The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Encyclopedia
is an action-adventure game
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...

 developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development
Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development
, commonly abbreviated as EAD, is the largest division inside Nintendo. It was preceded by the , a team of designers with an art background responsible for many different tasks, which Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka originally belonged to...

, and published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....

 for the GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...

 and Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...

 video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...

s. It is the thirteenth installment in The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda, originally released as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Nintendo, and designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Set in the fantasy land of Hyrule, the plot centers on a boy named Link, the playable protagonist, who aims to collect the eight fragments...

 series. Originally planned for release in November 2005, Twilight Princess was delayed by Nintendo to allow its developers to refine the game and add more content and to port it to the Wii. The Wii version was released alongside the Wii console on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 in Japan, Europe, and Australia. This made Twilight Princess the first Zelda game released at the launch of a Nintendo console. The GameCube version was released in December 2006, and was the last Nintendo-published game for the console, as well as the final official GameCube game released in Japan.

The story focuses on series protagonist Link, who tries to prevent Hyrule from being engulfed by a corrupted parallel dimension
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...

 known as the Twilight Realm. To do so, he takes the forms of both a human and a wolf, and is assisted by a mysterious creature named Midna
Midna
is one of the main characters in the 2006 Nintendo game The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. She is member of the Twili, a fictional race of magic-wielders, who chooses Link to help her accomplish her goals. While appearing as a diminutive imp, her actual form is human-shaped. She was voiced by...

. The game takes place approximately 100 years after Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
is an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1998; in North America on November 23, 1998; and in Europe on December 11, 1998...

 and Majora's Mask
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
is an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan on April 27, 2000, North America on October 26, 2000, and Europe on November 17, 2000. The game sold approximately 314,000 copies during its first...

, in an alternate timeline from The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, released as in Japan, is an action-adventure game and the tenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube in Japan on December 13, 2002, in North America on March 24, 2003, in Europe on May 2, 2003, and in Australia on...

.

Twilight Princess is the first (and so far only) game in The Legend of Zelda series to receive a T (Teen) rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board
Entertainment Software Rating Board
The Entertainment Software Rating Board is a self-regulatory organization that assigns age and content ratings, enforces industry-adopted advertising guidelines, and ensures responsible online privacy principles for computer and video games as well as entertainment software in Canada, Mexico and...

 (ESRB), which cited fantasy violence and animated blood as reasons for the more mature rating. At the time of its release, Twilight Princess was considered to be the greatest Zelda game ever made by many critics, including writers for 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....

, CVG
ComputerAndVideoGames.com
ComputerAndVideoGames.com is the web-based successor to Computer and Video Games magazine, the world's oldest specialist gaming publication.- History :Launched in August 1999, CVG is one of the UK and Europe’s leading gaming web sites...

, Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...

, Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...

, GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...

, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...

 and The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...

. It also received several Game of the Year
Game of the Year
Game of the Year is a title awarded by various magazines, websites, and shows to a deserving game. Many are only for PC or console video games...

 awards and was the most critically acclaimed game of 2006. The Wii version was also re-released as part of the Nintendo Selects range.

Gameplay

Twilight Princess is an action-adventure game
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...

 focusing on exploration and item collection. It uses the basic control scheme introduced in Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
is an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1998; in North America on November 23, 1998; and in Europe on December 11, 1998...

, including buttons whose functions change depending on game context, and L-targeting (Z-targeting on the Wii), a system which allows the player to keep Link's view focused on an enemy or important object. Link can walk, run, and attack, and will automatically jump when running off of or reaching for a ledge. Link uses a sword and shield in combat complemented with secondary weapons and items, including a bow and arrow, boomerang, bombs, and the Clawshot (similar to the Hookshot introduced earlier in the Legend of Zelda series). L-targeting allows Link to lock on to an enemy and automatically defend himself. During L-Targeting, projectile-based weapons can be fired at a target without the need for manual aiming.

