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Wii

North America

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

by Steven Rodriguez - November 3, 2006, 5:00 pm EST
Total comments: 42

Do you want to know how the Wii controller really works with Zelda? Gigantic spoiler-free impressions inside!

There is too much to say about the Wii controller. After playing the Wii version of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for well over eight hours, I have a solid understanding of what works, what doesn't work, and the pros/cons of the Wiimote over a regular controller. The pros outweigh the cons by tenfold. It isn't 100% perfect, but few games are. It controls like a Zelda game, and that's the most important thing. The Wii remote controller makes playing Zelda something very special.

There's not much more I can say to precede these controller-centric impressions, other than they are pretty much spoiler-free. Let's get into it.

Swordplay

As you no doubt know by now, swordplay is mapped to a swinging motion of the Wii remote. The direction or severity with which you swing is irrelevant to how Link swings his sword on screen, which essentially equates a controller motion to a button press, which means the basic Zelda swordplay mechanic is unchanged. When taking individual swipes, Link always attacks horizontally when not Z-targeting, he always attacks vertically when Z-targeting is active. Worse, he only stabs in Z-targeting mode when the control stick on the nunchuk is held upwards as the remote is in motion. A forward stabbing motion with the remote is not necessary for Link to do the same thing in the game, which was a bit of a letdown. Spin attacks are performed by shaking the nunchuk, and I have no beef with that.

Performing multi-swipe strikes means performing multiple remote motions. One of my colleagues at the event likened it to button mashing, but with wrist movements instead of thumb tapping. At times, it did kind of feel that way, as if I were waving the thing around and not really connecting with the sword movement on screen. However, I found that as I got more into the game, I really didn't care. It was accurate enough for me to add in the type of sword attack I wanted to in my combo, like a spin attack after a swipe and a stab. I must admit that I caught myself thrusting both halves of the controller forward to perform a sword stab attack, even though I knew it made no difference. For some reason, it's just more fun to emulate a sword swing by moving the remote around.

Purists may be preparing an argument that the slight disconnect between the motion and the gameplay will totally ruin the Wii version. Not in the slightest. While swordplay is a major part of Zelda, it's not so much that it requires surgery-like precision. If you swing the Wii remote one time too many and an extra swipe comes out, it's no big deal. Conversely, I only recall one or two moments during the length of time I spent with the game where I didn't get the sword swipe I was looking for. That too, is not enough to hate on the Wii version's controls. Swinging the remote to use the sword is the only way it could realistically be done on Wii, since every other button on the controller is needed for something else. And there's also the fact that just about every other aspect of the game's controls that can be attributed to the Wiimote is far superior to that of what a regular control can offer.

One of the really fun things I found myself doing with the sword was the action of drawing it from Link's scabbard without attacking. All that's needed to do so is a very light flick of the remote. This action makes it feel like you are “locking and loading" as you flick that sword out and prepare to battle. To impress those watching me, I was drawing and sheathing my sword while running around. It's very easy to quickly neutralize the control stick, tap the A button (which is still the do-all action button from all the other Zelda games) to retire your sword, and then hit the control stick up to continue moving, all without breaking stride. It is an advanced show-off maneuver, but the controls are solid enough for such actions to be performed naturally.

And before you ask: No, you don't get tired by swinging the remote around. It's just smooth and simple wrist movements.

Pointer Aiming

The other major thing the Wii remote brings to Twilight Princess is controller pointer aiming. The system as a whole feels similar to using a sniper rifle in an FPS, only much faster, more accurate, extremely tight, and way more gratifying. Instead of waiting for the cursor to track across the screen or worrying about over-correcting with a bad nudge of the analog stick, all you need to do is aim at the thing you want to shoot, then shoot it. You may think that's what you've been doing for the past 10 years with a dual analog setup. I thought that too, but then I saw the light with Zelda's aiming controls.

As spotty as the E3 version of Zelda was, the one thing I took away from it was that if Nintendo nailed weapon aiming in the final version, it was going to be something amazing. Well folks, it's something amazing. It doesn't take long to get a feel for how well the pointer works, and after you do, you become so enthralled with aiming at stuff that you don't want to use Z-targeting. I wanted to manually aim at things and shoot down stuff by my own hand, because there's a feeling in doing so that is unparalleled by other aiming systems.

