OoT, Twilight Princess feature a stunning title screen sequence whereby Link reigns in Epona and goes running across a bridge and along the edge of a cliff in Hyrule Field. It’s the perfect start to the game and OoT fans will quite literally be drowning in their own drool before they even press Start (sorry, I mean A+B).

Options
I know there are options whores out there so here’s a bit on that:



Lock-On Type: toggle between holding down Z to lock on, or just tapping Z to lock on.

Camera Control: choose between regular or inverted.

Pointer: have it on or off (didn’t try having it off, but I assume you control the sights with the analogue stick.

Icon Shortcuts: have them on or off.

Pointer Settings: a sensitivity setting, from 1 – 10.


To be honest, apart from inverting the camera controls, I had no reason to bother with anything else as the standard settings were pretty much perfect for me.

General Feel
The Epona opening sequence provides the feel-good factor and if you wait a few seconds longer there’s the montage trailer that provides just enough snippets of later events to get you really excited. I’m not going to talk about those though.

The overall feel of the game is way more filmic than before. You can tell from the very first second that this is going to be more story-driven, and therefore more heartstring-tugging, than any other Zelda game. The character design is improved over other games. Some of that can probably be attributed to the fact that there’s more power under the hood (hence more detailed expressions and clothing), but I think it’s safe to say that the actual design in general is better. That said, I still hate Colin. I don’t like his face and his efforts to follow in Link’s footsteps make him seem like a right brown-noser. He gets picked on by the other kids and to be honest with you, I have no sympathy for him. But still, I do feel passionately about him so either way, I’m being drawn in more than ever before.

Controls
I must admit, even back at E3 I had concerns about the controls. Would the Wii Remote swordplay get tedious? Would it be tiring? Is the pointing device accurate enough to get me out of a tight spot at the drop of a hat? Thankfully the answer to these questions is ‘yes’. I have to say though, there’s a mental barrier to cross with the Wii, and it’s one that I’m only just beginning to break through.


The problem is, even though I know the pointer works relatively (as opposed to where I’m pointing on the screen), I still find myself wanting to point at specific areas of the screen. So I’ll have the bow out and I swear I’m pointing at the screen. The thing is I’m not supposed to be. My Sensor Bar is actually sat a foot below the screen because it’s easier to have it there. So when I’m pointing directly at the Sensor Bar, that is interpreted as dead-centre (on the vertical plain). It takes a while for your head to readjust but once it does everything is so much easier. I had the same issues with Red Steel.

With that hurdle overcome, the pointing device is stunningly accurate. . . way more accurate than an analogue stick. There’s an area in the second dungeon (Nintendo PR, forgive me – I know I’m not supposed to talk about dungeon 2 but this particular bit is from the E3 demo) where you’re hiding behind crates and are being fired upon by six or seven Moblins. From the moment I first see them to the moment the last one falls lasts about six seconds. It’s literally just point shoot, point shoot. . . and each movement is spot-on, even though three of them are only separated by 5mm each. That’s nothing to do with my skill - that’s just how responsive, lag-free and accurate the technology is.

But what of the sword fighting? Actually, it’s great. There is a tiny bit of lag but that’s because you have to complete the motion before the move is recognised. Honestly though, it’s a split-second thing.

Anyone who has played the E3 demo will know that Link has his spinning attack, a standard slice, a jab and a jump attack. The latter three are performed via the Wii Remote while the spinning attack comes from gesturing the Nunchuk left and right. Link doesn’t actually start out with the Ending Blow that was present in the E3 demo. He actually learns new moves throughout the game, a fantastic addition that succeeds perfectly in heightening the feeling of character development. This learning of moves is also connected to Wolf Link but that’s an amazing part of the game in itself and I’ll leave that to you to figure out and enjoy for yourself.

Anyway, back to how the sword feels. A laid back flick of the wrist is as good as an intense swipe but when you’re in the thick of it you’ll find yourself really going for it. And no, it isn’t tiring. I’ve been doing 12-hour sessions, simply because I’ve had to, and while my eyes are barely open at the end my hands and arms are just fine. Sorry, I know there are cynics out there who don’t want to hear that, but it’s true.