The context-sensitive button mechanic allows one button to serve a variety of functions, such as talking, opening doors, and pushing, pulling, and throwing objects. The on-screen display shows what action, if any, the context-sensitive button will trigger, determined by the situation. For example, if Link is holding a rock, the context-sensitive button will cause Link to throw the rock if he is moving or targeting an object or enemy, or place the rock on the ground if he is standing still.

The GameCube and Wii versions feature several minor differences in their controls. The Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...

 version of the game makes use of the motion sensors and built-in speaker of the Wii Remote
Wii Remote
The , also known as the Wiimote, is the primary controller for Nintendo's Wii console. A main feature of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via gesture recognition and pointing through the use of accelerometer and...

. The speaker emits the sounds of a bowstring when shooting an arrow, Midna's laugh when she gives advice to Link, and the series' trademark "chime" when discovering secrets. The player controls Link's sword by swinging the Wii Remote. Other attacks are triggered using similar gestures with the Nunchuk. Unique to the GameCube version is the ability for the player to control the camera freely, without entering a special "lookaround" mode required by the Wii; however, in the GameCube version, only two of Link's secondary weapons can be equipped at a time.

The game features nine dungeons—large, contained areas where Link battles enemies, collects items, and solves puzzles. Link navigates these dungeons and fights a boss
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...

 at the end in order to obtain an item or otherwise advance the plot. The dungeons are connected by a large overworld
Overworld
An overworld is, in a broad sense, an area within a video game that interconnects all its levels or locations. They are mostly common in role-playing games, though this does not exclude other video game genres....

, across which Link can travel on foot, on his horse Epona, or by teleporting to one of several specified points.

When Link enters the Twilight Realm, the void which corrupts parts of Hyrule, he transforms into a wolf. He is eventually able to transform between his human and wolf forms at will. As a wolf, Link moves more quickly, attacks by biting, and digs holes to create new passages and uncover buried items. He also carries Midna
Midna
is one of the main characters in the 2006 Nintendo game The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. She is member of the Twili, a fictional race of magic-wielders, who chooses Link to help her accomplish her goals. While appearing as a diminutive imp, her actual form is human-shaped. She was voiced by...

, a small imp-like creature who gives hints, uses an energy field to attack enemies, helps Link jump long distances, and eventually allows Link to "warp" to any of several preset locations throughout the overworld. As a wolf, Link has improved senses and can follow scent trails. Using Link's wolf senses, players can see wandering spirits and hunt for ghosts named Poes.

The artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...

 (AI) of enemies in Twilight Princess is more advanced than that of enemies in The Wind Waker. Enemies react to defeated companions and to arrows or slingshot pellets that pass by. The AI can also detect Link from a longer distance than in previous games. There is very little voice acting in the game. Link remains silent in conversation, but grunts when attacking or injured, and gasps when surprised. His emotions and responses are largely indicated visually by nods and facial expressions.

Plot

The story begins with Link as a young adult working as a ranch hand in Ordon Village. One day, the village is attacked by monsters, who carry off the village’s children. Link pursues the attackers, but encounters a wall of twilight. A shadow beast pulls him beyond the wall into the realm of twilight, where he is transformed into a wolf
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...

 and imprisoned. Link is later freed by an imp-like twilight creature named Midna
Midna
is one of the main characters in the 2006 Nintendo game The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. She is member of the Twili, a fictional race of magic-wielders, who chooses Link to help her accomplish her goals. While appearing as a diminutive imp, her actual form is human-shaped. She was voiced by...

, who guides him to Princess Zelda
Princess Zelda
is the name of a fictional character in The Legend of Zelda series of video games. The name has applied to every female member of Hyrule's royal family, which includes several distinct characters in Hyrule legend. Though she is the eponymous character, the player controls the main protagonist, Link...

