Zelda games aren't generally known for their deep stories, but Twilight Princess manages to keep you interested
As Link you'll have to undertake numerous quests and talk to lots of people to get clues as to what to get next. The game often hits you over the head with text clues as to what your next objective should be. If you're really stuck, Midna can always be contacted and she'll give you a not so vague point in the right direction. Once again our hero remains stoic and silent, aside from the odd yelp here and there, but the NPCs you'll encounter can be quite chatty. It can feel a little overwhelming having to sift through countless text boxes especially when you know most of it is filler, but for the most part the game provides you with objectives in other forms that don't require having to chat up the town drunk. Twilight Princess is the longest game in the series and there are no shortage of cool quests to tackle and players would be well advised to sit back and enjoy the entire ride.
The land of Hyrule is vast and conveniently Link already owns Epona, his faithful horse companion that many will remember from Ocarina of Time (N64). As in previous games Hyrule Field connects the various towns, ranches and other areas. It's quite a jaunt to go from one area to the next, which makes Epona particularly useful up until which time you'll discover a way to warp between points of interest courtesy of your mysterious Twilight friend, Midna. Don't worry about leaving your trusty steed behind if you warp to another section, as Link can call Epona to his side simply by blowing into some grass or another implement which I won't reveal. It may not be an ocarina but it gets the job done. Players will also find other grass that can be used to call upon other animals.
Speaking of animals, our hero will find himself physically altered into the body of a wolf when he enters the Twilight sections for large portions of the game. As Wolf Link, he will no longer have access to his shield or weapons and will rely on feral attacks as well as receiving some offensive assistance from Midna who has a devastating attack of her own. Wolf Link must also rely heavily on his senses which can track scents and enable him to see things not visible to the naked eye such as ghosts, enemies and places to dig. Many of the Twilight puzzles are centered around these abilities and players won't get very far if they refuse to explore out of the way places.
Much has been written about the use of the Wii-mote in Twilight Princess and while I was initially skeptical, I became an instant convert the moment I swung the sword with the new-fangled controller. Picking up the controller to play the Cube version, I felt oddly disappointed going back to the confines and trappings of a traditional controller. That will tell you just how much the Wii has changed perceptions so quickly. But not to worry as Nintendo wouldn't let their Cube loyalists down. Twilight Princess on the Cube obviously feels much different than the Wii, but that won't make a lick of difference to those who A) haven't played the Wii version or B) hate the Wii-mote and want to play Zelda the only way they know how.
After my countless hours with the Wii version of TP, I can't help but feel the GC controller is a step backwards in terms of immersing you into the heart and soul of the game, but I can't deny that the control feels just as comfortable as previous Zelda games. Observant gamers will notice that Link retains his "left handedness" in the Cube version of TP, while he was a "righty" in the Wii version. I can assume this was done because most gamers would play with the Wii-mote in their right hand and the effect would have been visually askew if Link remained a southpaw in the Wii version. Sword-fighting on the Cube is actually slightly more responsive and fluid on the Cube version, since the execution of the attack is instant, compared to the milli-second delay between the time you shake the Wii-mote and the info is processed on the Wii. Even the 7 new attacks Link can learn over the course of the game map comfortably to the Cube controller - although it will take some deprogramming if you move from one console version to the other. The C button controls the camera, which wasn't available in the Wii version, although the camera could be moved via the Wii-mote. The camera control works just like it did in Wind Waker, fast and precise when you just want to look around. Where the Cube version does take a backseat is in the execution and aiming of weapons like the bow and arrow, clawshot and Gale Boomerang - although again, this won't make a difference to those who haven't played the Wii version and I doubt there will be many who want to play both versions of an almost identical game. All I will say is once you've aimed at the TV with the Wii-mote, going back to the slow, plodding movement of an analog camera control is an effort in frustration, especially in the heat of battle.
Visually Twilight Princess on the Cube looks great and is certainly the crowning achievement in terms of graphic brilliance on that system. Both versions look very similar, except that the Wii version supports 16:9 aspect ratio. Curious gamers eager to compare both versions will notice some blurry and weaker textures in the Cube version that aren't that noticeable on the Wii, but you'd be insane to think this is a dealbreaker by any stretch. This version of Hyrule is beautiful, epic and finely detailed. The world of Hyrule has never looked so good or so menacing for that matter. One definite bonus to the Cube version is that you don't have the entire right side of the screen taken up by the Wii-mote HUD, which was a little distracting on the Wii. Cube owners will see the 3 items in their active inventory at the top right hand area of the screen and their health on the left hand side. Nice and clean.
The musical score is pure Zelda although some have found it necessary to criticize the MIDI soundtrack. Sure the score would been out of this world if it was performed by an orchestra, but to me it's got that right amount of Koji Kondo music-magic. If it ain't MIDI, it ain't Kondo and therefore, it ain't Zelda or Mario. But that's just me. It's brilliant in any case, providing sweeping returns to previous themes one moment and then knocking you out with something new the next. There are no voice-overs, although Midna speaks in her native tongue which you won't understand anyway, unless you're crazy. Link doesn't need to speak and if he did, he would constantly chime "Well, excuse me, Princess!" as he did in the animated series like the Hylian version of Steve Martin. Let's just forget I brought that up, shall we? The speaker on the Wii-mote adds a few nice audible flourishes here and there. It's a little tinny sounding but it's still pretty darn cool and used effectively if not sparingly.
No game is flawless and even TP could have benefitted from some improvements. The enemy AI is almost non-existent and some of the evil characters you'll encounter make Wind Waker's foes seem like fighting strategists by comparison. The bosses are extremely easy for the most part, requiring the item located in that dungeon to be used for their extinction which is a tad predictable already, but not unexpected at this point in the series. There are a few camera issues and Link will still require precise lining up to climb ladders or open chests.
Twilight Princess is definitely a must have for Cube owners. This is the game you've been waiting for since you watched the ending of Ocarina of Time back in '98, almost 10 years ago. Yeah, Wind Waker was a great game, but in looking back, it sure wasn't Twilight Princess. The darker direction takes our hero and the series into unchartered territory and fans will definitely appreciate the shift in mood.
I really believe that TP is best experienced on the Wii, but I also understand that this isn't possible for everyone. That being said, the Cube version is a masterpiece of gaming in every way and you shouldn't feel slighted that this is the only version you're able to play. As I've stated, if you haven't played the Wii version you won't even know what you're missing. Whatever you do, whatever system you have, be it Wii or Cube, you need to visit Hyrule as soon as possible.