honestly I think Ganon enhances the story for me. A lot of people say he comes in 'last minute', but he's introduced as a threatening presence halfway through. What happens to Zant as consequence of him being a puppet is such a fascinating character moment to me. Sure, he could've been a super imposing monster throughout the entire game, but that's been done before, that's what Ganon does in Ocarina lol. Instead, it's slowly unraveled throughout the interactions you have with him across the game that he's just high off power, he possesses ultimate magic and no discipline. By the time you fight him in the end you can just tell he's CRAZY! It's such a good moment. He works as a good parallel to link's progression, the stronger you become the weaker he starts to appear, while the true threat of Ganon is always lurking in the back of your mind.
"He's a last minute villain!" *Was literally introduced halfway through the game with a cinematic showing his imprisonment and everything* Uh huh, last minute. Suuuuuuure.
TP is easily my favorite Zelda game personally. The atmosphere makes simply existing in the world such a gorgeous experinece, and I love the feeling of helping the people around you that the story and side quests give, which is one of the most important elements of a Zelda game to me. It's a perfect game in the most important ways a game can be perfect imo
This video is actually incredible with how well edited it is and how u use your edits perfectly either your jokes. It’s actually criminal that you don’t have more subscribers. I thought I was watching a UA-camr with at least 500k subs until I looked. Keep it up bro you are going to blow up I know it
Wolf Link is in it not because of anything you said but because Aonuma had a dream about it and he wanted to make it. He loves Wolf Link a lot even today
I hope your channel blows up with views because this is a great review! I love your sense of humor and the way you deliver your lines is honestly very John Mulaney-esque. You're a pretty funny guy with very distinct and well-worded opinions.
I totally agree with your point of how open world isnt necessarily better than linear gameplay, if that is the direction games are heading these days then having dungeons within an open world is a pretty good compromise 😊
Even then it's a slipper slope. I personally loved Elden Ring the first dozen or two hours, but afterwards I got so exhausted by all the dungeons and caves everywhere. Then on replays I just find it annoying how so many important key items are scattered around everywhere (whetstones, spell scrolls/books, upgrade material) and what really irked me was how some build items are super far into the game while others are near the beginning. Want to do an Arcane build? Welp you're stuck with Bloody Slash until post-Radhan when you can get to Nokron. Replaying that game is everything between a headache to a NIGHTMARE. It's so much easier to just replay DS3 and BB.
I got my Wii with Twilight Princess back in Christmas of '06... with all the hype surrounding the Wii I can attest to how well received this game was back when it came out, at least by my brothers and me 😂
Something of note in the development of the Zant-Ganon dichotomy is simply how brilliantly it ties into who Zant is as a character, and how it builds a perfectly stark contrast between the relationship between Link and Midna. Zant, in how he is presented initially within the chronological order of the game, is almost akin to a crying child: he desperately wanted to rule the Twili for the desire of being in power for once, of being taken from the shadow of his ancestry and put into the spotlight. Buuut, full-well knowing he doesn't have what it takes, and that he'd be otherwise put to the waste bin of Twili history as yet another inconsequential advisor, he throws a literal temper tantrum, one that Ganondorf, now in his "god-like" form, intervenes in to offer him the power to take everything he could ever dream of. The once meager, unimposing political pawn now possesses, through a benefactor far beyond his comprehension, the strength necessary to conquer the Twilight World, and subsequentially the Realm of Light. He puts on the exterior of a cold, brooding and dark menace for the fact that he now has the perceived authority to do so, using the façade to try and make up for the fact that, underneath it all, he's still an immature, undisciplined, spoiled rat of a character. This once again becomes prevalent as Link starts to catch up to him in power, losing his calm, cool demeanor, allowing his erratic, uncontrolled nature to shine through his hardened mask. By the time Link fights him directly, he's right back to where he started: throwing a deranged, screaming tantrum, because, despite his allegiance to Ganondorf, he's once again challenged by a superior force. His pretense of being unquestioned and unopposed has been shattered, and now, his composure has gone with it. Even up to his inevitable death, Zant flaunted around his ill-gotten power like a child who was handed a hammer, only to then have that hammer yanked from his clutches when he tried smashing someone's foot with it. Even beyond death, Zant turns on Ganon in the end, technically landing the finishing blow that put the Bandit King in the ground once again, for the sheer fact that Ganon didn't give him what he wanted: he betrayed effectively his own patron god for the fact that he didn't give him the absolute power he was promised. Compare this to Link and Midna's relationship: Midna also found Link in a time of great crisis, this time being when Link was locked in Hyrule Castle in his wolf form, and, much like Ganon offered Zant, offered him a way out of his predicament in exchange for unwavering subservience. Unlike Zant, Link didn't really have much of a choice in the matter, but it became a moot point that, for better or for worse, Link would be at the beck and call of this Imp in exchange for a chance to save his friends. As Link and Midna begin their adventure, as mentioned in the video, Midna is bossy, arrogant, and utterly sarcastic, showing little regard for Link and the World of Light, being totally centered on her goal of returning herself to her rightful position of authority. In a weird way, Midna plays the role of Ganondorf, but with the initial character of Zant: she's childish, brash, and emotionally erratic. However, when Midna's power is put to the test, having lost all of the fused shadows, and having been put on the brink of death, Midna instead finds compassion in the sacrifice of Zelda, who gave her own essence for her to survive. Midna's character began to reform in the opposite direction of Zant, continuing to stand by Link's side as she became more cooperative, and eventually made clear her desire to save both the Twilight and Light realms. She, instead, drops the act of bravado and self-righteousness, becoming more empathetic, and eventually becoming an equal partner of Link in many ways. Link's power, too, was gained through hard work and overcoming difficult challenges, much to the opposite of Zant, who was simply handed the power that he then sat on. And, let's be fair, you can't get much further away from Zant's psychotic egomania than a silent protagonist like Link. Whereas Zant saw Ganon as a tool to benefit his own goals, Link saw Midna as a friend and ally to work alongside; whereas Ganon saw Zant as a hapless puppet to use to return to Hyrule, Midna--eventually--saw Link as a dear companion for whom she would fight and die for. I know that was a wall of text, but, I just thought it was a neat food-for-thought look at the reintroduction of Ganondorf, less as a "last minute" shoe-in, but more of an overarching contrast of our Hero of Twilight's journey.
