Anime Expo 2007 [i360 via Go Nintendo]

Twilight Hack [WiiBrew via Maxconsole]

The process is far from simple as once you modify a save game it requires it be to signed with 3 keys. Here's some info from Bushing.

"Once the Wii decrypts the save game, it checks its signature. Every Wii has its own private key which is used to sign save games, and when you save a game, the Wii actually saves three bits of data:

* The encrypted save game
* The signature for the save game (using your console's private key)
* A copy of your console's public key, signed by Nintendo."

Of course, the end user wouldn't have to go through this process unless they were wanting to inject their own code into the save game, but that shouldn't be necessary...

Camy Hero Pack Product Page [Camy International]

It's because of gamers that games have come as far as they have... it's not Nintendo's intent to alienate those people... We think we can involve everyone — people who played games in the past because the approach is so new, and people who were never gamers.

Alienate Gamers [Infendo]

Virginia high school student Andrew sends us what could be best described as a Nintendo marketer's wet dream. He writes:

Last Friday, for my gym class's Physical Fitness Final Exam, my teacher brought in 3 Wiis and an Xbox, all hooked up to LCD projectors projected on the walls of the gym. For 2 hours we had tournaments on 2 of the Wiis in Wii Sports, Wii Play, Excite Truck, and Wario Ware while others played Twilight Princess on another and DDR on the xbox. We were also given the option of playing basketball but all 20 people in my class were more interested in Wii.

Amazon.com's Deal of the Day is often pretty crappy, but today they're actually listing something worth having for all you Gamecube owners. Today's special is the GC version of The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess for a mere $32.99. It's available with their free Super Saver Shipping if you don't mind waiting a couple of extra days, which, if you've waited this long to get it, probably isn't an issue. Flynn De Marco

Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess [Amazon.com]

OH COME ON. These Twilight Princess Wii-mote add-ons aren't even trying. For US $29.99, you'd think that they could make something that wasn't so rotten. Can you imagine sitting in your house, gaming with these things? Or worse yet, the individuals who have already purchased these? *Shudder* Brian Ashcraft

Bad Zelda Peripherals [FRY'S via Fashionfunky]

A few weeks ago, Stephen Munn over at Aeropause reported that Nintendo was replacing Twilight Princess discs (Wii version) that had been affected by the "Cannon Room Glitch." Stephen unfortunately got caught in this trap and dutifully returned his disc to Nintendo for replacement. Well, the new disc came back and Stephen says that once again all is well in Hyrule.

Starting the new Zelda disc the first time brings a message, "Initiating System Update." On confirmation, it does a very quick update (apparently from the disc), and then brings you back to the Wii Menu... Upon opening the game, Shad is in the room. Speaking to him makes him leave.

The problem with this bug was that the character of Shad was nowhere to be found in the room to talk to after saving and shutting off the console in the Big Cannon Room. If you talked to Midna and tried to warp out of the room, she would tell you you couldn't because "That guy is watching us." Searching for Shad in the room came up with nothing despite what some forums would have you believe about him being "invisible", thus making it impossible to leave the room.

So, if you were a victim of this unfortunate incident and were unsure about sending your disc back, you can rest assured that the new replacement will fix the issue. There is no word yet on whether this will also fix the Eldin Bridge glitch that was also present on some versions. Flynn De Marco

NOA replaces my Zelda disc, and then some. [Aeropause]

Despite repeated warnings and articles about it all over the internet and certain forums, Stephen Munn over at Aeropause got caught in the dreaded Twilight Princess Cannon Room Bug. Now, I am not dogging him for this, because I did exactly the same thing back in December and ended up having to repeat three dungeons.

As he was researching an answer to the issue (which until now didn't exist) he came across a random posting on the official Nintendo forums claiming that Nintendo was replacing the glitchy discs. Not only that, but if you are stuck at that particular point in the game, the new disc will resolve the issue.

So, Stephen did a little investigating and after an email exchange, got a Nintendo rep on the phone that confirmed the replacement policy. The rep went on to explain to him exactly how the exchange works:

Write a letter explaining how I encountered the issue, along with my name, address, and daytime telephone number, and mail it along with just the game disc (no case) to the following address:

NINTENDO OF AMERICA
ATTN: CS ADMIN
4900 150TH AVE NE
REDMOND WA 98052-5171

A big shout out to Stephen for following this lead to it's conclusion so we can all get our buggy discs replaced. I'll be sending mine out tomorrow, anyone else going to take advantage of this? Flynn De Marco

Nintendo replacing buggy Zelda discs [Aeropause]

Hot on the heels of the Twilight Princess' 1 million sales news, comes Nintendo's honors at the recent AIAS awards at DICE. Nintendo received nineteen nominations in eleven different categories eventually going home with five awards. The list of honors are as follows...

