Twilight Princess Retrospective | An Underrated Triumph

A Zelda game that deserves way more attention and love. These are my thoughts on Twilight Princess!
Chapters:
0:00 - Introduction
2:47 - Development/Personal History
7:29 - Twilight Princess HD
9:50 - The Three Versions
15:21 - The Story
25:34 - A Dull First Impression & A Defense of Linearity
32:02 - The Combat
34:53 - The Twilight & Wolf Link
38:08 - The World of Twilight Princess
41:48 - The Dungeons & Bosses
49:52 - Closing Thoughts
Follow me on Twitter!
/ pgreviews_
Footage sources:
/ @gmrblogs
/ @nintendocaprisun
#TwilightPrincess #Zelda #Review

[@nillynush4899]

Midna has her own musical leitmotif, story arc, villain she slays, and realm to save. Midna and Link were dual protagonists years before the "current saga". That story, the swordplay, music, dungeons, and the grittier aesthetics are what still bring me back to Twilight Princess.

[@eebydeebyz]

Yes. Yes. Yes and yes.

[@ultimatehope549]

That’s also what makes Link and Midna’s relationship so great. They help each other conquer their demons and save each other’s realms. They never would have succeeded without each other.

[@XxMiNeCaRtPhOeNixX]

I still don’t get why midna never re-appeared :/

[@codeine69]

@@XxMiNeCaRtPhOeNixX because twilight princess has an ending

[@andrewgarrison3331]

I'm on a Zelda video binge and I keep seeing your comments, so I just wanted to say that your icon is from one of my favorite games of all time.

[@galendamron7036]

I love that in every Twilight Princess retrospective I listen too, every single creator concludes their introduction by turning up the volume at the end of the TP theme and gives us a few seconds to just sit there and listen. The nostalgia and goosebumps I get everytime I listen to a retrospective are unlike anything else

[@rainbowprince5050]

Personally, I love how long the intro is! It starts off peaceful and calm and really allows you to get to know the world and people you are saving and gives you reason to care when that peace is destroyed. And the wolf link section is very fun and gives you a totally different perspective of world you’ve become familiar with! I never even realized there were people who didn’t like the wolf link mechanic when it’s easily one of the best parts of the game, in my opinion. As someone who is a big fan of Link to the Past, it was like being transported to the Dark World as bunny Link, but actually having stuff to do and later getting an option to enter this mode on command. I can see why everyone wouldn’t be a fan, but it’s perfect for a player like me that loves to explore everything and talk to everyone and loves to just spend time just existing in the game world rather than constant battles and challenges. The true charm of Twilight Princess, for me, is in the goat herding and your fellow villagers and collecting bugs for Agatha. As epic as certain sections can be (Midna nearly dying, the Skeleton dragon), I wouldn’t have enjoyed the game even half as much if it had lacked in the quieter sections that others may have found boring.

[@Thor-Orion]

I like herding the goats.

[@jeffhough7460]

Couldn't agree more

[@gabriellecollier8127]

I loved riding around on Epona and exploring the village. People are so impatient, waiting to get to the fun already when the fun is already there!

[@VenusFeuerFalle]

I was so scared first time defeating the Yeti-Boss, because usually Bosses drop a heart container indicating they died, but instead, I was relieved to see the heart container is produced by their love and they remain both alive. The thought of murdering one of the friendly Yetis at their home was one of the most horrofying elements throughout the game, despite a lot of other dark games. The eerie atmopshere of the dungeon just added to that something horrible might happen at the end. But it turns out all right.

[@Thor-Orion]

I love those darn Yeti’s!

[@Jenn_Bran]

The scene was so wholesome when they hugged and Link got the heart container as a result of their love for each other 😭 definitely my favorite way to receive a heart container

[@gabriellecollier8127]

I never realized that the heart comes FROM the boss. That is Bloodborne-ish in its design. Omg, can you image a Zelda game with Bloodborne mechanics?

[@howdyhowdyhelga]

honestly, my favourite part about twilight princess is that this link isn't just a fabled hero or the chosen one. he's kind of just a dude. he's got a job, he's got *real* friends at the start of the story. he's got a motivation that's more than just 'it's my destiny' or 'zelda told me to.' he's a part of a community. it's similar to the reasons windwaker link shines as well - he has an actual life outside of this grand quest. he's got something to fight for, and something to come back to.

[@tylersomerville313]

Well he is still the fated hero, but i know what you mean. I appreciate him having no ties to the Hyrule royal family and his own independent motivations

[@vadoslink446]

I mean, the same is true for any Link. All of them start as "just a dude", even ones like TP Link who is literally referred to as "Chosen one".

[@Kohana64]

My favorite of the ‘linear’ Zeldas. Fantastic dungeons, an epic narrative, and an aesthetic unique against the rest of the series. Happy to see you did the game justice here. I enjoyed hearing your takes

[@mattchandler600]

Twilight Princess is unashamedly my favourite Zelda. I get all the flaws, I get all the frustrations, and I can't blame anyone for those things being deal-breakers for them, but I adore this game. Midna in particular remains one of my favourite characters across the series. Still hoping for a Switch port.

[@LordMalice6d9]

Twilight Princess is one of my favorite Zelda games. But Twilight Princess is way too easy. I like a bit of challenge in my video games. I would still say, however, that Twilight Princess is my 2nd favorite Zelda after A Link To The Past.

[@DevMeloy]

I won't say it was my fav, but I enjoyed it when I played it at launch. 1. BotW 2. OOT 3. TotK 4. WW 5 TWP

[@aaakirafilm]

Same. I am not dying until I get that TP switch port!!!

[@Boreasnorm6391]

My first Zelda game. I was enthralled from the beginning. One of the few Zelda games that I got 100% of all the collectibles. I was that hooked.

