There are many memorable characters in the game, but easily the best of these is the spooky little imp-like individual, Midna. Her story is a mystery initially, but she proves to be an invaluable helper and hint-giver throughout the game, making for a new dynamic over and beyond the previous games in the series. There are a lot of series' staples found in Twilight Princess as well as some great new additions. Fans of the series will feel right at home with the combat system (Z-targeting is an absolute must) and the traditional mythology of dungeon crawling, money and item gathering and item usage. It wouldn't be a true Zelda game without some of the classic themed dungeons, so all those players out there who got stuck in Ocarina's notorious Water Temple should start quaking in their boots!

Link starts out with very little in terms of items and weapons, but it won't be long before sword and shield are at your command, along with some decent stop-gap secondary weapons like the slingshot, Gale Boomerang and the Hero's Bow. The game eases you into combat slowly, and makes sure you have a firm grasp of the Z-targeting system along with dodging, back-flipping and rolling around. Later in the game, you'll be facing off against some pretty hardcore mid-bosses and big bosses, but you'll never be put in the position of not being able to beat them -- it just might take a little time to figure out the best course of attack.
Horse riding plays a greater role in Twilight Princess than previous games, and Epona's representation is handled well. The controls are decent and fighting and maneuvering are well-implemented. The GameCube version of the game even has a little added bonus move which lets Link crouch on Epona's back and use a shield to deflect attacks -- something which was completely omitted from the Wii revision. There's never a shortage of areas to explore, and questing to find every single collectable item or power-up is a huge undertaking.



You'll be able to collect fragmented heart containers (you'll need five pieces to form one full heart container this time) along with special hidden glowing bugs, fish and all manner of other stuff, too. The scope is truly magnificent. Speaking of fish, there's essentially an entire full-length game dedicated to catching crazy numbers of different and unique fish. Again, this is now different for the GameCube version of the game, and is somewhat easier as the whole "reeling" mechanism is much simpler, but completists will love taking some time out for a spot of virtual haddock-catching. You might even get a surprise reward or two for your piscine-based tomfoolery.

Twilight Princess is a great-looking game. On one hand, it has its graphical problems (blurry textures, comparatively low-res characters, etc.) but the artistic direction more than makes up for these issues. Sadly, there's no widescreen mode on the GameCube version, but the good news is that the game still supports 480p, which gives a much sharper, more vibrant image quality than the regular composite or S-Video outputs do -- this is surely the preferred method of viewing the game .

I was delighted to hear that the musical score and sound effects were of the same high standard as Wind Waker, with new implementations on classic Zelda themes adding greatly to the nostalgia factor. The sound is pumped out in sweet Pro Logic II via the stereo cables and again, if you've got the means, it'll sound much better than just regular stereo.

In the end, there's no way that The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess disappoints. It's an excellent addition (and homage to Ocarina) to the franchise, and you'll have an enormous amount of fun playing it from start to finish. It's an amazing epitaph to the GameCube's life and it's certainly the best game from Nintendo this year. If you've been on the fence in any capacity, then please rest assured that you'll not be disappointed. Nintendo's flagship game has arrived in style and you better damned well appreciate it. It's ultimately fantastic.