. Zelda explains that Zant, the King of the Twilight, has stolen the light from the three Light Spirits and conquered Hyrule. In order to save Hyrule, Link must first restore the Light Spirits by entering the twilight-covered areas and as a wolf, recover the Light Spirits. He must do this by collecting the multiple 'tears of light', and once all the tears of light are collected for one area, he restores that area's Light Spirit. As he restores them, the Light Spirits return Link to human form.

During this time, Link also helps Midna find the Fused Shadows, fragments of a relic containing powerful dark magic. In return, she helps Link find the village's children. After Link restores the Light Spirits and Midna has all the Fused Shadows, Zant attacks them; he takes the Fused Shadows, turns Link back into a wolf using his magic, and critically injures Midna. Link then brings a dying Midna to Zelda. Zelda tells Link that he needs the Master Sword to be restored to human form, then heals Midna before vanishing mysteriously. After Link is returned to human form, now able to switch between forms at will, Midna leads him to the Mirror of Twilight, the only known gateway between the Twilight Realm and Hyrule. However, they discover that Zant has broken it. The sages there explain that Zant tried to destroy it, but he was only able to shatter it into fragments; only the true ruler of the Twilight can completely destroy the Mirror of Twilight. They also tell them that a century ago, they used it to send the leader of a band of thieves named Ganondorf, to the Twilight Realm.

Link and Midna set out to retrieve the missing shards of the Mirror. They use the repaired mirror to open a portal to the Twilight Realm. Before they enter, Midna and the sages tell Link that Midna is the true ruler of the Twilight; Zant changed her into an imp after he usurped her power. In the Twilight Realm, Zant informs Link and Midna that his god, Ganondorf, granted him great power to do whatever pleases him, on the condition that he use it to conquer Hyrule. After Link defeats Zant, Midna recovers the Fused Shadows and then destroys Zant after he reveals that only Ganondorf's death can undo Midna's curse. Returning to Hyrule, Link and Midna find Ganondorf in Hyrule Castle, with Zelda suspended above his head. After Link defeats Ganondorf, who possesses Zelda's body and then assumes his Ganon incarnation, Midna manages to revive Zelda as she and Link help her to her feet.

Ganondorf then revives, and Midna teleports Link and Zelda outside the castle so she can hold him off with the Fused Shadows. Link and Zelda watch as the castle is wrecked before Ganondorf appears before them on a horse with Midna’s helmet (one of the four Fused Shadows) in his grasp before breaking it. Link and Zelda mount Link's horse, Epona, and continue the battle after receiving Light Arrows. Eventually, Ganondorf is knocked off his horse, and he battles Link on foot. Finally, Link strikes down Ganondorf and plunges his sword into Ganondorf’s chest, defeating him. The Light Spirits are then seen reviving Midna, who is restored to her true form after Ganondorf’s death. After a tearful goodbye, Midna uses the Mirror of Twilight to return home while destroying the Mirror, severing the only known link between Hyrule and the Twilight Realm. Near the end, as Hyrule Castle is rebuilt, Link is shown riding away from his hometown of Ordon on his horse.

Creation

In 2003, Nintendo announced that a new Zelda game was underway for the GameCube, developed by the same team that created the cel-shaded
Cel-shaded animation
Cel-shaded animation is a type of non-photorealistic rendering designed to make computer graphics appear to be hand-drawn. Cel-shading is often used to mimic the style of a comic book or cartoon. It is a somewhat recent addition to computer graphics, most commonly turning up in video games...

 The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, released as in Japan, is an action-adventure game and the tenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube in Japan on December 13, 2002, in North America on March 24, 2003, in Europe on May 2, 2003, and in Australia on...

. A presentation by director Eiji Aonuma
Eiji Aonuma
is a Japanese video game designer and video game director. He currently works for Nintendo, and has overseen several installments in The Legend of Zelda series of video games.-Education:...

 contained a reference to the working title The Wind Waker 2, and it was said to use a similar graphical style. Nintendo of America told Aonuma that North American sales of The Wind Waker were sluggish because the cartoon appearance created the impression that the game was designed for a young audience. Concerned that the sequel would have the same problem, Aonuma expressed to fellow designer Shigeru Miyamoto
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....

 that he wanted to create a realistic Zelda game that would appeal to the North American market. In turn, Miyamoto was concerned about merely changing the presentation instead of coming up with new gameplay ideas. He told Aonuma that he should start by doing what could not be done in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
is an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1998; in North America on November 23, 1998; and in Europe on December 11, 1998...