Quick use of pointer aiming is dependent on keeping the remote pointed at the sensor bar. If it's not, you'll get a message that tells you to point the controller back at the screen when attempting to use a sub-weapon that requires it.. Navi acts as a real-time pointer to remind you that you're not aiming at the screen, so it's always a good idea to check to make sure your fairy is visible. (Navi serves no other purpose, and therefore will not be present in the GameCube version.) There is a little disorientation when starting to aim with the pointer off screen, but since aiming with the remote is so easy to do, there is no problem getting things straightened out.

For you purists out there, Nintendo included a control option that allows you to use the control stick to aim weapons, just like the old days. It works about as well as the aiming does in any other game that uses a similar method, including the other modern Zelda titles. It must have taken me about three minutes to realize that the option is essentially worthless; I can't think of any reason why someone would want to primarily use the analog stick to aim weapons in this game. That doesn't mean you'll abandon the control stick entirely, since it is effectively used to rotate Link to augment tracking and aiming to the left and right while in the default pointer aiming mode. After playing with the Wii controls for as long as I did, I briefly went back to the traditional aiming method to see what it felt like. Ever play Time Crisis with an analog stick? It works, but that's not the way the game is meant to be played. That's what it felt like to me.

The aiming feels so much better than it did at E3 because of the change of how items are assigned and used. As we mentioned in our New York impressions of Twilight Princess, the B-trigger fires off the boomerang, slingshot ammo, and all that other stuff. B can do all of this, because the D-Pad buttons that originally were used to activate sub-weapons now act as a sort of staging shortcut for assignment to the trigger. You can assign three items to three D-pad directions, and a fourth to the B-trigger. Pressing one of the D-pad buttons does not activate that item; instead, it swaps it out with whatever item you had on the B-trigger. It's not the most ideal setup; it would have still been nice for one-button access to four items, but with the layout of the Wii controller, it works just fine. There is no longer a concern about needing to drastically change hand position to accommodate switching to a different D-pad button on the fly, which can easily upset the balance of the controller. The trade-off for only having direct access to one item and indirect (but fast) access to the other three is that it makes aiming a joy instead of a chore, a trade-off I believe is justified.

Camera/Other Controls

Up on the D-pad is reserved for talking to Midna when necessary. It's still a bit of a thumb stretch to get up there, but there's no need for you to hit the button in a hurry. The item sub-screen is accessible using the minus (-) button on the controller. Items can be selected from the circular selector by either pointing the remote or moving the analog stick in the direction of the desired item, the latter actually being the better option in this case. The quest status screen is assigned to the plus (+) button. The map screen can be opened with the 1 button, and the mini-map can be toggled with the 2 button.

These secondary buttons are appropriately placed for the functions they perform. I would say the distance between your thumb's natural resting position on the remote and the +/- buttons is about the same as the on between the Y button and the C-stick on a GameCube controller. It's not a very uncomfortable stretch, especially since you won't be pressing plus or minus all that much. The 1 button is a bit further down, but it's hardly an inconvenience since you won't be looking at your (giant) map as often as you would say, swing your sword or use items. Basically, there are no badly placed buttons on the controller. You can get to them all if you need them.

Camera control is really the only shortcoming of Wii Zelda. No, it's not terrible. It's just like it was in Ocarina of Time. We were spoiled a bit in Wind Waker, what with its free camera controls. But it turns out that it's a luxury, and not a true necessity. All the camera control we get in Twilight Princess is the Z-trigger to reset the camera behind Link, and the C button (it's almost like a nub, actually) to enter first-person view. There were plenty of times when I wish I had a better angle of the action when fighting against enemies, but most times the one I was stuck with was adequate. Just running around, doing my general adventuring, the camera was never a problem for me. Precision jumping was never one of the stronger points of the Zelda series, and TP is no exception. That's more of a general problem with the game, and no fault of the Wii controller. It makes you wonder, though...will the GameCube version have a free camera mode?

