So Nintendo released a trailer for Zelda: Twilight Princess HD and I'm so hype!
I think I've talked about it before, but, Twilight Princess is one of my all time favorite games. I was absolutely obsessed with it six or seven (or, eight, maybe?) years ago and spent a whole summer literally playing it non-stop. I'd beat it, let it sit on the ending screen for an hour, then just restart and play from the beginning all over again.
So, obviously, Twilight Princess has a super special place in my heart and I'm super excited for this HD remake because I can't wait to step back into this world again. (Also it looks so good in HD? I'm gonna cry?)
Here's the trailer they released a few days ago: "LoZ: Twilight Princess HD - What's New"!
The opening notes of the trailer music alone just get me so excited -- this is one of the orchestral pieces they released as promos for Twilight Princess. It's not my favorite orchestral piece for the game (that one's the song that plays in the intro trailer), but it's still really good to hear it!
Hearing the music, seeing this game, it just fills me with so many memories and emotions, I'm so excited for it, and I really really really can't wait to play.
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1 - the HD
Obviously, the HD is really kind to this game. I don't even, need to go in depth there. Everyone already knows it looks pretty as heck. The models are updated? Everything is rounder and smoother? Their faces look so good??? I'll cry again??
It looks so beautiful - honestly, out of all the Zelda games to get an HD port, Twilight Princess might benefit from it the most? The game already was shooting for a semi-realism style, and the HD makes that a lot less "nitty-gritty" and a lot smoother. The style of Twilight Princess benefits greatly from an HD update.
Of course, other than the obvious changes to make it HD, this game's had a few other modifications and added features as well. I'm gonna talk about a few of the things they added, and, brought up in this trailer here.
2 - Hero Mode
Just like any other Zelda Hero Mode, it features taking double damage every time you're hit.
It also features one more thing, though. The thing I'm most excited about, and, a most skeptical about.
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1 - the HD
It looks so beautiful - honestly, out of all the Zelda games to get an HD port, Twilight Princess might benefit from it the most? The game already was shooting for a semi-realism style, and the HD makes that a lot less "nitty-gritty" and a lot smoother. The style of Twilight Princess benefits greatly from an HD update.
Of course, other than the obvious changes to make it HD, this game's had a few other modifications and added features as well. I'm gonna talk about a few of the things they added, and, brought up in this trailer here.
2 - Hero Mode
Just like any other Zelda Hero Mode, it features taking double damage every time you're hit.
It also features one more thing, though. The thing I'm most excited about, and, a most skeptical about.
Hero Mode is flipped! Like the Wii version of the game, Link is right handed. Originally, this was done because they figured the majority of people are right handed, so it would be comfortable to the majority of people to hold and swing the Wii-mote in their right hand. (See also: Skyward Sword.)
Of course, at the time of porting Twilight Princess to the Wii, they'd already made a large portion of the game for the GameCube, in which Link was left-handed. Rather than rebuild everything, it was easier at the time to just mirror it. Meaning, Link is right handed, while Zelda and Ganon become right-handed. All the cutscenes get mirrored, as well as the scenery and map. East becomes West. Right becomes left.
To anyone who's familiar with one version of the game, it's extremely disorienting to play the opposite version.
I was a little mad when they first announced Twilight Princess HD -- excited, mainly, of course -- but when I realized the map was the Gamecube version all I could do was let out this long-suffering sigh, resigned to get constantly lost all the time.
Finding out that Hero Mode existed, and was the mirrored Wii map, I was really excited. Now I could play that all the time, and never get lost again! A real blessing! But, then I got to thinking about it....
You see, if they're going to include both versions of the game in Twilight Princess HD, why like this? Why have one only be in Hero Mode, a mode you have to unlock?
And, if they're going to include both versions, why choose the GameCube version as default? Yes, it was the "original" version of the game, but, look at the sales! According to Wikipedia, the GameCube version sold 1.32 million, and the Wii version sold 5.82 million. That's over 4 million more copies. 4 million more people played the Wii version, are familiar with the Wii version. 4 million more people will probably struggle more with Normal Mode than Hero Mode -- at least in terms of navigation.
Sure, it won't make a difference to people who initially played the GameCube version, or to anyone who hasn't played the game before, but, still. Why choose the GameCube map as the default? Why assume the Wii map is going to be the "harder" one?
In my opinion, the game should start off with a choice -- a choice to pick which map, which version you want. Do you want the GameCube version or the Wii version? Pick, and then when you get put in Hero Mode, it automatically flips to the other version. Everyone's happy, everyone's challenged by the "Hero Mode is mirrored" thing. It's perfect!
3 - The Ghost Lantern.
Of course, at the time of porting Twilight Princess to the Wii, they'd already made a large portion of the game for the GameCube, in which Link was left-handed. Rather than rebuild everything, it was easier at the time to just mirror it. Meaning, Link is right handed, while Zelda and Ganon become right-handed. All the cutscenes get mirrored, as well as the scenery and map. East becomes West. Right becomes left.
To anyone who's familiar with one version of the game, it's extremely disorienting to play the opposite version.
I was a little mad when they first announced Twilight Princess HD -- excited, mainly, of course -- but when I realized the map was the Gamecube version all I could do was let out this long-suffering sigh, resigned to get constantly lost all the time.