, particularly horseback combat.

In four months, Aonuma's team managed to present realistic-looking horseback riding, which Nintendo later revealed to the public with a trailer at E3 2004. The game was scheduled to be released in 2005 and was no longer a sequel to The Wind Waker. Miyamoto explained in interviews that the graphical style was chosen to satisfy demand, and that it better fit the theme of an older Link. The game runs on a modified Wind Waker engine.

Past Zelda games have used a theme of two separate, yet connected worlds. In A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, known as in Japan, is an action-adventure video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console, and the third installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was first released in Japan in 1991, and was...

, Link travels between a "Light World" and a "Dark World"; in Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
is an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1998; in North America on November 23, 1998; and in Europe on December 11, 1998...

 and Oracle of Ages
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages are two action-adventure games in The Legend of Zelda series, co-developed by Capcom and Nintendo. They were released on February 27, 2001 in Japan, May 14, 2001 in North America, and October 5, 2001 in Europe for Nintendo's Game Boy Color...

, Link travels between two different time periods. The Zelda team sought to use this same concept. It was suggested that Link turn into a wolf, much like he turned into a rabbit in the Dark World of A Link to the Past. The story of the game was created by Eiji Aonuma, and later underwent several changes by scenario writers Mitsuhiro Takano and Aya Kyogoku. Takano created the script for the story scenes, while Kyogoku and Takayuki Ikkaku handled the actual in-game script. Aonuma left his team to continue work on the new idea while he directed The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, known as in Japan, is the twelfth game in The Legend of Zelda of video games, developed by Capcom, with Nintendo overseeing the development process. It was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2004 in Japan and Europe and 2005 in North America and Australia...

 for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...

. When he returned, he found his team struggling. Emphasis on the two worlds and the wolf transformation had made the Link character unbelievable. Aonuma also felt that the gameplay lacked the innovation of Phantom Hourglass
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
is the fourteenth game in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. It was released after The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Wii and before The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for the Nintendo DS...

, which was being developed with a touch-controlled interface for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...

. At the same time, the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...

 was under development with the code name Revolution. Miyamoto thought that the Revolution's pointing interface was well suited for arrow-aiming in Zelda, and suggested that Aonuma consider using it.

Wii transition

Aonuma had anticipated creating a Zelda game for what would later be called the Wii, but had assumed that he would need to complete Twilight Princess first. His team began work developing a pointing-based interface for the bow and arrow, and Aonuma found that aiming directly at the screen gave the game a new feel, just like the DS control scheme for Phantom Hourglass. Aonuma felt confident this was the only way to proceed, but worried about consumers who had been anticipating a GameCube release. Developing two versions would mean delaying the previously announced 2005 release, still disappointing the consumer. Satoru Iwata
Satoru Iwata
is the fourth president of Nintendo, succeeding the long-standing previous president of the company, Hiroshi Yamauchi in 2002. He was responsible in great part for defining Nintendo's strategy both before and during the release of its Nintendo GameCube video game console in 2001, a vision which...

 felt that having both versions would satisfy users in the end, even though they would have to wait for the finished product. Aonuma then started working on both versions in parallel.

Transferring GameCube development to the Wii was relatively simple, since the Wii was being created to be compatible with the GameCube. At E3 2005, Nintendo released a small number of Nintendo DS game cards containing a preview trailer for Twilight Princess. They also announced that Zelda would appear on the Wii (then codenamed "Revolution"), but it was not clear to the media if this meant Twilight Princess or a different game.