[@masonschwalm2010]

36:27 I dunno if it was the mood I was in at the time, but I actually cried over how sad that whole situation was. At the same time the start of the sequence is SO beautifully executed. The way you turn around after Telma goes inside, and unexpectedly see this spirit who wordlessly leads you to the cemetery as Serenade Of Water plays in the background (which also brings up heavy nostalgia from Ocarina Of Time). Like you said though, I couldn’t imagine being in Link’s position in terms of having to pass her message on to that poor young boy, who wakes up to not only the news that he’d lost his mother, but also having the responsibility of being the new Zora King thrust upon him as well. ‘Heavy is the head that wears the crown’ definitely applies in this case. 😢

[@DrillToPierceTheHeavens]

I can still say this is my favorite Zelda game. Even after no-lifing Tears of the Kingdom.

[@admiralkoerner2737]

Same here

[@jesusalonso2179]

Tears was legitimately a glorified DLC...😢

[@BuffPomsky]

​@jesusalonso2179 u need to play the game more if u think it was a dlc lol well worth the cost of a new game

[@tolkienblack]

Yeah even while playing tears I was still salty this isn’t on the switch

[@DrillToPierceTheHeavens]

@tolkienblack completely agree. I emulated it and went straight into hero mode. Such an awesome experience.

[@joelbarr1163]

There is a small feature that I love where if you put your sword away at the right time after a battle, Link will do a little flourish when he sheaths it to go along with the victory fanfare. I still try to time my "Put Away" action when I'm playing TotK, and still get disappointed

[@PGReviews_]

Always love doing that, so stylish.

[@p0pimp2004]

Yes yes yes!!!! Why don't game designers simply carry over the cool stuff from each game? I will never understand this. It was such a nice touch and they never did it again. I can understand with other companies bc turnover in development is so high, but with Nintendo, I guess they feel the need to reinvent the wheel every time. But it's not that hard to build on what works. I really loved that little mechanic

[@lilybirdflowergum8683]

@@p0pimp2004 Especially since the Link from BOTW and TOTK is supposed to be a trained knight. If anyone should have as many skills with a sword and have that tiny little flourish, it should be BOTW Link after TP Link.

[@p0pimp2004]

@@lilybirdflowergum8683 precisely. Furthermore, it doesn't even have to make sense. If it's cool, keep it. It's that simple

[@NSD150]

I personally liked the slow intro, it helped me emotionally connect to Link and the other residents of Ordon Village, I'm pretty sure that's what it was called anyway. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was my first Zelda game, as well as my favorite Zelda game, by far, even after dumping over 200 hours into BoTW, and 100+ hours into ToTK. I recently got the opportunity to revisit Twilight Princess after being gifted a Wii, and I enjoy it even more now, mainly because of the beautiful atmosphere and OST, and I personally think that the graphics are still great, especially for a game that was released shortly before *I* was released 😂. Honestly, there is little to nothing more that I would love than for Nintendo to port Twilight Princess HD to the Switch, or even for them to remake it.

[@ahsdjsdgfhjgdhhhhhhh]

Good review! I honestly cant understand how people nowadays love Wind Waker so much and many tend to hate on Twilight. I think Twilight is miles ahead of Wind Waker in almost every metric.

[@UnicornStorm]

hard disagree. It think the downwards trajectory with 3D Zelda games started with WindWaker, but was way more noticeable in Twilight Princess. Both games wasted your time with pointless moving from one end of the map to the next, but while in WW it was complemented by the theming, in TP it was just superficial roadblocks. TP also had you sit through a lot needlessly overblown cutscenes. There were some really good moments in TP but too often it distracted from gameplay and exploration with pointless dialogue or establishing shots. It underutilized its main gimmick The new items had next to no use outside of their dedicated dungeon rooms The new villain was discarded way too quickly just give Ganon the spotlight It had a ton of shallow mechanics instead of actually fleshing out a good handful It is by no means a bad game, but when compared to the other 3D Zelda games, it's in the lower half

[@ahsdjsdgfhjgdhhhhhhh]

@@UnicornStorm While i do agree with some of your points, i still think the best parts of TP triumphs the bad parts. TP has some of the best story/characters and overall dialogue of any zelda game with Midna and the capitalist Child being highpoints. The dungeons are the best in the series, the music has its own feel and identity. Wind waker on the other hand has the worst dungeons of any zelda game other than Tears of the kingdom and maybe Botw. Its overworld is boring with all the water, you feel limited exploring on a frigging boat all the time. I do like the Islands though and the music and story are wonderful.

[@greatbigeyeball]

I find both of the gamecube ones a bit rocky but TP is honestly the only Zelda game I don't like

[@mirrynmcwilliams937]

This, the art style of wind waker is so off-putting as well 😅 that could just be me but it just looks... Bad, it's the "toon" eyes, they look so off.

[@tor2919]

TP is not nearly as good as WW. Never liked the “adult” theme which to me was bad taste immature teenage stuff. Same people that thought call of duty was “mature and cool”. So when the reviewer says “what the fans wanted” that isn’t true. At least not to us older Zelda fans that were old enough to not feel insecure about the lovely WW style.

[@dainobu10]

Just yesterday I was making a list of my favorite games ever and shared it with a friend, he asked me why I picked Twilight Princess over Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom. I said that although both games are addictive and fun to get lost, I love the whole atmosphere in TP, the OST, Link's role in this Hyrule and the overall experience after all, it's the game that made me finally fall in love with the series.

[@joeslickback]

My boy, Wolf Link in BOTW, amazing little helper. How is he in TOTK? TOTK: (Packs of meat) Me:....Look how they massacred my boy.

[@PGReviews_]

Wolf Link didn't survive the Upheaval.

