It has been over four years since we first saw Twilight Princess' preview trailer long ago at E3. At last the latest chapter of the saga has been released in America. Being delayed an extra year to be transfered onto Nintendo's latest system, the Wii's many gamers couldn't wait to get their hands on what they thought would be the game that would finally best Ocarina of Time. The question still remains: Did Twilight Princess finally emerge behind Ocarina of Time or does it still follow in that golden classic's footsteps? I'm here to post my opinion to the best of my ability.
 

Story: 10/10

Twilight Princess has got to have the best story I have heard all year. Once again you assume the role of Link, who this time is a rancher of Ordon Village that would soon grow up to be chief. Link is looked up to by many of the village children and is friends with the village chief's daughter, Ilia. Not too long into the game, Ilia gets mad at Link when she discovers a bruise on his horse Epona's leg. When Link tries to apologize the action begins. A band of Moblins rush in and ambush Link and the others. The others are kidnapped while Link is left for dead. When Link awakens he stumbles upon the Twilight Realm. When he enters this realms he encounters monsters beyond his imagination.

Then something strange happens. His body begins to take the form of a wolf and he goes unconscious once more. He is soon imprisoned, but is freed by an imp-looking creature by the name of Midna, a Navi-like creature with a rude attitude. Midna teaches Link how to use the power of his wolf form, and soon leads him to the princess of Hyrule herself. The story really begins to unfold as Link sets out on a quest to stop an evil ruler by the name of Zant. Though the game has once again no voice acting, the characters are more realistic than most games I have played with voices. Midna's character is stunningly filled with emotions, and like WindWaker, Twilight Princess' Link has some of the best facial expressions yet. For a character that doesn't talk, many gamers can tell what kind of hero Link is...
 

Controls: 9.5/10

Besides the Wii version being completely mirrored off of the GameCube version (yes Link is right-handed in the Wii version), Zelda is one of the best examples of how well the Wiimote works. Swinging the Wiimote lets Link swing his sword, while when using a subweapon such as the bow or boomerang, you must point the Wiimote at the sensor to make a target icon appear onscreen. This is where the controls can be a mixed bag for certain gamers. If your hand is too shaky, the icon will bounce all over the place and shots will be quite hard to make. The controls for the wolf form are stunning. This new twist is no disappointment. In this form you can use your senses to detect hidden odors, characters, and items. This comes into play with some quite creative puzzles. Though in wolf form you have no sword, Link is armed with a killer bite and can pull off some stunning moves. To reach high areas, Midna can help you by giving you a boost and showing you where to jump.

The controls on the horse, Epona, are by far the best. The boat is back in its docks as Link rides the horse once more. Link can finally use his sword while riding the horse, which makes the game more dramatic in certain parts, like the duel with the Moblin chief. The horse also makes the trips between areas much shorter.

Another control feature is the use of the wolf form's howl. Like the baton in WindWaker and the Ocarina in OOT, Link can howl certain tunes to unlock secrets hidden within the game. Though the controls for the GameCube is quite fun, using the Wiimote just makes the adventure much more realistic, and is an experience you'll enjoy.
 

Graphics: 9.0/10

The graphics in TP are the best Zelda graphics yet, but it's not the greatest graphics ever seen in a game. The areas are beautifully designed and the world of Hyrule is at its largest. Also, the towering bosses are truly terrifying and make the boss battles quite epic. The only problem is this was originally a GameCube game, and in some cutscenes you can see the dull backgrounds, some rooms in dungeons look too similar, and trees just lose their lust the further you explore them. Whether Link is swimming through the lakes of Hylia or surviving the sand pits of Gerudo Desert, Link's newest adventure is a masterpiece and the areas are almost like landmarks that gamers will remember for a long time.
 

Gameplay/Difficulty: 8.0/10

Before you ask, an 8.0 is actually the difficulty of the average Zelda games. The main storyline is large, but after Link obtains the Master Sword, the game seems a little rushed and the next few dungeons are quite simple. The Temple of Time is one of the shortest in Zelda history, but has the best mini-boss battle of all time. Speaking of which, the bosses in Twilight Princess are quite simple. In the Water Temple, you'll find the boss swimming in circles and hardly ever attacking you, while the beast in the Temple of Time only has one attack that can really do damage to you. Once again, the Water Temple is a brainteaser and is almost as tortuous as the one in OOT. It's hard to get lost in this game and not know what to do next, especially since Midna is quite helpful like Navi, only she doesn't know beasts' weaknesses, but is much more helpful than Tatl in MM.

Zelda is mainly known for its creative puzzles, and TP does more than please fans. With Link's large variety of subweapons, you'll have him climbing the ceiling with the Iron Boots one minute, then you'll have him clinging onto a tower and riding it like an elevator on what looks like a spinning top the next. The mini-games are also creative, whether you have Link fishing in a boat or snowboarding on a leaf down the slopes of Snowpeak.
 

Music: 7.5/10

Don't get me wrong, I love Zelda music. In fact, this game has a bunch of cool tracks as well. Half of them are remixes of those found in OOT (Zora's Domain, Lost Woods, Zelda's Lullaby, etc). Nintendo has given the game midi music once more. Midi was great a couple years ago, but it's time to say goodbye to midi music... leave it for the DS titles. However, the finale of Zelda is one of the most dramatic yet, and this is mainly from the epic music playing through the whole time. It's just marvelous! All Nintendo needs is more orchestra, and the music comes out on top once more.
 

Fun Factor!: 9.5/10

Twilight Princess is a gorgeous game filled with over 80 hours of gameplay, whether you're solving a trecherous puzzle, taking out a massive boss, or just chilling in the water with your boat and fishing rod. Zelda is fun for all ages, and though it improves on OOT a little bit, it's still not quite there yet. OOT is just classic, but Nintendo is on the right track. Twilight Princess is what many would call the "dark chapter" where things really take a dark twist and Nintendo isn't afraid to show how violent Link can be. In some points TP improved on OOT, no questions asked, but in a few others TP just can't compare to the golden origins that lie in OOT. Still, Zelda is the best game of 2006 and should be played by any gamer who wants a breathtaking game in their collection.
 

Overall: 9.5/10

More like a 9.7, but Twilight Princess is a game worth the wait, and though sometimes it may not "feel like Zelda", this epic is only in the twilight of OOT's shadow.