The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Japanese: Zeruda no Densetsu: Tasogare Hime/Towairaito Purinsesu) is a game in Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda series, for the Nintendo GameCube and the Nintendo Wii. Originally planned for release in November of 2005, Nintendo delayed it until 2006 so that the developers could add more content and fine-tune the game. The Wii version was released on the console's launch date 19 November 2006 in North America, and subsequent versions followed on the other Wii launch dates, which were: 8 December 2006 in Europe, 7 December 2006 in Australia, and 2 December 2006 in Japan. This makes Twilight Princess the first Zelda game to debut alongside the launch of a Nintendo console. The GameCube version was released on 12 December 2006 in the United States, 14 December 2006 in Australia and on 15 December 2006 in Europe. Nintendo executive George Harrison said in a recent interview with GamePro that the release date for the Gamecube version had moved to December 11th, but this has yet to be confirmed by anyone else at Nintendo. At the time of the Japanese launch, the game was only sold online.

Story
The game begins with Link living in Ordon Village, working as a ranch hand. He is asked by Rusl, the village's blacksmith and swordman, to deliver the Ordon Sword and Shield to Hyrule Castle. Before he can begin his journey, Link, the mayor's daughter Ilia, and Rusl's son Colin are ambushed by a group of monsters. Ilia and Colin are kidnapped, and Link is knocked unconscious. Upon awakening, he pursues them, only to be sucked into the Twilight Realm, transformed into a wolf, and imprisoned in a castle. An imp-like creature named Midna helps him escape from his cell, and the two join forces.

Link and Midna travel through the castle until they meet another one of its prisoners - Princess Zelda herself. She explains that Zant, a member of a race known as the Twili, is trying to merge the Twilight Realm and Hyrule to make them into one land of darkness (Zant's Invasion of Hyrule). In order to defeat Zant, Midna is searching for a sacred weapon (really armor) called the Fused Shadows that she can use to defeat Zant and save the Twilight Realm. However, Midna cares nothing for the fate of Hyrule.

During the quest to assemble this weapon, it is discovered that the Twili are a race of beings who were banished to the Twilight Realm by the gods of Hyrule. The Twili were interlopers with great magic who went to the holy Sacred Realm in order to establish dominion over it, causing a war to break out in Hyrule. After these sorcerers became too powerful, the goddesses sent three light spirits to seal away the beings' magic, and sealed the beings themselves away into another realm known as the Twilight Realm. The goddesses created the Mirror of Twilight, a device to banish beings into the Twilight Realm (though it can also be used to enter the realm normally).

After many trials, Link and Midna re-assemble the Fused Shadow. Just as it seems as if Link finally has the upper hand, Zant appears, curses Link to be trapped in his wolf form, and injures Midna almost fatally. Zant leaves, and Link hurries Midna back to Hyrule Castle to seek aid from Princess Zelda.

At Hyrule Castle, Princess Zelda, reveals that the only way Link can return back to his normal form is to find the Blade of Evil's bane, otherwise know as theMaster Sword. Midna's life is fading away, and Zelda, upon realizing that Midna can save Hyrule, sacrifices herself to save Midna. Midna and Link then venture deep into the Sacred Grove, and obtain the Master Sword.

Midna explains that the only way to save Hyrule and stop Zant now is to find the Mirror of Twilight and use it to confront Zant with the Master Sword. However, when Link and Midna reach the Mirror, Zant had already broken it into four fragments. Only one fragment of the Mirror of Twilight is present. The ancient Sages who guard the Mirror appear, and reveals that the evil Ganondorf had the triforce of power, and thus could not be killed. After he was impaled, the sages had thought he'd been executed, but he instantly rose, and killed the Water Sage and was then sealed into the Twilight Realm. The Sages reveal that only the true Ruler of the Twili could destroy the Mirror of Twilight, and that Zant was only powerful enough to shatter it. The duo then set off to find the remaining fragments of the Mirror of Twilight.