• Outstanding Innovation in Gaming: Wii Sports
• Outstanding Achievement in Story and Character Development: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
• Outstanding Achievement in Game-Play Engineering: Wii Sports
• Outstanding Achievement in Game Design: Wii Sports
• Hand-Held Game of the Year: Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day

Brain Age got best hand-held game of the year? Really? I shake my head in wonderment.
God, I hated that game. Flynn De Marco

In a press release from Nintendo, comes the news that the Wii version of Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess has just marked one million sales. Note that we are talking units sold, games in the hands of gamers, not units shipped, as some companies like to wave around like it means something. According to the release, Twilight Princess has now garnered the coveted position of "the fastest-selling launch title for any new video game system since Super Mario 64 for Nintendo 64 some 10 years ago." pretty impressive considering this isn't even including the Gamecube version sales.

Just goes to show you what the power of a really strong 21 year old franchise can do. Go team Zelda! Flynn De Marco

So, the honeymoon's over and the novelty's worn off by now. A good chunk of us got our Wiis and have played Wii Sports, Twilight Princess or Wario Ware: Smooth Moves into the ground. As Greg Howson at Guardian's Gamesblog points out:

I appreciate there is always a post launch lull, but I'm struggling to get too excited about the Wii at the moment. The terrible Call of Duty 3 makes me fear for future Wii conversions of multi format games, while the Virtual Console downloads are technically flawed and far too familiar.

Do know what he means. I will occasionally play a pick-up round of Wii Tennis with Mrs. Bashcraft, but that's about it at the moment. (McWhertor, on the other hand, spent yesterday playing Wario Ware: Smooth Moves alone. Yes, ALONE.) So it's poll time! And for the really chatty-types, clack away in the comments section:

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

Playing With Your Wii? [Guardian, Image From Infendo]

With the exception of a few titles, almost everything this week is is something that's already out on other systems. Not really much in the way of new stuff besides Elebits, although I'm hot to try out Super Swing Golf.

Super Swing Golf (Wii)
Watch Kasumi and her boobs play golf!

Elebits
Wreck everything in pursuit of cute little blobby things!

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas (PC)
Rainbow Six action now for the PC!

Metal Slug Anthology (PSP)
The full collection of the arcade classic title lands on the PSP.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Dual Sympathy (DS)
The popular manga and anime series gets it's first DS game.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (GC)
Zelda fans who couldn't get a Wii, rejoice!

Star Trek: Legacy (Xbox 360)
Experience the entire history of Star Trek all in one game!

The Shield (PS2)
Michael Chiklis in polygons!

Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII (PS3)
More World War II simulation from Aspyr.

Flynn De Marco

Everyone's favorite lippy Microsoft blogger Ozymandias files his Wii impressions. In a nutshell, here's what he has to say:

• "The controller works well — but for some genres. As I've said before, first person shooters and 'point to aim' just isn't this console's strength. It works, but there's a lag."
• "One feature I found super-compelling was the ability to create a mini-avatar, or 'Mii.' This is genius. I personally had way too much fun creating my little guy."
• "The online service isn't there yet — but to be fair, it also wasn't promised at launch as did Sony. Nintendo is still insisting on using Friend Codes (or Wii number) to identify yourself on the system. This sort of sucks. While they took some good leaps ahead of all of the competition in personalization with the Mii concept, this is a definite throwback."
• "Graphically the Wii won't blow your socks off. Even Zelda, probably one of the best looking Wii games, only ranges from 'ok' to 'very good' in my opinion. (Yes, I have the component cables.) My hope is that there will be enough games that don't need high-end graphics to enable the Wii to survive past the first couple of years."
• Zelda does start slow — fair warning. You have to spend literally two hours before it actually kicks in while they run you through what feels like a too long controller training level. I'll also add that the new controls don't add anything to the Zelda experience — frankly, they were tacked on to help sell Wiis. However, they also don't negatively impact the game experience so it's a bit of a wash.

Agree? Disagree? Discuss. We're all ears. Brian Ashcraft

Wii Impressions [Ozymandias]

This kicks off Brian Ashcraft's coverage of the Wii Japan Launch. Check back throughout the day for continued updates.

The guy at the front of the line tells me he's been waiting since 6am. It's now somewhere between 3:30 and 4:00 in the afternoon. We're here at Yodobashi Camera in Umeda in Osaka, and he's waiting for the Nintendo Wii.

"What launch title you gonna buy?" I ask him. He's wearing a black puffy coat and a black knit cap.
"Zelda."

There's another thirty or so in line behind him. The First Guy is quick to point out that people didn't start showing up until noon. That's after he had been in line. For six hours. Alone.

"Anything else you're getting?"
"Nope," he tells me. Black stubble covers his hard jaw. "That's it. Just Zelda. You?" Brian Ashcraft

Go Nintendo has a clip up showing a glitch that makes Link get stuck in a room because some guy, who isn't present, won't let him leave. Kinda weird. The video is quasi spoilery, but doesn't really show anything from the plot. Brian Crecente

Twilight Princess Glitch [Go Nintendo]

Reader GzeP sends word of a Twilight Princess glitch that involves a giant pole sticking out from Link's right foot. GzeP writes:

I just wanna share this annoying Zelda graphical glitch that I experienced. Did you also experienced this brown-ish pole/line that's stuck on Link's foot? Fortunately it 'wears out' when exiting the town or visiting the ranch. Mind you that this is my 2nd copy of the game already as I exchanged/returned my 1st hoping that this graphical glitch would go away the second time. Is my Wii the problem, the save file or something else?

