Do you want to know how the Wii controller really works with Zelda? Gigantic spoiler-free impressions inside!There is too much to say about the Wii controller. After playing the Wii version of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for well over eight hours, I have a solid understanding of what works, what doesn't work, and the pros/cons of the Wiimote over a regular controller. The pros outweigh the cons by tenfold. It isn't 100% perfect, but few games are. It controls like a Zelda game, and that's the most important thing. The Wii remote controller makes playing Zelda something very special.
There's not much more I can say to precede these controller-centric impressions, other than they are pretty much spoiler-free. Let's get into it.
Swordplay
As you no doubt know by now, swordplay is mapped to a swinging motion of the Wii remote. The direction or severity with which you swing is irrelevant to how Link swings his sword on screen, which essentially equates a controller motion to a button press, which means the basic Zelda swordplay mechanic is unchanged. When taking individual swipes, Link always attacks horizontally when not Z-targeting, he always attacks vertically when Z-targeting is active. Worse, he only stabs in Z-targeting mode when the control stick on the nunchuk is held upwards as the remote is in motion. A forward stabbing motion with the remote is not necessary for Link to do the same thing in the game, which was a bit of a letdown. Spin attacks are performed by shaking the nunchuk, and I have no beef with that.
Performing multi-swipe strikes means performing multiple remote motions. One of my colleagues at the event likened it to button mashing, but with wrist movements instead of thumb tapping. At times, it did kind of feel that way, as if I were waving the thing around and not really connecting with the sword movement on screen. However, I found that as I got more into the game, I really didn't care. It was accurate enough for me to add in the type of sword attack I wanted to in my combo, like a spin attack after a swipe and a stab. I must admit that I caught myself thrusting both halves of the controller forward to perform a sword stab attack, even though I knew it made no difference. For some reason, it's just more fun to emulate a sword swing by moving the remote around.
Purists may be preparing an argument that the slight disconnect between the motion and the gameplay will totally ruin the Wii version. Not in the slightest. While swordplay is a major part of Zelda, it's not so much that it requires surgery-like precision. If you swing the Wii remote one time too many and an extra swipe comes out, it's no big deal. Conversely, I only recall one or two moments during the length of time I spent with the game where I didn't get the sword swipe I was looking for. That too, is not enough to hate on the Wii version's controls. Swinging the remote to use the sword is the only way it could realistically be done on Wii, since every other button on the controller is needed for something else. And there's also the fact that just about every other aspect of the game's controls that can be attributed to the Wiimote is far superior to that of what a regular control can offer.
One of the really fun things I found myself doing with the sword was the action of drawing it from Link's scabbard without attacking. All that's needed to do so is a very light flick of the remote. This action makes it feel like you are “locking and loading" as you flick that sword out and prepare to battle. To impress those watching me, I was drawing and sheathing my sword while running around. It's very easy to quickly neutralize the control stick, tap the A button (which is still the do-all action button from all the other Zelda games) to retire your sword, and then hit the control stick up to continue moving, all without breaking stride. It is an advanced show-off maneuver, but the controls are solid enough for such actions to be performed naturally.
And before you ask: No, you don't get tired by swinging the remote around. It's just smooth and simple wrist movements.
Pointer Aiming
The other major thing the Wii remote brings to Twilight Princess is controller pointer aiming. The system as a whole feels similar to using a sniper rifle in an FPS, only much faster, more accurate, extremely tight, and way more gratifying. Instead of waiting for the cursor to track across the screen or worrying about over-correcting with a bad nudge of the analog stick, all you need to do is aim at the thing you want to shoot, then shoot it. You may think that's what you've been doing for the past 10 years with a dual analog setup. I thought that too, but then I saw the light with Zelda's aiming controls.
As spotty as the E3 version of Zelda was, the one thing I took away from it was that if Nintendo nailed weapon aiming in the final version, it was going to be something amazing. Well folks, it's something amazing. It doesn't take long to get a feel for how well the pointer works, and after you do, you become so enthralled with aiming at stuff that you don't want to use Z-targeting. I wanted to manually aim at things and shoot down stuff by my own hand, because there's a feeling in doing so that is unparalleled by other aiming systems.
Quick use of pointer aiming is dependent on keeping the remote pointed at the sensor bar. If it's not, you'll get a message that tells you to point the controller back at the screen when attempting to use a sub-weapon that requires it.. Navi acts as a real-time pointer to remind you that you're not aiming at the screen, so it's always a good idea to check to make sure your fairy is visible. (Navi serves no other purpose, and therefore will not be present in the GameCube version.) There is a little disorientation when starting to aim with the pointer off screen, but since aiming with the remote is so easy to do, there is no problem getting things straightened out.