Wolf Link Controls

During my time with Zelda, I got to spend a good deal of time as Wolf Link. In his Twilight form, Link is a much faster runner. He's just about as fast as Epona, but with the bonus of having unlimited dash. Not being able to use a sword doesn't mean attacking is any different. You can still flick the controller to engage Wolf Link's main attack, which actually makes a lot of sense given that that's how you do it as a human. Link also retains his spin attack via a nunchuk shake. The best mode of attack while in wolf form is actually the A button, which performs the jump attack. That's the one I used most often, and it seems to be stronger and more effective than just flicking the remote around to bite at people.

Wolfy doesn't use items, so the B-trigger is only useful if you have Midna on your back. Pulling and holding the trigger creates a radius in which multiple enemies can be felled at the same time when released. This is necessary, as a certain type of Twilight enemy comes in groups, and if they aren't all defeated at the same time, the lone survivor will revive the others. It takes a bit of time to charge up, and while doing so you can't move around very much. It's an instant kill for anyone that gets caught up in it, though.

From what I've played so far, combat isn't emphasized with Wolf Link. There are battles, but most of the time you are exploring Twilight-stricken areas of Hyrule. The D-Pad in wolf mode is used for activating Link's wolf sense and digging around. The wolf sense is a toggle that allows him to see hidden enemies and find special places to dig. Digging is an action button press primarily used for accessing areas where you can slip underneath a gate, or burrow into a house from the outside. Down on the D-pad is actually a very convenient button to press, and during the times you'll want to dig all over the place for treasure, it doesn't become a hassle to use.

D-pad Up is still the Midna button. Wolf Link uses her differently than regular Link does, however. Werelink has the ability to jump a fairly large distance, but only if Midna guides him to the place he should jump to. When approaching context-sensitive areas, a Midna prompt will appear. After calling her out, she'll jump over to the point you can follow her to. To follow her, it's necessary to activate Z-targeting and hit the Up button again. This is the one thing about the wolf controls that doesn't make any sense to me. Up is a strange button to need to hit over and over again, and yet there are places where Link jumps across multiple gaps in succession, either in a button-mashing streak or with the proper timing to avoid hazards. In the first case, it might as well be automatic, and in the second, why not use the centrally located A-button to perform the jumping maneuvers? And why do I need to Z-target to do this? To me, it feels as if something here is unnecessary; it doesn't feel like it fits with the rest of the game.

In terms of overall wolf control, the general difference between regular Link and Wolf Link is impressive. The basic scheme is pretty much the same for both of them, yet they feel very different. The control choices that were made to keep them that way are very good ones. When you're running around as Wolf Link, it still feels like you're playing a Zelda game. That's something I was a little worried about coming into this event, but thankfully Twilight Princess looks like it'll be a true Zelda game all the way through.

The Controller Speaker and Rumble

My immediate impression of the controller speaker was that it is a very cheap and gimmicky thing. It sounded pretty bad at first. But after I tweaked the volume control (done through the Wii menu), I understood what Nintendo was going for. If you have a nice, expensive sound system, or a television with above-average speakers, it's best to turn down the volume of the Wii remote so its sounds do not overpower the smaller speaker contained inside. In doing so, its sounds act as a good complement to ones the rest of the game produces. Conversely, if your TV's sound setup isn't that great, or you are not an audiophile, turning up the controller volume turns it into a kind of "surround" speaker. And if you don't like the speaker sounds at all, you can simply mute the controller.

At least through the first dungeons, there are no gameplay-critical sounds produced by the controller speaker. Its main function is to give off secondary sounds with the items and weapons you are using. Every time you swing the remote around, you'll hear a sword swipe sound out of the speaker. If you take out or put away an item—your sword included—you'll hear that from your hand as well. Other sounds like pulling the slingshot taut, the ready chime for the boomerang, the Wolf Link sense activation swoosh, and even the sound made by corking a bottle add another dimension to the game's audio. Despite its sometimes rudimentary simplicity, it becomes just as much a part of the game as the sound coming from any other speaker. It adds to the experience in a way that even 5.1 surround sound can't match; I'm not saying it's better than Dolby Digital surround sound (because it's not), but the enjoyment level you get out of the television/remote sound combination can be just as high as getting an awesome rear-channel sweep with digital audio.