This is the first I've heard of this, making me wonder if it's just this dude (I mean, he did return the game like it was a cartridge). Kotaku-land feel free to chime in—as if I had to say that. Brian Ashcraft

In addition to racking up lots of monies with their profitable Gamecube Turbo, Nintendo is also very proud of themselves for selling over 454,000 copies of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. (I assume this game is very good. Since I don't have a Wii to play my copy on, I wouldn't know, would I?)

Hit the jump for the full back-slapping, rubbing-it-in-my-face press release, while I slink off to hug my unopened Wii-mote, then write an angry letter to Reggie. Michael McWhertor

WII IS A MASSIVE HIT

600,000 First-Week Purchases Attracting Veteran and New Gamers

REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 27, 2006 - Built on a foundation of pure fun, Nintendo's new Wii video game availability. That's a rate of nearly one per second continuously since the Nov. 19 launch. Including just first-party software and accessory sales, Wii instantly has become a $190 million business in the Americas.

During the Thanksgiving holiday shopping weekend, there was plenty of conversation across the nation about the high demand for the Wii system, with the acknowledgment that if you see one, you'd better buy it.

"Even with sales already in excess of 600,000 units, demand continues to exceed supply, as it's clear this is one of the 'gotta-have' products for the holiday season," says Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "We've shipped retailers several times the amount of hardware the other company was able to deliver for its launch around the same time - and we still sold out. Given the inclusive nature of Wii game play, we're seeing this new form of video gaming is already a huge hit with gamers and newcomers alike. It continues to be a phenomenal launch."

The system also is succeeding in its stated mission of reinvigorating current players, while attracting new ones. Every Wii system includes the five-game Wii Sports software, which is the talk of the Internet, featuring countless reports on how previously devout non-gamers have suddenly been converted via the amazing new way games are experienced using the system's remarkable controller. At the same time, the masterful The Legend of Zelda : Twilight Princess, a favorite of avid gamers, already has achieved sales of more than 454,000 units in the Americas, representing more than 75 percent of all hardware purchasers.

Licensees, pleased not only with the sales performance of the Wii, but also its creative development capabilities, are publicly sharing their comments:

"Madden NFL 07 is a great example of how the Wii gives players a whole new experience on their favorite games," says EA Studio President Paul Lee. "EA's creative teams are working to build more Wii features into some of our most popular franchises."

"The creativity we've been able to unleash on the Wii system with our game Red Steel has been eye-opening for our development teams," explains Ubisoft President Laurent Detoc. "Having the opportunity to design and develop entirely new game-play experiences using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk is both exciting and rewarding."

Classic games also are proving to be a hit on Wii, which offers downloadable access to 20 years of the best of Nintendo , Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx16 hits via the system's Virtual Console feature.

The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii , Nintendo DS , Game Boy Advance and Nintendo GameCube systems. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.2 billion video games and more than 387 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario , Donkey Kong , Metroid , Zelda and Pok mon . A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company's Web site at www.nintendo.com.

This weekend, while you were passed out thanks to that mmm...mmm... sleepy tryptophan in turkey, Japanese folks were lining up to play games Wii games. Nintendo World finally made its way to Tokyo, where the peak wait for Twilight Princess clocked in at almost four hours. The lines for Super Mario Galaxy and Dragon Quest Swords both were over an hour and a half. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption's line was two hours long, and Super Monkey Ball's was 80 minutes. Some of these games, you might already own, so don't forget that the Wii hits The Land of the Rising Sun this December. No more bitching from Americans how Japan gets stuff first, 'mkay? (Europeans, carry on as usual.) Brian Ashcraft

Nintendo World Invades Chiba, Really [Famitsu]

Reader Chris T. writes in with this find from his local Target. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess soundtrack that comes with a 1/6 scale replica Hylian Sword and Shield. Chris describes it as a "limited supply" with a price tag of $39.99 so if you want to get your hands on this one, I would suggest you get down to Target ASAP. But, as we learned with the console launches, always remember to call ahead now and avoid bitter disappointment later. Flynn De Marco

Japanese game mag Famitsu has published its first Wii game scores. Here's how it works: Four editors score each game on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest mark. So far, it looks like the Wii is packed with games, all pretty good. On to the reviews! After the jump! Brian Ashcraft