For you purists out there, Nintendo included a control option that allows you to use the control stick to aim weapons, just like the old days. It works about as well as the aiming does in any other game that uses a similar method, including the other modern Zelda titles. It must have taken me about three minutes to realize that the option is essentially worthless; I can't think of any reason why someone would want to primarily use the analog stick to aim weapons in this game. That doesn't mean you'll abandon the control stick entirely, since it is effectively used to rotate Link to augment tracking and aiming to the left and right while in the default pointer aiming mode. After playing with the Wii controls for as long as I did, I briefly went back to the traditional aiming method to see what it felt like. Ever play Time Crisis with an analog stick? It works, but that's not the way the game is meant to be played. That's what it felt like to me.
The aiming feels so much better than it did at E3 because of the change of how items are assigned and used. As we mentioned in our New York impressions of Twilight Princess, the B-trigger fires off the boomerang, slingshot ammo, and all that other stuff. B can do all of this, because the D-Pad buttons that originally were used to activate sub-weapons now act as a sort of staging shortcut for assignment to the trigger. You can assign three items to three D-pad directions, and a fourth to the B-trigger. Pressing one of the D-pad buttons does not activate that item; instead, it swaps it out with whatever item you had on the B-trigger. It's not the most ideal setup; it would have still been nice for one-button access to four items, but with the layout of the Wii controller, it works just fine. There is no longer a concern about needing to drastically change hand position to accommodate switching to a different D-pad button on the fly, which can easily upset the balance of the controller. The trade-off for only having direct access to one item and indirect (but fast) access to the other three is that it makes aiming a joy instead of a chore, a trade-off I believe is justified.
Camera/Other Controls
Up on the D-pad is reserved for talking to Midna when necessary. It's still a bit of a thumb stretch to get up there, but there's no need for you to hit the button in a hurry. The item sub-screen is accessible using the minus (-) button on the controller. Items can be selected from the circular selector by either pointing the remote or moving the analog stick in the direction of the desired item, the latter actually being the better option in this case. The quest status screen is assigned to the plus (+) button. The map screen can be opened with the 1 button, and the mini-map can be toggled with the 2 button.
These secondary buttons are appropriately placed for the functions they perform. I would say the distance between your thumb's natural resting position on the remote and the +/- buttons is about the same as the on between the Y button and the C-stick on a GameCube controller. It's not a very uncomfortable stretch, especially since you won't be pressing plus or minus all that much. The 1 button is a bit further down, but it's hardly an inconvenience since you won't be looking at your (giant) map as often as you would say, swing your sword or use items. Basically, there are no badly placed buttons on the controller. You can get to them all if you need them.
Camera control is really the only shortcoming of Wii Zelda. No, it's not terrible. It's just like it was in Ocarina of Time. We were spoiled a bit in Wind Waker, what with its free camera controls. But it turns out that it's a luxury, and not a true necessity. All the camera control we get in Twilight Princess is the Z-trigger to reset the camera behind Link, and the C button (it's almost like a nub, actually) to enter first-person view. There were plenty of times when I wish I had a better angle of the action when fighting against enemies, but most times the one I was stuck with was adequate. Just running around, doing my general adventuring, the camera was never a problem for me. Precision jumping was never one of the stronger points of the Zelda series, and TP is no exception. That's more of a general problem with the game, and no fault of the Wii controller. It makes you wonder, though...will the GameCube version have a free camera mode?
Wolf Link Controls
During my time with Zelda, I got to spend a good deal of time as Wolf Link. In his Twilight form, Link is a much faster runner. He's just about as fast as Epona, but with the bonus of having unlimited dash. Not being able to use a sword doesn't mean attacking is any different. You can still flick the controller to engage Wolf Link's main attack, which actually makes a lot of sense given that that's how you do it as a human. Link also retains his spin attack via a nunchuk shake. The best mode of attack while in wolf form is actually the A button, which performs the jump attack. That's the one I used most often, and it seems to be stronger and more effective than just flicking the remote around to bite at people.
Wolfy doesn't use items, so the B-trigger is only useful if you have Midna on your back. Pulling and holding the trigger creates a radius in which multiple enemies can be felled at the same time when released. This is necessary, as a certain type of Twilight enemy comes in groups, and if they aren't all defeated at the same time, the lone survivor will revive the others. It takes a bit of time to charge up, and while doing so you can't move around very much. It's an instant kill for anyone that gets caught up in it, though.
From what I've played so far, combat isn't emphasized with Wolf Link. There are battles, but most of the time you are exploring Twilight-stricken areas of Hyrule. The D-Pad in wolf mode is used for activating Link's wolf sense and digging around. The wolf sense is a toggle that allows him to see hidden enemies and find special places to dig. Digging is an action button press primarily used for accessing areas where you can slip underneath a gate, or burrow into a house from the outside. Down on the D-pad is actually a very convenient button to press, and during the times you'll want to dig all over the place for treasure, it doesn't become a hassle to use.