Music
Simply amazing. I mean, Zelda always has great music, but every now and then a tune will play in the background and you’ll be like “I’ve got to stop playing cos that tune is just something else”. There’s one in the first area that’s based on an older Zelda tune but it’s remixed and is just divine. There’s plenty more to say on the subject but I won’t because some of the enemy sound effects and the Twilight Realm tunes are really ominous and it would ruin the surprise if I talked about them. It’ll definitely be worth buying the soundtrack though (hmmm, maybe we should look into doing a TP soundtrack on the cover of the mag. . .).

Wii Remote Speaker
It’s strange because in theory there seems little point in the speaker function. . . any sound effects could just come out of the TV speaker. In practice though (and who is to know whether Nintendo fully intended this to be the case or not) it’s genius and manages to put you right in the heart of the action. You get the sound of the sword unsheathing and sword clashes in the speaker and you also get a little chime once the Spin Attack has recharged (about two seconds). Midna giggles via the speaker when she wants to talk to you, at which point you have to press up on the D-pad. It may sound like a gimmick but seriously, it adds yet more magic to the experience.

Storyline
Very, very briefly. . . Link is a ranch-hand in the Ordona Province. Right at the start of the game you’re told that Rusl won’t be able to make the journey to Hyrule Castle to deliver a gift, so it’s down to Link to do it. You’re introduced to the rather charming inhabitants of Ordon (well, aside from Colin) and are subtly made to perform and practice all the movements that are going to be so vital in the game.

It’s actually a good few hours before Link finally leaves and gets dragged into the Twilight Realm. You soon learn that the land of Hyrule is in grave danger and that the light in the world has been extinguished. The only way to return light to the world is to free the three Light Spirits, and so the dungeon bashing begins. As you’ve seen in the screens and the trailer from a while back, Midna comes to Link’s aid to help him escape from the dungeon prison below the castle. . . but I’m not saying why they’re there or who the character at the top of the tower is.

Wolf Link
I wasn’t going to say much about this but EDGE magazine has already printed quite a bit of it in the most recent issue, so I’m not really spoiling anything. Wolf Link basically has an equivalent for human Link’s main moves. So whereas Link does a jump attack, Wolf Link does a jumping bite. Wolf Link also has a Spin Attack. What Wolf Link lacks in item/weapon usage (he can’t use items for obvious reasons) he gains in the form of Sense and Dig abilities. Tapping left or right on the D-pad allows Wolf Link to smell out things that aren’t necessarily actually there (sorry, I know that’s vague but I’m being very careful here). He’s also able to dig for secrets and even dig holes to gain access to secret areas.

Another move comes courtesy of Midna. By holding down B you can create a magical field around both characters. Let go of B and Wolf Link will deliver a fatal bite to every enemy inside the threshold. The creature in Midna’s helmet allows you to… nope, actually, forget that.

I remember reading on a forum once that someone hoped Aonuma-san wouldn’t cheat and allow Wolf Link to open doors. Well, he can’t. Up until the end of the first dungeon he can’t open doors and has to find other ways around obstacles. Again, this is something that has more depth but I’m not going to comment anymore on that.

EDGE also touched upon Tears Of Light, Vessels Of Light and Shadow Insects but I’m going to leave it because I think it reveals a bit too much about the connection between the Light and Twilight.

I think that’ll do for now. As and when the other embargoes are lifted I’ll reveal more.

I don’t think there are any spoilers here. Every few seconds I keep thinking of amazing things I’ve experienced, even in the first four or five hours, but I know how happy I was when I completely unexpectedly discovered every little detail. . . and I really think it should be the same for everyone else. Honestly, you owe it to yourself to try and avoid any impressions that go into more detail. And for anyone who thinks I’ve written too much. . . I’ve held back drastically through this whole thing. This is just a tiny slither of what’s on offer. Hopefully what I’ve written will excite you. If you have any questions feel free to ask but I can tell you now that I won’t post anything past the Faron Woods dungeon.


END SPOILERS




******UPDATE ON PAGE 23: Gamepro Impressions on TP************

http://gonintendo.com/?p=7653 (Scans)


The Fairy Icon is still present in the final build.

