note:  Gamecube version of Zelda Twilight Princess is seperate and
still coming.

IGN  in-depth on the Wii (Revolution) version of the game

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E3 2006: Twilight Princess In-Depth
We play through the entire demo and break down the details.
by Peer Schneider

May 10, 2006 - First there was one, now there are two. Nintendo
announced yesterday that it would release two different versions of The
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess -- one for GameCube, as previously
shown, and one for Nintendo Wii. Shown at numerous demo kiosks in
Nintendo's booth, we were able to go hands-on with the title this
morning. Does the Zelda formula work with Wii's new controllers? Or
will long-time fans be disappointed with the changes? We sent one such
long-time fan, self-professed Zelda nut Peer Schneider to go in-depth
with the title. Here are his impressions:

Let's cut to the chase: yes, it sure works. When I initially heard that
Nintendo was adding Wii controller support to my most anticipated
videogame, I was worried. After all, Zelda titles aren't really about
pointing and clicking and more about fighting and puzzle solving. I had
a feeling sword-slashing freehand controls would feel gimmicky in a
third-person game and ultimately be far less accurate than the
traditional lock-on/button control. In hindsight, I should have had
more faith in Nintendo's Zelda team. The developer smartly integrated
Wii pointer and nunchuck control to deliver something that not only
works, but feels fresh.

Remember playing Majora's Mask back on the N64? Despite the novel
three-day setup, some players found that it felt a bit too similar to
The Ocarina of Time and thus simply wasn't as exciting and fresh. I
have a feeling Twilight Princess might have turned out the same way.
It's a gorgeous game filled with great puzzles and characters -- and
apparently it's a longer and more involved quest than any Zelda game
before it -- but it's firmly rooted in the TOoT-style of gameplay.
Well, not anymore. The changes the control setup in the Wii version
adds to the game profoundly impact the game's feel. Fishing feels new.
Blocking feels new. Shooting arrows feels new. Even the spin attack has
a new twist to it. So even though you may encounter a familiar looking
puzzle, the new control dynamics give everything a fresh coat of paint.
Yes, you can get excited now.

The demo shown on the show floor offers two areas to explore: dungeon
and Hena's Fishing Hole. Where's the traditional boss battle demo
Nintendo usually includes in E3 demos? Don't worry, the boss battle is
actually at the end of the dungeon stage. Let's tackle the dungeon
first.

Dungeon Demo
If you've watched the Nintendo presentation we've captured on video,
you've already seen most of the area. The shadowy figure Midna acts as
a guide, while Navi -- your trusted fairy -- actually acts as a target
for the pointer functionality at times. You get to try out your sword
on a scarecrow (lock on with a shoulder button on the nunchuck, then
hit the B button underneath the pointer to strike), navigate a series
of wooden walkways above a waterlogged area, and shoot arrows at
enemies. You control Link as always via the left analog stick and you
can quick-center the camera with the same button used for lock-on. The
trigger button on the nunchuck lets you kick the game into a
first-person camera view. And it's here that players experience the
freelook function of the pointer for the first time. The experience
with the aiming control is easily likened to using an analog thumb
stick for the first time. Some players will struggle with the
sensitivity of the on-screen target that shows what you're looking or
aiming at. Other players (like me) only took a moment to adjust the
controls. It helps when you watch someone else play first, of course.

The combination of the controller rumble, the audio feedback from the
built-in controller speaker and the motion controls create something
really special here. Nintendo's shown without doubt that the control
setup enhances many of the actions performed in Link's world, but
thankfully also exercised restraint and didn't overthrow everything
we've become accustomed to over the years just for the sake of showing
off the controller. I did experience some small hitches, however. For
one, the action of throwing crates by shaking the nunchuck didn't
always work. I'm confident that this is a bug that Nintendo will easily
be able to fix as the spin attack worked like a charm every time. The
second issue came up when trying to aim at a nasty little guy far away
on a platform. The freehand controller had somehow gotten calibrated
off-center, making quick aiming extremely difficult. It's unclear
whether this was a bug with the game code or a problem with the
freehand-aim control setup that Nintendo has yet to solve across all
its titles. Luckily, I only encountered this problem once during my two
walkthroughs of the dungeon demo area.