[@SolidShepard]

Zelda was never killed. Without the triforce of wisdom protecting her, she faded into the twilight like everyone else. When it's cleared, she returned with everyone else. Think about it, courage let the hero remain as a wolf in twilight. Power let Ganondorf remain as an entity of pure power/energy. And wisdom let's the holder continue with their normal form. Hence midna being able to exist physically in our realm once it was handed to her. Zelda was alive. She was just trapped in twilight.

[@ZeldaVerde]

u gotta understand zant's story needs ganondorf to be the actual big bad guy. He is just a raging kid who just wants power and puts up, at first, a facade that he is actually tough. It gets much more complex than what I'm willing to write down here but you gotta look at this again. Ganondorf is crucial to this story.

[@Edward.Elric18]

I agree

[@Liljinks]

While I agree, I still thinks it’s dumb they brought back Zelda, cause that was really not needed

[@ZeldaVerde]

@@Liljinks WAIT WUT?

[@Liljinks]

@@ZeldaVerde did you watch the video? I mean you had to in order make this point, what are you “wait wut” about, is it sarcasm? I’m confused man

[@ZeldaVerde]

@@Liljinks idk bro it's been 8 months

[@georgemcfly9493]

My favorite game Edit thanks for all the likes

[@Okra-yg7rv]

Same!

[@tommilford9669]

Ditto

[@Brute_Studios]

😎👍

[@tylerdelier1077]

My first Zelda game. I played almost all of them now and Twilight princess is my favorite

[@TotkMay12]

Totk beats it but tp and botw will always be battling in my mind for 2nd place

[@emmablackery]

It took me a couple of days to watch this all the way through whilst working, but this is a fantastic retrospective! I can’t wait to watch the rest you’ve done - a great intro to your channel!

[@gingermint1230]

Words can never describe how much this game means to me and what it does for me even now. I think this is the only game that actually brings me to tears whenever I listen to a track for mere seconds. I won’t claim it’s a flawless game by all means, but TP is gorgeous and the dungeons are just phenomenal. The story still stands out to me and Midna is just the best companion we’ve ever had. The final battle is my favorite in the series and pretty much set the standard. I also think Ganondorf added in TP was actually pretty cool. It makes sense to me because this Link is a descendant of Oot Link, so having this Ganon be filled with vengeance and spite for Link, is pretty cool ngl. It was my first Zelda, so when I got to play Oot, I didn’t really see TP as an Oot copy. The art style is also just one of my absolute favorites, that illustration of Link fighting the darknut’s is so badass. Anyway to wrap it up on my end, TP will always be my favorite Zelda, It gave me so many good memories at a time in my life when I really needed it. I wish I could share more of my experiences with this game, but this would be too long if I did. Thank you Twilight Princess, for connecting with me in a way I’ve never experienced ever again. It’s an adventure I’ll never forget, and it’s why I’m proud to call it my favorite video game of all time.

[@NintendoHero]

Twilight Princess is a super interesting game. Sometimes I think of it as one of the weaker Zelda's, but whenever I actually play it I'm always impressed by how well it all comes together. The combat, boss fights, and dungeons especially are exceptional. There's just so much to love about this game, even though there are a few missteps. You did a great job covering this one, crazy that you've covered so many 3D Zelda's already. I'm going to be sad when this huge series of retrospectives finally ends!

[@saricubra2867]

Twilight Princess is Dark Souls before Dark Souls. The AI and difficulty needs tuning, besides that, the game aged like fine wine.

[@Pangora2]

Having played most of these games as they came out, what people forget is how mediocre it seemed at the time. After Sony drops Shadow of the Colossus, suddenly TP has a boss where they play epic music as you hold on and jab at the monster. They "attack the eyeball" problem was getting really bad by this point, and while combat improved over Wind Waker, people were debating the differences of the Cube or Wii version controls. It was a messy time.

[@Pangora2]

@@saricubra2867 I am one that does believe Dark Souls took the older Zelda formula of exploring multiple paths and being a game about exploration. In older Zelda games you could stumble across advanced dungeons or enemies early and turn around and flee until you could figure the place out. TP locked every region and area behind specific quest triggers, being such a dark game they couldn't risk also letting the players challenge themselves.

[@CTUJackBauer00]

I don’t think I’ll ever understand the whole “graphics didn’t age well” argument. It’s a game that came out on the Wii, of course it doesn’t look amazing by todays standards. It’s not like it was trying to be photorealistic

[@andyknightwarden9746]

I mean, it was originally developed for the GameCube and was only hastily ported to the Wii.

[@CherrySteinz]

It's odd to me people even think it was meant to be photorealistic in the first place. It always seemed to be intended to be anime high fantasy. It's definitely not and never was photorealism. It's painterly, but gritty "semi-realism", just like the concept art.

[@chazz3167]

There are plenty of games on the Wii that look good by todays standards. It all depends on the art style.

[@thebeast3448]

@@chazz3167it’s true like Mario galaxy is great example

[@MASTEROFEVIL]

I still think it looks good

[@InfinityDz]

I just beat the game for the second time since 2013. To me it's exactly what a Zelda game needs to be in terms of characters and atmosphere. Majora's Mask is still my favorite, but that's more of a personal choice, which I don't expect everyone to understand. But Twilight Princess is to me the quintessential Zelda experience.