You begin the game with a Slingshot to get you accustomed to aiming with the Wii Remote.

Soon after you receive your sword, Link is sucked into the Twilight Realm.

Wolf Link controls much the same as human mode, excep the D-pad activates Wolf Link's "animal sense".

"Sense" shrinks down your field of vision, but allows Link to see things that normal eyes could not.

One example given is the GamePro staff followed a scent trail of some kidnampped villagers.

Pushing on the direction pad also allows Wolf Link to dig for treasure or burrow through tunnels.

The Built-in speaker plays a crucial role in the Twilight Realm. If you run into an area where you think it is a dead end, Midna will laugh sometimes, signaling she has a clue to offer. It's basically the same thing as Navi's "hey, listen!" in Ocarina of Time, I assume.

There is a SPECIAL spin attack, which has to recharge after use, and the speaker will chime to let you know it is ready to be used again.

Midna is a mischievous demon, according to GamePro.

The first dungeon takes a long time to reach (they only had five hours, so use your imagination).

The Gale Force Boomerang is the item you receive in the first dungeon - this also, if the demos hold true, reveals the first dungeon is the Forest Temple from E3 2005.

They joke that Zelda turns into an Orc (alluding to Shrek), but it's just a joke.



END SPOILERS





Aonuma reveals, in a mini-interview, the GCN version's "orientation" was the default, and that Wii is the "mirrored" title.

GamePro asks about a rumor they heard that Link is left handed because Miyamoto is left handed and asks about why Link is a righty now (we confirmed this at E3 2006 when we asked the man himself), but Aonuma responds that it was Miyamoto's decision, not his, to make Link a righty because Miyamoto was using his right hand for the Wii Remote. Because Miyamoto did that, he felt most gamers would do that, and that's why it was done.

Aonuma says the reason Link is a lefty (and he does say Miyamoto is a lefty) is not because Miyamoto is lefty! He says he will reveal this at a later time. I call BS on this, even if he is the creator - Miyamoto told THREE of us in person, with Bill Trinen as a witness, that Link is a lefty because HE is a lefty. Methinks something is fishy here, but alas, who are we to argue with the creators? Oh yeah, Aonuma has a mustache now...he looks like Miyazaki.

The full interview will be online at GamePro.com next month.







******UPDATE ON PAGE 11: Two New Mini TP Videos************


http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/topics...5/movie01.html


http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/topics...5/movie02.html




******UPDATE ON PAGE 5: EDGE Magazine plays first 6 hours of TP **************

Edge this month basically tells you everything up to the first dungeon. There's some nice stuff here, so I've typed it up. If it's old...damn.
Items:
Before the first dungeon, you will have: learned combat and horse riding, aquired a fishing rod and caught fish, got a slingshot, a lantern, and a "horseshoe-shaped reed" that calls Epona, and "bird shapped reeds" that call hawks to your arm, that you can throw at bees' nests or monkeys.

Story:
You rescue a couple of children and a monkey from moblins in the woods. Link's on his way to Hyrule to deliver a sword and shield. But ****, Moblins on boars attack, abducting "Colin" and Ilia, and Link gets dragged in to the Twilight, at which point he transforms in to a wolf. He wakes up chained in the ruins of Hyrule Castle, and Midna helps him escape.

With Midna on Wolf Link, you can attack multiple enemies at once with a circular energy around Link, kinda like the spin attack, which you have to do cos the enemies in the Twilight Realm often revive their dead buddies. Wolf Link then goes to meet Zelda, who can tell from the blue eyes that he's actually Hyrule's Savior! He then goes to the non-Twilight village, still as a wolf. People are scared of Wolf Link, but he can talk to animals. He then saves the nearly-Twilight Faron Woods by hunting down shadow insects and collecting the tears of light they've consumed, restoring Light Spirits, AKA Great Fairies. The Light Spirit then makes Link human again. You're then on your way to the first dungeon.

And for what it's worth, they say that although it can be difficult getting used to the Wii controls, they say there's obviously only one version you should play. Oh, and apparently the soundtrack sounds as good as anything in Zelda before now, with the Twilight Realm music being "synthy", and Midna coming through the Wiimote apparently works well. They say that having three feet of wire between your hands rather than three inches of plastic feels very "free".