Link and Midna venture out and recover the fragments of the Mirror of Twilight, reconstruct the Mirror, and use it to warp to the Twilight Realm, where Zant rules in the Palace of Twilight. When they assembled the mirror, the story of how Minda found Link in the first place, and the fact that she's the Twilight Princess, is revealed. Link and Midna confront Zant and finally learn that Zant was actually in line to become the true Twilight King, but was passed over. When Zant was passed over in the choice for ruler, he went into a crazed rage, and was approached by the spirit of Ganondorf, who selected him to be a servant that would help him come to power (he had told him that he would grant him his power, and that he was a god). It is revealed that Midna is the true Twilight Princess, and was overthrown by Zant and turned into an imp using Ganondorf's power.

Link defeats Zant, but Zant remains alive; as long as Ganondorf lives, his power will keep Zant alive. Minda uses but a small fraction of her newly gained power from her ancestors to kill him (see above, Ganandorf revives him) Link leaves and returns to Hyrule to save Zelda. The castle is engulfed by a barrier erected by Zant, and Midna uses the sacred Fused Shadow weapon to break it. The duo infiltrate Hyrule Castle and reach the top throne room to find Ganondorf sitting at the throne, and Zelda's lifeless body suspended above him. Ganondorf possesses Princess Zelda's body, and fights Link. Link wins the battle, and Midna then uses the Fused Shadow to purge Zelda of Ganondorf. He then turns into a beast-like form, Ganon, and attacks Link. Link slays the beast, and Midna unwillingly returns Zelda's soul to her body. Before the trio can celebrate, Ganondorf's soul appears. Midna warps Link and Zelda to safety in Hyrule Field, and then tries to destroy Ganon using the Fused Shadow.

As Link and Zelda appear in Hyrule Field, they turn to Hyrule Castle and see a giant explosion eminating from it. They then see Ganondorf on horseback, holding Midna's helmet — he has defeated her. He crushes it and charges with his phantom riders. Ganondorf is about to slay Link and Zelda when the Princess uses her divine power to summon the light spirits. The spirits bestow upon her the Light Arrows, and then Link and Zelda re-appear in Hyrule Field on Epona and battle Ganon. Ultimately, Ganon falls in battle, only to rise one last time to challenge Link to a one-on-one sword duel. In the end, Link runs Ganondorf through with the Master Sword. (with the Ending Blow)As this happens, Zant suddenly snaps his neck — Zant's death reveals that Ganondorf has finally died. Now that Zant is apparently dead, his curse on Midna using Ganondorf's power has been lifted, and Midna regains her true form. Upon Link seeing her, she says, "What? You Asian midget! Say Something! Am I so beautiful that you've no words left?" After Link and Zelda are reunited with her, they travel to the Mirror of Twilight, to see Midna off before she returns home. Before Midna warps away, she shatters the Mirror of Twilight, with her tear, forever sealing off the road between Hyrule and the Twilight Realm. What will become of Link now that his adventure is over remains unknown, but in the end of the credits Fado is seen shouting up to the window in Link's house, and Ilia is waiting near the connecting passage to Ordon Spring, and Link is seen riding on Epona to his home.

Animals
Animals play a big part in the game. In his wolf form, Link can speak to most animals in the game, including cats and dogs, as well as his horse. Dungeons are animal-themed, as revealed on the show X-Play.

Link is also be able to enter the Twilight Realm and transform into a wolf, much like his transformation into an anthropomorphic pink bunny rabbit when entering the Dark World in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Link will be unable to use any weapons or items in this form, but will team up with Midna, a small character who rides on his back, wearing an odd helmet. As the Twilight gets pushed back, Link will regain his human form, altering Link and Midna’s partnership.

In this game, although the E³ footage shows the horse’s name as Epona, gamers can choose their own name for the horse. Whether or not it has an official story name (as with Link) is currently unknown. In the gameplay trailers, Link picks some “horse grass”, and plays Epona’s Song, which has been confirmed to summon the horse. There is also a Horse Call item that you can obtain later in the game. Confirmed new mechanics for riding include Link doing battle with his sword or bow while on horseback, and the possibility of being thrown from the saddle.

The hawk seen with Link in gameplay trailers can be used much like the Boomerang; Link can target objects, and send the hawk out to hit and retrieve (depending on the item) things from afar. Whether the hawk can be used to attack enemies or is merely a puzzle-solving ally is unclear. It is called upon using “Hawk weed” found in patches, or by howling the tune as Wolf Link.