[@klaushammer8687]

I got this for wii in 2006 when it first came out. It was, and i dont throw this word around casually like most others do, epic. It was huge. It introduced a bunch of new awesome weapons, especially the chain ball, and the spinner. Plus double hookshot. The moves you learn from the guy were amazing and the animation of link spinning the sword and sheathing it with that sound never got old. The Ganondorf fight had a bunch of stages and I felt i was defeating him with the sword skills as opposed to just slashing the shiny tail. I enjoy the wii because it's easy to aim. I recall the town where you have to shoot all the bandits and I felt my aim was on point. To move the sword required minimal wiimote movement. It wasn't intrusive. The graphics, hd or not, hold up more than ocarina of time. However, most console graphics hold up better than n64 in general. One thing is for sure, this is the last traditional 3d zelda game. And they went all out with it Skyward sword requires wii motion plus. The remake is not much better. There's something wrong with it and it's stiff and repetitive. Then BOTW goes a whole new direction There are 4 3d traditional zelda games imo. Each are great in their own way. Twilight princess took a little from the previous 3 and packed it in. It's something for everyone

[@772amanda237]

Im actually replaying Twilight Princess for the umpteenth time. It will always be my favorite game. 20:49 this is actually my ringtone

[@funnyfartvideos8244]

The opening for TP helps you better understand Link and on the first play through it makes you devop feelings for the character and understand what its like to be Link. It builds the characters and does more for the story. 1st play its amazing.

[@J01789]

It makes you develop feelings?

[@EmberRain666]

Twilight Princess has always been my favorite Zelda game. I got it, with a new Wii, for my 13th birthday. Before then, I had played OOT, MM, and WW, so I was familiar with the franchise and had pretty high hopes for TP. I immediately fell in love with it, even with the terribly long intro/demo section. I'm a sucker for linear, story-based games that give you a set list of tasks to complete, and TP gave me just that. Not only that, but Midna is the only companion character that doesn't drive me crazy, making for a much more pleasant experience.

[@TheBreadPirate]

That was an incredible analysis. I loved you scripted it especially. At first you showed distain because of your first impressions, but as you analysed it more you became more nuansed and realized it had decent parts. It was satisfying to see a full character arch within a single video.

[@robinpimpin190]

Man, I remember that first trailer. It was something special. TP is in my personal top 3, next to Majora's Mask and ALttP. I love the Zelda games with a darker tone, and TP did that perfectly.

[@ultra_marcus]

I played Link to the Past as a child in the early 90's but eventually I drifted away from video games. As a result Twilight Princess was my first 3D Zelda game when I decided to buy a Wii Late in the systems life, It's a very special game to me and doesn't suffer from being a clone of anything. Really enjoyed your Retrospective.

[@Superfammucon]

This game saved my life when I went through a very difficult period ;; I know it isnt perfect, but when it shines, its brilliant. I'm happy to hear you loved it. It sucks hearing people hate on it when it means so much to me.

[@alexblack3200]

Twilight princess is really underrated and I don't get why, it's got nine big dungeons in it, two heart pieces and every dungeon, a bigger Hyrule Field, the one thing they could have done better in the field is put some side quests out there like a mini games to win heart pieces and stuff like that, but overall, not to mention the flight with ganondorf is the best ganondorf fight out of all the Zelda games, and overall, Twilight princess is my favorite Zelda game hand's down

[@criticallysarcastic]

It’s because fans will never be truly happy with anything. These are the fans that claim ocarina of time is the best legend of zelda game. So many fans have too high of an expectation when it comes to newer zelda titles that they get bitter and hateful when the game isn’t what they wanted. So many people hate of BOTW and TOTK. These two games do have their own problems, yes, but they aren’t horrible games like so many like to claim them to be. You can make some fans happy, but others will continue to be angry and hateful towards newer games because their expectations are set way too high.

[@Cri_Jackal]

41:30 it should be mentioned that whatever level of health you finish the dungeon with will carry over as the max health of your Wolf Link summon in Breath of the Wild, that seems to probably be the main appeal and purpose of the added dungeon, it's part of BotW moreso than it is an extension of TP.

[@PGReviews_]

Correct! I was gonna talk about this more when I get to BotW but thanks for pointing it out!

[@trik1985]

I love these retrospective videos. Metroid and Donkey Kong were great but the Zelda series hit different. Maybe because of how much there are to do in each game, but you edit these vids to complete perfection. I know how much time goes into making these so thank you. I always find myself coming back and rewatching these videos. Well done my man.

[@BrendonPatrickWatts]

TP has such a weird legacy. At first i remember right after its release everybody loved it. Then after a while people really started hated it. But now that we are so far away from it people are coming out saying its one of their favorite games. Went from loved to hated to cherished.

[@MrKirby365]

I love twilight princess.I love midna She's probably my favorite guide character even though we hated her for so long... It has one of my favorite tools the spinner.... I found that so underutilized.... But I look forward to being able to play that again.

[@PhantomHeit]

Always love to see TP appreciation this game is incredible

[@SeanLaMontagne]

The first 2 hours of Twilight princess are like a session zero in dungeons & dragons. It's the stuff that gets you invested before the real game starts

[@adamrogowski2748]

Watching liking and commenting for the algorithm because this guy deserves it.

[@ndflatt]

Twilight, princess link is by far the most physically impressive link we have ever seen. He don’t need no golden gauntlets lol.

[@VampireA1056]

My personal favorite Zelda game

[@labrynna87]

"Midna is the best companion in any Zelda game." 100% agree to that. I LOVE Midna. TP itself has its flaws and you can clearly see that much originally planned content got cancelled but Midna is just perfect.

[@765craven4]

As a Zelda fan for my entire life I remember being a kid eagerly awaiting this game's release, getting frustrated by the delays to its release and playing it to death on my Gamecube, taking turns with my brother and dad. To this day it's one of my favorite Zelda games, up there with the other 3D titles (which I overall prefer to the 2D ones). My dad was one of the people panning Wind Waker for the art style and stuff, and was very eager for Twilight Princess and its more mature style. Though a few years down the line I eventually got and played and loved it, as an adult now it's honestly difficult to say which of the Gamecube titles I'm overall more fond of since they both have a lot I love and hate about them.