I will say back in the day I thought Zant being a pathetic wretch was super lame. But now as I've grown it makes sooooo much sense story-wise. His sudden rise to power and his creepy demeanor makes a lot more sense now. He was basically just handed power and got insanely drunk on it, doing whatever he pleases no matter the consequences on the Twilight people and the people of Hyrule. He wanted to rule and he wanted revenge and now he can childishly pursue it without consequences (until Link). He was Ganon's puppet and horcrux (hence the scene of Zant snapping his neck at the end). How did he get power? Ganon. Why did he get power from Ganon? To free him and basically make him immortal as long as he was huddled up safe in the twilight realm. That and he got access to the terrible powers of the twilight realm that he could exert from the shadows of his puppet. Before he lost, was captured and almost executed. Now he is doing things different and it was working until Link came in and ruined everything.
Yeah I like everyone's alternate takes on this, but I honestly think they could have just done a better job outlining that relationship and dynamic because it just feels sprung on the player when Zants like "oh my power isn't the twili it's from Ganondorf" and then dies
Twilight princess is a suprisingly beautiful game particularly when played with a good texture pack at 4k its incredible how impressive it looks with its dark yet colourful aesthetic. I have replayed TP more than any other zelda accept maybe majoras mask just something about it always makes me enjoy another playthrough but I agree that wolf link is a weaker element with his lack of move set progression compared with link himself. I never felt Ganon was shoehorned in as some claim and was more fleshed out in one cutscene here than we have got really until TOTK. I liked the madness of Zant in his fight and it made sense given who he was and his desire for a power that is just too much for him. Agreed that nothing needs to be said about Midna really she is by far the best character ever added to any zelda game by a wide margin no contest, it makes me laugh when people say Fi is a great character due to one sentence of dialogue at the end of Skyward sword um no I don't think so go back to TP and say that again.
I bought this game immediately when it came out. Played it for like a hour and stopped.. Something just didn't seem right with it. Tried it again like a year or so later and absolutely loved it.
Teletubes for the ps1 was the first game I played. It was quickly followed up by Star Wars masters of teras kasi, medevil, tomb raider and spider man , clearly teletubies was leages ahead
zelda games can still allow for non linear dungeon order and yet allow structured dungeon design. i argue the best approach would be where the dungeons have multiple structural layouts as long as they are consistent. a good linear dungeon is where it is a constant flow like a endurance test that is not broken up into shortcuts (a trapping many follow like dodongo's cavern where they come off as disjointed and shrine like), or has a predetermined sequence of events that promotes a lot of backtracing like the wind temple from tww. also not every dungeon needs to follow a strict formula. it can be broken up where it goes from linear to non linear and vise verse. while the dungeon design itself is overall average in terms of substance, alttp is a contender for best structural variety in the series because not every dungeon follows the same formula. look at how the light world ranges from the mostly open ended structure of the desert temple, which also is divided by the overworld to the linear vertical themed tower of hera. the dark world also handles this with skull woods and misery mire being very non linear to the more linear turtle rock and first portion of the ice temple. and to mix things up, dungeons don't need to rely on their items to be challenging. look at how eagle's tower from link's awakening designed its dungeon and ironically it was similar to what the botw/totk dungeons were like except it had a structure and its branching paths made the dungeon very confusing.
one thing tp does better over oot's dungeons is more micro challenge consistency where it does not have the random rooms, but it still has some arbitrary item checks like needing the spinner in temple of time and city in the sky. also small keys in the same room as locked doors are more common compared to oot where ganon's castle is the biggest offender of this design. look at arbiters grounds, all except one of the small keys are very close to the locked doors. palace of twilight is tied with the spirit temple in master quest for the second highest small key count out of any main dungeon and yet every single room that contains one is close to a locked door. alttp i can give some slack because of program limitations, there is no excuse since oot where floor switches or defeat all enemies could also work. one thing tp's dungeons also lack is structural variety. the most diverse dungeons are snowpeak ruins, temple of time, and hyrule castle. i also would not say all of the dark world dungeons are linear. in fact, most of the dungeons are non linear where you can carry multiple small keys. only two dark world dungeons that i mentioned before have a predetermined small key order while thieve's town is the only dungeon that lets you carry multiple small keys where none are optional. on the flipside, oot master quest has 2 dungeons that only let you carry only one small key while also having optional keys.
what i find missing from twilight princess is the strict linear structure where you cannot access any dungeons out of order and the poorly paced wolf link sections. had these been addressed where its structure was like alttp and oot it could have possibly been in my top 5. link's awakening is linear, but i can give it some slack for limitations, and it has good pacing. also the dungeons are mostly non linear and the boss order starting from angler's tunnel is open ended (key cavern in the remake). majora's mask is also a lnear dungeon order but the boss order is completely open ended and the game itself has one of the best gimmicks in the series. also the dungeons themselves are what i consider a gold standard.