As in the past games, Link can grab hold of Cuccos to hover for short distances. This enables him to access secret or hard-to-reach places he could not normally get to. Unlike previous games in which they were always white, some of the Cuccos in the E³ footage are brown, much like everyday chickens.

The second trailer showed Link petting some cats, and later picking up one of them and running off with it (with the others chasing after). What their role will be is unknown, and they were only seen washing themselves in the expanded third trailer. A cat was also seen in some gameplay footage where Link had to get it off a roof and return it to its owner.

In new gameplay footage Link could pick up a bone and toss it to a dog. This might become useful later in the game.

As previously mentioned by Aonuma, Link herds the strange village goats with large ears and horns that connect above their head.

The new dungeon shown in E³ footage and in the playable demo appears to be monkey-themed. Link rescues monkeys from cages; in return they help him cross a bridge to the mini-boss’s lair, where he battles the bewitched baboon who locked them up.

Enemies
Not much is currently known about the enemies in the game; while some enemies from previous Zelda games return, as seen in the third official trailer, there are also many new creatures. Enemy AI is more advanced than in The Wind Waker.

Some staple enemies return with a new look. Keese fly around to attack Link and are easily defeated, taking only one hit to subdue. They are seen in a forest in the third trailer and a dungeon from gameplay footage.

Another classic enemy in the Zelda series, Stalfos have appeared in numerous screenshots and trailers. A Stalfos is a walking skeleton, usually equipped with a shield and sword, and in most cases they can be defeated by blocking their attacks and counter-attacking quickly before they can defend themselves. In Twilight Princess, it can only be defeated by destroying it's re-animating bones with an explosive. Like the Keese, they have been given a new, darker and more detailed look. Related to the Stalfos are the Stalkin, which are about a foot tall and can easily be defeated.

In the second trailer, a squat statue comes to life and tries to attack Link with a hammer-like object. This is likely to be an Armos Knight, enemies who have been present in most Zelda games.

Green skinned marauders, Bublins, attack Link in various locations including (a new addition to the series) from the backs of Bullo (giant boars) while he’s on horseback, in what appears to be a new rendition of Hyrule Field. The second trailer also shows that Link can ride the boars when their original riders are gone.

What appears to be a Skullkid (from Ocarina of Time, one of which played a major role in Majora’s Mask) is present in game footage, seemingly in control of a group of lanky mannequins called puppets Link is fighting.

The reptilian Lizalfos (and/or Dinofols) return from Ocarina of Time. These foes make appearances in a number of different places in the trailers. They appear to fight with swords and shields, and some wear a sort of skull helm. These are called Skull Face Lizalfos. The other is an axe-tail lizalfos (named for obvious reasons) and The armored Dinofols

In several trailers, Link is attacked by huge spiders. They are the new Skulltulas. Their appearance is reminiscent of a Skulltula, although the skull is only a pattern on the abdomen, whereas the Skulltulas in the N64 games were smaller, could not walk on the ground, and had a skull-shaped armored carapace. These spider-creatures are seen in the dungeon in the new gameplay footage. They hang from webs much like Skulltulas, and they may also leave their webs and attack Link from the ground. This enemy appears to have the ability to encase Link in a web as seen in the second trailer.

Strange creatures, which bear a disturbing resemblance to something out of Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos (or the Nintendo classic it inspired, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem), have also been featured in the latest trailer. Apparently related to the incursion of the Twilight Realm into Hyrule, they are seen falling from an odd portal in the sky, and later being attacked by Midna and wolf-Link. These are Twilight messengers, which are sent to stop Link. After being defeated, their portals turn green and can be used as Warp Portals.

Flying, dragon-like creatures have been featured in a few trailers, both flying in the Twilight Realm and pestering Link while he is on horseback. These are Kargaroks, and when in the Twilight Relm, they make a horn sound.

