Summary
Although at this point, I’ve lost any realistic expectation forThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princessto re-release on the Nintendo Switch, there’s an odd reason that keeps me foolishly hoping for a surprise announcement:I’ve only ever played the game backwards. While I should probably justlet go ofTwilight Princesson Switchcompletely, there’s always the chance – if slim – that it could finally return on the still yet to be officially named Switch 2. At this rate, I’ll be saying, “the next console, surely,” until I’ve got one foot in the grave.
I have a special fondness forTwilight Princess, largely because it feels like a direct successor toOcarina of Time, which remains my personalbest game of all time. In my naïveté as a child, I initially dismissedThe Wind Wakerbecause it was so different; it would take me a few years to understand its greatness. But come late 2006,Twilight Princesswas just the game for 11-year-old me – the pictures inNintendo Powerlooked a lot likeOcarina of Time, only newer, and that was enough to buy my interest. And even better, it was a launch title for the Wii, Nintendo’s brand-new console which promised to revolutionize gaming with the modern marvel of motion controls.
I’ve Only Ever Played The Wii Version Of Twilight Princess
Twilight Princess On Wii Is A Mirror Of The GameCube Version
I was definitely part of the target demographic forTwilight Princesson the Wii; I lovedZelda, I wanted a “cooler” game after Toon Link’s four-year reign, andall the ads told me I could swing the Wii Remote around like a sword and Link would follow suit, which I obviously thought was badass.Twilight Princesswasn’t a Wii exclusive, though – here in North America it was released on the GameCube just under a month after its Wii debut, a tactic Nintendo would later repeat withBreath of the Wild’s cross-generational launch on the Wii U and Switch.
Breath of the Wildreleased concurrently on its two systems, but followedTwilight Princess' lead in releasing on the same day as Nintendo’s newest console.BOTWdid not have a belated last-gen version likeTwilight Princess.
PlayingTwilight Princesson the Wii, I remember thinking how strange it was thatNintendo had decided to make Link right-handed. His left-handedness had been one of his defining features since entering the 3D era, but 11-year-old me wasn’t concerned enough to warrant further investigation – I had a kingdom to save. Years later, I would learn that Link wasn’t really made right-handed forTwilight Princess; he’s still left-handed in the GameCube version of the game.
Even stranger,instead of just switching Link’s sword hand to his right, the entirety ofTwilight Princesswas mirrored on the Wii. In case this sounds as bizarre to you as it did to me initially – yes, the entire game world is flipped. On the GameCube,Twilight Princess' version of theZeldaseries' resident volcano, Death Mountain, is on the eastern edge of Hyrule, while on the Wii, it’s in the west. Conversely, to reach Gerudo Desert on the GameCube, Link is shot out of a cannon facing west, but the carnival act occurs in the opposite direction on the Wii.
All my memories are from the Wii version’s Bizarro Hyrule.
Being as dedicated to the cutting edge of gaming technology as conceivably possible for an 11-year-old, I playedTwilight Princesson the Wii and never looked back. All my memories are from the Wii version’s Bizarro Hyrule. It really makes a lot of sense in hindsight –Twilight Princesswas something of a course-correction afterNintendo canceledThe Wind Waker 2, fearing it would lead to similarly insufficient sales numbers.Twilight Princessthus emulates the more successfulOcarina of Time, so their Hyrules are very similar: Kakariko Village is east of Hyrule Castle, Lake Hylia is to the southwest, etc. – at least in the former’s GameCube version.
Which Twilight Princess Is Canon, The Wii Or GameCube Version?
They’re Essentially The Same, Just Reversed, So Does It Even Matter?
The Legend of Zeldais, like many long-running or particularly complex franchises, steeped in an obsession with what is and is not canon; i.e. the distinction of what can be gleaned from the games and certain supplementary materials as verifiable facts about the fictional realm.Zeldais a particularly interesting case because thecomplete franchise timelineis almost nonsense. Sure, Nintendo’s officialZeldawebsite has a canon timeline, at least up through the release ofSkyward Sword, since the timeline itself was originally published inHyrule Historia, a compendium that also published in 2011.
I applaud the gall of whichever developer first suggested just flipping the entire game.