• Twilight Princess (Wii, Nintendo): 9/10/9/10 — (38/40)
• Twilight Princess (GC, Nintendo): 10/10/9/9 — (38/40)
• Odoru Made in Wario (Wii, Nintendo): 8 / 9 / 8 / 9 — (34/40)
• Red Steel (Wii, Ubisoft): 8 / 9 / 9 / 8 — (34/40)
• SD Gundam: Scud Hammers (Wii, Bandai Namco): 8 / 8 / 9 / 8 — (33/40)
• Elebits (Wii, Konami): 8 / 8 / 8 / 8 — (32/40)
• Trauma Center: Second Opinion (Wii, Atlus): 8 / 9 / 8 / 7 — (32/40)
• Swing Golf Pangya (Wii, Tecmo): 8 / 7 / 7 / 7 mdash; (29/40)
• Necro-Nesia (Wii, Spike): 8 / 7 / 6 / 7 — (28/40)
• Crayon Shin-Chan: Saikyou Kazoku Kasukabe King Wii (Wii, Banpresto): 7 / 8 / 7 / 6 — (28/40)
• Ennichi no Tatsujin (Wii, Bandai Namco): 7 / 7 / 7 / 6 — (27/40)
• Tamagotchi no Pika Pika Daitouryou (Wii, Bandai Namco): 7 / 7 / 7 / 5 — (26/40)
• Kororinpa (Wii, Hudson): 6 / 6 / 6 / 6 — (24/40)
• Wing Island (Wii, Hudson): 5 / 6 / 6 / 5 — (22/40)

Famitsu Scores [Infendo]

First, the length. I won't say exactly how many dungeons it has, but it's on par with just about all Zelda games (including old ones). When I finished, my save game clocked in at just about 50 hours, which is a bit short of the 70 hours Nintendo claimed to Mark Wilson. Granted, you can spend a lot of time searching for all the heart pieces, and thus rack up 70~100 hours of play. After finishing, I could say I still wished for more dungeons to explore and more things to do, but that's the case of every Zelda game.

Next, the controls.

Mark had minor issues with controlling Link, and I agree for the most part. The Wiimote did feel added on late in the development cycle, so it wasn't as natural as it could have been. Trying to do some of the secret moves resulted in me waving either the Nunchuk or the Wiimote frantically as Link was finishing his previous action. The control scheme definitely won't get in the way, but it's not a joy to play either.

Example: the hidden Shield Attack works by using the Nunchuk, but half the time I was trying to do that I ended up doing a spin attack instead. You'll notice various other quirks, but I don't want to spoil anything.

The difficulty level of Twilight Princess is much lower than in previous Zelda games. Maybe they wanted to ease new players into the Wii control scheme, or maybe games really have gotten less twitchy and more puzzle-oriented. Even if you're no good at fighting, you'll still manage to get through the game just fine without dying too many times. If you're decent at the controls, you'll breeze through.

Graphics weren't Xbox 360/PS3 level by any means, but still looked great enough to impress me many times. The sound, however, was a mixed bag. On the one hand I really loved hearing all the old Zelda themes pop up all over the place, but on the other hand they really should have dumped the synth music and went to an orchestral score. It didn't take anything away from the gameplay, but that's the thing that would have made it awesome.

Things I disliked: fishing and the Wiimote sounds. They tailored fishing to the Wiimote, but honestly, it was hooooooorrible. There are a few places where fishing is mandatory to advance the plot, and I wasted too much time figuring out what to do—the manual was zero help—that I wish they would have just taken out the fishing entirely, or made it optional. Again, just my own opinion.

The sounds from the Wiimote were fine at first, but they really put too much audio through that tinny, tiny speaker. Toning this down just a tad would have gone a long way.

Of course, all this is my own take on the game and you'll come up with yours as you play through Wind Waker for the Gameboy DS Twilight Princess (I'm Wii-todded). I'd give the entire experience an A-, despite any control problems and the issues faced. It's definitely a Zelda game, and if you like previous games in the series you'll dig this one. Jason Chen

Update: What I meant by the Wiimote was that it was too much audio, not too loud. I turned it down to 2 bars (perfect in a relatively quiet living room), but the quality of the speaker wasn't great. It's neat that you get the "puzzle solved" sound coming from the Wiimote—along with sword slashes, Midna giggling, and tons of other sounds—but I'd rather it come from the screen because the Wiimote speaker quality is poor and they used it too often.

Nintendo ain't just making games for Johnny-Come-Latey's. No. Nintendo is still making h4rdc0r3 gamez (along with making pedestrian stuff for my mom). With the DS appealing to the casual and non-gamers, some are worried that Nintendo's ditching the 'core. According to company president Reggie Fils-Aime:

For the passionate fan who wants something a bit more challenging, a deep story, 70 hours of gameplay, it's Zelda. It's all there, it's nine dungeons long, it is an immense area—that alone should stop all of the worries as to whether Nintendo will continue to make big, epic games. We absolutely will... We want it all, quite frankly. So when we talk about bringing gaming back to the masses it is both for this core fan, which we will continue to have great content for, and this new expanded gamer who either hasn't played in 20 years or hasn't played at all.