[@RadicalSlayerQc]

To me, this is the absolute best game in the franchise, for one reason in particular ... Midna ! In my opinion, she is the best written character in the whole series. It break my heart every time i finish it, knowing that i'll never see her again. Also, the story is nice, the music is perfect, the dungeons are top tier and the combat feels amazing. Exept maybe on horseback sometimes. That aside, amazing video! I'm going to watch more! :D

[@christianmino3753]

Still mind-blowing to me, that for the WW and TP HD remakes for Wii U didn't run at 60 fps. Such beautiful remasters yet a straight slideshow to play. A true shame and it really takes from the gameplay.

[@adamtrue6588]

Wonderful retrospect. Absolutely love this game - on par with OOT and BOTW for me - and I even learned new things about it from your video. Thanks so much for sharing.

[@hypotheticaltapeworm]

God I'm so tired of people saying Ganondorf doesn't make sense in this story. What reason would Zant have to invade Hyrule had Ganondorf not just been sent to the Twilight realm. Zant himself is weak and it was Ganondorf who empowered him to seize the throne in the Twilight Realm from Midna, and galvanized him to invade Hyrule so Ganondorf could finish what he started in his own realm. Zant tells you about his "god" after Lakebed, in the same sequence you praised for having the song "Midna's Lament" playing in the background. The Sages tell you about Ganondorf after Arbiter's Grounds, the very next dungeon. They tried to execute him but when it fails they dump him in the dimension where they dumped the Twili a long time ago where he got to interfere with their society for a bit. MIDNA SAYS you're only collecting the shards of the Mirror of Twilight because Zant is weak and couldn't actually destroy it. It's genuinely not like Ganondorf came out of nowhere at the very end. The only way you can think this is if you did not pay attention. Sometimes a villain is allowed to have more than one dimension and actually be a fool comtrolled by a greater evil. What did you want? Zant to be a one-dimensional, faceless conqueror who inexplicably found the Light Realm and orchestrates absolutely everything alone? For Ganondorf to be completely erased from the sequel to Ocarina of Time? Genuinely, how did you and countless other people who parrot this same dumb ass opinion even come to this conclusion? Where in the several scenes thoroughly explaining Ganondorf's role in the plot did you find it too difficult to absorb? Without Ganondorf, the Triforce wouldn't matter because if Ganondorf isn't there it would remain incomplete. How would Zant get to the Light Realm? What reason would he want to go there? He would have taken the throne in his own realm (by himself) and then what? The game would stop being a sequel to Ocarina of Time. This would be an unrelated Link and Zelda fighting a new baddie of the week, the so-called "strong villain" would be inexplicable within the text of the story. God and you say Wind Waker integrated him naturally? For real? He's just stated to have broken free from his seal *somehow* and this happens entirely off screen before the game even begins. Presumably he was sealed under the ocean. How did he get out. What's his motivation? The desert was hot? That's genuinely it, the desert is hot. That's his motivation. People act like the speech he gives is deep and sad but his grudge doesn't even apply to the state of the world he's in. Twilight Princess Ganondorf is, at least, evil for the sake of it and doesn't hide behind the excuse of "Gerudo Desert is hot".

[@prestonrcasey]

I think what most of us don't realize is the difference between Miyamoto Zelda versus Aonuma Zelda. Wind Waker is 100% Aonuma Zelda. I suspected that from the beginning, but after recently learning how Miyamoto had no idea about toon Link to begin with makes much more sense today. When it comes to Twilight Princess, we're seeing Aonuma cave to the "realistic" idea of Link he doesn't really want in his vision. Miyamoto, on the other hand, wanted this from the beginning. As time goes on, it's evident that OoT as a whole and TP Link's design is a product of what Miyamoto's Zelda compares to Aonuma. Fast forward to today, we see Aonuma's Zelda take reign with how he thinks it should be. If we were to experience a Miyamoto game one more time, we might see another 3D Alttp. Because I consider OoT a 3D Alttp honestly, we could see something to that vein.

[@miura_vs]

I adore how creative this game’s dungeons are.

[@JaceySutherland]

I couldn’t say enough good about this game; from story to gameplay, pacing, and world. I love it all and I’ll buy it a fourth time all over. GameCube, Wii, WiiU HD, now switch.

[@anonymouscommenter20384]

I loved this vid and thought it was so interesting bc twilight (gamecube) has been my favorite game since it released and still is now that I'm old enough to analyze it and think you're refreshingly spot on about so many things. I especially loved your throwaway comment and the comments around how not even children are safe in this Hyrule, and then the sequence where ... well, link almost loses Midna, and then kills off the twilight princess. The game really feels like it's supposed to / can represent the trauma of transitioning (transforming) from an adult to a child, and I think you allude to that when you mention he has a personal stake. He has to grow up and protect the village kids etc and learns to care for Midna, just like she learns to care for him and his world. I also think Ilia's story solidifies the game being abt trauma but ! so many of your criticisms and compliments are spot on and i'm really happy to see twilight princess given the love and clap back it deserves. The linearity is its strength here in that regard because you feel the relationships develop slowly and subtly so you also learn with the character.

[@Semelem]

TP is my favorite game ever, I’ll be playing it til I die

[@nobleskywalker4639]

This is my fave Zelda game and it now has the best manga art and adaptation of any Zelda game. I will die on that hill the manga version of this story is beautiful

[@DavidRYates-tk2tq]

Wow it's crazy that people are incorrect and don't know that this is, indeed, the best Zelda game.

[@teenietinytony]

twilight princess is my favourite zelda game. i might not have played that many to have an educated opinion, but i've almost finished skyward sword, started and half finished ocarina of time twice and am currently playing breath of the wild.the fact that twilight princess gripped me the way it did and made me WANT to finish it in like 3 days means a lot and i just don't get how few people actually care for the game. to me it's an absolute masterpiece

[@MrPhats-qb2dy]

Twilight Princess has some of the best dungeons and music in the whole series! I was also a big fan of the art style - would've loved another game that looked similar to the Wii U demo back from 2011.