Twilight Princess is basically just like Ocarina and Wind Waker (literally the same except edgy and no boat) in terms of combat, except having a bit more depth because of the combat techniques. I'd say the same with Skyward Sword if it wasn't for the amazing and engaging motion control combat. I don't see how that makes it worse than those games that also has the generic by the numbers Zelda gameplay. Also Majora's Mask is literally the most identity a 3D Zelda game has ever had because of the super dark tone, masks, 3 day cycle and timed quests. - OoT is just vanilla Zelda - WW is just vanilla Zelda, but with sailing - TT is just vanilla Zelda, but edgy and has the best narrative - SS is just vanilla Zelda, but with flying and kickass motion combat Then BotW turned Zelda on it's head while TotK is just BOTW 2.0 with Fortnite vehicle building.
Hey man, good video! I definitely plan to make a video on this game in the future, it’s easily my favorite Zelda game. Hell, one of my favorite games of all time. I thought wolf link was fine. Not necessarily bad, I just thought he could have been utilized better. And also, I believe he was turned into a wolf to sort of contrast the whole thing with Link defeating Ganondorf, with Ganondorf’s dark beast form in the final battle being a wild boar, which is the main prey for a wolf. Thats atleast why I think they turned link into a wolf atleast in my opinion. The main problem with wolf link atleast in the beginning is that all he really does is just go after the tears of light. But on the third and final tears of light hunt it was cool to have like a mini boss of some sorts. Aside from that there were some moments that were good as wolf link like in the dungeons or whenever you are hunting poes, getting bugs, or following a scent trail. I thought it wasn’t the best part of the game obviously, but I wouldn’t say it was that bad. I just feel like it could’ve been utilized a bit better. The wolf songs and learning the sword techniques from hero’s shade or the ghost of the hero of time is also pretty cool. I was also gonna talk about Zant but it seems like someone already made it to that lol.
Yeah they give him some stuff to do (hunting the poes, sniffing the smells) but none of it is any different from searching for the bugs, its just the same exact thing but looking for poes instead of bugs now. Idk like I said he's more irritating than anything. I just think there's a lot more they could have fleshed out with the mechanic, especially considering they had a year's worth of extra dev time. But I definitely see what you're saying! And appreciate you watching!
@@StoneyRPGI agree, there could’ve and should’ve been more for him to do. But he’s fine to me overall. But he still is a good alternative for Epona when you can’t really use her in some parts of the game, and he is useful in the later dungeons as well when you can transform back and fourth whenever you want to. In the HD remake the Light tear hunts are better since there aren’t as much and there is an entire dungeon new to the game that is exclusive to Wolf Link. But, you’d need the amiibo for that which sucks but still cool that it’s there. Amiibo cards are cheap to get though but I definitely think it would’ve been cool if it was just there in the game itself. But hey, it’s something.
I haven’t played it yet I do plan to at somepoint. But I’m pretty sure it’s just battle challenges sort of in vain with the one in the base game and a bunch of the other Zelda games but with you being wolf link exclusively. Which is sorta meh, I mean it’s cool that it’s here but it would’ve been cooler if it was an actual dungeon. But it still seems like a cool bonus. And I’m pretty sure it does help you get full health wolf link in breath of the wild as well
So far, I’m enjoying Twilight Princess on my black Wii. I’m glad that Nintendo ported it to the Wii because the GameCube version is expensive now, and I don’t like the HD version which I could talk about later.
It's a great game, definitely can tell it was made for the gamecube with a few motion controls duct taped on, and I think the gamecube version Is the definitive version but the wii is definitely more than adequate
im biased as an autistic person with a twilight princess special interest but i never understood the hate this game got as it got older it being called "unemotional" didn't make sense to me, have you seen that ending???? and then the insult of the artstyle aging as if oot/mm also didn't have a very aged artstyle 🤔 the main hate i do understand is the tutorial taking quite a while, but it's nice for link to have a bit more backstory and to play as how he is before all hell breaks loose
I respectfully disagree on dungeons especially with the more modern Zelda dungeons. I don’t think keys and locks make the dungeons better nor having a linear structure. I feel it’s because what I define a Zelda dungeon is more about atmosphere, distinct set pieces where there’s a balance of exploration and challenges and the themes that it revolves around it. The forest temple from OOt is my favorite dungeon of all time but not because of the challenge or puzzle box, but because of the mood, the setting, and the navigation and the main gimmick of the temple. It’s a reason I have an issue with the DB vs TOTK dungeons. The DB usually have one main floor with not that much to explore with how considerable small they are and themes and mechanics tend to be very similar to one another. Plus no unique item or ability till you already beat the dungeon. At least in TOTks dungeons, there’s multiple floors for exploration and puzzles leading to a terminal, a unique ability that you get to experiment and utilize the whole dungeon, variety in structure and main gimmicks, and distinct atmosphere between each dungeon. To me that’s closer to a traditional Zelda dungeon than simply having keys and arbitrary gated progression. Skip the paraglider in your next playthrough and try the dungeons again. They will feel a lot more difficult and old school trust me
I like Windwaker the best but if someone's favorite Zelda is Twilight Princess I would understand. It's really good. My only complaint is the overworld is kinda boring to traverse. It doesn't have a whole lot going on. And why are there so many bottomless pits? Did Hyrule experience godlike earthquakes recently?