The team worked on a Wii control scheme, adapting camera control and the fighting mechanics to the new interface. A prototype was created that used a swinging gesture to control the sword from a first-person viewpoint, but was unable to show the variety of Link's movements. When the third-person view was restored, Aonuma thought it felt strange to swing the Wii Remote with the right hand to control the sword in Link's left hand, so the entire Wii version map was mirrored. Details about Wii controls began to surface in December 2005 when British publication NGC Magazine
NGC Magazine
NGC Magazine was a British magazine specialising in Nintendo created consoles; which was first printed in 1997 and ran until 2006. N64 Magazine was the successor to Super Play magazine after it ended in 1996 as it retained many of the staff and the style of that publication...

 claimed that when a GameCube copy of Twilight Princess was played on the Revolution, it would give the player the option of using the Revolution controller. Miyamoto confirmed the Revolution controller-functionality in an interview with Nintendo of Europe and Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...

 reported this soon after. However, support for the Wii controller did not make it into the GameCube release. At E3 2006, Nintendo announced that both versions would be available at the Wii launch
Wii launch
The Wii launch was the release of Nintendo's seventh generation video game console. This successor to the Nintendo GameCube was released in most territories in November and December 2006...

, and had a playable version of Twilight Princess for the Wii. Later, the GameCube release was pushed back to a month after the launch of the Wii.

Nintendo staff members reported that demo users complained about the difficulty of the control scheme. Aonuma realized that his team had implemented Wii controls under the mindset of "forcing" users to adapt, instead of making the system intuitive and easy to use. He began rethinking the controls with Miyamoto to focus on comfort and ease. The camera movement was reworked and item controls were changed to avoid accidental button presses. In addition, the new item system required use of the button that had previously been used for the sword. To solve this, sword controls were transferred back to gestures—something E3 attendees had commented they would like to see. This reintroduced the problem of using a right-handed swing to control a left-handed sword attack. The team did not have enough time before release to rework Link's character model, so they instead flipped the entire game—everything was made a mirror image. Link was now right-handed, and references to "east" and "west" were switched around. The GameCube version, however, was left with the original orientation. The Twilight Princess player's guide focuses on the Wii version, but has a section in the back with mirror-image maps for GameCube users.

Music

The game's score was composed by Toru Minegishi
Toru Minegishi
is a Japanese video game composer, best known for his work on Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. He was raised in a very musical family, and developed an interest in video games and their music from an early age. Minegishi did not receive any special education, but he gained experience as a...

, Asuka Ota, and Koji Kondo
Koji Kondo
is a Japanese video game composer and sound director who has been employed at Nintendo since 1984. He is best known for scoring numerous titles in the Mario and The Legend of Zelda series.-Early life:...

. Minegishi took charge of composition and sound design in Twilight Princess, providing all field and dungeon music under the supervision of Kondo. For the trailers, three pieces were written by different composers, two of which were created by Mahito Yokota and Kondo. Michiru Oshima
Michiru Oshima
, is a Japanese composer who has worked on several video game, movie, and television titles. Her works include composition for the video games Genghis Khan II: Clan of the Gray Wolf for Super Nintendo, Ico for PlayStation 2, Legend of Legaia for the PlayStation , is a Japanese composer who has...

 created orchestral arrangements of the three compositions, later to be performed by an ensemble conducted by Yasuzo Takemoto. Kondo's piece was later chosen as music for the E3 2005 trailer and for the demo movie after the game's title screen.

Media requests at the trade show prompted Kondo to consider using orchestral music for the other tracks in the game as well, a notion reinforced by his preference for live instruments. He originally envisioned a full 50-person orchestra for action sequences and a string quartet for more "lyrical moments", though the final product used digital music instead. Kondo later cited the lack of interactivity that comes with orchestral music as one of the main reasons for the decision. Both six- and seven-track versions of the game's official soundtrack were released on November 19, 2006, as part of a Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...

 promotion and bundled with replicas of the Master Sword and the Hylian Shield.

