Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda franchise stands out amongst the competition, transcending expectations and satisfying players of all ages. Some players, however, were turned off by the "kid-like" appearance of the last Zelda GameCube game, The Wind Waker. Now, it looks like amends have been made as a "mature" Zelda game has arrived in the form of Twilight Princess. The Wii version receives all of the attention, but thankfully, the GameCube edition serves as a fond farewell to an incredible system.

The game begins with Link performing small ranch duties in Ordon village. This includes wrangling goats into a barn with the help of his trusty horse Epona and even stopping a few strays from leaving with some brute force. Unfortunately, it isn't long before horrific events lead him back into the troublesome land of Hyrule. The storyline and levels are pretty much the same as those from the Wii version, though both games mirror each other. Everything that appears on the right in the Wii version appears on the left.

Another notable difference is the lack of motion controls. When Link fires arrows or goes fishing, players use the analog stick and buttons to complete said activities. Some may miss the motion-powered abilities, but the scope of the adventure remains perfectly intact. Twilight Princess features a tremendous battle system that allows players to lock on to enemies, walk on ceilings using magnetic boots and ride horseback. Only two items can be equipped in the GameCube version (like, say, the Long Bow and the slingshot) instead of three, but the menu system can be easily accessed. In addition, players can save any time -- something that comes in handy when they don't feel like spending all night lumbering around a dank dungeon.

Two big extras push this game ahead of previous Zeldas. The first is the inclusion of Midna, a bothersome yet helpful spirit that guides Link on his quest. Midna is a likable character, one of the better ones to be introduced to the Nintendo universe in quite some time.

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