Wii is the better version. Basically, that it isn't as overwhelming as the E3 demo, where you're thrown right in the middle of it, and that you learn stuff gradually. But it can still prove a challenging and a bit frustrating at times. They did say that the pros of the controls greatly outweigh the cons, and spoke very highly of the use of the speaker and the freedom you get from having your hands so far apart. It apparently offers "tremendous tactile excitement".





******New NP Reveals New Info about TP**************



Heres what I could read:



9 Dungeouns

Golden Bugs

Poe souls (only at night)

Midna laughs through Wiimote speaker

Monkey takes lamp to drive away fog leading to first dungeoun. (wasnt this in the E3o6 trailer?)

It took 4 heart pieces to fill 1 heart container, it is now 5

New Items:

3 types of bombs

spike ball

Platfrom link stands on

Spinnec

Ordon Village named confirmed

Zelda is the Twilight Princess

Clawshot used two different ways 1. Hookshot type way. 2. Grappling hook type way.

Later in the game he gets better armor with new abilities

Shadow creatures trash village and take children.

Wolf link can dig holes and find secret passages.

Midna creates energy field and stuns enemies.

She gives Link the power to transport form location to location with ease (obvious this was going to be here)

And, when Link is in wolf form, waving the Wii Remote causes him to maul enemies with his teeth and claws. A shake of the Nunchuck makes him spin and beat bad guys with his body










Huge thanks to justina for typing this in her Live-Journal. Her hard work should be recongnized.


Here is the whole article:

The unprecedented size and quality of the Wii launch lineup will be capped with the most anticipated release in recent memory. On November 19th, the wait will finally be over for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. It is epic, beautiful, and full of suprises, not the least of which is the way that Wii Remote adds to the adventure's immersiveness, it's also enormous, providing as much gameplay in the overworld (Hyrule and beyond) as in it's nine huge dungeons.

But perhaps Twilight Princess's most striking feature is the way that it advances the legend, telling the story of a kingdom caught between light and shadow, day and night. As Link emerges from his place as humble villager to a world-saving hero, he also transforms into a creature of the darkness, with animal instincts and vicious new abilities. The game's art style recalls that of Ocarina of Time (two generations improved) as does Link's horsemanship and his adept use of a sword, bow, a boomerang, and other familiar (but enhanced) tools. He even casts a fishing line. Get ready-you're about to catch the big one.

Link is left-handed traditionally, but for the Wii version of Twilight Princess, he becomes a righty to sinc with the way that you will use the controls: the Wii Remote in your right hand to trigger weapons, and the Nunchuck in your left hand to manager the character's movement. By swiping the remote you'll make the hero slash his sword. By thrusting forward while Link moves towards a locked on target, you'll instruct him to jab his prey. Shake the Nunchuck to have Link spin 360 degrees, slicing every enemy withing his range. The remote also gives you a pinpoint aim with projectile weapons. And, when Link is in wolf form, waving the Wii Remote causes him to maul enemies with his teeth and claws. A shake of the Nunchuck makes him spin and beat bad guys with his body. The great strength of the control scheme is that it gives you the ability to command the character intuitively, making it easy to imagine yourself as the hero -and the beast- of Hyrule.

Your journey begins in Ordon Village, where Link works as a farm hand, herding sheep from the back of steed Epona and teaching the local children the proper use of a slingshot and wooden sword. When shadow creatures appear from the twilight realm then trash the village and take some of it's citizens captive (including the children) the young rancher finds himself, in the form of a wolf, behind bars in the twilight realm: a dark and deserted version of Hyrule Castle. That's where the mysterious Midna comes into the picture and leads Link to the Twilight Princess. It doesn't take much guesswork to figure out the princess's real identity, but it's still a thrill to see her pull back the hood of her cloak and reveal herself. She exposes Link, too, as the one who must lift the kingdom from the shadow creatures. From there, the adventure unfolds like the classic Legend of Zelda game that it is-Link ventures far and wide, both as a world and as a human, out of his ranch hand getup and in the green tunic-the Hero's Clothes. Later he earns additional armor that bestows him with new abilities.