So i wont disagree with you on the wolf link stuff (they could have implimented it better in Allot of ways) but wolves are one of the creatures held in high regard in that part of the world and are usually either allied with or antagonistic towards fox spirits as gaurdians of forests and nature in general. Your right that in zelda they hold no importance outside of that quick twili legend about a "sacred beast with sky blue eyes" being what would save them honestly imo a werewolf would have worked just as well or some kind of a halfbreed form jusy keep the sword play maybe make it so link gets powers twilight based powers (not to the same level of zelda) from the triforce of courage. They could keep the golden wolf spirit of oot's link and say that since the spirit of the hero has been passed that he can only take human form enough times to teach us the sword skills after which he would die as the golden wolf and pass on to the next life fully passing the title of hero onto TP's link
Yeah it didn't even have to be a werewolf or anything crazy, just develop the mechanic a little more. Make the wolf game play more than turn on senses, kill bugs/poes, repeat. And the jumps should have definitely been like qte sequences, where to land the jump you have to press the right sequence of buttons or something like that
Definitely in my top 3. The perfect trilogy of Ocarina, Majora, Twilight. Besides, Wolf Link is still 100% far better than BOTW/TOTK overall (Ganondorf was 100% wasted in TOTK, I expected more from him). I don't mind the open world of the new style, but the world is empty. I thought the depth would have fixed that but that was just the same open area with nothing to explore and everything just became the same old thing. By the time you get to understand a weapon, it breaks, so maybe get rid of that useless mechanic too 😂
Yeah either get rid of it or make weapons last more than 8 hits 😂 and I agree, the whole game should have been more. Given how much time they had and how man assets they reused, the game shouldn't feel as empty as it does
@StoneyRPG someone is actually agreeing... usually I get told I'm wrong 😂 honestly, next Zelda game, I hope we get a huge city style market place, like the lively one in Twilight but bigger. TOTK could have done so much more with rebuilding Hyrule. I hope we get another top down style Zelda as well... Link between worlds was many years ago now. I think another in that style is long overdue
i think its a shame so many people rush through the wolf sections. they are my favourite part of twilight princess. i really like the exploration focused gameplay of those sections. its why i love the 3d mario games and even the triforce hunt in windwaker. i like having to explore but still having a clear objective on the way (botw/totk is too focused on exploration though imo, i never got into it). and tbh i dont really get those OoT comparisons since they are extremely shallow. its comparable to saying OoT ripped of alttp.
The only issue is that it's the exact same thing over and over. Turn on senses, kill bugs, repeat. They could have just fleshed out the entire mechanic more. And I have to strongly disagree with the oot references lol. Frozen Zoras domain? Check. Forest, fire, and water opening dungeons? Check. Gorons rejecting humans until you help them out? Check. Ocarina took a lot of inspiration from Alttp, but these are legit plot points ripped straight from Ocarina like come on now
@@StoneyRPG link to the past. It was the first Zelda I played as a kid and was blown away by it but I’ve beaten all except spirit tracks and triforce hero’s 👎🏾
I'm so glad I'm not the only one driven nuts by some of TOTK's gameplay lmao. In TP, a lot of the epic cutscenes are scenes YOU are actively, currently, a PART OF. In TOTK (and BOTW but I think BOTW's memories were better cuz it ain't have that "welp I just got spoiled the final battle!!!" issue) most of the PLOT DRIVEN CUTSCENES are in the bloody past!!! U don't even play as Zelda!! Maybe if we actively played as her, with unique movesets n shi, I wouldn't have much an issue. I'm ngl, I'm not gonna play TOTK unless it's bought for me as a b day gift or som. I was totally fine just watching a compilation of all the cutscenes and that's.....really sad. When I was a kid, I watched a playthrough of TP, and it made me WANT to play the game. Ion get that wit TOTK. I took my butt over to the ole used book store and got me a copy! Even though I was spoiled on everything, it was still a joy to play. Don't feel that way at all with TOTK. The world is mostly the same as BOTW, which I played. Boring dungeons. AGAIN. Plot mostly in the form of past memories....yeah no thx nintendo imma sit this one out.
first of all, great video! you deserve more views and subscribers for the quality of content you’re putting out. second of all, i recently replayed both WWHD and TPHD back to back and it put me into a fan crisis. Windwaker was my first Zelda game so it had always been my favorite. But on this most recent replay it wasn’t hitting the same. It felt shorter than I remembered it. I found myself enjoying TPHD more as an adult and I feel like I’ve betrayed the Windwaker hive🥲
Thanks so much I really appreciate that! And yeaahhh its still a great game, it's possible I'll replay it in a couple years and feel completely differently!
honestly I think Ganon enhances the story for me. A lot of people say he comes in 'last minute', but he's introduced as a threatening presence halfway through. What happens to Zant as consequence of him being a puppet is such a fascinating character moment to me. Sure, he could've been a super imposing monster throughout the entire game, but that's been done before, that's what Ganon does in Ocarina lol. Instead, it's slowly unraveled throughout the interactions you have with him across the game that he's just high off power, he possesses ultimate magic and no discipline. By the time you fight him in the end you can just tell he's CRAZY! It's such a good moment. He works as a good parallel to link's progression, the stronger you become the weaker he starts to appear, while the true threat of Ganon is always lurking in the back of your mind.
I like this take a lot! Excellent points!
"He's a last minute villain!"
*Was literally introduced halfway through the game with a cinematic showing his imprisonment and everything*
Uh huh, last minute. Suuuuuuure.
TP is easily my favorite Zelda game personally. The atmosphere makes simply existing in the world such a gorgeous experinece, and I love the feeling of helping the people around you that the story and side quests give, which is one of the most important elements of a Zelda game to me. It's a perfect game in the most important ways a game can be perfect imo
When did you first played it?
Oh boy i can't wait to listen to this at the gym in the morning
Nothin like vibin' out at the gym to a Zelda Retrospective 👍
This video is actually incredible with how well edited it is and how u use your edits perfectly either your jokes. It’s actually criminal that you don’t have more subscribers. I thought I was watching a UA-camr with at least 500k subs until I looked. Keep it up bro you are going to blow up I know it
Hey thanks a lot for saying that! Who knows, maybe one day!
Wolf Link is in it not because of anything you said but because Aonuma had a dream about it and he wanted to make it. He loves Wolf Link a lot even today
The reasoning isn't really the issue. It's still a bad mechanic that feels forced and doesn't organically fit with the narrative
My recommendations have blessed me today
As have my comments, thanks for watching!