D-pad Up is still the Midna button. Wolf Link uses her differently than regular Link does, however. Werelink has the ability to jump a fairly large distance, but only if Midna guides him to the place he should jump to. When approaching context-sensitive areas, a Midna prompt will appear. After calling her out, she'll jump over to the point you can follow her to. To follow her, it's necessary to activate Z-targeting and hit the Up button again. This is the one thing about the wolf controls that doesn't make any sense to me. Up is a strange button to need to hit over and over again, and yet there are places where Link jumps across multiple gaps in succession, either in a button-mashing streak or with the proper timing to avoid hazards. In the first case, it might as well be automatic, and in the second, why not use the centrally located A-button to perform the jumping maneuvers? And why do I need to Z-target to do this? To me, it feels as if something here is unnecessary; it doesn't feel like it fits with the rest of the game.
In terms of overall wolf control, the general difference between regular Link and Wolf Link is impressive. The basic scheme is pretty much the same for both of them, yet they feel very different. The control choices that were made to keep them that way are very good ones. When you're running around as Wolf Link, it still feels like you're playing a Zelda game. That's something I was a little worried about coming into this event, but thankfully Twilight Princess looks like it'll be a true Zelda game all the way through.
The Controller Speaker and Rumble
My immediate impression of the controller speaker was that it is a very cheap and gimmicky thing. It sounded pretty bad at first. But after I tweaked the volume control (done through the Wii menu), I understood what Nintendo was going for. If you have a nice, expensive sound system, or a television with above-average speakers, it's best to turn down the volume of the Wii remote so its sounds do not overpower the smaller speaker contained inside. In doing so, its sounds act as a good complement to ones the rest of the game produces. Conversely, if your TV's sound setup isn't that great, or you are not an audiophile, turning up the controller volume turns it into a kind of "surround" speaker. And if you don't like the speaker sounds at all, you can simply mute the controller.
At least through the first dungeons, there are no gameplay-critical sounds produced by the controller speaker. Its main function is to give off secondary sounds with the items and weapons you are using. Every time you swing the remote around, you'll hear a sword swipe sound out of the speaker. If you take out or put away an item—your sword included—you'll hear that from your hand as well. Other sounds like pulling the slingshot taut, the ready chime for the boomerang, the Wolf Link sense activation swoosh, and even the sound made by corking a bottle add another dimension to the game's audio. Despite its sometimes rudimentary simplicity, it becomes just as much a part of the game as the sound coming from any other speaker. It adds to the experience in a way that even 5.1 surround sound can't match; I'm not saying it's better than Dolby Digital surround sound (because it's not), but the enjoyment level you get out of the television/remote sound combination can be just as high as getting an awesome rear-channel sweep with digital audio.
Two Wiimote speaker moments in particular stand out for me. One was the first time I heard the classic Zelda discovery sound. Oddly, it played from both the television speaker and the controller simultaneously. I couldn't help but smile at this moment, and for fear of sounding like a broken record, playing the sound from the speaker adds a little something more to the game that I can't put my finger on. The other moment that stuck with me, and is still sticking with me, is how creepy it is to hear Midna laugh through the speaker. It's an evil, mocking laugh to start off with, but hearing it through the controller just pushes it over the edge. You'll hear it a lot as Wolf Link, and it adds to the very contrasting styles that are present inside and outside of the Twilight.
Only the Wii remote has rumble; the nunchuk does not. Rumble activates at times when you'd fully expect it to, and you have the ability to disable it completely via the Wii menu. So it's not like there's anything particularly special about rumble for the Wii controller. However, the controller speaker produces an interesting side effect: If its volume is turned to a decent level, the little speaker will give the remote a little shake. I found that a big rumble could be amplified with a loud sound, and a very subtle action gave a little kinetic feedback to go with the aural feedback. Even the lightest rumble would be too much for many small actions, such as pulling the sling of the slingshot, but the fine vibration produced by the sound fits the action on the screen perfectly. I get the feeling that Nintendo designed certain aspects of the game around with this little nugget in mind, because every time I heard a sound without rumble, the amount of vibration given off by the controller dovetailed with the action that was happening on the big screen.
Conclusion
I could honestly write about the Zelda controls forever. But this should be more than enough information to tide you over until next week, when we'll be able to bring you more information about some other aspects of how the controller is used, especially the horseback controls. For now, I think it would be wise to stop myself short of writing another five pages about the Wiimote and Twilight Princess. I feel lucky for you guys. You haven't played it yet, so you don't really know what you're missing. I do. It sucks, big time, to have to keep waiting.
I want to conclude this set impressions with a bit about the GameCube version. No, NOA didn't show it to us. Likely, they're not going to show it to anyone until it releases in December. But ever since the announcement of the Wii version, there has been the debate over which version of Zelda is going to control better. My friends, the debate is over: Wii Zelda is the real deal. I've played the game long enough to come to the conclusion that I don't want to use a traditional controller to play Twilight Princess. I'm hooked on the Wii controls. I want more of what Nintendo has given me. I can say, with confidence, that you must play Zelda on the Wii to get the full experience. Not to take anything away from the GameCube version, but once you guys get your hands on the Wii version, there's no going back.
Topic: IMPRESSIONS: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Read 10461 times)
