Immortal among game franchises, the Legend of Zelda series is a favorite among casual and hardcore gamers and not to mention Nintendo's fans. The series' characters are enduring, from the green outfitted elf hero link, to the scheming Ganon and the frequently distressed Princess Zelda. Individual entries in the series are scrutinized by the faithful, picked apart and compared to previous entries and typically loved forever by those that experience them.

Because of this, Twilight Princess, was bound to be a success even before it hit store shelves. But what sort of path did it take to store shelves and what other factors went into making it into a hit? We talk with Beth Llewelyn, Senior Director of Public Relations for Nintendo of America, about the dawning of a new era in Zelda.

According to the NPD, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess sold over 412,000 units during the month of November. This easily made it the best selling title on the fledgling Wii, and the third best selling title overall during a busy holiday shopping month. Twilight Princess generated over $20.2 million in sales during that same time period.

"Remember that Twilight Princess went on sale on November 19, so it was only in stores for a brief part of the NPD reporting period," emphasized Llewelyn. "Our internal numbers show that about two-thirds of people who bought Wii systems also bought Zelda. And the Nintendo GameCube version became available in stores on December 13. We're confident that once the December sales are tallied, the numbers will be huge."

November, which happened to be the month when the Wii launched, saw 476,000 units of the system sell through. Comparing that to the Twilight Princess sales and doing a little math, it appears as though roughly 90% of Wii owners also purchased Twilight Princess. "It's fair to say that people who want to play an amazing Zelda game bought a new Wii system to play it on, while those who bought Wiis wanted a top-notch game to show off some of its abilities," commented Llewelyn, who added about comparative sales to previous Zelda titles, "It's still too early to say, but with such a high attach rate and critical acclaim, it's sure to hold its own, if not surpass previous incarnations."

Nintendo fans had a lot of reason to purchase Twilight Princess, not the least of which was simply the fact that Zelda is in the title. The game, the first new console entry in the series in roughly 3 years, has garnered praise and acclaim with a 95% average on GameRankings.com. Twilight Princess also takes full advantage of the Wii's motion sensitive controls, though some critics say this feature feels unnecessary and tacked on.

"Instead of pressing a button to make Link swing his sword, players swing the Wii Remote. When using a slingshot or bow and arrow, players just point at the screen and pull the trigger. It's really a completely new experience, and we've heard from a lot of our fans that they find it hard to go back to the old, button-oriented way of playing after experiencing the motion-sensitive controls of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk," Llewelyn explained. "We're honored that critics and fans have had such a great time with the game. It's always gratifying to get that kind of reaction to a game that everyone has worked so hard on. We always set our sights high, and the great reaction just inspires us to do more."

While simply being a Zelda title is undoubtedly in Twilight Princess' favor, being connected to perhaps the most memorable Zelda title ever made helps it all the more. The game's story ties directly into the beloved N64 classic, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. More than that is just the "feel" of the game. It is difficult to articulate into words, but it comes from the way the game looks and animates as well as the structure and flow of Twilight Princess. These similarities were certainly conscious on Nintendo's part, and have been embraced by the series' fans. "Ocarina is often cited as the greatest video game ever made, so any comparison to that title is a real honor," offered Llewelyn.

Lots of decisions resulted in how and when Twilight Princess was eventually released. Originally announced as a GameCube title back at E3 2004, the game was confirmed at the time not to be a direct sequel to Wind Waker. The previous major Zelda release (dubbed "Celda" by some for its cel-shaded graphics) had proven thoroughly divisive for fans of the series. Debates raged over the Internet between those who liked the graphical change or were willing to give it a shot and those that hated the look and would never accept it. GameDaily BIZ knows someone who, to this day, will not count Wind Waker as a "real" Zelda title. Sensing the dissension (and seeing the sales results) Nintendo quietly choose a less controversial path for Twilight Princess.

While Twilight Princess was originally set to come out late in 2005, a funny thing happened on its way to market. In the months after the game's initially stated release date, it was becoming more and more apparent that the GameCube was flagging in the face of competition. The Wii (then known as the Revolution) was the future, and the GameCube was barely even Nintendo's present. So Twilight Princess was hinted to have special features with the Revolution... then the game was delayed until late 2006... then the Wii and GameCube versions were separated... then TP for GCN was MIA at E3 2006.... then the GCN version's release was pushed back nearly a month. And when TP on GCN did eventually hit stores, initial supplies were limited. This points to one conclusion: Nintendo wanted Twilight Princess to enhance sales of the Wii as a launch title (notably the first in series history), and they didn't want a GameCube version detracting from that. By all appearances, that plan seems to have worked.

"The Wii commercials highlighted the interactive aspects of Wii and how every member of the family could pick it up and start playing," said Llewelyn about the advertising campaign. "But that was just one element of our marketing outreach, which was all about hands-on experiences. People really can't appreciate how different Wii is until they get that Wii Remote in their hands and try it out. That's why we've had the Wii Mall Experience set up across the country for average folks to come by and give it a try - and to watch others play. The more people who experience Wii, the more the message goes out: 'You've gotta try this!'"