Two Wiimote speaker moments in particular stand out for me. One was the first time I heard the classic Zelda discovery sound. Oddly, it played from both the television speaker and the controller simultaneously. I couldn't help but smile at this moment, and for fear of sounding like a broken record, playing the sound from the speaker adds a little something more to the game that I can't put my finger on. The other moment that stuck with me, and is still sticking with me, is how creepy it is to hear Midna laugh through the speaker. It's an evil, mocking laugh to start off with, but hearing it through the controller just pushes it over the edge. You'll hear it a lot as Wolf Link, and it adds to the very contrasting styles that are present inside and outside of the Twilight.

Only the Wii remote has rumble; the nunchuk does not. Rumble activates at times when you'd fully expect it to, and you have the ability to disable it completely via the Wii menu. So it's not like there's anything particularly special about rumble for the Wii controller. However, the controller speaker produces an interesting side effect: If its volume is turned to a decent level, the little speaker will give the remote a little shake. I found that a big rumble could be amplified with a loud sound, and a very subtle action gave a little kinetic feedback to go with the aural feedback. Even the lightest rumble would be too much for many small actions, such as pulling the sling of the slingshot, but the fine vibration produced by the sound fits the action on the screen perfectly. I get the feeling that Nintendo designed certain aspects of the game around with this little nugget in mind, because every time I heard a sound without rumble, the amount of vibration given off by the controller dovetailed with the action that was happening on the big screen.

Conclusion

I could honestly write about the Zelda controls forever. But this should be more than enough information to tide you over until next week, when we'll be able to bring you more information about some other aspects of how the controller is used, especially the horseback controls. For now, I think it would be wise to stop myself short of writing another five pages about the Wiimote and Twilight Princess. I feel lucky for you guys. You haven't played it yet, so you don't really know what you're missing. I do. It sucks, big time, to have to keep waiting.

I want to conclude this set impressions with a bit about the GameCube version. No, NOA didn't show it to us. Likely, they're not going to show it to anyone until it releases in December. But ever since the announcement of the Wii version, there has been the debate over which version of Zelda is going to control better. My friends, the debate is over: Wii Zelda is the real deal. I've played the game long enough to come to the conclusion that I don't want to use a traditional controller to play Twilight Princess. I'm hooked on the Wii controls. I want more of what Nintendo has given me. I can say, with confidence, that you must play Zelda on the Wii to get the full experience. Not to take anything away from the GameCube version, but once you guys get your hands on the Wii version, there's no going back.

Talkback

ArtimusNovember 03, 2006

Clearly the game is a disaster and the Wii version sucks. Facts and actual playtime are not trustworthy! face-icon-small-wink.gif

Seriously though, this is great.

KnowsNothingNovember 03, 2006

oh sounds fun

Smoke39November 03, 2006

So if you point the remote down a bit while playing, can you keep Navi off the screen until you actually, you know, need to see where the remote's pointed? I know it seems like a really minor thing, but having a useless pointer on the screen all the time seems really annoying to me, and it always bugs me in the trailers and stuff.

PaleMike Gamin, Contributing EditorNovember 03, 2006

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Worse, he only stabs in Z-targeting mode when the control stick on the nunchuk is held upwards as the remote is in motion. A forward stabbing motion with the remote is not necessary for Link to do the same thing in the game, which was a bit of a letdown.

This part totally confuses me. In September any jabbing motion at any time made Link jab. I don't understand why they would change it, as it was quite cool. Hrmm.

Other than that, I'm glad Windy enjoyed it so much. I can't flipping wait for this game. I am in full spoiler avoidance mode.

NinGurl69 *hugglesNovember 03, 2006

This piece of software sounds like it's worth checking out!

KnowsNothingNovember 03, 2006

Indeed, it seems to have a pleasing composition of pixels, sounds, and code.

QUESTION. Navi. So Navi just flies around wherever you're pointing the wiimote, right? So does that mean when you're doing epic sword swings Navi is flying every which way? THAT SOUNDS ANNOYING. So what's up.

PaleMike Gamin, Contributing EditorNovember 03, 2006

He represents where you are pointing (speaking from the September version so it may have changed). So yeah, he flies around like crazy, but it isn't very distracting.

Thanky thanks for no spoilspriggans!

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterNovember 03, 2006

So, does this mean that Planet Gamecube are now believers or are there still some doubters among your ranks?