I hope your channel blows up with views because this is a great review! I love your sense of humor and the way you deliver your lines is honestly very John Mulaney-esque. You're a pretty funny guy with very distinct and well-worded opinions.
That honestly just made my whole day, thank you for watching, and for the kind words
@@StoneyRPG of course! Looking forward to whenever you post your next one- whenever you get to it
so... ganondorf actually Haves a weakness. it's the fishing rod!
I did not know this! 😂
Can't wait for the rest of your Zelda series
*Five years later* "So I know you've all been looking forward to my takes on the NES Zeldas..."
😂 thanks for watching, but I know everyone's REALLY looking forward to the CDI titles...
@@StoneyRPG exactly 💀
I totally agree with your point of how open world isnt necessarily better than linear gameplay, if that is the direction games are heading these days then having dungeons within an open world is a pretty good compromise 😊
Exactly! There's a way to incorporate both elements in a way that satisfies everybody
@StoneyRPG a good example I feel are the Horizon games with the machine lairs
@@chrisj320ac3 great point!
Even then it's a slipper slope. I personally loved Elden Ring the first dozen or two hours, but afterwards I got so exhausted by all the dungeons and caves everywhere. Then on replays I just find it annoying how so many important key items are scattered around everywhere (whetstones, spell scrolls/books, upgrade material) and what really irked me was how some build items are super far into the game while others are near the beginning. Want to do an Arcane build? Welp you're stuck with Bloody Slash until post-Radhan when you can get to Nokron. Replaying that game is everything between a headache to a NIGHTMARE. It's so much easier to just replay DS3 and BB.
I got my Wii with Twilight Princess back in Christmas of '06... with all the hype surrounding the Wii I can attest to how well received this game was back when it came out, at least by my brothers and me 😂
Man just GETTING a wii for Christmas of 06 was an achievement lol
Got this game for my Wii last week.
I like playing as wolf link
I respect your joy
This guy gets it
Same, I don't get why everyone hates it.
My God that backlash tho. I never understood it, but I also never had the context that you gave.
Yeah it was definitely a bait and switch by Nintendo, but still funny how Windwaker is the much more beloved game nowadays lol
Something of note in the development of the Zant-Ganon dichotomy is simply how brilliantly it ties into who Zant is as a character, and how it builds a perfectly stark contrast between the relationship between Link and Midna. Zant, in how he is presented initially within the chronological order of the game, is almost akin to a crying child: he desperately wanted to rule the Twili for the desire of being in power for once, of being taken from the shadow of his ancestry and put into the spotlight. Buuut, full-well knowing he doesn't have what it takes, and that he'd be otherwise put to the waste bin of Twili history as yet another inconsequential advisor, he throws a literal temper tantrum, one that Ganondorf, now in his "god-like" form, intervenes in to offer him the power to take everything he could ever dream of. The once meager, unimposing political pawn now possesses, through a benefactor far beyond his comprehension, the strength necessary to conquer the Twilight World, and subsequentially the Realm of Light. He puts on the exterior of a cold, brooding and dark menace for the fact that he now has the perceived authority to do so, using the façade to try and make up for the fact that, underneath it all, he's still an immature, undisciplined, spoiled rat of a character. This once again becomes prevalent as Link starts to catch up to him in power, losing his calm, cool demeanor, allowing his erratic, uncontrolled nature to shine through his hardened mask. By the time Link fights him directly, he's right back to where he started: throwing a deranged, screaming tantrum, because, despite his allegiance to Ganondorf, he's once again challenged by a superior force. His pretense of being unquestioned and unopposed has been shattered, and now, his composure has gone with it. Even up to his inevitable death, Zant flaunted around his ill-gotten power like a child who was handed a hammer, only to then have that hammer yanked from his clutches when he tried smashing someone's foot with it. Even beyond death, Zant turns on Ganon in the end, technically landing the finishing blow that put the Bandit King in the ground once again, for the sheer fact that Ganon didn't give him what he wanted: he betrayed effectively his own patron god for the fact that he didn't give him the absolute power he was promised.
Compare this to Link and Midna's relationship: Midna also found Link in a time of great crisis, this time being when Link was locked in Hyrule Castle in his wolf form, and, much like Ganon offered Zant, offered him a way out of his predicament in exchange for unwavering subservience. Unlike Zant, Link didn't really have much of a choice in the matter, but it became a moot point that, for better or for worse, Link would be at the beck and call of this Imp in exchange for a chance to save his friends. As Link and Midna begin their adventure, as mentioned in the video, Midna is bossy, arrogant, and utterly sarcastic, showing little regard for Link and the World of Light, being totally centered on her goal of returning herself to her rightful position of authority. In a weird way, Midna plays the role of Ganondorf, but with the initial character of Zant: she's childish, brash, and emotionally erratic. However, when Midna's power is put to the test, having lost all of the fused shadows, and having been put on the brink of death, Midna instead finds compassion in the sacrifice of Zelda, who gave her own essence for her to survive. Midna's character began to reform in the opposite direction of Zant, continuing to stand by Link's side as she became more cooperative, and eventually made clear her desire to save both the Twilight and Light realms. She, instead, drops the act of bravado and self-righteousness, becoming more empathetic, and eventually becoming an equal partner of Link in many ways. Link's power, too, was gained through hard work and overcoming difficult challenges, much to the opposite of Zant, who was simply handed the power that he then sat on. And, let's be fair, you can't get much further away from Zant's psychotic egomania than a silent protagonist like Link. Whereas Zant saw Ganon as a tool to benefit his own goals, Link saw Midna as a friend and ally to work alongside; whereas Ganon saw Zant as a hapless puppet to use to return to Hyrule, Midna--eventually--saw Link as a dear companion for whom she would fight and die for.
I know that was a wall of text, but, I just thought it was a neat food-for-thought look at the reintroduction of Ganondorf, less as a "last minute" shoe-in, but more of an overarching contrast of our Hero of Twilight's journey.