Technical issues

Initially, Twilight Princess was vulnerable to a buffer overflow
Buffer overflow
In computer security and programming, a buffer overflow, or buffer overrun, is an anomaly where a program, while writing data to a buffer, overruns the buffer's boundary and overwrites adjacent memory. This is a special case of violation of memory safety....

 attack, known as the Twilight hack, which allowed execution of custom code from a Secure Digital
Secure Digital
Secure Digital is a non-volatile memory card format developed by the SD Card Association for use in portable devices. The SD technology is used by more than 400 brands across dozens of product categories and more than 8,000 models, and is considered the de-facto industry standard.Secure Digital...

 (SD) card. A properly crafted save file would cause the game to crash and load unsigned code, which could include Executable and Linkable Format
Executable and Linkable Format
In computing, the Executable and Linkable Format is a common standard file format for executables, object code, shared libraries, and core dumps. First published in the System V Application Binary Interface specification, and later in the Tool Interface Standard, it was quickly accepted among...

 (ELF) programs and homebrew Wii applications. Versions 3.3 and 3.4 of the Wii Menu initially prevented copying of exploited save files until circumvention methods were discovered. Version 4.0 of the Wii Menu patched the vulnerability.

Marketing

At E3 2005, special Nintendo DS cartridges were given out which contained simply a trailer of the game with the ability to play and pause it on the handheld device.

Reviews

Twilight Princess was released to universal critical acclaim and commercial success. It received perfect scores from major publications such as 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....

, CVG
ComputerAndVideoGames.com
ComputerAndVideoGames.com is the web-based successor to Computer and Video Games magazine, the world's oldest specialist gaming publication.- History :Launched in August 1999, CVG is one of the UK and Europe’s leading gaming web sites...

, Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...

, Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...

, GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...

, and GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...

. On the review aggregators GameRankings and Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...

, Twilight Princess has average scores of 96.00% and 96 for the Gamecube Version, and scored 94.51% and 95 for the Wii version. GameTrailers
GameTrailers
GameTrailers is a media website that specializes in video game related content. It provides free access to original programming , game trailers and recorded game play. Along with standard definition , many of the video clips are offered in a higher resolution .Users can upload videos, create...

 in their review called it one of the greatest games ever created. On TopTenReviews
TopTenReviews
TopTenReviews is a website which aggregates reviews for software, hardware, web services, music, movies and video games from other sites and publications. Founded by Jerry Ropelato in 2003, TTR is, as of May 2008, one of the most popular sites of its kind by size and traffic, with the largest...

, it has received an average score of 3.86 out of 4. In the PAL region
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...

, which covers most of Asia, Africa, South America, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific and most of Western Europe, Twilight Princess is the best-selling Zelda game ever. During its first week, the game was sold with three of every four Wii purchases. The game had sold 4.52 million copies on the Wii as of March 1, 2008, and 1.32 million on the GameCube as of March 31, 2007.

On release, Twilight Princess was considered to be the greatest Zelda game ever made by many critics including writers for 1UP.com, CVG, Electronic Gaming Monthly, Game Informer, GamesRadar, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...

 and The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...

. Game Informer called it "so creative that it rivals the best that Hollywood has to offer". GamesRadar praised Twilight Princess as "a game that deserves nothing but the absolute highest recommendation". Cubed3 hailed Twilight Princess as "the single greatest videogame experience". Twilight Princesss graphics were praised for the art style and animation, although the game was designed for the GameCube, which is technically lacking compared to the next generation consoles. Both IGN and GameSpy pointed out the existence of blurry textures and low-resolution characters. Despite these complaints, CVG felt the game's atmosphere was superior to that of any previous Zelda game, and regarded Twilight Princesss Hyrule as the best version ever created. PALGN
PALGN
The PAL Gaming Network is an Australian based video game news and reviews website that focuses on the videogame industry and culture in PAL territories, particularly Australia and the UK. It was launched in 2003 by a group of PAL forum members on the IGN message boards who were disenfranchised by...

 praised the game's cinematics, noting that "the cutscenes are the best ever in Zelda games". Regarding the Wii version, GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...

