Here was the darker, more physical take on The Legend of Zelda that was briefly glimpsed when the GameCube was first properly unveiled in 2000 here was the spiritual successor to Ocarina of Time that people had been clamouring for.Īfter the heady expanse of the open sea and the invigorating lungfuls of salty air offered by Wind Waker, director Eiji Aonuma returned to familiar terra firma with Twilight Princess. Following an understated reception for The Wind Waker, work on a direct sequel to that game was halted, its colourful vibrancy swapped out for the same gritty read of Tolkien that Peter Jackson was making fashionable with the Lord of the Rings films at the time. Twilight Princess has always had its own strange place in the Zelda canon, a multi-million dollar apology to the vocal critics of its immediate predecessor on Nintendo's GameCube.