1337. Or as mom would say, "That's swell." Brian Ashcraft

Reggie Hasn't Given You Up [Eurogamer]

Bashcraft: THUMBS DOWN
McWhertor: THUMBS UP.

Kotaku-land? Brian Ashcraft

Go on! Get! Michael McWhertor

Remember that Nintendo Twilight Princess event? Well up until today, the press has only been able to talk about their experiences with the first 4 hours of the game, or about half of what we actually played.

The following article will not be for everyone. While my first story focused on the game's control scheme and graphics, this story will be a little more about some features that were previously confidential. I won't be SPOILING plot for anyone, but if you want a completely unadulterated play experience, go hide under a rock for a few weeks and don't hit the jump. To those who love unwrapping gifts a few days early...

Sumo wrestling was my biggest surprise in Twilight Princess. And no, I'm not making this up (that section comes later). Seriously, who would have predicted scrawny teenagish Link wrestling Sumo-style these huge Gorons? I dislike that he takes off his shirt (just doesn't feel like Zelda), but what are you gonna go? The minimal controls allow grabbing (a-button), punching (wiimote) and dodging (errr...maybe d-pad). Unlike the wolf's somewhat stiff, always-getting-me-in-trouble controls, I enjoyed the monodirectional movements in the sumo ring. It made sense, and I can still feel the controller vibrating as I collided with the Gorons.I didn't reach this boss of dungeon 2, which guarantees I will need to buy the game, because this upside-down sumo battle might be the greatest thing ever.

TP's graphics, while not always a technical masterpiece, convey a cinematic feel. It's not something you see much until after the first dungeon, probably because the plot doesn't start out with a great deal of intensity. I hoped that Nintendo would send better horseback riding combat shots, because they capture the in-game cinematic nature better than anything. But the above shots make the point well enough. Know that you will have to fight that guy above, on horseback, on a bridge - in a jousting without a joust matchup. I only mention it because that was my favorite part of the two days of playing at Nintendo by a longshot - a large "oh wow" moment that hints at the depth of gameplay to come.


Crawling through the second dungeon after the horse combat was a bit disappointing to my heart rate. I guess it's a matter of scale. You go from grandiose action, jumping obstacles on horseback while chasing down bad guys in a large environment, to using your brain in a much more confined space. I appreciate the varied flavors of gameplay, but looking back I realize how much Zelda games are changing, and how the dungeons won't get your blood pumping in the same way the outside environment will. Magnetic iron boots are cool, but by design not all that thrilling (though fun). And it's not necessarily that the dungeons are bad, it might be that the epic outside battles are that good. I don't mean any of this in a negative way - I just want to point out that the action and cognitive portions of the game are stretching further apart than they ever have before in the series, and what defines a game as a Zelda title will shift along with it.

Speculation/Potential SPOILER
When shadow/twilight villains are defeated, they open wormholes that can teleport you to other wormholes on the map. What's interesting about these wormholes is that their artistic style in no way matches the rest of TP. While they are black like the Twilight Realm, the edges are purposefully boxy and pixelated - intentionally rendered in a digital motif. Some of us talked about the possibility of a really lame "you're in the matrix" type of twist. Hopefully Link will not wake up, finding he's been used as a battery. Mark Wilson

Actually, it's a pretty cool look at the massive amounts of Twilight Princess being shipped to your game retailer of choice. Check out the photo gallery for more. Michael McWhertor

Wii And Zelda Porn (Unfortunately Totally Safe For Work)

Putting the "special" back in specialty retailer, Gamestop (aka EBgames) is not only bundle-screwing their customers to the tune of $700 if they want to order a Nintendo Wii from them, they're not even selling The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess online unless you order a Wii bundle.

That $700 Wii bundle will net you six games, including The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Trauma Center: Second Opinion, Red Steel, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz and Madden NFL 2007, plus a 1 GB SD card, second Wii-mote, a Game Informer subscription, and a handy product replacement plan.

My opinion? Don't buy. With an estimated 4 million units shipping before the end of the year, I have a hard time believing you, Joe Consumer, won't be able to walk into Target, a Best Buy, a Circuit City, and score one, along with games you actually want. Rage against the bundle machine! Don't let the Man dictate what you buy!

So angry right now. Seriously, why do you people shop at these places? Surly, often grossly misinformed employees forced to push used games, strategy guides, and replacement plans, plus scornful looks and venomous reprimands from the staff when I don't pre-order a game ahead of time—it plainly sucks. Michael McWhertor

GameStop.com selling Zelda only with Wii bundle [Gamespot]

So you read our Twilight Princess hands-on, but still had a few more questions? That's understandable...especially for a girl your age. When changes begin to happen in one's body, all we can recommend is hearty, safe, legal exploration.

So we collected all of your best questions, and like the total jerks we are who never call the next day, posted them after the jump (along with the complete BS we're referring to as "answers").

How far, exactly, did you get? First dungeon, second dungeon, etc?
I almost finished the second dungeon after 9-10 hours of play.