It seems that a lot of people are convinced about TP Wii.

ArtimusNovember 03, 2006

Navi is a she?

Nick DiMolaNick DiMola, Staff AlumnusNovember 03, 2006

Thanks for the spoiler free impressions. Really the points made here are the extent of what I wanted to know about the game. As for the rest of the game, I will experience every ounce of that myself when I have it in my hands in 15 days.

On the whole though, I am glad to hear both Windy and Pale really enjoyed this game in it's most recent form. With every preview I read I become more and more excited to get my hands on this beast.

GoldenPhoenixNovember 03, 2006

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Originally posted by: pap64
So, does this mean that Planet Gamecube are now believers or are there still some doubters among your ranks?

It seems that a lot of people are convinced about TP Wii.


I am willing to bet that Ian and Mantidor are still on the hate Zelda Wii bandwagon regardless of the great impressions pouring in from everywhere.

I still don't believe it'll be the best Zelda on the grounds that Miyamoto is not directing it.

I DO, however, hope that it becomes GOTY.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

GoldenPhoenixNovember 03, 2006

Windy maybe you can confirm this or not, but how hard was the game? I've been really concerned it would be ramped up quite a bit in difficulty and I would not have the time to finish it, Zelda OOT difficulty was perfect.

Smoke39November 03, 2006

Quote

Originally posted by: VGrevolution
Quote

Originally posted by: pap64
So, does this mean that Planet Gamecube are now believers or are there still some doubters among your ranks?

It seems that a lot of people are convinced about TP Wii.


I am willing to bet that Ian and Mantidor are still on the hate Zelda Wii bandwagon regardless of the great impressions pouring in from everywhere.

I'm personally still kinda on the fence. Some of the new stuff sounds pretty cool, but some of it also sounds kinda dumb and annoying to me.

bustin98November 03, 2006

I'm scared that I'm going to get used to pointing and shooting. It's going to become a chore to go back to the 360 or even Gamecube games and use the sticks to do all my aiming.

I think the Wii really will change how certain game aspects are considered. This must be why Miyamoto wants to re-release GC games with new controls.

Think of the new people who are drawn into gaming and decide to get another system, only to be dissapointed that the controls aren't the same.

ArbokNovember 03, 2006

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Originally posted by: bustin98
Think of the new people who are drawn into gaming and decide to get another system, only to be dissapointed that the controls aren't the same.


I think Nintendo would LOVE that face-icon-small-wink.gif

mantidorNovember 03, 2006

The bit of the swordplay is interesting, so woud you say that mirroring the game was needless? the reason was to reflect what you do on screen, but if the game isn't going to map the remote 1:1, and if it doesn't matter that much, then why bother into mirroring everything?

GoldenPhoenixNovember 03, 2006

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Originally posted by: mantidor
The bit of the swordplay is interesting, so woud you say that mirroring the game was needless? the reason was to reflect what you do on screen, but if the game isn't going to map the remote 1:1, and if it doesn't matter that much, then why bother into mirroring everything?


That is a good question, because from what I've read the game works fine for lefties as well. There must have been a good reason for it and I would like to know that reason even if I don't really give a crap if it is mirrored or not (as far as I'm concerned since it will be the one I'll play it will be the unmirrored version!).

SvevanEvan Burchfield, Staff AlumnusNovember 04, 2006

The method for sword control bothers me, but I'm getting the Wii version and I'll try it myself. The aiming sounds improved - Windy would know since he played the E3 version quite a bit. This is good news!

Quote

Originally posted by: VGrevolution
Quote

Originally posted by: mantidor
The bit of the swordplay is interesting, so woud you say that mirroring the game was needless? the reason was to reflect what you do on screen, but if the game isn't going to map the remote 1:1, and if it doesn't matter that much, then why bother into mirroring everything?


That is a good question, because from what I've read the game works fine for lefties as well. There must have been a good reason for it and I would like to know that reason even if I don't really give a crap if it is mirrored or not (as far as I'm concerned since it will be the one I'll play it will be the unmirrored version!).


