TLoZ: Twilight Princess HD [WiiU]

[kryss]

How does it look?
Like the idea of HD before 1080p became almost standard. I think it's the videogaming equivalent of the cheerleader effect. Put lots of WiiU games into a Nintendo Direct and they all look great. Play them one at a time and you see the blemishes that were glossed over before.
I am not impressed with some of this. It looks like a Wii game that someone took a cell shading spray can to. Considering how much they're charging us (thankfully MRP was $80 here not the $100 that some sites had it up for) I expected better. Lazy!

Have I been spoilt by Xenoblade Chronicles X? Very probably. Being able to see for miles around you becoming the norm means anything cut into sections becomes painfully segmented, and the minimal load times are readily apparent.

How does it sound?
Amazing. I think the music on the original was very good, and this sounds even better. Fits the surroundings in the game like a silk glove dipped in Vaseline.

How does it control?
I'm using the gamepad with motion controls enabled. So far has been great - until I got to the first dungeon boss and found myself shouting at Link to look the right way while I'm trying to aim my boomerang. You can turn off the motion controls, you can no use the pad at all and use a Controller Pro instead if you like. Using the pad for the inventory is as efficient as you would imagine. It's effortless.

How does it play?
Despite my bitching about the visuals and their "slightly-upgrade", the game still plays really well. If you enjoyed TP the first time around I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much again. If it's your TP virginity that's being lost, you won't be crying about it to your bestie over a large preventative dose of hormones and a tub of ice cream.

I think I would have preferred this on 3DS, but I'm still glad I got it and will enjoy playing it through to the end.

[teddymeow]

I think it looks pretty nice. It's more the stilted animation that gets me.

Link running is comical.

[kryss]

Did I complain that Epona can't jump at fence if she's not at a perfect right angle to it? I remember that from the original.

[nakamura]

The audio in the original is terrible quality albeit great design. Interested to see if they have improved it given all the compression needed for GC discs.

[Kit]

It really does look blurry still.

[jim g]

Well curiosity got the better of me and I bought this. Ocarina is my favouite Zelda experience of all time, it hooked me form the start and was joy all the way through.

I never played this on the Wii, so for me it is a new game. So far I am bored and the HD could stand for How Dull. In addition to the boredom is the dull washed out look (imho) of the game. So I have plodded though the first couple of hours and it is all a bit meh.

Interestingly, it is also a reminder on how similar Zelda is to Gran Turismo (bear with me). The game forces you to go through the usual rigmoral of appeasing to the villagers to get the wooden sword etc., etc. Grand Turismo does the same with cars. No matter how many Zelda games you play, the formula is wooden sword then slow grind to the better stuff (crap cars then grind to the better ones even though you have the series to death). Anyway that was never gonna a change as this is a remake. For me, it was still worth a reflection. Future Zelda games need to move away from this formula.

So back the to this game. Maybe I am getting old, but the charm is not there, it doesn't feel magic? The graphics whilst updated are nothing to get excited about. The characters all look a bit weird to my eyesight and the animation is really old school.

I will persevere as I have read it is a good game, or may be WAS a good game, one that might not stand up to time passing. So far though, those looking for a beauty of HD 2016 proportions be aware. This is an update of essentially a GameCube game, a game that wasn't beautiful when it first came out.

As for the control methods. The good news is there is no need to use the Wii controllers. Use can play it with the gamepad. I am using the pro controller and it plays just fine with that also.

I am hoping my meh view will change the further in I get, I really am, so fingers crossed.

[Atticus]

It's a slow starter but well worth sticking with. I agree with you about some of the character design. The townsfolk look like they were drawn by the YTS lad. I felt the same about Skyward Sword too.

[nakamura]

Get through the sloppy start and it gets a lot better. It's very dark and atmospheric.

[Atticus]

I wish Hero Mode gave you the option of choosing inverted or not. I love the fact the main game is the same original layout as the Cube ver. I never liked the fact the Wii version was mirrored. Just didn't sit right.

[kryss]

Remind me which is the mirrored version? Sword in the left or right hand?

[Atticus]

Mirrored version = sword in right hand (changed for the Wii nunchuck & wand combo iirc)

[MarioMark]

How does it look?
Like the idea of HD before 1080p became almost standard. I think it's the videogaming equivalent of the cheerleader effect. Put lots of WiiU games into a Nintendo Direct and they all look great. Play them one at a time and you see the blemishes that were glossed over before.
I am not impressed with some of this. It looks like a Wii game that someone took a cell shading spray can to. Considering how much they're charging us (thankfully MRP was $80 here not the $100 that some sites had it up for) I expected better. Lazy!

Have I been spoilt by Xenoblade Chronicles X? Very probably. Being able to see for miles around you becoming the norm means anything cut into sections becomes painfully segmented, and the minimal load times are readily apparent.

How does it sound?
Amazing. I think the music on the original was very good, and this sounds even better. Fits the surroundings in the game like a silk glove dipped in Vaseline.

How does it control?
I'm using the gamepad with motion controls enabled. So far has been great - until I got to the first dungeon boss and found myself shouting at Link to look the right way while I'm trying to aim my boomerang. You can turn off the motion controls, you can no use the pad at all and use a Controller Pro instead if you like. Using the pad for the inventory is as efficient as you would imagine. It's effortless.

How does it play?
Despite my bitching about the visuals and their "slightly-upgrade", the game still plays really well. If you enjoyed TP the first time around I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much again. If it's your TP virginity that's being lost, you won't be crying about it to your bestie over a large preventative dose of hormones and a tub of ice cream.

I think I would have preferred this on 3DS, but I'm still glad I got it and will enjoy playing it through to the end.

I agree with everything here. Visually it's a lazy HD port still with flat textures, but that's not to take away a great game that I might actually get round to finishing now.

The more I play this the more I can't help but think that Skyward Sword deserves the HD treatment and with standard controls. That game has been over-looked by so many.

I like the 4 main points in your first post review, I think everyone should follow this method instead of a 3 line write up of people subconsciously bragging that they got the game first and not actually giving much detail of the game they're writing about. (Sorry for sounding a bit bitchy lol!)

[kryss]

I'm the same way, I've just beaten the Goron boss and am heading to the third area. Despite how negative I might sound, I am enjoying it mostly (annoying sections aside - jousting on the bridge? I think everyone in my apartment building heard me cursing), and do look forward to the parts that I never got to the first time around. I'm trying to clear every dungeon 100% first time, but already had to leave one chest that I couldn't get to yet. There seems to be two Hyrulian letter stamps per dungeon and 50 total which are new to this version. Miiverse enhancement ahoy. I've just found my first few golden insects and a poe, but can't get that yet.

Skyward Sword is yet another game I fired up, played for an hour and then went back on my shelf. If we get an HD remake next year I would be 100% okay with that provided there was more effort to actually remake it.

I've been guilty of the mini brag-up too often and decided to not make first plays unless I can actually give some opinion on the game. I will revert to my superficial self on occasion too sadly.

[MarioMark]

I've been guilty of the mini brag-up too often and decided to not make first plays unless I can actually give some opinion on the game. I will revert to my superficial self on occasion too sadly.

We're all guilty of it. Myself included

[Nu-Eclipse]

The more I play this the more I can't help but think that Skyward Sword deserves the HD treatment and with standard controls. That game has been over-looked by so many.

I have a feeling that Skyward Sword will get an HD remaster for NX.

Whether that includes remapped controls is anybody's guess. Do we see Wiimote support being totally dropped for NX?