The game's quest has Link freeing the world by entering dungeons, solving puzzles and making his way to battles against the creatures who would keep the darkness over the kingdom for all time. Nearly every dungeon holds a tool that gives the hero power to reach new areas. The Gale Boomerang, an updated version of one of Link's longstanding weapons, creates a whirwind that picks up and carries items back to the hero. It's also capable of hitting targets in a series. After you point to your targets then let go of the weapon it sails to each destination, causing havoc for the enemies, and even carrying bombs to Link's target. The Hero's Bow is another new version of an item that Link has had in his arsenal for some time. While riding Epona across the battlefield, Link can turn and fire arrows at those who wish him harm. That's just the beginning of Link's arsenal. He carries two types of Clawshots. A single claw works as a grappling device, letting the adventurer reach new heights. Dual claws work like Tarzan's wires or Spiderman's webbling, allowing Link to swing over gaps. Iron boots also have mutiple uses. They grip magnetic surfaces, letting the hero walk upside down on the ceiling. They also make Link sink to the bottoms of lakes and rivers, and keep him from being swept away by strong winds. Another heavy item, the Ball and Chain, forces Link to walk slowly while he's carrying it, but powers through enemies and weak walls. On the lighter side is the Spinnec, a roatating platform with which Link charges into enemies and hovers over the ground. It has gears that make it latch onto tracks and reach otherwise inaccessible areas. Link has three types of bombs, as well, plus many other useful devices.

When twilight realm's dark magic turns our hero into a toothy beast, he is capable of digging holes to discover passages, and can use his canine senses to root out secrets. His passenger, Midna, offers clues, creates an energy field that stuns and targets enemies, and guides the wolf difficult terrain. But, Midna's involvement doesn't stop there. At a crucial point in the adventure, she gives Link the ability to travel long distances in an instant, telporting from one exotic location to the next.

Graphically speaking, the game makes a big leap from its predecessors. In an adventure that deals with a war between light and dark, it's fitting that the game accentuates illumination and shadows, creating a moody atmosphere both in the normal plane and in the twilight realm. Early on, Link warms an oil lamp that gives off a yellow glow, spreading light over the hero and his immediate surroundings as he explores a cave. Torches, which Link can light with the lamp, help him spread the hazy light that reveals items and enemies in the passages. Shortly after that episode, a monkey grabs the lamp and uses it to burn away a deadly fog, giving you an early(?) beautiful trip to the game's first dungeon.

Beyond the main adventure, the game is loaded with side quests and item collection. Not only are heart pieces (now five to a heart container) scattered all over the land, but so are a series of golden edit:bugs and limp Poe's Souls (found only at night).

To enhance the experience even more, the Wii's rumble feature accentuates damage from enemies and emphasizes the presence of hidden items. And the remote's speaker calls attention to ambient sounds, such as Midna's laugh (which indicates that she has something to say), the slash of Link's sword, and the snap of his bow.

Twilight Princess's long journey to the Wii console is about to come to a close, and the real journey-Link's quest to save Hyrule-is about to begin. Like the original Legend of Zelda game, and many of the Zelda titles that have followed, the game will set the bar to a new height for adventures to come.

And you're forgeting the double claw shot that allows Link to move swiftly across gaps (a la tarzan and/or spiderman). Something I wish I hadn't read, but I couldn't help myself.

Originally Posted by Bomber No.5

And you're forgeting the double claw shot that allows Link to move swiftly across gaps (a la tarzan and/or spiderman). Something I wish I hadn't read, but I couldn't help myself.

Got it.

But is ganondorf the main villain? Cause i thought he wouldn't play such a big part in TP

Originally Posted by Dragohan

But is ganondorf the main villain? Cause i thought he wouldn't play such a big part in TP

LOl i made that part up Ill delete it. They never said he would not have a big part or small part. They said we will see him in a way we never have before. We will never expect it. I am thinking very evil.

I'm glad I read your info. I always liked playing with my silver bee in Alttp I hope that there will be lots of different bees to catch

all the important info i could get out the 4 scans.

a new weapon : a ball and chain. this cause link to walk slow, but it's pretty powerfull, it can even break weak, walls.