Bosses
There are many bosses in Twilight Princess, along with a mini-boss in each temple. The first mini-boss you must fight is a boomerang wielding baboon, Ook, who is later revealed ot have been controlled by a strange spider resembeling a Twilight Parisite latched onto it's head. the next mini-bosses are (in order), a large goron, Dangoro, who is protecting the Hero's Bow, a very large Deku Toad (a frog-like creature), an evil spirit, wielding a giant sword, an inhuman knight wielding a ball and chain, a onyx and mechanical knight called a Darknut, and a dragon-like warrior, Areolfos. Note that Darknuts and Areolfoses appear as very strong, but normal enemies. The bosses are, Twilit Parasite: Diababa, Twilit Igniter: Fyrus, Twilit Anemone: Morpheel, Twilit Fossil: Stallord, Twilit Ice Mass: Blizetta, Twilit Arachnid: Armogohma, Twilit Dragon: Argorok, Usurper King: Zant, Ganon's Puppet: Princess Zelda, Dark Beast: Ganon, Dark Rider:Ganondorf, Dark Lord: Ganondorf.

Weapons and Items
The game will feature some as-yet-unrevealed new weapons/items, and many classic Zelda armaments - some with new twists, such as the Gale Boomerang. This novel version of the series staple can create a small whirlwind capable of picking up items, including lit bombs, and delivering them to other locations, such as to an enemy or back to Link. This Boomerang is, at first, used in the E3 2005 Demo. Link receives it by opening a chest guarded by the miniboss, Ook, in the Forest Temple.

A Lantern and Lantern Oil are also in the game, which is a first for a 3D Zelda game. The Lantern Oil/Yellow Chu Jelly (same effect) was shown in the E3 2005 Demo to be held in a bottle, and the Lantern was present in the second trailer. Presumably, the Lantern equipped and the Oil used as a regular item to refill it.

It has also been confirmed that some weapons can now be combined, as with the bomb-arrows seen in one trailer, or as seen with the Hawkeye Mask and the Hero's Bow. (This combo actually originated in the classic Game Boy adventure Link’s Awakening, and fans have been clamoring for the feature’s return ever since.)

Classic items including Potions and Bottles will also return. In several videos Link is shown fighting on horseback and then drinking a Red Potion to regain health.

Scenes in the sewers from the second trailer involve a flash and humanoid spirits (hylians/other races, and not Poes) suddenly appearing in a way which is evocative of the Lens of Truth from OoT/MM. This is the special wolf vision, which can reveal things humans can’t see. This is really Wolf Link's sense ability, which he uses to detect the peoples' "spirit form", which is what they turn into when encountering the Twilight Realm. Link can also use "wolf vision" to see the trail left by the someone's scent.

The Iron Boots return and can now be used in conjunction with large magnets to lift Link to new heights. Also, a new rendition of the Hookshot, the Clawshot, was revealed in the E3 2006 demo.

in the ice dungeon you get a ball and chain after defeating a night statue somebody could easily miss having to pick it up although it zooms in on it before. it can be used as bombs to smash ...mostly anything but has infinite ammo:)

Link is seen wielding what appears to be the Master Sword in a recent piece of official art.

Environment
Twilight Princess features a large and varying enviroment, including woods, deserts, and snowy mountains. However, early in the game, most of the environment is covered in Twilight. As Link clears the Twilight, he may explore new places, such as Hyrule Field, Kakariko village, and lake Hylia. Also in Twilight Princess, the land is divided into 6 different provinces, Ordon, Faron, Lanayru, Eldin, The Gerudo Desert, and Peak, each with a unique geography. In the Ordon province you can find Ordon village, where Link lives. You can also find the Ordon Woods, along with the Ordon Spring, where the light spirit Ordona dwells. In the Faron province are the deep Faron woods, which hide the Forest Temple. The Lanayru province, being the largest, is where you can find lake Hylia, Hyrule castle, and Zora's domain. In the Eldin province, which is second largest, you find Kakariko village and Death Mountain, home of the gorons. In the Desert province lies the Gerudo desert, along with the mystical Arbiter's Grounds. And last but not least, the Peak province, where you can find the friendly yeti couple, Yeto and Yeta, who live in the ruins atop Snowpeak mountain. The   Temple of Time also returns as an actualy dungeon; returning to Faron Province reveals it's true location. As well as all this, there is also the City in the Sky, home of the Oocca, although it could also be considered a temple.

