I remember the original Legend of Zelda back on the NES. There was something magical about it — and it had the potential to be exceptionally frustrating at times. To be fair, this was back in the day when games did not hold your hand at all. I also was only 3 or 4 years old at the time, and it amazed my mother no end how I was able to memorize the game and beat it. I probably should replay it, though the system does have a tendency to “randomly” reset on me. But I digress. This game created the beginning of one of Nintendo’s “holy of holies,” a series it would continuously hold close from that day forward and continuously counted on to sell not only copies, but systems as well. It is no wonder Nintendo tends to keep its “mega hitters” close to its breast. The last Zelda game released on a traditional system was released on the Wii and GameCube. That game is The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. For a game that would be considered the GameCube’s last hurrah, it is more than competent to compete with other games.

Twilight Princess begins with Link in humble surroundings. What can be more humble than taking care of livestock and farming? Like any other game in the series, things quickly become more complicated. The land of Hyrule is slowly becoming engulfed by the Twilight, a mysterious force that transforms people into souls, mutates monsters and makes Link a wolf. The only reason he becomes involved is because the children of his village are kidnapped, and he decides to rescue them.

Of course, life is not that simple. The Twilight transforms Link into a wolf, and he now has an angst ridden “helper” only known as Midna. (At least she isn’t as annoying as a fairy.) She only promises her assistance if he finds the relic needed for her to destroy the leader of the Twilight. So it is up to him to save the children, help Midna with her vengeance and, of course, save Hyrule. Thus, the game takes on this epic feel that has not been reached in the series before.

Graphically, Twilight Princess looks great. This is even true by 2011 standards. Well, it should look great considering this was one of the last games released for the GameCube. The game drops its cartoon innocence and trades it in for some hard realism. Link looks more like a living being than he had in any incarnation. Epona also looks awesome and could be confused with a living horse more easily than ever. Furthermore, the game has a dark feel to it. Considering you will be exploring Hyrule’s proverbial shadow, it should be that way. However, it isn’t just dark chocolate hard candy. There’s underwater lands, volcanoes, fields, a desert and a floating castle all waiting to be explored.

All of this means nothing if it does not control well. In fact, it controls like any other 3-D Zelda game. It controls exactly like the famed game Ocarina of Time. Link runs around with the analog stick. The B button unsheathes his sword and swings it forward. Locking on is done by using the L button, and the A button is context sensitive. Combat may not be as “intense” as Wind Waker, but it is still a lot of fun. Boss fights are two-tiered and bring forth a greater challenge. Equipment is used almost exclusively in the area it is found in, though it is still cool. Dual hookshots is a cool concept that allows Link to connect from spot to spot without dropping down. Besides, what is more fun than doing a downward thrust on a felled opponent and destroying the enemy completely?

As such, it shares those games flaws as well. You can rotate the camera, though it works in a counterintuitive function. And worse yet is the simple fact the game requires you to tilt the control stick down while aiming to shoot upwards, plus the C-stick’s camera control is counterintuitive. Back in ’07 when I got this game, it was charmingly quaint. It was like visiting a country house in the middle of nowhere. Now, nearly four years later (five if you count the original release date), it feels even more outdated. It is no longer acceptable for a game to act like this. Heck, it wasn’t acceptable back then. Other games, both on and off the GameCube, have better control. It is also hard not to feel like the game is taunting you; Twilight Princess is obviously built for the Wii, and the various menus represent this. For example, the Wii version allows three items on hand at once while the GameCube version only allows two. There is the cursor that feels oddly reminiscent of other Wii games. It is a mystery to me Nintendo keeps the controls in the proverbial “dark ages” while the Wii version gets the more intuitive controls.

Sound design wise, everything is exceptionally solid. This is a series well-known for its sound. Although Link may not truly have his own voice yet, he still groans and yells like a mature man. Sometimes children laugh and cry depending on the situation. Many of the tunes the series is known for in the first place are also present. This time, the music is completely remixed and orchestrated. And when Link explores the Twlight, there is this mysterious synthetic music that can be chilling at times. If there is a complaint about it, Midna can be as annoying as a fairy when she is allowed to speak in her language. This is especially true when she “hiccups” when Link in wolf form is running around the map.

There is a lot to like about Twilight Princess. It is the most polished game in the series. Each dungeon has its own gimmick and is a bit more interesting to play through for the first time. The locations may not be as memorable as previous games, but, in its defense, it is one of the newest games in the series. It makes up for this by presenting some rather quirky characters that help push everything forward, giving the land of Hyrule a bit more personality than what was around before any other game. The sole problem with the game lies with its control. It controls almost exactly like the first 3-D game and its older GameCube sibling. Although this may put off many modern gamers, it will not bother longtime fans for long.

I hesitate a bit when recommending Twilight Princess to those looking for a modern Zelda game to play. There are tons of little things that could have made this game smoother and more enjoyable. Yet it is a fun ride while it lasts. It is an obvious and sometimes subtle upgrade over the previous installments that should make any gamer happier for its duration of about 30-35 hours (depending on how involved in side quests one gets). So if you see a copy of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, grab it. It is something that can keep players playing past the twilight hours.