To start, I just want to comment on how delightful this game looks. It is really like playing a cartoon, Link’s expressions seem endless. The demo shown was the same as the E3 version (down to the screen saying “Thank you for playing this E3 demo") with five levels.

The first was a dungeon level, Link started off fighting some torch-wielding enemies in a dark tunnel. After killing the monsters you can pick up a torch and light it so you can see your way to the next room, which is full of Keese (bats). It is possible to swing the torch to kill them. Another weapon Link can use is the giant knife, which smashes multiple pots and wooden barriers easily.

Outside of the cave there is an area with ledges that Link needs to “sidle" along, side-stepping with his back to the wall to get across. Once, he had to crouch while “sidling" to get past the overhanging rock; the look in his eyes and little bent knees looked so funny and his body was squashed into a small rectangular shape!

In the second level you could wander around the village. From what people are saying Link’s green outfit was given to him for his twelfth birthday. In one of the houses you can learn the different sword techniques including the 5 second spin attack after which Link stands there, eyes all dizzy panting for a second before recovering to a normal pose. It is wonderful to see him reacting to just about anything you do. When you find your sister, Arill, she gives you a telescope and says she has one just like it. This can be used in later levels to zoom in on far away areas.

Next up was a boss battle. A huge, scaly, beast with lots of legs is sitting in a pool of lava waiting to smash up Link with its claws. It seems that it has invaded a dragon’s den, the tail hanging from a hole in the ceiling belongs to a red dragon. After swinging on the tail with the grappling hook, a layer of the ceiling shatters and crashes onto the spider/crab/monster thing weakening its shell. A couple more times and it will be completely exposed, leaving you to slash at its eye and destroy it completely. In this level was the first time I saw Link die, and the animation is so full of expression, he closes his eyes and staggers dramatically before collapsing onto his back. Even better when he ends up with half his body through a wall.

The stealth level was the most difficult; make one wrong move and you’re right back where you started. To get into the Fortress where your sister was captured, you first put on a barrel, something Link is rather discontent about (and he shows it on his face, as expected) and then you are hurled into the building, landing in the moat which breaks your fall. Link finds a stone that was put into his pocket. This allows the pirate girl who catapulted him in to communicate with him and give help and hints. Sneaking into and around the castle is tricky; first you have to avoid the floodlights by hiding in a barrel, and moving carefully so that you are not detected. Once inside the castle Link must sneak around yet again in a barrel to avoid being spotted by the Moblins. Unfortunately, no matter how careful you are one of them notices the barrel wasn’t there before and smashes it open to find Link inside. He surrenders and is thrown into their prison. Fortunately, they are not very good at maintenance and you can escape by moving aside a crate and finding a tunnel which will lead you deeper inside the building. And, er, it’s funny watching Link’s bottom as he crawls along. You’re looking right up his tunic at his white tights. The light casts on different parts of his bottom as he crawls along in the tunnel! Not that I was taking a lot of notice or anything, it was just really amusing (I blame Zosha for corrupting me).

The final part of the demo was a mini game. Link uses his boat to sail over horizontal barrels and jump over vertical barrels to collect rupees. Jumping is pulled off by hoisting and furling the sail and crashing into a barrel means that Link has to swim back over to the boat, which gives you less time to reach the finish. Barrels that flash red explode as Link sails past so steer clear of them. I will finish by saying how beautiful the water looks as the boat carves through, creating white crests on the otherwise solidly blue expanse.