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Here are some of the things I discovered and tried out during the
dungeon demo:

* Item Selection
As mentioned above, Navi acts as a quasi mouse-arrow while you're
exploring. It's easy to ignore the little fairy whirring around while
you're controlling Link with the analog stick, but there are times when
you have to direct your eyes towards her position. For example,
selecting your item sub-menu is done by aiming Navi at the item cross
in the upper right and pressing a button. This will access the menu.
You can then simply point at the item you want to equip and press the
button you want to assign it to.
* Crates and Pots
You can pick up crates, throw them with the nunchuck or put them down.
You can smash them with your sword and, as enemies demonstrated with
some fire arrows, can also be burned. Crates and pots contain the usual
assortment of heart power-ups, rupees, and weapon refills (arrows, for
example).
* The Sword and Shield
All your favorite moves are here, including slashing, the forward
slice, spin attacks, and the rolls, sidesteps and backflips. The sword
fighting is controlled via the pointer's buttons (not by waving it in
the air like in Red Steel, for example). However, if you lock on and
jerk the Wii-mote forward, Link parries. An attacking enemy is
instantly stunned by this maneuver. As shown in the press conference
demonstration, Link can also perform a downward thrust finishing move
on enemies who are on the ground. Currently, it can be performed at the
press of a button or by moving the nunchuck downward -- the latter
feels much better, of course.
* Spin Attack
To perform Link's classic tornado attack, you perform a circular motion
with the nunchuck. I was surprised to find it to be more responsive
than the traditional circular motion on the analog stick on N64.
* Bow and Arrow
The freehand-style pointer reinvents the bow controls. It really feels
fresh -- and most importantly, challenging. Shooting arrows in real
life is not an easy task. You not only have to have a steady hand while
aiming, you have to do so while pulling back on the bow string.
Nintendo emulates this by letting you aim manually with the pointer and
then making you press the direction on the digital pad you have
equipped the bow to to nock the arrow. Though this doesn't duplicate
the two-handed control of a real bow, it adds the challenge of having
to press a button with the same hand you're using to aim. You really
have to steady your hand to take out a faraway opponent. The demo had
some strategically placed Bokoblin-like imps for players to snipe. You
could either directly shoot them or shoot an explosive barrel nearby
for a money shot.
* The Claw Hookshot
The new hookshot looks like a mixture between Wind Waker's claw-endowed
grapple and the classic chain hookshot. You fire it like the bow and
arrow, but you actually have to hold down the button while aiming. Let
go and it fires and pulls you up or forward, just like in previous
Zelda games. In the dungeon demo, the hookshot was the only way to get
to an area with a treasure box. The reward: a yellow rupee. Meh. I felt
all smart getting there. Money just isn't exciting when there's no
store demo...
* The Lantern
Yes, it's back. We've carried burning sticks in 3D Zelda titles before,
but the lantern is a welcome addition to Twilight Princess. Not only
does it light up the dark, you can also wave it by moving the
controller. One can only imagine the fire-related puzzles it will be
used for. The lantern requires petroleum, which can be kept in bottles.

* Bottles
It's not a Zelda game without the ability to store items in bottles.
The bottles Link had on him in the demo were filled with lantern fluid
and a fairy.

* Boots
Yes, you can walk underwater when using these trusted heavy boots --
even when on a fishing trip. Yes, Link can only walk slowly when
they're equipped. Yes, they make him really heavy and able to push down
rusted pressure plates. Yes, they are used to anchor you to the ground
in "sticky" situations, such as a giant magnet used in the demo to
transport Link from one walkway to another; and effectively turns his
world upside down. But there are no doubt more secrets slumbering in
these "electrified" upgrades of the classic item. Expect to see plenty
of underwater and upside down action in the future.
* The Gale Boomerang
Looks like some of Wind Waker's wind-based puzzles are back. In the
demo dungeon, players have to figure out a simple boomerang puzzle.
There are four pillars with spinners on top. Players are asked to lock
on to the tops of the pillars (you can also lock on to the pillars
themselves, but that won't help you here) one by one and then send the
boomerang flying at the targets. Aiming is done with the pointer,
locking on with the B button underneath the Wii-mote. The trick in this
particular puzzle is that players have to pay attention to a pattern on
the ground that shows you in which order to hit the little windmills.
The boomerang can of course also be used to retrieve items or knock out
enemies. You can move around slowly while aiming, by the way.
* The Map
The staple map display returns. Naturally, you can easily turn on or
off the small map overlay, complete with entrance locator and Link's
current position marker -- but there's also a bigger map available. We
took a little peak and saw tempting hints at other locations, including
a Goron Mine.

There are no doubt many more things to uncover in the demo, but
playtime at E3 is limited so I eventually had to move on and open that
door at the end of the demo level Nintendo left shut during the E3
conference demo. Behind it is the Balrog-like fire giant shown in
screenshots and earlier trailers. When Link walks in, the statue-like
giant looks shadowy and black and sits motionless in the middle of an
arena. As Link approaches, a jewel on the creature's forehead begins to
glow and the giant comes to life. He shakes the giant iron chains
attached to his arms and bursts into flames. If you don't want to know
how to defeat him, skip to the next paragraph now. It's a no-brainer,
actually: using your bow and arrow, you have to target the jewel and
fire off an arrow. This will blind the creature, giving you a chance to
run up to one of his chains, grab and hold it with the B button and
pull on it. But pull as you might, the giant is simply too strong and
will drag you along. The solution? Heavy Boots, you guessed it. With
the boots attached, you can slowly drag the chains backwards and make
the fire giant fall down. Then it's the tried-and-true Gohma-maneuver
that does him in. Hit the eye and you emerge victoriously. An
impressive death sequence shows the creature rear up in agony as the
flames extinguish and he fades to a dark black and shrinks down to a
smaller size. The demo ends. I want more.

