The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

It's been a while since I had a rant about a computer game and an even longer while since a rant about the Zelda series, but here I am again. I've been playing Twilight Princess on the Gamecube so it's probably a paler version of its Wii form but it's amazing and beautiful nonetheless. I read in a review somewhere that the game was actually originally built for the Gamecube which is quite incredible really when you look at some of the graphics; beautiful landscapes in washed-out colours not too dissimilar to PS2 classic Shadow of the Colossus, very realistic looking water, and some breathtaking cutscenes.

Twilight Princess is definitely a game for hardcore Zelda fans. Unlike Wind Waker and The Phantom Hourglass, TP has used the old tried and tested land of Hyrule but has gone one step further than The Minish Cap and Majora's Mask by revisiting all the original places from N64's Ocarina of Time. Players can expect to visit Garudo Desert, Hyrule Castle, Death Mountain, Zora's Domain, Lake Hylia and Kakariko Village. The Zoras are back as are the Gorons, as well as some redesigned Poes and Skulltullas.

But if you think this will be the same adventure, you're sorely mistaken. This time our hero, Link, is a simple goat herder living on the outskirts of Hyrule, who gets drawn in to a quest to save his fellow villagers from the encroaching mysterious 'twilight'. Upon his first visit to this twilight realm Link finds himself transformed into a wolf, which may have been a hindrance had it not been for the help of his new friend Midna, a creature of the twilight but one with seemingly good intentions. It's now up to part-time-wolf-part-time human-Link and Midna to track down the source of the twilight and with a little help from the awesome Princess Zelda stop the ultimate destruction of Hyrule.

Old weapons remain: the Master Sword, Hylian (Hero's) shield, iron boots, slingshot, boomerang, arrows, clawshot and bombs. A few new weapons are intruduced: bomblings, water bombs, and the spinner. Oh the spinner. I can't tell you how much I love the spinner. I dream about the spinner. With this new weapon you can float for as long as the momentum can take you (much like chickens do if you grab one and launch yourself off of a tall building), but much more exciting than that you can travel at high speeds along tracks such as these:




















I've nick-named this the 'hover cog' and am so in love with it, I'm thinking about starting an internet phenomenon called 'Ligwit' aka 'Link is great, what is that...?!?!'



I don't want to spoil this game for anyone and if I waffle on any longer, I'm sure to, but suffice to say: this game is awesome. It picks up right where Ocarina of Time left off for giving me that feeling like I want to always be playing this game until it's completed... It's surely now going to be a tough decision choosing the best Zelda game. Recommended for sure.

Beautiful Official Site here.
Some awesome Zelda wallpapers here (Wind waker, The Minish Cap, The Phantom Hourglass style).