's Jeff Gerstmann
Jeff Gerstmann
Jeff Gerstmann is an American video game journalist and former editorial director of the gaming website GameSpot and the founder of the gaming website Giant Bomb. He began working at GameSpot in the fall of 1996, around the launch of VideoGameSpot when GameSpot separated PC and console games into...

 said the Wii controls felt "tacked-on", although 1UP.com said the remote-swinging sword attacks were "the most impressive in the entire series". Gaming Nexus
GamingNexus.com
Gaming Nexus is a multiplatform videogame website that operates out of Columbus, Ohio. Its coverage is focused on reviews and news, although the website does offer previews and other articles...

 considered Twilight Princesss soundtrack to be the best of this generation, though IGN criticized its MIDI
Musical Instrument Digital Interface
MIDI is an industry-standard protocol, first defined in 1982 by Gordon Hall, that enables electronic musical instruments , computers and other electronic equipment to communicate and synchronize with each other...

-formatted songs for lacking "the punch and crispness" of their orchestrated counterparts. Hyper
Hyper (magazine)
Hyper is a multi-platform Australian video game magazine. Australia's longest running gaming magazine, it has been in publication since 1993, and was released the same month as the better known UK magazine Edge...

s Javier Glickman commended the game for its "very long quests, superb Wii controls and being able to save anytime". However, he criticised it for "no voice acting, no orchestral score and slightly outdated graphics".

Awards

Twilight Princess received the awards for Best Artistic Design, Best Original Score, and Best Use of Sound from IGN for its Nintendo GameCube version. Both IGN and Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...

 gave Twilight Princess the awards for Best Graphics and Best Story. Twilight Princess received Game of the Year awards from GameTrailers, 1UP.com, Electronic Gaming Monthly, Game Informer, GameSpy, Spacey Awards
Spacey Awards
The Spacey Awards are awards presented by the Canadian cable network Space. Awards are presented in the areas of sci-fi, fantasy and horror films, television series and video games...

, X-Play
X-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...

 and Nintendo Power. It was also given awards for Best Adventure Game from the Game Critics Awards
Game Critics Awards
The Game Critics Awards are a set of annual awards held after the E3 video game conference since 1998. The awards are given to products displayed at E3 with the title Best of E3 of their category. The nominees and winners of the awards are chosen by individual judges representing 35 major North...

, X-Play
X-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...

, IGN, GameTrailers, 1UP.com, and Nintendo Power. The game was considered the Best Console Game by the Game Critics Awards and GameSpy. The game placed 16th in Official Nintendo Magazines list of the 100 Greatest Nintendo Games of All Time. IGN ranked the game as the 4th-best Wii game. Nintendo Power ranked the game as the third-best game to be released on a Nintendo system in the 2000 decade. At the event "GameStar
GameStar
GameStar is a monthly released PC computer game magazine, published by the IDG Entertainment Media GmbH in Germany. In 2008 it had an average monthly circulation of 250,000 copies and is therefore the best sold PC computer game magazine in Europe. It is also being published in Hungary, the Czech...

/GamePro Leserpreis 2006" on February 1, 2007, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii version) received the trophies "Best Console Game in 2006" and "Best Console Action-Adventure in 2006" after the reader's voting of German gaming magazine GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...

.

See also

  • Link's Crossbow Training
    Link's Crossbow Training
    Link's Crossbow Training, known in Japan as , is a shooting video game published and developed by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It was bundled with the Wii Zapper peripheral and was the first title to use it. It was first released in North America and was later released in Europe,...

    , a shooting video game created for the Wii Zapper
    Wii Zapper
    The Wii Zapper is a gun shell peripheral for the Wii Remote. The name is a reference to the NES Zapper light gun for the Nintendo Entertainment System...

    , using the world and assets of Twilight Princess as a basis.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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