Fishing
The second demo area is home to Hena, the light-haired girl you've seen
in some of the misty village screenshots released last year. Hena says
she loves ducks and fishing and fittingly acts as a guide to the
fishing sequences that make a long-awaited return. The fishing hole
area looks great, with nice-looking water effects, a misty, overexposed
look in the morning hours and striking, golden hues in the evening. The
series' staple day/night cycle really shows off the beauty of this
game. It may not be as sharp as hi-def games on the other two consoles,
but it still has plenty of style and appeal.

There are two different types of fishing: bobber fishing and lure
fishing. Bobber fishing, at its current state, feels like an
afterthought. Link can explore the misty lake area at his own leisure
and cast using the pointer. Just tilt the pointer backwards and flick
it forward to toss the bobber into the water. The line in this mode is
very short, so jerking the controller up will make the bobber hop on
the water or fly up into the air. If you're near fish -- which can be
seen through the transparent water -- you might catch their attention.
While the physics look sound, the mechanics in this mode feel
unfinished. For example, moving the pointer left and right doesn't move
the fishing rod. Thus, it doesn't feel like an extension of the
controller and you don't feel as connected to it as to the bow and
arrow, of example. I'm hoping this will be fixed.

Luckily, the second fishing mode is much, much better. If you select to
go lure fishing, you climb into a canoe with Hena and paddle out to the
lake. No cutscenes here, folks. You paddle the canoe in real-time and
stop anywhere you want to. The lure casting mechanics are clever and
feel totally natural once you know the controls. Your right thumb rests
on top of the A button and, when pressed, holds the line in place. You
then tilt the controller back and flick it forward. If you
simultaneously release the A button, you'll send the lure soaring
through the air. You'll feel the controller rumble and you can actually
hear the line whirring through the speaker in the remote controller --
a nice touch that makes it feel all the more real. You can then shake
either the nunchuck or the pointer to jig the lure in the water and
attract fish. Pushing down on the digital pad reels in the line fast,
while pressing the A button reels it in slowly. When a fish bites, you
tilt the controller backwards and start cranking. No, really. You can
actually move the nunchuck in circular motion to reel the fish in
faster. Assisted by the rumble, it feels great. Too bad that the only
fish I managed to land were immediately dismissed by Hena as boring.

The Look
Twilight Princess looks pretty when displayed on good TV sets. When
blown up to large sizes at Nintendo's press conferences, Wii's
inability to display higher resolutions than 640x480 made things look
jaggy and "dirty" -- but on smaller sets, the game looks very nice. If
you're expecting an upgrade from the GameCube incarnation of TP shown
at last year's E3, you're in for a disappointment, however. The texture
resolution and overall look are firmly rooted in GameCube code.
Likewise, Link's animation when moving from complete standstill to
walking and running still looks overly stiff just like in last year's
GCN demo, but there's plenty of eye-candy to make the game come to
life, such as bloom lighting in the fishing sequences and
Wind-Waker-style heat distortion. When stacked up against other
GameCube (and Wii) titles, Twilight Princess is definitely in the top
graphics echelon. It's visually not on par with next-generation titles
on other platforms, but it presents a rich world with plenty of variety
and complex architecture that just beckons to be explored.

The Verdict So Far
It looks like Twilight Princess was worth the wait. Though still
unfinished, the integration of the Wii controller functions gives the
game a fresh feel, while still delivering the classic Zelda action and
puzzles fans have been waiting for. The only downsides I saw are that
there are some small problems with the controls (tossing crates, for
example) that still need to be ironed out and the difficulty in the
demo was ridiculously low. I assume the latter is just so beginners can
enjoy the demo, but just in case: Nintendo, please add multiple
difficulty settings. It'll take a programmer a few hours and will
ensure that expert players will have a better time with the title.
Losing a quarter of a heart when getting burned by a giant fireball
just feels wrong. Let us cocky bastards pick "Expert" and make us
suffer. Outside of these two issues, Twilight Princess looks like a
clear winner and has secured itself a permanent spot at the top of my
most-wanted list until its release later this year.
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I don't "feel like" providing a link (im lazy) you'll just have to
believe me that IGN really did write this or find the link yourself.
haha, link.  pun not intented. i made a funny (not really)