Will Twilight Princess stick with the old text based dialog, or will there be voice acting?
Text dialog only - which makes some of the longer scenes seem...longer at times.

Did you ever forget you were merely playing a game?
Actually, this is a great question because I NEVER forgot I was playing a game...but I blame that on being surrounded by journalists and sitting at a demo kiosk. You know the kind of tacit pissing match an environment like that becomes?

I was just wondering if the graphics in the Wii version of Twilight Princess are better, or any different at all?
I never saw or played the Gamecube version (it wasn't available to us). However, I was told to expect a very similar level of graphics, save for the wide aspect ratio of the Wii version and a mirrored image.

Does the game give you an option to play with the Wii's "Classic" controller or GCN controller?
From a conversation with PR, I'm 99% certain you can play TP with a Wavebird on the Wii, but only with the Gamecube version of the game. I'm 100% certain you cannot use the Wiimote with the Gamecube version.

I've one BIG question unanswered: Is there a way to change the remote controls to a "left-handed" mode?
No. But we had a lefty in our group who was also concerned about this issue. He reported no problems.

Do you have the ability to go anywhere right at the beginning or do you have to unlock certain areas?
You need to unlock certain areas.

Does the cord get in the way when you are doing movements or actions with both the nunchuck and the remote? Do you get slapped in the face with the cord?
The cord does seem short when you first hold the controllers, but I never had an issue with running out of length, probably because swinging the sword only requires a small amount of movement. I predict any games that will require large Wiimote motions will ditch the nunchuck. But what do I know? Maybe getting strangled will be half the fun.

So, are there any notable new weapons or items in Twilight Princess?
Not so far.

The game is supposedly 70 hours long. Did what you play indicate gameplay varied enough to keep the game interesting and fresh for that length of time?
Definitely. Like all Zelda games, Link continuously gains more items and learns new skills/attacks - and there is some neat gameplay that I can't talk about. But I will say it seemed like there was less room for growth as wolf Link. I hope I'm wrong there.

When you're aiming...does it go right where you point it with no delay?
Sometimes it felt like there was a slight delay. However, I'm not sure if that was because I was aiming from my arm instead of my wrist. Make sense? When you change the channel on your TV, you don't pay much attention to the remote's angle. Now imagine that the remote is aimed a little left and you don't realize it while you trail an enemy. You could constantly be a step behind your target and not know why.

"In my opinion, the Wii controlls for Zelda: TP ____________"
...don't define the gameplay experience as they will for other Wii titles.

Can you compare the size of Hyrule to any other game? Bigger than GTA? Smaller than Oblivion? Biggest thing ever?
The scale is nowhere near Oblivion, from the map I saw (which they claimed was the only map...). And while TP has some wide open spaces, it never reminded me of those GTA or Oblivion.

Is there a day/night system like in Ocarina of Time?
No, but there is a world of light (normal) and a world of dark (twilight). Developers probably ditched real time lighting in favor of the theme.

Are Rupees in the game?
Of course. And I was maxed out in the first dungeon and incredibly annoyed when I had to put rupees back in treasure chests.

Is Tingle in the game?
Not that I saw.

I've been watching all the videos that have been released online and I see inconsistencies with the animations in the game. Are the game's animations flawless and smooth or are there hiccups in the fluidity?
They were smooth. I had issues with pixilation, but not the animations.

You and many other reviewers have mentioned the plant whistling method of calling Epona...Will I have a tough time searching before I can call on my trusty steed?
There will be times where finding a plant is either a pain or impossible. Or maybe it's such a pain it just feels impossible.

How would you say that Twilight Princess stacks up to Links Awakening, musically? Will the theme become a classic and recognizable for years to come?
I'll admit it - I didn't pay enough attention to the music. I remember large orchestral scores and being generally impressed, but my favorite sounds were surprises from the Wiimote speaker - even if that speaker sounds pretty crappy.

Are there zombies and motorbikes?
...yeah...sure...

Above all, is this game TOTALLY AWESOME?
The game has an epic feel, no doubt. I'm not taking back my disappointment with some of the graphics and some of the controls, but overall I had a great time playing. Zelda fans will be pleased. (And who isn't a Zelda fan?) Mark Wilson

Two minutes, 38 seconds in. She's wearing purple. Saying that it's fun for adults, too. Blink and you'll miss her. Brian Ashcraft

Alright. Some of you liked my preview, and some of you didn't. But I'm sure most all of you have questions that I didn't answer about Twilight Princess, the Wii, what Nintendo HQ is like and whether Wolf Link could defeat human Link in a cosmic crossover battle to the death.

Anyway, shoot me an email at tdig@kotaku.com with your best questions and I'll post a top ten sometime later this week. I know it's not much, but until I take my rightful position as ruler of the world, diverting all research and human faculty into getting us our Wiis two weeks sooner, this is pretty much the best I can do. Mark Wilson

Let's face it gamers, no matter what gender or sexual orientation, we all want to know one thing about an upcoming game. How big is it? This intimate question was put to two of Nintendo of America's game localization guys, Nate Bihldorff and Bill Trinen about the highly anticipated Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

The boys wasted no time in whipping out a whopping 9 dungeons, 70 hours of gameplay and boasted of a Hyrule field five times as big as the map in Ocarina of Time. They also assure us that there are a lot more side quests so that the game doesn't end up becoming and endless string of dungeons one after the other.

