Versus Series: Twilight Princess Wii vs. Twilight Princess GCN

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Twilight Princess is critically acclaimed as well as critically prosecuted at the same time. It was a GameCube game essentially delayed to become a ported launch title for the Wii. It is among the best selling games in the entire Zelda series, and has been in and out of the top 10 selling games on the Wii until late in 2009. There are two versions of the game, with some minor differences that may or may not change your experience of this now classic game. So which is better?

The case for Twilight Princess on the Wii

The Wii version has certain advantages that makes that very well may make it the version of choice. Firstly, it contains a slight better viewing plane. The Wii version is able to be played in widescreen, allowing a wider viewing area that can give you a grander scope of the size of the world you’re in. It really helps take your breath away even more than the previous standard 4:3 setup.

Of course, that’s not all – a strong point for this version is also the controls. While there isn’t a significant difference as the waggle is merely a button press replacement, the aiming mechanism is far superior to that of the GCN. You simply point and shoot, just like back in the day when we all played Duck Hunt. This made aiming fast, accurate, and more on point. It allowed for a future minigame in Link’s Crossbow Training to come into fruition, and really set a new standard for point and shoot mechanics on the Wii.

You could also have 3 items at once, a notable improvement over the two item limit on the GCN version.

The Case for Twilight Princess on the Gamecube

Outside of being originally produced for this console, there is something to be said for this version of the game. First off, the world isn’t mirrored. Not that this is a major debating point between too, but it leaves Link left handed, and has the world shown as it was intended to be shown up until it was ported to the Wii. In short, the Gamecube version is the original intended version of the game.

Another thing that went missing in the Wii version was the free roam camera. Something about being able to use the c-stick to look wherever you wanted is something that no one really wants to see disappear in the series. This allows for greater freedom of movement and scope, as well as occasionally being able to line yourself up better for jumps. It’s not a necessity, but it seems to make game play just a little bit better.

Traditional controls are also another good thing. While the Wii version is better at aiming projectiles, the GameCube controller feels tighter. The moves feel smoother and the responses seem quicker. It’s what console Zelda players have become accustomed too, and something about it just feels right. It doesn’t feel tacked on, which is a common feeling when playing the Wii version in comparison.

The interface is also much cleaner and takes up less screen space in comparison to the Wii version.

Conclusion:

You really can’t go wrong with either, as everything is pretty subjective. If you’re a traditionalist, you will feel more at home with the Gamecube version. Link is still left handed, and the controls are what you know and love since Ocarina of Time. If you like the ability to point and shoot, as well as game in widescreen, the Wii version is the way to go. There are not enough significant differences to really sway one way or the other. I personally am more of a traditionalist, but there is something to be said for what the Wii version brought to the table. In the end, there is no winner or loser, only personal preference.