Races
The rock-eating Goron race makes its return. The Gorons are ruled by a group of elders who settle disputes using sumo wrestling, which is a skill Link is able to learn. Their patriarch has been transformed into a terrible flame beast, causing the Gorons to become angry and violent towards the residents of Kakariko Village. Later in the game, when the dispute is settled, Gorons become the merchants of the game, selling their wares and services all over the land.

The fish-like Zora people also return. Their domain has been frozen by the Twilight, and Link must find a way to free them. Their queen and prince have also gone missing, and they hold the key to this race's many secrets. Several members of the Zora are now wearing masks, making them appear more like their monstrous counterparts in earlier games (although they do not attack you here).

A new race, the Oocca, are chickenlike in appearance, but with human faces. Initially you encounter just one of the Oocca in the dungeons, named Ooccoo, who will help you escape and return to them at any point should you need to restock. You also meet Ooccoo Jr. if you take advantage of this service. Later in the game you will travel to the technologically advanced home of the entire Oocca race, the city in the sky (which doubles as a temple). Here you can use them to cross gaps just as you would with a Cucco. While in the city, you may sometimes see a few of the Oocca walking along the walls.

Prelaunch information
Footage from the game was originally shown at E³ 2004 in the form of a short trailer, and a second trailer was later shown at the 2005 Game Developers Conference. It features a realistic art style (similar to but more advanced than that found in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time), rather than the cel-shading that The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker exhibited, although it will still make use of the cel-shading lighting effects and a modified version of The Wind Waker’s engine. In a further departure from The Wind Waker, Link is once again a young man, as in the latter part of Ocarina of Time. It is also believed that the game takes on a much darker tone than its predecessor, judging from the trailers.

A number of rumors about the game were confirmed at E³ 2005. The official title, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was announced. (The title was actually first revealed in a scan from Game Informer.) It was explained that Link would transform into a wolf when entering the “Twilight Realm”, a mysterious void that has ensnared Hyrule. It was confirmed that it falls chronologically “decades after Ocarina of Time”, but before The Wind Waker, and that “the hero in the adventure is an all-new Link”. Interviews and a playable demo exposed many new details, such as Link beginning the game as a sort of shepherd or cowboy/ranch hand, Link battling on horseback, changes in the horse controls from Ocarina of Time, thematic differences between dungeons, and so on. Live feeds of this demo have also been published.

In recent interviews in Nintendo Power, Electronic Gaming Monthly, and the Spanish magazine Hobby Consolas, director Eiji Aonuma revealed that Princess Zelda and Ganondorf would be returning. Their roles were unknown, but the new character art showed Princess Zelda with a thin and somewhat effeminate rapier-like sword, leading many fans to theorize that she would fight at some point, or at the very least defend herself. Nintendo was not forthcoming as to whether or not the Master Sword would be featured in the game, but it appeared in many screenshot images (In an issue of Nintendo Power of November 2006, a screenshot displayed the Master Sword in the game).

Aonuma also stated that the game would be much larger in size than The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and would have many more dungeons. He revealed that Link can communicate with animals when in wolf form, but did not elaborate on this. When transformed into a wolf, Link would gain the ability to heighten his senses. With these abilities would come disadvantages. When he was a wolf, Link could not use any of his items. Aonuma also confirmed that there will be no voice acting in the game. However, characters will still grunt, laugh, scream, and make other such noises, just as they have in all Legend of Zelda games on the Nintendo 64 and Nintendo GameCube.

Project history
Speculation regarding a realistic Zelda game on the Nintendo GameCube went back as far as Summer 2000. During its 2000 Spaceworld convention, Nintendo unveiled the GameCube along with demos for Luigi's Mansion, an unnamed Metroid game, Super Mario 128, an unnamed Pokémon game, and a Zelda demo where characters Link and Ganondorf fight. While Nintendo mentioned that the demos did not necessarily represent upcoming Nintendo projects accurately, the Zelda demo left a permanent impression on many fans.

When Nintendo unveiled a trailer for what would become The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker during the 2001 Electronic Entertainment Expo, fans were shocked by the change in direction the Zelda series was taking on consoles. After the game was released in 2003, most criticism of the new style disappeared, as both reviews and word-of-mouth ratings for the game were generally positive. Many thought this acceptance (and the news that a “sequel”, tentatively dubbed Wind Waker 2, was being built on the same engine) signalled that the next Zelda console game, (not counting The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures) would continue in that style.