From Chris Kohler's spoiler-free impressions at http://blog.wired.com/games/:

Quote

You also attack enemies by shaking the remote. You don't need to aim -- it's just a substitute for what pressing a button would do in the GameCube version. It doesn't really affect the gameplay one way or another. I say this even though the aforementioned Trinen was attempting to convince me that after this, he couldn't go back to hitting a button again. I can't put myself in that column, but I can say that:

* No, your arm will not get tired
* No, your wrist will not hurt
* No, you won't have to stop every hour for a break
* Shut up

All it takes is a little tiny nudge of the controller and you'll swing your sword. Within about a minute it becomes second nature.

It also frees up one of the buttons on the controller. The way the game was before, with "sword slash" assigned to the A or B button, it meant that the only way you could use your inventory items would be to assign them to the D-pad. This was how it was set up at E3, and it was kind of uncomfortable. But now, you use your items (the bow, the boomerang, etc) with the B trigger, and do all your context-sensitive stuff (rolling, pushing) with the A button.

Actually, I guess it does affect gameplay a bit -- since you have your hands on both buttons and the "shake" all at once, it means you can execute all kinds of varying maneuvers faster and more efficiently than on the GameCube controller.


The biggest advantage of mapping sword swings to waggle-mashing (waggle controls + button mashing) is to free up a button and thus make the control setup better overall, and especially for using secondary items. The secondary advantage of doing some minor physical motion to swing your sword instead of merely pressing a button is not as important as that.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

PaleMike Gamin, Contributing EditorNovember 04, 2006

I personally don't see lefties playing Zelda with the nunchuck reversed. Most lefties will be so used to using their left hand on a control stick, it will probably be weird to change.

mantidorNovember 04, 2006

Those would be weird lefties, because theres no way Im going to point with my right hand in games with aiming or other gameplay mechanics that require precision, Would you use the pointer in your left hand if your right hand was the one used to move the stick? if it was just waving the remote there would be no problem but games dont just make you wave the remote. One thing is for certain, is going to be more ackward for us no matter how we use the controller anyway (more reasons for me to wait and see with the console itself).

PaleMike Gamin, Contributing EditorNovember 04, 2006

Exactly Mantidor. See it's strange, because everyone, regardless of what handed they are, has been conditioned to use an analog stick with our left hand. The big question will be whether lefties will be able to point with their right hand, or will they instead have to relearn how to effectively walk around with an analog stick with the right thumb. Either way it's strange. I guess my point was that if lefties do play, is switching hands necessarily the best option? We'll have to wait and see.

TrueNerdNovember 04, 2006

Thank youfor spoiler free, controller centric impressions. You told me everything I wanted to know and the game is not ruined! Now we'll see how long I can hold out on reading the spoiler-filled versions here and across the internet.

However, I do have a question. Would you say TP's standard camera is better then that of the Wind Waker's? I started playing the game two days ago and I find myself using the free camera more then the standard stuff. Or maybe I should ask if it is better then OoT's?

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterNovember 04, 2006

Quote

Originally posted by: VGrevolution
Quote

Originally posted by: pap64
So, does this mean that Planet Gamecube are now believers or are there still some doubters among your ranks?

It seems that a lot of people are convinced about TP Wii.


I am willing to bet that Ian and Mantidor are still on the hate Zelda Wii bandwagon regardless of the great impressions pouring in from everywhere.


I was mainly talking about the Planet Gamecube editors, since they were the ones that cried foul THE MOST when they played the E3 demo, even giving it the worst of honors during the E3 awards.

PaleMike Gamin, Contributing EditorNovember 04, 2006

I don't remember giving it the worst of honors at our awards? Didn't we just call the two SKUs thing the worst surprise?

Several of us liked it and all of us were interested to see how it would turn out.

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterNovember 04, 2006

Quote

Originally posted by: Pale
I don't remember giving it the worst of honors at our awards? Didn't we just call the two SKUs thing the worst surprise?

Several of us liked it and all of us were interested to see how it would turn out.


You gave the absence of GBA and GC games the honor of worst surprise.

And I could've SWORN someone called TP the most disappointing game at E3...

Maybe I am thinking of one of the impressions/editorials. I DO remember one that was titled "The sad truth about Zelda on the Wii". Then there was another editorial about how the move to the Wii was a bad idea.