Beautifully said! Here's to hoping more players come to realize and understand the deeper subtext in Twilight Princess's storyline.
My favorite zelda
I will say back in the day I thought Zant being a pathetic wretch was super lame. But now as I've grown it makes sooooo much sense story-wise. His sudden rise to power and his creepy demeanor makes a lot more sense now. He was basically just handed power and got insanely drunk on it, doing whatever he pleases no matter the consequences on the Twilight people and the people of Hyrule. He wanted to rule and he wanted revenge and now he can childishly pursue it without consequences (until Link).
He was Ganon's puppet and horcrux (hence the scene of Zant snapping his neck at the end). How did he get power? Ganon. Why did he get power from Ganon? To free him and basically make him immortal as long as he was huddled up safe in the twilight realm. That and he got access to the terrible powers of the twilight realm that he could exert from the shadows of his puppet. Before he lost, was captured and almost executed. Now he is doing things different and it was working until Link came in and ruined everything.
Yeah I like everyone's alternate takes on this, but I honestly think they could have just done a better job outlining that relationship and dynamic because it just feels sprung on the player when Zants like "oh my power isn't the twili it's from Ganondorf" and then dies
Twilight princess is a suprisingly beautiful game particularly when played with a good texture pack at 4k its incredible how impressive it looks with its dark yet colourful aesthetic. I have replayed TP more than any other zelda accept maybe majoras mask just something about it always makes me enjoy another playthrough but I agree that wolf link is a weaker element with his lack of move set progression compared with link himself. I never felt Ganon was shoehorned in as some claim and was more fleshed out in one cutscene here than we have got really until TOTK. I liked the madness of Zant in his fight and it made sense given who he was and his desire for a power that is just too much for him. Agreed that nothing needs to be said about Midna really she is by far the best character ever added to any zelda game by a wide margin no contest, it makes me laugh when people say Fi is a great character due to one sentence of dialogue at the end of Skyward sword um no I don't think so go back to TP and say that again.
I bought this game immediately when it came out. Played it for like a hour and stopped.. Something just didn't seem right with it. Tried it again like a year or so later and absolutely loved it.
It's solid! Just missing some marks for me
Teletubes for the ps1 was the first game I played. It was quickly followed up by Star Wars masters of teras kasi, medevil, tomb raider and spider man , clearly teletubies was leages ahead
I would like to clarify this video was in no way an attack on the piece of art that is Teletubbies on PS1 👍
@@StoneyRPG 🤣🤣
Twilight Princess might have been a compromise but it led to a good game. (Wind Waker was also a good game)
Agreed on both counts
Then we got Skyward Sword which had its flaws but still, good game.
zelda games can still allow for non linear dungeon order and yet allow structured dungeon design. i argue the best approach would be where the dungeons have multiple structural layouts as long as they are consistent. a good linear dungeon is where it is a constant flow like a endurance test that is not broken up into shortcuts (a trapping many follow like dodongo's cavern where they come off as disjointed and shrine like), or has a predetermined sequence of events that promotes a lot of backtracing like the wind temple from tww. also not every dungeon needs to follow a strict formula. it can be broken up where it goes from linear to non linear and vise verse. while the dungeon design itself is overall average in terms of substance, alttp is a contender for best structural variety in the series because not every dungeon follows the same formula. look at how the light world ranges from the mostly open ended structure of the desert temple, which also is divided by the overworld to the linear vertical themed tower of hera. the dark world also handles this with skull woods and misery mire being very non linear to the more linear turtle rock and first portion of the ice temple. and to mix things up, dungeons don't need to rely on their items to be challenging. look at how eagle's tower from link's awakening designed its dungeon and ironically it was similar to what the botw/totk dungeons were like except it had a structure and its branching paths made the dungeon very confusing.
one thing tp does better over oot's dungeons is more micro challenge consistency where it does not have the random rooms, but it still has some arbitrary item checks like needing the spinner in temple of time and city in the sky. also small keys in the same room as locked doors are more common compared to oot where ganon's castle is the biggest offender of this design. look at arbiters grounds, all except one of the small keys are very close to the locked doors. palace of twilight is tied with the spirit temple in master quest for the second highest small key count out of any main dungeon and yet every single room that contains one is close to a locked door. alttp i can give some slack because of program limitations, there is no excuse since oot where floor switches or defeat all enemies could also work. one thing tp's dungeons also lack is structural variety. the most diverse dungeons are snowpeak ruins, temple of time, and hyrule castle.
i also would not say all of the dark world dungeons are linear. in fact, most of the dungeons are non linear where you can carry multiple small keys. only two dark world dungeons that i mentioned before have a predetermined small key order while thieve's town is the only dungeon that lets you carry multiple small keys where none are optional. on the flipside, oot master quest has 2 dungeons that only let you carry only one small key while also having optional keys.
what i find missing from twilight princess is the strict linear structure where you cannot access any dungeons out of order and the poorly paced wolf link sections. had these been addressed where its structure was like alttp and oot it could have possibly been in my top 5. link's awakening is linear, but i can give it some slack for limitations, and it has good pacing. also the dungeons are mostly non linear and the boss order starting from angler's tunnel is open ended (key cavern in the remake). majora's mask is also a lnear dungeon order but the boss order is completely open ended and the game itself has one of the best gimmicks in the series. also the dungeons themselves are what i consider a gold standard.
Great video 🎉
Appreciate that buddy 👍
Yes it was a good game and I love it.
Still have the twilight princess hd limited edition even the wii version plus they did trading cards
Twilight Princess is basically just like Ocarina and Wind Waker (literally the same except edgy and no boat) in terms of combat, except having a bit more depth because of the combat techniques. I'd say the same with Skyward Sword if it wasn't for the amazing and engaging motion control combat. I don't see how that makes it worse than those games that also has the generic by the numbers Zelda gameplay.