The Zelda franchise has always been known for the size and depth of it's games and it sounds like this one is more than ready to rise to the occasion. Flynn De Marco

Toward the end of my two day Nintendo visit, I'm sitting with Perrin Kaplan, Nintendo's VP of Marketing and Corporate affairs. She casually mentions that P. Diddy called to make sure he was getting a Wii at launch, and I'm a little embarrassed for her. Does she not realize who I am - the world famous writer of TDIG - admired around the globe for the keen ability to cut and paste Wikipedia articles, add the word "cock" a few times, and claim it as my own insight? Apparently not.

I want to explain to her that you don't name drop around the Name incarnate. But more with Perrin later, because you want to hear about The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Wii.

During the event, I play Twilight Princess for about nine hours total, but due to press embargoes, I can only talk about the first four or so. To put that in perspective, Nintendo claims testers took 70 hours to play through the game the first time. This article isn't about plotline or character development - that fun is for you. I am going to do my best to relay the experience of playing and answer all those questions of Wiimote mechanics.

Twilight Princess is broken down into two basic worlds. The first is the normal Zelda land we all know, with Link looking like a young Rod Stewart as he frolics around the countryside to Hyrule. The second world is that of the Twilight Realm, a growing parallel existence of shadow where Link transforms into a wolf ridden by a witch named Midna. Here, living people appear as ghosts who don't even realize they are trapped in darkness.

Graphics

The graphics of Twilight Princess are both beautiful and disappointing, looking a lot like a high end Gamecube title (or more likely, XBOX) with enhanced shaders. In the normal world, there are moments of brilliance in the glow of the vast horizon, but these touches are difficult to appreciate with Link's pixilated body constantly front and center. Artistic intention is obvious, but I can't help wishing that the jagged edges of Link's arms aren't more frightening than his sword. Some of the effect is due to the close proximity of the LCD televisions - which are only a few feet away. From farther distances, the image gains cohesiveness and the richness of an oil painting. I often find myself looking around the room to other monitors, admiring the neighbors' scenery more than my own.

The Twilight Realm, however, has a much cleaner edge from close proximity. This is mostly due to a constant blur effect - but it's beautiful nonetheless. Highlights in the wolf's fur glow, and the sky shimmers like the Northern Lights - be they sitting stagnant in the sky.

Gameplay/Control
"For gamers, Zelda will probably be number one...for people who are new to this industry, or who used to play and have left...I think Wii Sports is going to be the big draw," Perris says. I know what she means, and it comes down to the complexity of controls.

Playing as Link is completely familiar, as he brandishes a set of moves similar to recent titles. The nunchuk moves Link through the environment. Jumping between surfaces is not jumping, but running off the edge and engaging an auto-leap. It's fairly natural after a while.

But how does the Wiimote fair? It's not horrible, and not stellar. You unsheathe the sword by moving the remote. Fighting with a sword, you have three basic attacks: you can swipe side to side by swinging horizontally. You can swing downward by swinging the remote up to down. Or you can thrust...by thrusting? No. You swing and hold the nunchuk directional pad forward. To me, this button combination takes a lot away from the basic sword control. As soon as simple attacks aren't one-to-one translations, I begin to miss the point. A jump attack or finishing blow is even less movement based, requiring you to lock on with the Z button from the nunchuk and press A. I want to leap into the air and descend from the heavens, smashing skulls into bits, projecting little brain pieces on fellow journalists, yelling "That's how the Markster brings it, BITCH! Don't fuck with Zelda!" Hell, I practiced it. But instead, it's Z button, A button. The combat can still be fun, and the added visceral element will be a loss in the Gamecube version. But the sword attacks simply don't take full advantage of the Wii controls.

Aiming projectiles takes practice, but can offer surprising accuracy. I find myself avoiding the slingshot or boomerang mostly because I'm playing with the Wiimote resting on my leg. When activating my weapon and aiming, I receive a full screen message telling me to aim the controller at the screen. This happens a ton, though I don't think it would be an issue if I were standing while playing because then I'd keep the Wiimote in the ready. We are set in highchairs, while I would prefer to rock Zelda hard and deep like Guitar Hero's 'More then a Feeling'.

Attacking with the wolf is the only major disappointment in battle. He has one primary lunging attack activated by any simple Wiimote movement. Because of this mono-directional fighting style, I often find myself on the wrong side of an enemy with little choice than to run and turn around (lest the wolf's subsequent anal raping make Twilight Princess 'M' for Mature).