[@BunnyMalice]

TP is to me what OoT is to a lot of older Zelda fans. It was my first Zelda game and it remains my favorite, in an extremely sentimental and highly beloved game to me. I will be the first to admit the opening is 'slow' but as a child I really did not care, and I still don't. I spent a lot of childhood summers playing this game over. And over. And over. And over again. As in, I can confidently say I replayed it at least 50 times, if not more. I had 800 hours on one file at one point on my first Wii, and then I bought another Wii after my first one died just to keep playing it. And I'd do it again. All that to say, I have a lot of passion for this game, but I think you hit the nail on the head and addressed a lot of the sore points people had regarding the OG and the remake. So I appreciate the work that went into this vid.

[@oddlyspecific1060]

I remember watching the E3 trailer and getting teary eyed because I was so excited for Twilight Princess to finally hit the market. Then, when the fated day arrived, I swear I ended up being in a state of pure cathartic bliss each and every moment of the introduction. I don't care if people hate the Ordon section...playing this game even with the long introduction is still a joy to this day. God I love this game.

[@louradean9293]

Dude! There is no way nitendo will ever kill Zelda, in a game literally called "The Legend of Zelda". I knew her death wasn't permanent when I played it.

[@Fudgepuddlez]

I first played this game when I was really young and even back then there was something that endeared my to it. Now thinking back on it, it was most of what you stated in the video. Link feels like an actual person, the story and characters feel more mature and nuanced. I lo😅ve that link has a personal motivation for what he's doing and I definitely think the combat is the most fluid in all the series. However, I do remember finding it weird even as a kid that Zant in the end wasn't the main villain. I never thought it was weird that Zelda came back to life though, can't notice everything when you're that young I guess

[@nave5306]

The fall after this game was released on the wii, my grandfather gifted my brother and I a wii with this game and some others. I ended up playing this game so much and it was one of the very first games I actually played and put a lot of hours into. This game was my childhood.

[@Wildlink123]

23:25 You're damn right Micah better be on that list, hahaha seeing that shit made me actually laugh a bit out loud, good one man lol. I like the little cuts and jibs you put, and how you keep every part of the video relevant to what you're talking about, and yet keeping it different without reusing some scenes too much. Keeps me focused on the vid. And I agree with everything you're saying, this game was my childhood favorite, and I think the first game that I actually beaten from start to finish, because I liked it so much. Wind Waker was the next one I played and beat start to finish, and took me a LOT longer, trying to find those damn Triforce pieces one by one without any internet or guides or anything... Not that it wasn't around when I was 9yo, its just we didn't have a computer or internet in the apartment period back then. Couldn't afford it. Hell, wasn't even my GC i played it on... I was borrowing it the entire time.

[@Astaroth-1]

Currently re-playing it rn after WW, OOT and TotK. I think it really is the best game in the franchise and most cinematic

[@shuttz]

Great video. Great game. I love how every sequence is made to feel unique and relevant to the story's world. For example, after learning of the Interlopers' banishment due to irresponsible use of magic, you start to notice that all of Link's items and abilities are mechanical and skill based. Also the dungeons seem like they really exist as functional places, rather than an improbable series of puzzles that are there just because 'video game'. Midna and Zant are amazing. And of course when Ganondorf dies but doesn't fall over. Epic.

[@unexpectedTrajectory]

I played and replayed OoT as a kid and adored it. I took a break from gaming for a few years (never owned anything after the 64), and ended up playing Twilight Princess five years late in 2011 on the GameCube over a few long days (and nights) at a friend's house. I was just overwhelmingly delighted with it. What an experience. Links new com at abilities were amazing, and made me feel like I really was the hero of time in such an amazing new Hyrule. If T.P. was, spiritually speaking, OoT 2, I hope the next major Zelda we get is OoT 3. BotW was amazing, but also had its flaws (I pretty much agree with your take on it), and Tears, while a great playthrough, was, frankly, weaker, not stronger. Let's hope for a bright future!

[@nourata.5893]

TP has really become one of my favorite Zelda games . Especially replaying as an adult. As a little kid I kept getting stuck 🤣. Midna was the best companion in a Zelda game. And finding out the hidden skills guy was link from ocarina of time Was crazy. It also had the most epic boss fights in the series

[@zaranea7920]

Duuuude! You need more subs. That was PHENOMENAL!

[@blueimpulse-2470]

Beautifully reviewd, loved every second of this video! It makes me want to go back and replay TP to experience the story again and appreciate some of the finer details!

[@ShadenRyanStudio]

Forgot this existed until recently. Definitely needs a replay! So interesting looking back on these games after all these years !

[@M0ssSauce]

The opening for this game gives me goosebumps every phucking time, I love it so much

[@NemoNamikaze]

I still have 0 idea why TP get's labelled as a OoT clone/remake/whatever when it simply follows the same basic formula of: Start in hometown > collect a set of 3 things > paradigm shift > collect 6 more things> Endgame with Hyrule Castle. A formula mind you OoT just lifts from ALttP and is also used in WW. Also poo pooing on TP for narratively being a direct sequel to OoT is bizarre when WW is to. The only Zelda game that's a massive shift in design between OoT and TP is MM. Otherwise most of the games in the series share a lot of similar elements, the 3D games especially. It really feels like a poor attempt to be dismissive towards TP at this point.

[@CaedonHawk]

What an incredible look at my favorite game ever made. Excellent video!

