Until recently, this has been a seldom-known title. Will it live up to the Zelda standard? Read on to find out...
If you live in North America as I do, you'll find that the chances of finding this title on a store shelf is very slim. Ask about the title at your local gaming store, and the manager will give you a funny look before calling security. The only way to really obtain a copy of this game (legally) is to purchase it online from a European store. Hey, at least it's in English.
So anyway, this game stars Tingle, a 35-year-old single man, who is apparently in a deep state of depression. You may recognize the name from the Legend of Zelda series. Yes, my friends, it's the one and the same "Tingle". At the beginning of the game, you start out as the average, middle-aged man whom I described above. Not the fairy wannabe you may be familiar with.
While Tingle is laying on the floor of his house, he hears a voice telling him to head over to the "Western Pool". He decide to oblige this strange voice. By making that choice, his world turns upside-down in a few short moments.
"The Story"
TRR's storyline is quite well done. It features numerous characters, along with new places to explore as Tingle tries to make his way to Rupeeland. Along the way, he will make both friends and enemies.
Tingle's Goal in this game is to reach "Rupeeland", which is supposed to be similar to Heaven, minus the women and money (or should I say "Rupees"?). To do this, he must collect Rupees from all across the three continents, and throw them into the pool. When he throws enough Rupees in, the tower will grow a little more, allowing him to reach new areas. Tingle is told that when the tower "peaks", he will then be in Rupeeland.
There are quite a few interesting plot twists, along with an alternate ending. Also, don't forget the multiple dungeons in TRR. Don't worry- each one comes with "at least" one boss.
You'll be pleasantly surprised by the length and quality of the story.
Overall, I give the story a 9.5/10.
"The Gameplay"
The gameplay is simple- you attempt to collect as many Rupees as possible. In a way, it's similar to the series that this game spun off from. You attempt to gain new items, defeat monsters, conquer dungeons, and reach new areas, all in the name of your "quest".
Let's start with the combat. You basically walk straight into a monster to initiate the battle. As soon as this happens, you'll see a "fighting dust ball", a reminiscent of those old cartoons. As the arms and legs are sticking out, Tingle will begin to lose Rupees. While the fighting is going on, you can move the ball around, sucking other enemies into the fray. The positive side of this is that you will obtain more items (i.e. defeating one enemy will yield one item, whereas defeating two will yield three items). The negative side is that Tingle will lose his Rupees at a higher rate.
Oh, and did I mention that there is no "life-meter" in this game? Tingle will die if he runs out of Rupees. Yes, they are his very life. This is why Tingle may want to make a contract with a bodyguard. Yes, I know what you're thinking: "This just keeps getting better and better... -_-", right? Actually, it is. The bodyguards come in many varieties. There are 30 of them in all, and each one has a unique personality. Some of them are timid and shy, while others attack every monster they see. Beware, though, as the bodyguards will make you pay to sign a contract again if they run out of health, or you sign with another guard elsewhere.
Now let's move on the the recipes and Rupee goods found in this game. There are about 30 recipes to be found among the continents. When Tingle find one of these, he can return home, and make the item, just so long as he has the necessary ingredients, which can be found by defeating various monsters. The Rupee Goods are similar. They are found by completing sidequests, mini-games, etc. When Tingle finds one, it is automatically put in his house. When all of them are located, the alternate ending will be played the next time the game is completed.
And finally, we have the mapping. I suppose this is where Tingle learned his mapping skills. Whenever he finds a place of interest, it may be circled on the map to add it. When a map is complete, Tingle may sell it to obtain a large sum of rupees. If the map is still needed, he may buy it back for a slightly higher price.
Overall, the gameplay gets 9.5/10. Lots of secrets, sidequests, items, bosses, dungeons, maps, and characters make this one of the most complete games ever.
"The Controls"
This game is mostly controlled via the stylus, although you do use the control pad to move around. The controls are very fitting for this game, as they allow you to operate the game quite quickly. There are a few areas where controlling various things can feel a bit quirky, however...
Overall, an 8/10. They work quite well, but it's not quite perfect.
"The Music"
The music is excellent. It fits in very well with the game. You'll hear lots of new tunes, along with some slightly familiar ones. Personally, I love the Deku Shrine's remix of "Saria's Song". It feels so familiar, yet rather dark and foreboding.
Overall, the music gets a 9/10. Very clear and crisp-sounding. It retains the Zelda feeling while still keeping it new.
"Wrap-Up"
Buy this game now. I don't care whether you hate Tingle, Zelda, or Nintendo. You will love this game. It's full of nods to its parent series, while somehow remaining separate. For the most part, it's considered to be a part of the Zelda canon by most fans
This game has gotten a bad wrap from many people, although I suspect that none of them have played it. They probably just hate Tingle because his quests were "too hard for me" in Majora's Mask, The Wind Waker, etc.
The bottom line is that it is a complete disgrace that Nintendo didn't bring this game to North America. It's incredibly innovative, has beautiful 2D graphics, wonderful music, well thought-out characters, and a great storyline/plot. If you don't play this game, you're missing out on a great piece on Nintendo history.
Alter