It was then that a HUGE argument started, with my opinion being that just because the E3 DEMO was unpolished didn't mean that the final game will be really bad, and from the looks of the impressions, time has proven my point.

ThePermNovember 04, 2006

im a lefty and Pale makes a good point, i can't imagine using the right side to run, but then again poingitn with the right side doesnt sit well with me either. I guess lefties are fudged either way!

SvevanEvan Burchfield, Staff AlumnusNovember 04, 2006

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with my opinion being that just because the E3 DEMO was unpolished didn't mean that the final game will be really bad, and from the looks of the impressions, time has proven my point.


Actually, time has proven my point: the controls needed to change or else the game was broken. Every journalist out there is now backpedaling to say "Well, the aiming at E3 did kinda suck, so I'm glad they fixed it." At E3, we had no knowledge that Nintendo had any intention of changing the controls, and the game was far from unpolished (as I said to you back then, it was the most polished E3 game other than Metroid). We are required to post our opinions, and the truth was that Zelda E3 controls were not good. Saying that an E3 Demo is "unpolished, therefore you can't give your opinion on it" is asinine. And at the time, we had Miyamoto saying publicly that he loved the controls, he didn't want Wii Remote sword swinging, and he couldn't go back to GC control. My opinion was that GC control would be far better, and it seems Nintendo agreed since they reworked both sword and aiming in the final game.

I haven't played the new version yet, so my opinion is not as important as Windy's or Pale's. They both gave positive impressions, but they both were pretty positive about Zelda at E3. It will be more interesting to see how Jonathan Metts and Aaron Kaluzka feel about it all.

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterNovember 04, 2006

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Originally posted by: Svevan
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with my opinion being that just because the E3 DEMO was unpolished didn't mean that the final game will be really bad, and from the looks of the impressions, time has proven my point.


Actually, time has proven my point: the controls needed to change or else the game was broken. Every journalist out there is now backpedaling to say "Well, the aiming at E3 did kinda suck, so I'm glad they fixed it." At E3, we had no knowledge that Nintendo had any intention of changing the controls, and the game was far from unpolished (as I said to you back then, it was the most polished E3 game other than Metroid). We are required to post our opinions, and the truth was that Zelda E3 controls were not good. Saying that an E3 Demo is "unpolished, therefore you can't give your opinion on it" is asinine. And at the time, we had Miyamoto saying publicly that he loved the controls, he didn't want Wii Remote sword swinging, and he couldn't go back to GC control. My opinion was that GC control would be far better, and it seems Nintendo agreed since they reworked both sword and aiming in the final game.

I haven't played the new version yet, so my opinion is not as important as Windy's or Pale's. They both gave positive impressions, but they both were pretty positive about Zelda at E3. It will be more interesting to see how Jonathan Metts and Aaron Kaluzka feel about it all.


My point still stands, though. I NEVER said that you shouldn't express your opinions on the demo. What I said is that you shouldn't based your opinion on the ENTIRE game because of one unpolished demo. A comment like "The sad truth about Zelda on Wii" means that you are judging the potential of the final game on an unfinished demo. That's what I said. Had you said "The E3 demo did a very poor job of showing of what Zelda can do on the Wii, but hopefully Nintendo will pay attention and fix this before launch", then I wouldn't have said anything. But since the PGC editors kept on saying Zelda Wii was doomed, adding fuel to the non believers arguments, it showed to me that you guys were far too quick to pass judgment on the game, and now time and Nintendo has proved you wrong by delivering in the least one solid gaming experience.

And my point still stands. I said back during the big argument that Nintendo wasn't dumb. They knew that they had one of the biggest games this year on their hands, so they shouldn't mess it up. They were paying attention to the reactions at both E3 and on websites. They were paying close attention. In fact, as Smash_Brother mentioned before, E3 is like a big group test. They show off the games, get the reactions from people, then work on fixing the issues that plagued their games. Again, I'm willing to bet anything that Nintendo reps were there paying attention to the people that played, then gathered their information and passed it onto the developers. I posted that people should give Nintendo TIME to polish the game and make it ready for launch. You think Nintendo spent those six months after E3 doing nothing but whistling and twirling their thumbs?