3 new types of bombs

an item called spinnec which makes link float on a rotating platform, he can use this to charge into enemies, it also has gears, to make it latch onto tracks, so link can reach, new areas, which he couldn't before.

5 heart pieces form 1 big heart piece.

the claw shot has 2 functions: 1 - to spring like the hookshot 2- to swing to places that are difficult to reach (the grapple fuction.)

link begins at ordon village (he also uses a slingshot in the beginning of the game.)

midna grands link the ability to teleport, from location to location, later on in the game.


wolf link is controlled by moving the wii-mote (probably not entirely.) by waving the wii-mote, wolf link will rip his enemies up with his claws and teeth.

shaking the wii-mote makes him spin and beat enemies with his full body strength.

wolf link, can also dig holes to find passages.

later on in the game link gains a new armor, which provides him with new abilities.

how the story begins

link begins at ordon village, with his normal quests, the ones we've seen from the old footage, soon after having finished his quests, twilight creatures start to appear in ordon village, to trash it, and take citizens captive, before link knows it, he's knocked unconsious and finds himself in his wolf form in the twilight version of hyrule castle, here's where midna comes in, she frees link and they go to meet the twilight princess, who is, (like some have guessed.) princess zelda. she tells link he is the one that needs to save hyrule, and from there the real adventure starts.

Originally Posted by game-freak

all the important info i could get out the 4 scans.

a new weapon : a ball and chain. this cause link to walk slow, but it's pretty powerfull, it can even break weak, walls.

3 new types of bombs

an item called spinnec which makes link float on a rotating platform, he can use this to charge into enemies, it also has gears, to make it latch onto tracks, so link can reach, new areas, which he couldn't before.

5 heart pieces form 1 big heart piece.

the claw shot has 2 functions: 1 - to spring like the hookshot 2- to swing to places that are difficult to reach (the grapple fuction.)

link begins at ordon village (he also uses a slingshot in the beginning of the game.)

midna grands link the ability to teleport, from location to location, later on in the game.


wolf link is controlled by moving the wii-mote (probably not entirely.) by waving the wii-mote, wolf link will rip his enemies up with his claws and teeth.

shaking the wii-mote makes him spin and beat enemies with his full body strength.

wolf link, can also dig holes to find passages.

later on in the game link gains a new armor, which provides him with new abilities.

how the story begins

link begins at ordon village, with his normal quests, the ones we've seen from the old footage, soon after having finished his quests, twilight creatures start to appear in ordon village, to trash it, and take citizens captive, before link knows it, he's knocked unconsious and finds himself in his wolf form in the twilight version of hyrule castle, here's where midna comes in, she frees link and they go to meet the twilight princess, who is, (like some have guessed.) princess zelda. she tells link he is the one that needs to save hyrule, and from there the real adventure starts.

To tell you the truth with the 9 dungeouns, slingshot in beggining in the game, look, and dungouns that look like OOT. This is staring to look like an upgraded version of OOT, I don't like that, it was supposed to surpass it.

This is NOT going to be an upgraded OOT. it will be an upgraded a link to the past! I always wanted an a link to the past game in 3d, and this one shows a lot of comparisons

Originally Posted by Dragohan

This is NOT going to be an upgraded OOT. it will be an upgraded a link to the past! I always wanted an a link to the past game in 3d, and this one shows a lot of comparisons

True, this looks like OOT and ALTTP combined. Which can be a good thing. But I wanted something original, not the same old Zelda with better graphics.

sounds completely different to me.

Originally Posted by joeyholler51

sounds completely different to me.

Well yes and no. Yes, it starts with a forest temple, and has same amount of temples. No, different story and items. WW was also exactly like OOT with Zelda being Tetra and well I guess that is it. I guess Zelda is not Midna, as she was in the Twilight Realm, and so is Midna. So that is completly denied.

And the ''dark world'' ''light world'' of alttp looks like the twillight realm

Originally Posted by Dragohan

And the ''dark world'' ''light world'' of alttp looks like the twillight realm

Exactly.