diamuerto said:
What I still don't get about that review for TP is that they gave the gamecube score .1 higher than the wii version, but stated in their own review that the wii version was better. WTF? |
It is simple really. He is reviewing the Wii not the game.
Like most other Zelda games, Twilight Princess is a retelling of the same basic tale, though this one is not without its twists. There's a princess named Zelda, a land called Hyrule, and a world that's on the verge of destruction if you don't do something to save it.
The Wii was designed with relatively modest graphical capabilities, at least from a technical perspective. So if you spend a lot of time trying to pick apart the visuals of Twilight Princess, you'd notice plenty of low-res textures and jagged edges.
But normally you can just keep on shaking the Wii Remote like a maniac and come out on top against most enemies. There's no finesse to the way the Wii Remote is used, and at times you'll wish that you could just hit a button to swing the sword instead of dealing with all the motion-sensing nonsense. This is especially true in the rare cases that require you to time your sword swings properly, as well as once you start learning a few extra moves, like the shield bash, which is done by shoving the Nunchuk controller forward. Most of the time, performing this move resulted in a spin attack. The combat controls using the Wii Remote may feel somewhat different from past games, but it doesn't draw you into the experience any more than using a standard controller would, and at worst, it's imprecise.
Given that the Wii is running discs on a greater storage capacity than Nintendo games have had in the past, and advances in standards for video game music, it's disappointing that the series hasn't finally moved to full digital recordings. After all, these songs are worthy of an orchestra. Similarly, it's surprising that the game's story is conveyed through text and text alone. Link has always been that sort of blank-slate character that doesn't speak in games, and he doesn't have any lines in Twilight Princess, either. That's a fine stylistic choice, but there's plenty of dialogue in the game coming from other characters, and in this day and age, for a game whose story is as much a factor as this one's is, it should have all been spoken.
It generally sounds fine, but the game also makes frequent use of the speaker on the Wii Remote, piping a lot of combat noises through it. Unfortunately, this speaker is cheap and tinny, making everything that comes out of it sound distorted and poor. The audio coming through this speaker also chops up fairly frequently, as if it can't maintain a decent connection with the console.
Objectively speaking, it's still a little disappointing that the series hasn't evolved much at all with this latest installment.
They said the sounds were cheap on the wiimote and that graphics were not next generation. Control using Wiimote is not precise. There is no excuse for lack of spoken dialogue or orchestra having so much storage space in Wii media. The game get 8 for control, 9 for looks and 7 (!!!) for sound. None of this should apply for the GC version right? No. It gets 8, 9 and 8 in the same categories.
Graphically, the GameCube version is roughly identical to the Wii release. The main difference comes from a lack of 16:9 widescreen support, resulting in many of the story sequences being letterboxed when viewed in 4:3. However, the game does have 480p support. If you're properly equipped with a GameCube component cable and a TV capable of handling the higher resolution, you'll get a slightly cleaner image. The combat controls are more conventional on the GameCube, since you won't be shaking the controller around to attack (though if you've already played the Wii version, expect to feel dumb when you start to shake your WaveBird and wonder why nothing's happening), but the Wii controls actually end up feeling more precise in a direct comparison. It's easier and faster to aim your arrows, boomerang, or other targeted items using the Wii Remote. It's easier to move the camera around with the Wii Remote, too. While the GameCube controller is more precise when it comes to swinging your sword, the easier aiming and faster access to the spin attack make the Wii version's combat controls superior, even though they have a few issues of their own.
You can't go wrong with either version of the game, but if you're still trying to decide, the Wii version is just a bit better.
If you spend a lot of time trying to pick apart the visuals of Twilight Princess, you'd notice plenty of low-res textures and jagged edges. But that would be missing the point.
When you consider the storage limitations that are inherent to the GameCube, it's easy to see why the game went this route and also why it relies on text and text alone to convey its epic story. The rest of Twilight Princess' sound is about what you'd expect, and it's using plenty of the same sort of sound effects and battle yelps that the series has relied on, which again will tap into fans' nostalgia for the series.
Suming up. Wi version sucks because it is not next generation and a direct port from GC. GC version is not good enough because it does not support some next generation features the Wii have (even though the game is one of the best looking on last gen). Wii controls are imprecise and gimmick at best, not as good as playing on a GC controller. Gameplay on Wii is worse on combat. GC version is worst than Wii. Things go smoother on Wii combat. Those claims contradict each other. As for sound, Wii sucks for cheap wiimote speaker that the GC version lacks. Wii lose points for having media storage and lacking orchestrated sound and voices. The GC loses points for lacking media storage for these features (WTF). Again a big FUCKING contradiction. Where is Phoenix Wright at times like this. Not to mention some GC bullying and minor lies. RE4 had a lot of spoken dialogue and so did other GC games that were on 1 disc only. If Zelda have no voice it was for style purposes not laziness. I do not see people bullying Shadow of Colossus for this.
The best part of the review is Jeff telling us Wii version is better. Lower score <check>, more critics <check>, best and worst control of the two <check>, logic <no>.
Satan said:
"You are for ever angry, all you care about is intelligence, but I repeat again that I would give away all this superstellar life, all the ranks and honours, simply to be transformed into the soul of a merchant's wife weighing eighteen stone and set candles at God's shrine."