Also Majora's Mask is literally the most identity a 3D Zelda game has ever had because of the super dark tone, masks, 3 day cycle and timed quests.
- OoT is just vanilla Zelda
- WW is just vanilla Zelda, but with sailing
- TT is just vanilla Zelda, but edgy and has the best narrative
- SS is just vanilla Zelda, but with flying and kickass motion combat
Then BotW turned Zelda on it's head while TotK is just BOTW 2.0 with Fortnite vehicle building.
Lol fortnite building, didn't think of it like that
Good video, more people should see this.
That means a lot, thank you!
Hey man, good video! I definitely plan to make a video on this game in the future, it’s easily my favorite Zelda game. Hell, one of my favorite games of all time. I thought wolf link was fine. Not necessarily bad, I just thought he could have been utilized better. And also, I believe he was turned into a wolf to sort of contrast the whole thing with Link defeating Ganondorf, with Ganondorf’s dark beast form in the final battle being a wild boar, which is the main prey for a wolf. Thats atleast why I think they turned link into a wolf atleast in my opinion. The main problem with wolf link atleast in the beginning is that all he really does is just go after the tears of light. But on the third and final tears of light hunt it was cool to have like a mini boss of some sorts. Aside from that there were some moments that were good as wolf link like in the dungeons or whenever you are hunting poes, getting bugs, or following a scent trail. I thought it wasn’t the best part of the game obviously, but I wouldn’t say it was that bad. I just feel like it could’ve been utilized a bit better. The wolf songs and learning the sword techniques from hero’s shade or the ghost of the hero of time is also pretty cool. I was also gonna talk about Zant but it seems like someone already made it to that lol.
Yeah they give him some stuff to do (hunting the poes, sniffing the smells) but none of it is any different from searching for the bugs, its just the same exact thing but looking for poes instead of bugs now. Idk like I said he's more irritating than anything. I just think there's a lot more they could have fleshed out with the mechanic, especially considering they had a year's worth of extra dev time. But I definitely see what you're saying! And appreciate you watching!
@@StoneyRPGI agree, there could’ve and should’ve been more for him to do. But he’s fine to me overall. But he still is a good alternative for Epona when you can’t really use her in some parts of the game, and he is useful in the later dungeons as well when you can transform back and fourth whenever you want to. In the HD remake the Light tear hunts are better since there aren’t as much and there is an entire dungeon new to the game that is exclusive to Wolf Link. But, you’d need the amiibo for that which sucks but still cool that it’s there. Amiibo cards are cheap to get though but I definitely think it would’ve been cool if it was just there in the game itself. But hey, it’s something.
I haven’t played it yet I do plan to at somepoint. But I’m pretty sure it’s just battle challenges sort of in vain with the one in the base game and a bunch of the other Zelda games but with you being wolf link exclusively. Which is sorta meh, I mean it’s cool that it’s here but it would’ve been cooler if it was an actual dungeon. But it still seems like a cool bonus. And I’m pretty sure it does help you get full health wolf link in breath of the wild as well
Played through this game 3 times. Last time was the HD remaster on the Wii U. If they port it to the switch, I'd probably play it again.
Honestly don't know what's taking so long on the HD port
So far, I’m enjoying Twilight Princess on my black Wii. I’m glad that Nintendo ported it to the Wii because the GameCube version is expensive now, and I don’t like the HD version which I could talk about later.
It's a great game, definitely can tell it was made for the gamecube with a few motion controls duct taped on, and I think the gamecube version Is the definitive version but the wii is definitely more than adequate
im biased as an autistic person with a twilight princess special interest but i never understood the hate this game got as it got older
it being called "unemotional" didn't make sense to me, have you seen that ending????
and then the insult of the artstyle aging as if oot/mm also didn't have a very aged artstyle 🤔
the main hate i do understand is the tutorial taking quite a while, but it's nice for link to have a bit more backstory and to play as how he is before all hell breaks loose
Yeah it definitely got way more hate than it deserved. And the intro honestly doesn't take that long, just long compared to other Zelda games imo
I respectfully disagree on dungeons especially with the more modern Zelda dungeons. I don’t think keys and locks make the dungeons better nor having a linear structure.
I feel it’s because what I define a Zelda dungeon is more about atmosphere, distinct set pieces where there’s a balance of exploration and challenges and the themes that it revolves around it. The forest temple from OOt is my favorite dungeon of all time but not because of the challenge or puzzle box, but because of the mood, the setting, and the navigation and the main gimmick of the temple.
It’s a reason I have an issue with the DB vs TOTK dungeons. The DB usually have one main floor with not that much to explore with how considerable small they are and themes and mechanics tend to be very similar to one another. Plus no unique item or ability till you already beat the dungeon.
At least in TOTks dungeons, there’s multiple floors for exploration and puzzles leading to a terminal, a unique ability that you get to experiment and utilize the whole dungeon, variety in structure and main gimmicks, and distinct atmosphere between each dungeon. To me that’s closer to a traditional Zelda dungeon than simply having keys and arbitrary gated progression. Skip the paraglider in your next playthrough and try the dungeons again. They will feel a lot more difficult and old school trust me
I like what you're saying, but even in terms of atmosphere I was pretty disappointed, but maybe that'll change on repeat playthroughs
@@StoneyRPG just give it a shot man. But either way different strokes for different folks. I love this video either way
@ExperimentaProgdjent that means a lot buddy I appreciate you 👍
your commentary and editing has a lot of character to it~
Why thank you!
Good essay, enjoyed it a lot and agreed on a LOT of these takes and some I do not
But leave the GENai at the door
Thanks for watching!