I’ve always felt that this timeline was provided by Nintendo out of something close to obligation, and I may even go as far to propose that the series' creators are largely apathetic toward it conceptually. The timeline fits roughly together, but a lot of the games were clearly not designed with continuity in mind, especially considering the series is quite literally a recounting of legends. But that’s not quite the right discussion for our two versions ofTwilight PrincessHyrule – both exist in the games themselves, so which one is the real, correct one?
Interestingly, it’s probably the GameCube version. According toTwilight Princessdirector Eiji Aonuma’s presentation at the 2007 Game Developers Conference,Twilight Princesswas first developed with left-handed Link, keeping the tradition laid down by the three previous 3DZeldagames. However, the developers found it dissonant to swing the Wii Remote with their right hand to operate Link’s left. And since most people are right-handed (approximately 90%), the Wii version was flipped.
Link isn’t definitively left- or right-handed in the pre-Ocarina2DZeldagames. With limited hardware, Link’s sprite was simply mirrored for him facing left or right, and a variety of official artwork similarly shows him wielding his sword with both hands.
It’s a very clever solution. Simply moving Link’s sword hand to his right to accommodate most players would have required redoing an untold number of animations. I applaud the gall of whichever developer first suggested just flipping the entire game. Even though the GameCube version can be considered the original (despite releasing later), Link’s right-handedness persists through the rest of the series' 3D home console releases:Skyward Sword,Breath of the Wild, andTears of the Kingdom.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Review - Building Excellence
Tears of the Kingdom takes Legend of Zelda into mostly familiar ground, but it remains an excellent, must-play title with plenty of innovation.
I empathize with this important loss of representation for you southpaws, who are, statistically, 10% ofScreen Rant’s readers. Perhaps some consolation: every 2D game (a misnomer since the advent of 3D graphics rendering) in the series features a left-handed Link.It’s seemingly a deliberate distinction, if it weren’t for one outlier of special importance to my plight in wanting to playTwilight Princesson the Switch.
Twilight Princess HD Is A Remaster Of The GameCube Version
Link Is Left-Handed In The Wii U Remaster
Another bit of evidence that supports the GameCube version ofTwilight Princessbeing the “canon” release of the game is that it, specifically, was updated for the Wii U remaster,Twilight Princess HD. Not only that,Twilight Princess HD’s Hero Mode – an alternate game mode where enemies deal more damage and hearts don’t inexplicably pop out of pots you smash – flips the game world horizontally,suggesting the mirror world isn’t the definitive version of the twilit Hyrule.
I suppose I could dust off my Wii (my brother and I tragically sold our incredibly cool Jet Black GameCube since the Wii is backwards compatible), and find a copy of GameCubeTwilight— just kidding, I looked it up on eBay and even those without the box are nearly $100. But even if I was willing to shell out the cash for a nearly two-decades-old game,I never playedTwilight Princess HD, and that’s likely the version that would be ported to the Switch. The minor changes the remaster makes likely wouldn’t justify the $60 or $70 price tag I predict Nintendo would slap on it, but I’m a sucker, so I’d probably buy it anyway.
I don’t really think there’s a “correct” version ofTwilight Princess; the game world being mirrored isn’t necessarily as consequential as it sounds, and it’s effectively still the same game, lackluster motion controls aside. But as an avidZeldafan, neurotic enough to write articles on Link’s handedness multiple times (Exhibit AandExhibit B),playing through the GameCube version’s Hyrule is a curiosity, and it finally being released on the Switch after so many rumors would be the most exciting way to check that box, and get the wonderful game in the hands of new players. I’ve only playedThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princessbackwards, but I’d love to have a shiny new version on the Switch to correct that.
Source:The Legend of Zelda/Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is an action-adventure title that continues the long-running Zelda saga and centers around a new Link. While handling ranch duties one day in his peaceful village, Link is attacked, and the children of Ordon are kidnapped. Link is pulled into a mysterious and dark place known as the Twilight realm during his pursuit. Finding himself inexplicably turned into a wolf; he is freed by a strange creature named Midna, who can drag the two back and forth between the realms, where he can turn from wolf to human again. Learning from Midna that Princess Zelda is being held captive by a dark sorcerer named Zant, Midna requests Link’s help restoring order to her realm, which will help him get back to his own.