So to sum up my point, I NEVER said that you shouldn't give your opinions on a demo, what I said is that don't be quick to judge the final product because the demo was unfinished, especially when dealing with a game like Twilight Princess and that Nintendo would take the time to fine tune the controls and the content, which from the looks of the impressions, they DID.

SvevanEvan Burchfield, Staff AlumnusNovember 04, 2006

Quote

Originally posted by: pap64
What I said is that you shouldn't based your opinion on the ENTIRE game because of one unpolished demo.

Agreed.

Quote

Originally posted by: pap64
A comment like "The sad truth about Zelda on Wii" means that you are judging the potential of the final game on an unfinished demo.

Disagreed.

Shin GallonNovember 05, 2006

I remain unconvinced, but will reserve judgement until I play it myself. Granted, I'm still rather apprehensive about the Wii control setup.

GoldenPhoenixNovember 06, 2006

Quote

Originally posted by: Shin Gallon
I remain unconvinced, but will reserve judgement until I play it myself. Granted, I'm still rather apprehensive about the Wii control setup.


Well I respect that you are at least open to them. One area I'm not completely convinced is sword fighting with the Wiimote since I play my games in my bedroom while laying down, so I'm not sure what impact that will have!

Shin GallonNovember 06, 2006

I just really wish they'd left in an option to use Gamecube controls, in case you play the game and you utterly hate the Wii control setup. More options for the gamer is never a bad thing.

PaleMike Gamin, Contributing EditorNovember 06, 2006

Shin, that comment is so last month. I don't want boring old controls mucking up my brand new Zelda game.

Shin GallonNovember 06, 2006

And I don't want new controls I don't like mucking up MY new Zelda game, what's your point? You act as if giving us the option would have been this horrible disservice to mankind or something, when clearly it wouldn't have been. As I said, I'm going to try the Wii controls, but JUST IN CASE I don't like them, the option for GC controls would have been nice. As it is, if I dislike them, I'm left no recourse but to buy the Gamecube version instead. Poor option compared to the Wii version having both control schemes available, don't you think?

Myxtika1 AznNovember 06, 2006

Instead of buying the Wii version and risk the chance of not liking the controls, why not rent it first? That way, you can buy it if you don't like the controls, or you can wait for the cube version to come out.

I, like others on this board, am planning on getting both versions of the game. Hopefully I can go back to aiming with the analog stick after having gotten used to the Wiipointer.

WindyManSteven Rodriguez, Staff AlumnusNovember 07, 2006

Quote

Originally posted by: Myxtika1 Azn
I, like others on this board, am planning on getting both versions of the game.


Why on earth would you want to spend an extra $50 on what is essentially the exact same game? It's fine that you can't decide on old controls vs. new controls, but don't waste the extra money on buying two copies of the same game. At least rent one version or the other before deciding to commit halfahun dollars. Outright buying both versions blindly is pure folly.

Left-handed Link.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

Bill AurionNovember 07, 2006

Quote

Originally posted by: WindyMan
Quote

Originally posted by: Myxtika1 Azn
I, like others on this board, am planning on getting both versions of the game.


Why on earth would you want to spend an extra $50 on what is essentially the exact same game? It's fine that you can't decide on old controls vs. new controls, but don't waste the extra money on buying two copies of the same game. At least rent one version or the other before deciding to commit halfahun dollars. Outright buying both versions blindly is pure folly.

Zelda fanatics for the win? face-icon-small-smile.gif

I'll probably be importing the GC version from Japan, and I'll use it to test out my language skills!

Myxtika1 AznNovember 07, 2006

Quote

Originally posted by: Bill Aurion
Zelda fanatics for the win? face-icon-small-smile.gif


Bill FTW!

I just want anything TP related. I've got posters from magazines, magazine covers. I'll be getting both versions of the game for the different gameplay experience. I'm getting the standee. I'm also keeping the setup instructions! face-icon-small-shocked.gif

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The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Box Art

Genre Adventure
Developer Nintendo
Players1

Worldwide Releases

na: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Release Nov 19, 2006
PublisherNintendo
RatingTeen
jpn: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Release Dec 02, 2006
PublisherNintendo
Rating12+
eu: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Release Dec 08, 2007
PublisherNintendo
Rating12+
aus: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Release Dec 07, 2007
PublisherNintendo
RatingMature
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