I like Windwaker the best but if someone's favorite Zelda is Twilight Princess I would understand. It's really good. My only complaint is the overworld is kinda boring to traverse. It doesn't have a whole lot going on. And why are there so many bottomless pits? Did Hyrule experience godlike earthquakes recently?
Lol twilight princess had the Depths before TotK confirmed
So i wont disagree with you on the wolf link stuff (they could have implimented it better in Allot of ways) but wolves are one of the creatures held in high regard in that part of the world and are usually either allied with or antagonistic towards fox spirits as gaurdians of forests and nature in general. Your right that in zelda they hold no importance outside of that quick twili legend about a "sacred beast with sky blue eyes" being what would save them honestly imo a werewolf would have worked just as well or some kind of a halfbreed form jusy keep the sword play maybe make it so link gets powers twilight based powers (not to the same level of zelda) from the triforce of courage. They could keep the golden wolf spirit of oot's link and say that since the spirit of the hero has been passed that he can only take human form enough times to teach us the sword skills after which he would die as the golden wolf and pass on to the next life fully passing the title of hero onto TP's link
Yeah it didn't even have to be a werewolf or anything crazy, just develop the mechanic a little more. Make the wolf game play more than turn on senses, kill bugs/poes, repeat. And the jumps should have definitely been like qte sequences, where to land the jump you have to press the right sequence of buttons or something like that
Definitely in my top 3. The perfect trilogy of Ocarina, Majora, Twilight. Besides, Wolf Link is still 100% far better than BOTW/TOTK overall (Ganondorf was 100% wasted in TOTK, I expected more from him). I don't mind the open world of the new style, but the world is empty. I thought the depth would have fixed that but that was just the same open area with nothing to explore and everything just became the same old thing. By the time you get to understand a weapon, it breaks, so maybe get rid of that useless mechanic too 😂
Yeah either get rid of it or make weapons last more than 8 hits 😂 and I agree, the whole game should have been more. Given how much time they had and how man assets they reused, the game shouldn't feel as empty as it does
@StoneyRPG someone is actually agreeing... usually I get told I'm wrong 😂 honestly, next Zelda game, I hope we get a huge city style market place, like the lively one in Twilight but bigger. TOTK could have done so much more with rebuilding Hyrule. I hope we get another top down style Zelda as well... Link between worlds was many years ago now. I think another in that style is long overdue
@@blackatron666 either that or give me a damn oracles remake
Question that seems random but I need to know have you ever played a metal gear solid game before?
I have not! But the first 2 are on my list for this year!
i think its a shame so many people rush through the wolf sections. they are my favourite part of twilight princess. i really like the exploration focused gameplay of those sections.
its why i love the 3d mario games and even the triforce hunt in windwaker. i like having to explore but still having a clear objective on the way (botw/totk is too focused on exploration though imo, i never got into it).
and tbh i dont really get those OoT comparisons since they are extremely shallow. its comparable to saying OoT ripped of alttp.
The only issue is that it's the exact same thing over and over. Turn on senses, kill bugs, repeat. They could have just fleshed out the entire mechanic more.
And I have to strongly disagree with the oot references lol. Frozen Zoras domain? Check. Forest, fire, and water opening dungeons? Check. Gorons rejecting humans until you help them out? Check.
Ocarina took a lot of inspiration from Alttp, but these are legit plot points ripped straight from Ocarina like come on now
Top 3 Zelda game
What's number 1?
@@StoneyRPG link to the past. It was the first Zelda I played as a kid and was blown away by it but I’ve beaten all except spirit tracks and triforce hero’s 👎🏾
@@ddripgod6965 respect 👍
I mean...I'd like to have a new Donkey Kong Country game *AND* Bravely Default III. Just sayin'. XD
I'm so glad I'm not the only one driven nuts by some of TOTK's gameplay lmao. In TP, a lot of the epic cutscenes are scenes YOU are actively, currently, a PART OF. In TOTK (and BOTW but I think BOTW's memories were better cuz it ain't have that "welp I just got spoiled the final battle!!!" issue) most of the PLOT DRIVEN CUTSCENES are in the bloody past!!! U don't even play as Zelda!! Maybe if we actively played as her, with unique movesets n shi, I wouldn't have much an issue. I'm ngl, I'm not gonna play TOTK unless it's bought for me as a b day gift or som. I was totally fine just watching a compilation of all the cutscenes and that's.....really sad. When I was a kid, I watched a playthrough of TP, and it made me WANT to play the game. Ion get that wit TOTK. I took my butt over to the ole used book store and got me a copy! Even though I was spoiled on everything, it was still a joy to play. Don't feel that way at all with TOTK. The world is mostly the same as BOTW, which I played. Boring dungeons. AGAIN. Plot mostly in the form of past memories....yeah no thx nintendo imma sit this one out.
Yeah and considering it's dev time/how many assets they reused, definitely should have been more.
Braverly Default isn't a Nintendo game
It's published by Nintendo. By that logic Donkey Kong Country isn't a Nintendo game either, it's a Rare game
102nd comment , 175th like, 301st new subscriber
I appreciate you 👍👍
first of all, great video! you deserve more views and subscribers for the quality of content you’re putting out.
second of all, i recently replayed both WWHD and TPHD back to back and it put me into a fan crisis. Windwaker was my first Zelda game so it had always been my favorite. But on this most recent replay it wasn’t hitting the same. It felt shorter than I remembered it. I found myself enjoying TPHD more as an adult and I feel like I’ve betrayed the Windwaker hive🥲
Thanks so much I really appreciate that! And yeaahhh its still a great game, it's possible I'll replay it in a couple years and feel completely differently!
Check out the original version of the song Torn by Ednaswap Stoney, it kicks serious grunge ass.
WOW you have blown my mind today baubles! My whole childhood was a lie!
@@StoneyRPG You are not alone.