At E³ 2004, this misconception ended, when a surprise announcement was made near the end of a Nintendo press conference. In an explanation for the stylistic departure from Wind Waker, game director Eiji Aonuma described the title as being more specifically targeted to the franchise’s North American audience.

The game was believed to be scheduled for release in November 2005, until August 16th, 2005, when Nintendo announced it would be released some time after March 31st 2006, because the development team needed more time to work on the game.

This delay of Twilight Princess caused a large number of fans to speculate that Nintendo was actually planning to release the game for the company’s next-gen console, the Nintendo Wii. However, Perrin Kaplan, Nintendo’s Vice President for Corporate Affairs, stated that it would indeed be released on the GameCube: “...we feel a commitment to the GameCube owners who've been patiently awaiting this new Zelda title, and don’t want to force them to wait and buy a brand new system in order to play the game.

The high anticipation and delay of the game earned Twilight Princess the #6 spot on Wired News’ 2005 Vaporware Awards.

British publication NGC Magazine claimed that when the game was played on the Nintendo Wii, the player would be given the option of using Wii’s unique controller, but Reggie Fils-Aime denied these claims, stating that across the board, Gamecube games played on the Wii would not be compatible with the Wii controller. His French colleague Mathieu Minel stated in a subsequent interview with Jeux-France that Twilight Princess would include Wii controller functionality one way or another, but Nintendo quickly requested that this be removed from the interview. Finally, however, Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed the Wii controller functionality in an interview with Nintendo of Europe.

Finally, at E³ 2006, Nintendo announced that there will be two versions of Twilight Princess released the same day: one for GameCube, and one for Wii. It was not clear what the differences between the two will be, but as demonstrated in the playable demos at E³, the Wii version uses Wii Remote with the Nunchuk attachment. The analog stick on the Nunchuk is for movement, and the “point-and-click” capabilities of the Wii Remote control a fairy on the screen, which serves as a cursor for accessing menus. The Wii Remote will also be used to aim and fire distance weapons like the bow, select boomerang targets, and even fish. Despite speculation about fully motion-sensitive sword control, it seemed that basic sword swinging would be controlled with the B button. However, certain advanced swordfighting techniques would make use of the motion sensitivity. A jab with the remote will cause Link to shove the enemy with his shield, and to use Link’s “spin attack”, the player rotates the tilt-sensitive Nunchuk. The Nunchuk is also used to throw items via a jabbing motion, and perform a “downthrust” finishing move with a downwards stab. The built-in speaker on the remote is used for sounds like the bowstring being drawn and released, as well as the classic “Zelda chime”. In late August Nintendo said that the remote would in fact be used for sword slashes as previously predicted.

Reggie’s statement has caused confusion concerning whether or not a GameCube version will also be available in the other regions. It is not yet known whether there will be two seperate versions in the rest of the world. Nintendo of Europe has confirmed, however, that Twilight Princess will be available on GameCube worldwide.

Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed in an interview that the only differences between the GameCube and Wii versions of the Twilight Princess would be technical (as described above). Also, because of the fact that in the Wii version, Link is right-handed to align with the Wii Remote being held in the right hand, the Wii version would be a mirror of the Gamecube version where Link is left-handed, as he is in all other games. The Wii version will also display in a 16:9 (widescreen) format in 480p, where the GameCube version plays only in 4:3.

Miscellaneous
Returning in Twilight Princess is the fishing mechanic from the popular Ocarina of Time mini-game, which was inspired by a fishing mini-game in Link’s Awakening. You collect fish as a side-quest to the main game. The fishing is only necessary to the main quest twice - once in Ordon province at the beginning of the game, and once later in Zora's Domain. In the fishing hole, perhaps as a parody, there is a small book you can examine which Hena tells you is called, "The Legend of the Hylian Loach: Twilight Fish"

The town of Kakariko village makes a return in TP, originally built by Princess Zelda's Sheikah nursemaid, Impa, as a home for the Sheikah. Now it is a Western-style outpost, where ongoing squabbles between the residents and nearby Gorons have led to the mountain pass being blocked.