[@excalibur2078]

Twilight princess is my favorite video and Zelda game. I was obsessed with it as a kid, to the point I don’t even know how many times I’ve played it. Everything about it was so awesome. The dungeons, the characters, the items, all of it is amazing. And that’s not even mentioning the atmosphere of the game, the mystery of the twilight, the combat, the music, I also liked the slow start and the wolf parts. I’ve also never had a problem with the motion controls, they always worked fine for me and they let you string a couple moves together. There is also Midna and her whole character arc. Where else do you get a dethroned princess from another dimension working with someone who could very well be her enemy to save her people. And who grows to care about the people of the light realm To address your complaint about Gannondorf and Zant: That was the whole point. Zant was nothing, he wanted to be king but was rejected because the Twili saw his lust for power. And I forgot when it happens but Midna hints early in the game that he suddenly got a power boost and took over. During the attack in the spring Zant mocks the power of the fused shadow and says the power of his god is greater, foreshadowing that there is another player out there. It’s not until the end of the arbiters grounds that we learn that not only is Gannondorf in the game but he has the Triforce of power and that he shared it with Zant. And when we beat Zant we learn that Ganondorf is back and that was the reason the barrier went up around the castle. So he was properly foreshadowed to be the endgame because without him Zant would never have been able to do what hi did

[@Matt231985uk]

I feel like Twilight Princess’ biggest criticism is that it was made dark to appease the fans of Ocarina. Well, what’s wrong with that? I was an 80’s kid and grew up playing Zelda on the NES/SNES/N64 era, so by the time the GameCube came out, I was a teenager, and Twilight Princess quickly became one of my favourite game of all time! I love Wind Waker, but the more realistic and darker tone gave the game a better sense of adventure with danger and serious stakes. I didn’t feel like I was playing through a cartoon. When I complete Twilight Princess, I feel like I’ve just finished an epic story. Wind Waker has aged well, and I do love that art style. But I’ve always preferred the more realistic Zelda.

[@topfranluis1]

I love Zant, but… there’s no way he would have been as good of a villain if he hadn’t been swapped out for Ganon

[@Mahoneyyay]

Good review, I'm sure we've all watched many similar videos if we find ourselves here. Your channel should grow and will with content like this. Good job dude!

[@TheCrankyTechnician]

One of my favourite games ever! Fantastic atmosphere, an otherworldy OST (Twilight Realm is god tier). Great work as usual dude!

[@jonahjane5631]

I have always said Twilight Princess is underrated.

[@traviscunningham7062]

Same. And BOTW is overrated.

[@calijack2006]

@@traviscunningham7062 I wouldn’t say overrated it’s not the best thing ever made but it has a lot of strong things going for it that make it a great Zelda game. I personally think it’s OK. It’s fun and enjoyable, but gets pretty old after a while of playing. It’s the same way I feel about tears of the kingdom, it’s fine for what it is but this is a game that’s extremely underrated hands-down, the best Zelda game I’ve played since ocarina of time

[@merentori]

Me and my sister watched my mom play through this game with a guide, that was my first Zelda experience so this game will always be special

[@alexmotts]

Until BOTW and TOTK came out. I always had TP 2nd behind OOT. Never understood the hate and how everyone overlooked this game. It was fking amazing

[@LeDarkness1]

TP was the first LOZ game I ever played and I am still very fond of it to this day. Having Midna as the one you go through your journey with just hits so different- you care about her and she's got such a captivating personality. The Game isn't perfect, but i love it all the same and the feelings I felt during all the stages of the game.

[@paiger]

I grew up watching my Dad play the LoZ games and Twilight Princess was the first one I was old enough to competently play by myself and I absolutely fell in love with it and it will always hold a special place in my heart because of it.

[@davve346]

14:47 in my experience the biggest timesaver in twilight sections is not because the is less bugs, but that you can collect them instantly after killing the bugs. In GameCube version, you had to wait a couple of seconds for the tear to form after killing it until you can collect it. This makes the hd version flow much better which I think a lot of people felt but didn't realize it was because of this mechanic.

[@ZaphielSahaquielSariel]

Damn what an amazing and impressive review/retrospective, I also love Twilight Princess! Instant sub bro, keep it up :D Already waiting for your Link's Awakening review, my favorite (and first) game of all time.

[@13cloudstrife13]

In my opinion Twilight Princess is way better than Wind Waker I've finished both 100% and I still think TP is better better art style better dungeons don't get me wrong WW is great but also I'm not a fan of Tetra I think a return of Sheik would have been better

[@PGReviews_]

Yeah, I have a huge soft spot for Wind Waker but I do think Twilight Princess is better, if only for its dungeons. I don't usually hear people saying they don't like Tetra.

[@danrice6562]

Love your content as always man! It’s interesting watching your take on these games, especially since you came into the franchise just a few years later than I did (my first Zelda was Oracle of Ages). I think another thing that really hurt Twilight Princess, and maybe Skyward Sword even more so, was that they were released in 480p with low-res textures in 2006 and 2011. By this point, I suspect many critics and fans already had HDTVs and large screens to game on, where the games would look their ugliest. To your point, the HD remasters really made a huge improvement to these games’ presentation, in addition to the quality of life improvements. I personally have always loved Twilight Princess, but it helped that when I first played it on Wii, it was on an old box TV.

[@jamespowers.gpa.]

Loved your vid as always! At the beginning when talking about the perception of how Twilight was received, im sure you aren’t just making something up lol (obviously) but it’s wild to hear you say the reactions were so mixed cause I’ve always heard from friends and acquaintances that it’s one of the best Zelda’s, I thought so as well. That said with Wind Waker, you hit the nail on the head. Most people (including myself) didn’t appreciate it for the masterpiece it was when it first released and I’m just happy it’s come to be regarded as the great game it is.