There are evil shadow creatures that the wolf encounters, who require a different type of attack to kill. As I hold Z, a black circle grows on the ground, sparking with purple electricity. When the shadow creatures are all within the circle, I release Z and the wolf combo kills them all - a necessity because if one is left standing, its shrieking will resurrect the others...and generally annoy the hell out of the real you.

But Link's wolf form offers more interesting features than combat. He has enhanced senses that are easily activated with the touch of the D-Pad. They allow him to see sparkling treasure in the ground (which he can dig up) as well as eavesdrop on ghosts. Something I'm sure will be exploited later in the game is his ability to howl - a real time musical interaction where you control the pitch. But is the howling controlled by the Wiimote? No, and it makes me crave a good Wind Waker port along with that lame conducting game from E3 that ended up being just a tech demo.

Link's witch friend Midna is less for battle and more for reaching high distances and long gaps. You hear her giggle in the Wiimote speaker at the appropriate times to call for her assistance. It's a great use of the speaker, as its presence dwells outside the general stereo sound interface. It's like she's right next to you, because she is. If you fail to solve certain puzzles, she eventually chimes in with hints. Without spoiling much, I will say Midna is an extremely fun, cynical and memorable character I will no longer want to see Zelda without. And her prior screenshot manifestation as that stupid arm protruding from the wolf's back is all but eliminated.

Horseback riding on Epona is smooth and natural. You can call your horse by blowing into a special whistle plant that grows sporadically throughout the world. Read that last sentence again to remember how beautifully ridiculous the entire game plays. The horse gallops with the same basic running controls as the wolf, but will continue to gallop automatically if you pull out the slingshot to attack an enemy. Yes, it's really freakin' cool, even if the first four hours don't offer much in the way of horse battles.

Sadly enough, fishing might be the most natural use of the Wiimote in the whole game. You cast as you normally would think to cast, and pull up immediately as the bobber goes under. It's simple, natural and offers the one-to-one Wiimote control that I crave more of in the game. Apparently you can collect fish, but we're thinking pockets of grouper will begin to smell pretty foul by hour 27.

Oh, and there are monkeys. Bare-assed monkeys. Bare-assed monkeys who flaunt their bare-assedness. It's just something to keep in mind if you are into that sort of thing.

Final Thoughts

"Do we have the software and the hardware to do something exciting enough to begin taking the industry beyond its solid but average numbers every year? It's been sort of a $10 billion [industry] for a long time," Perris said. "Do we have what it takes to lift that up a little bit? We think we do." I think, "What is a little bit of $10 billion?"

I attempted to regurgitate my Twilight Princess experience the best that I could. For those who are craving more plot, you can pick up the game soon, scout's honor. I can tell you that TP follows the same archetypal story of its predecessors and looks to offer the deepest character development I've seen in any Zelda title yet. The game is remarkably cinematic, but not in the cheesy Hollywood-wannabe way that so often traps the gaming industry. At times, I had moderate issues with the graphics and controls. But part of the reason I am a little down on the game is that the first four hours aren't nearly as exciting or innovative as the four that follow.

Sure, it's a Gamecube port. From what I understand, the Wii version's major differences are a wider aspect ratio and Wiimote incorporation. Twilight Princess doesn't utilize motion as well as some games built for the Wii from the ground up - which is a major, disappointing detail. But I do find myself enjoying playing, and I'm enjoying playing in the way one can only enjoy a Zelda title. Does Twilight Princess need to be on the Wii? Probably not. But the game is a little better for it. Mark Wilson

Something to piss you off: Right now, as I sit here sipping a chilled mimosa and you glued to your monitor, Kotaku's Mark Wilson is playing Twilight Princess. (Actually, he's probably dreaming about what he played today, but still.) What does he think? No clue. Seriously. Why? Nintendo of America has embargoed it until Friday.

Something else to piss you off: Right now, millions of Japanese people are reading in depth hands-on reviews of Twilight Princess, reviews that you cannot. Why?

To piss you off.

The good news. These early Japanese impress indicate that the game is gonna rock. There's Link. A wolf. And pure goodness, apparently. So. I'll dive in, try to highlight what Game Watch Impress and Famitsu, both of which got to try the game out on October 27 in Tokyo, said about the way it looks and how it plays. I've heard there's a lag, but didn't see that mentioned. Maybe it was there, and I missed it. If so, feel free to add anything I missed in the comments section. Onwards!

• Game Watch

• Famitsu

Mark Wilson's impressions will be here on Friday. Stay tuned! Brian Ashcraft

Game Watch has a trio of new Twilight Princess screens for you to gaze at. Hit the jump for a peak! Brian Ashcraft

Screens! [Game Impress]

First came news that in Japan, Twilight Princess would only be available through online order. Now comes word that in Australia, purchasing Twilight Princess for the GameCube will only be done through EB Games. Worse yet, they are only getting one shipment.

Nintendo would really like to shove the GameCube in the dusty closet with all their other consoles as soon as possible, wouldn't they? Florian Eckhardt

Aussie news - Cube version of Twilight Princess exclusive to EB Games [Go Nintendo]