Finding out that Hero Mode existed, and was the mirrored Wii map, I was really excited. Now I could play that all the time, and never get lost again! A real blessing! But, then I got to thinking about it....
You see, if they're going to include both versions of the game in Twilight Princess HD, why like this? Why have one only be in Hero Mode, a mode you have to unlock?
And, if they're going to include both versions, why choose the GameCube version as default? Yes, it was the "original" version of the game, but, look at the sales! According to Wikipedia, the GameCube version sold 1.32 million, and the Wii version sold 5.82 million. That's over 4 million more copies. 4 million more people played the Wii version, are familiar with the Wii version. 4 million more people will probably struggle more with Normal Mode than Hero Mode -- at least in terms of navigation.
Sure, it won't make a difference to people who initially played the GameCube version, or to anyone who hasn't played the game before, but, still. Why choose the GameCube map as the default? Why assume the Wii map is going to be the "harder" one?
In my opinion, the game should start off with a choice -- a choice to pick which map, which version you want. Do you want the GameCube version or the Wii version? Pick, and then when you get put in Hero Mode, it automatically flips to the other version. Everyone's happy, everyone's challenged by the "Hero Mode is mirrored" thing. It's perfect!
3 - The Ghost Lantern.
This is a new item they introduced, which, according to the Twilight Princess HD official website, will glow when you're in the same area as a Poe, making the Poe soul collecting sidequest much easier. This is something myself and other fans had already speculated about, when we first saw it. It's good to see it's got an official description, though!
Even though it's pretty clear what this item is for now, I'm gonna point out one interesting thing I noticed about it.
The trailer made it explicitly clear to show the lantern glowing during the daytime---meaning not only will it glow when you're around a Poe, it also serves as a sort of signal. "Hey, there will be a Poe here at night, better wait around.
Another interesting thing, I realize, now that I'm comparing the two images side by side: Link's standing in two different spots.
The lantern glows while Link is standing down by the water, and, the Poe is up a couple levels, by Auru's watchtower. This is something hard to convey without a video visual, but the point remains. Link is in the same area as the Poe, but not right where the Poe is.
How close to the Poe do you have to be before the Lantern starts to glow? Does it glow brighter when you get closer? Some interesting things to consider.
4 - Gamepad functionality
Obviously, the Wii U Gamepad is used to play the game, and there's quite a few things it does.
1 - This wasn't in the trailer, but they mentioned it in the Nintendo Minute on the game. In Twilight Princess HD, you can tap the Gamepad to instantly transform into a wolf! It seems like a neat little thing, and I'm sure it'll make a lot of speedrunners happy.
Personally, I never minded talking to Midna to do this, but, maybe that's because I never had a faster option! My opinion may change after I've tried out this instant transform thing.
2 - Your map and items are both on the Gamepad screen! This is a semi-expected feature, seeing as Wind Waker HD and A Link Between Worlds (for the 3DS) did this as well.
It means that you can check your map and swap which items go on which buttons in real time, taking out the need to pause the game to do so. Maybe you're a little skeptical of that, since swapping items in real time is hard, but, hey. It's worked in other games. It can work here, too.
Even though it's pretty clear what this item is for now, I'm gonna point out one interesting thing I noticed about it.
The trailer made it explicitly clear to show the lantern glowing during the daytime---meaning not only will it glow when you're around a Poe, it also serves as a sort of signal. "Hey, there will be a Poe here at night, better wait around.
Another interesting thing, I realize, now that I'm comparing the two images side by side: Link's standing in two different spots.
The lantern glows while Link is standing down by the water, and, the Poe is up a couple levels, by Auru's watchtower. This is something hard to convey without a video visual, but the point remains. Link is in the same area as the Poe, but not right where the Poe is.
How close to the Poe do you have to be before the Lantern starts to glow? Does it glow brighter when you get closer? Some interesting things to consider.
4 - Gamepad functionality
Obviously, the Wii U Gamepad is used to play the game, and there's quite a few things it does.
1 - This wasn't in the trailer, but they mentioned it in the Nintendo Minute on the game. In Twilight Princess HD, you can tap the Gamepad to instantly transform into a wolf! It seems like a neat little thing, and I'm sure it'll make a lot of speedrunners happy.
Personally, I never minded talking to Midna to do this, but, maybe that's because I never had a faster option! My opinion may change after I've tried out this instant transform thing.
2 - Your map and items are both on the Gamepad screen! This is a semi-expected feature, seeing as Wind Waker HD and A Link Between Worlds (for the 3DS) did this as well.It means that you can check your map and swap which items go on which buttons in real time, taking out the need to pause the game to do so. Maybe you're a little skeptical of that, since swapping items in real time is hard, but, hey. It's worked in other games. It can work here, too.
5 - Wolf Link Amiibo / Cave of Shadows
The game also includes a Wolf Link amiibo packaged with (some versions) of the game, and, not only does it look good, it unlocks a brand new dungeon called the Cave of Shadows. It looks like the Cave of Ordeals that's in the original game, but designed with being a wolf in mind.
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That's all the new content I know of, and all that was really in the trailer, but, still, I'm super excited! It comes out March 4th (three days before my birthday!!) and I already have it pre-ordered (it's a gift from my sister!!!) and I can't wait!
I really do love this game so much and I'm so excited to play it again.
Thanks for listening to me yell about Twilight Princess.