[@ThePsh07]

Love this series! Marathoning your Zelda retrospectives has kept me company as I tracked down the remaining Korok seeds in BotW this week. (I started BotW a little over a year ago & want to 100% my current file before graduating to TotK.) I’ve been equipping the various amiibo tunics/weapons that match the games as you’re talking about them & riding Epona to each zone for peak vibes. 👌 It’s taken a while but I’m glad to say all 900 have been found (plus Hestu’s, lol). Time to finally face Calamity Ganon (sorry Zelda) and tie up any loose ends. Looking forward to more marathoning to come during the loose ends. 👍

[@dphylan]

Am loving this video and just found out you made multiple videos on Zelda? Looking forward to watching them all! Great stuff man!

[@pepsijiji5708]

Surprised to only see 6k subs, nice video looking forward for more

[@imbad6730]

45:13 EVEN FLOOOW, THOUGHTS AROUND LIKE BUTTERFLIES

[@syedsameeraly]

Just played twilight princess for the first time on wii, don't really know how it compares to the gamecube experience, nonetheless, had a blast with this beauty and watching this video after playing it fully myself, just makes me appreciate the game even more ❤

[@monovision566]

Twilight Princess is not only excellent, it has aged well. It's the only old Zelda I still want to play on occasion besides Link to the Past and Links Awakening. No other Zelda can match its dungeons or sense of scale. Even BOTW/TOTK don't quite feel as rich because so much of their space isn't just empty, but doesn't even vibe with atmosphere the way TP's world does. It's also the best Zelda game STORY.

[@natedogg250]

this was my first Zelda game when I was a kid and made me fall in love wthe series! Maybe because ima gen Z baby and grew up w/a Wii instead of n64 but my first time playing this @ 9 10 yrs old I’ll never forget. I remember crying @ the end when Midna broke the mirror. I fell in love w/Midna and her story and how she changes over the game. I’ve never cried 4 a movie or a game but I fell in love w/everything about the game. I’m a grown man who listens to r&b and rap and the sound tracc of this game still is in my playlist and brings me bacc to my childhood for a min or 2 while listening to certain sound tracks. My favorite Zelda game and tbh I believe it’s the best but I can understand the OoT and MM and BotW being better for innovation to the series but nothing imo will compare to this game

[@UnluckySuperstition]

See the thing with Zelda disappearing and coming back at the end would have made perfect sense if the castle were already covered in twilight during her sacrifice to Midna. The game had already well established that living light beings were not visible in the twilight outside of their souls remaining as spiritual flames (that Link could see as people with his wolf senses). So if Zelda had simply sacrificed her spirit and powers to amid a in the curtain of Twilight then neither Link nor Midna would have been able to see her body fall to the ground as her spirit and magical powers would be gone and nothing would remain for her to be perceived in the cloud of twilight. She would still 'disappear' after sacrificing her life, but her comatose body would still physically exist in the castle walls if there were twilight shadowing it. The reason I think it's so confusing and feels weird for her to come out of nowhere is because the game didn't follow a set of logic where it would make complete sense with the established rules of the world.

[@k1tdragon5]

I lean positively with Ganon being the antagonist. It does played in how much of a false king he is with him relying on Ganon’s help, his boss battles he mostly mimic past bosses rather battle under his own power, and when he start fighting with his own swordsmanship, it shows his naivety. It emphasize how much more of a ruler Midna truly is

[@spaceknight6764]

I'll never understand the 'bad press' for the Twilight Princess. I've been a Zelda fan for decades, A Link to the past was amazing, then, after the depth and scope of the Ocarina of Time, I'll never forget the profound disappointment (or how my jaw dropped) at seeing the Windwaker. I saw the The Twilight Princess was an atonement for such a 'sin'. Yes, it had a dark feel, but that was a logical progression from A Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time (neither of which were sunshine and rainbows). A lot of people who complain about how 'dark' the story was in Twilight Princess have obviously completely forgotten on how DARK the storyline of Majora's Mask was. For me, none of the successive games (after Twilight Princess) hit the mark; 'Skyward Sword' was 'interesting', 'Breath of the wild' was boring beyond belief and 'Tears of the Kingdom' was simply a 're-do' of 'Breath of the Wild' (imagine that, waiting 5+ years for a redo). Despite what the 'rabid' (or paid) fanboys/girls say about these 'offerings', I didn't fall for the hype of Twilight Princess's successors. It is such a shame that the proposed sequel didn't come about as planned (instead it turned into that twisted abomination known as 'Links Crossbow Training'); it was such a missed opportunity. Though, there may be hope, A Link Between Worlds (which was a direct sequel to A Link to The Past) came about around 20 years later (and that was a pretty good game)...so, we can only wait and see. The Twilight Princess was massive in scope, had a smooth narrative (which drew you in) and a rich 'world'. It was a 'mature' Zelda for a 'mature' audience, nothing more, nothing less.

[@novohart1928]

I adore some of the dungeons in this game. House in the mountain is in my top 5 dungeons in the series

[@proletariatbourgeoisie9929]

"House in the mountains" LMAO you mean the Snowpeak Ruins??

[@megakazuya123]

Quite an interesting introduction: "Zelda fans were uncultured and didn't appreciate the masterpiece that WW was, so Nintendo had to make an edgier Zelda game." Thank you for this clearly unbiased take... In actuality, people did not like the sudden shift to the cartoonish art-style of WW and wanted something that was closer to MM. TP answered this request. Also, while TP is darker and more gritty than WW; it is hardly "edgy".

[@LunarLactose]

I have this little system where I can only finish one game/tv show/book/whatever at a time. Twilight Princess is my favorite game of all time and I try to preserve it’s magic at all times so I only play it every year and a half or so, sometimes longer. But I have a huge list I promised myself I would get through first and Twilight Princess is not happening anytime soon, but I keep getting reminders of it. I paused the video at the beginning just so I could comment this. I am holding you responsible for causing me execrable anguish. Once I play it again though i’ll come back❤